How to import your Goodreads library to BookStay

Your whole reading history — books, ratings, shelves, and read dates — moves over in a few minutes. Nothing left behind.

If you're moving from Goodreads to a calmer reading home, you don't have to start from an empty shelf. BookStay reads the same CSV export Goodreads gives you and rebuilds your library — your read, currently-reading, and to-read shelves, with the ratings and finish dates you already recorded. Here's how.

Before you start

A Goodreads account with the books you want to bring over.
A free BookStay account — or you can even import as a guest and sign up later.
About five minutes.

Step by step

Export your library from Goodreads On Goodreads, open My Books. In the left sidebar under Tools, click Import and Export. On that page, click Export Library. Goodreads generates a CSV file (it may take a moment for larger libraries) and gives you a download link. Save the .csv file to your device.
Open the importer in BookStay Go to bookstay.site, open your Library, and choose Import. New here? The onboarding checklist on your feed has a "Bring your shelf from Goodreads" step too.
Upload your Goodreads CSV Select the file you just downloaded. BookStay reads it and shows you a preview — how many books will land on each shelf (finished, reading, want to read) before anything is added.
Confirm, and you're done Confirm the import. Your shelves are recreated with their ratings and finish dates, and your reading life is back in your hands — this time in a quiet, ad-free space.

Import your library on BookStay →

BookStay's free tier holds up to 50 books. If your Goodreads library is larger, a 7-day free trial of BookStay Quiet (no credit card required) lifts the limit so your whole history comes across — and your books, notes, and shelves stay yours even after the trial ends.

Frequently asked

Will my ratings and read dates come over?

Yes. BookStay maps your Goodreads ratings and the dates you marked books as read, so your finished shelf keeps its history.

What about books BookStay doesn't recognise?

If a title isn't in BookStay's catalogue, it's added as a custom book from your CSV, so nothing is dropped from your shelves.

Is BookStay a good Goodreads alternative?

BookStay is built for the part Goodreads skips — the note you want to write after a chapter, not just the star you give at the end. A calm, chronological feed with no ads and no algorithm, private notes that stay on your device, a reading mood map, and an annual reading report. If you've wanted a quieter place for your books, that's exactly what it's for.

Does it cost anything?

Importing is free, and the free tier covers the essentials (up to 50 books, notes, the community feed, basic stats). BookStay Quiet ($3.99/month or $42.99/year) removes limits and adds deeper features, with a 7-day free trial and no card required.