If you've kept your books in Goodreads or StoryGraph for years, you can bring all of them to Penny. Both apps export your library as a CSV file, and Penny reads those files directly. It takes a few minutes.
Step 1: export your library
From Goodreads
- In a browser, on your computer or your phone, go to goodreads.com/review/import.
- Click Export Library. Goodreads needs a moment to prepare the file, a bit longer for big libraries.
- Download the CSV file when the link shows up.
From StoryGraph
- Open StoryGraph and go to Settings, then Manage Account.
- Click Export StoryGraph Library.
- Download the CSV file.
Put the file somewhere your iPhone can reach, like iCloud Drive or the Files app. If you downloaded it on a computer, AirDrop works too.
Step 2: import it into Penny
- In Penny, go to Settings, then Data, then Import Library.
- Tap Select CSV File and pick the file you exported.
- Penny works out on its own whether the file came from Goodreads or StoryGraph, and shows how many books it found.
- Tap Import. Books you already have in Penny are skipped, so you won't end up with duplicates.
- Penny then looks up covers for your books. You can wait for it, or skip and let the covers fill in later.
What comes with your books
Your books land on the right shelves: to read, currently reading and finished. Ratings and the dates you finished books come along wherever the export has them, so your reading history and stats pick up where you left off.
What about the free plan?
The free plan holds 40 books. If your import is bigger, every book still comes in and stays safe. You only need Premium to keep adding new books after that.
Moving between phones
You'll rarely need this, since Penny syncs through iCloud. You can also export your Penny library as a CSV (Settings, then Data, then Export Library, a Premium feature) and import that file the same way.
Once your books are in, you might like a few ways to build a reading habit, or a look at what's new in Penny 2.0.