Welcome to this minute’s Book Beat. Amazon, the company that began as an online bookstore and later acquired the book‐review site Goodreads in 2013, has announced fresh cuts in its book division. Fewer than 100 roles will go, including positions on the Kindle and Goodreads teams. Since 2022, Amazon has eliminated about 27,000 jobs as part of a broad cost-cutting effort.

An Amazon spokesperson told Fast Company, “We don’t make these decisions lightly, and we’re committed to supporting affected employees through their transitions.” Goodreads fans and publishing insiders have long voiced frustration. As industry consultant Jane Friedman put it, Goodreads “hasn’t been all that well maintained, or updated, or kept up with.”

Amazon says it remains committed to Goodreads and its community, describing the cuts as a consolidation and some roles shifting to other locations. Alternatives like The StoryGraph and Bookly continue to gain traction as readers look beyond Amazon’s ecosystem.
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