Tertulia Reviews

by Aka Bah

The main aim of Tertulia seems to be to get you to buy books. For somebody like me who reads a ton and gets nearly all of my books from the library, the commercial aspect is not appealing or useful. I like being able to track which books I'm reading and which books I'd like to read. The main flaw however, is that I cannot rate or review the books that I have read.
UPDATED: I didn't login for a couple of weeks and when I did, all my lists are gone. Empty. All that work gathering up the books I wanted to read, wasted. So disappointing.

by Chrisroth451

I really wanted to like Tertulia, but it doesn’t feel like it’s accomplishing its vision effectively. It was advertised as a tool that will provide me with personalized recommendations based on my tastes/preferences, reading history and more. I would have loved to see more guided recommendations… but that never really happened. I felt like I only ever saw very generalized recommendations based on a specific genre. Like “hey - here are some great new fiction books!” Vs. Having a specific recommendation based on three books I loved - that would show purpose behind the recommendation and convince me to read and/or buy it (ex. People who loved these three books that you loved, also loved this ___). Would love to use it again in the future, but deleting for now and will just refer to Goodreads and organic blog content for recommendations.

by Mmcphail

Didn’t recognize login; requested password reset link and received only a confirmation of email. The link sent originally as invitation contained a dead link.

by Evenwhydoineedanicknameistaken

I want to know whether a particular book’s story line or subject will be of interest to me. There are thousands of titles presented by Tertulia. At a real bookstore, the cover/title catches my eye, I pick it up and flip it over, and in two seconds get the gist of what the book is about and whether I might like to know more about it. In Tertulia, I 1) scroll to find a title that catches my eye; 2) press the cover image to get to the book page; 3) scroll down to find the More Info link; 4) press the More Info link; 5) scroll down to the publishers description. Then and only then can I get the gist of what the book is about in two seconds. I don’t find this any more useful than scrolling through the Kindle website.

by Sfwork

I think Tertulia could be good but is currently neither here nor there. It doesn't make it easy to rate books (the books you get to rate is very haphazard). And it honestly doesn't feel like rating books make the recommendations smarter. Also why not just ASK me what my favorite recent reads were. As for discovery, I like seeing the recommendations but the summary needs to be more obvious. Super annoying that there's a ton of crap (like a buy button) before I even know what the book is about. Lastly I can't tell if Tertulia is actually a book seller? Or is this a book recommendation app?

by Corider29

Once you order, there is no way to get order status. There’s no order history. No way to get shipping info. No way to get customer support other than sending an email. They didn’t think through what it means to provide account information and customer service. If I ever get the book I ordered 2 weeks ago, I will delete Tertulia .

by Samalama_Gamgee

I love that I can browse curated lists and see recommendations but I’ll say the thing I utilize the most is also the most frustrating. It is impossible to view a full self-made list in Tertulia . I have 40 books in my to read list and I can’t scroll past the first 10 before the page reloads and puts me back at the top. I’d be happy to use Tertulia for tracking all my books if that one thing could be fixed

by 000111000110

I want to like Tertulia, but it is incredibly frustrating to use. I tap on my screen, literally count to 5, and then the expected behavior might occur. Paired with a general lack of loading transitions, you could accidentally be on an different page, lose your search, add three copies of a book to your cart, etc. Often, loading a book will show $0 prices before the real prices pop in later. I’ve restarted Tertulia , restarted my phone, redownloaded Tertulia . It’s not my connection, as Tertulia is slower than anything else I use on my phone. Please, please, spend some time troubleshooting and improving your app performance. I know you can do it 🙏

by Christina Wills

The idea of Tertulia is fantastic, but the implementation is still a bit glitchy. First of all, I can’t find one book that I would decide to read from their daily recommendations, so their algorithm might need to “learn” a bit more to truly be functional. From an app perspective, the section with today’s recommendations cannot be refreshed daily. I have to close Tertulia and then reopen it. Also, I haven’t been able to figure out how to find the descriptions of each book. While I want to read somebody’s feedback about the book, at first I would like to see what the book is all about. There is no description easily accessible.

by El Jefe Mama

I love the idea of Tertulia, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Most recent experience includes being asked to join (already a member), adding books to cart that say free shipping and then being charged for shipping, and losing what I had in my cart.

On the other hand I love the list function where I can track books that I want to read, am reading, and have read while switching between categories.

by Comme Un Ananas

Tertulia has such a beautiful, simple platform / design / layout that I’ve considered abandoning all the other book and reading apps I’ve tried out or use regularly and switching over to this one exclusively. The recommendations are also shockingly good - I follow publishing and literary news pretty closely and spend a lot of time scouring the shelves of my local bookstores and libraries, so it’s unusual for me to receive a book recommendation thats both perfect for my tastes/ interests and never crossed my path before. But Tertulia consistently serves up recs for books I know nothing about and that are extremely relevant to my interests.

The one thing that is frustrating about the platform tho is the speed at which pages load. If I click on a title, it takes some time to save the book to one of my shelves, and then if I want to go back to the list I was on, it can take numerous tries at tapping the back button before Tertulia responds. (Side note - It would also be nice if books could be shelved/saved from within the lists too). Typically I end up getting tired of how slow Tertulia runs and close it / switch to a different app, but if the speed could be improved, I would love to spend more time using it or pay for a subscription.

by Jeremiah4th

this app is the perfect example of technology working in tandem with what currently exists (libraries + bookstores), to modernize the way reading is encouraged, books are found, and literature and authors are discussed.

An amazing resource not only to purchase books, but to get recommendations from authors that I love, tastemakers, and fellow readers. Truly salon-like in that there is always a conversation happening around the books and topics that I care about. Beautiful design and easy to use! Well done! 👏🏻

by Shutterblade

Rather than endlessly scrolling through lists and user updates, this app offers up five book recommendations each day tailored to the your interests. It’s a low investment/high reward experience that makes it a delight to refresh each day. My TBR list continues to grow thanks to this wonderful app.

by Mimi O Chun

In any local bookshop I inevitably find myself browsing “Staff Picks”, where employees offer impassioned testimony on why particular titles resonate for them via handwritten index cards prominently displayed below a wide-ranging collection of books.

Now imagine that bookshop was in your pocket, open 24 hours, and that the staff was made up of journalists, subject matter experts, or other influential voices. Sub out those illegible index cards with an elegant user interface that allows you to check out reviews on GoodReads, save it to a list, or click to purchase. That’s this app.

by Paloma Nun

I found Tertulia to be a sleek spot for gathering and finding new books with personal and genuine reviews. Tertulia is beautifully designed and makes intelligent recommendations for books and people to follow. If you read and like talking about what you read, worth checking it out.

by Living For Books

I read book reviews from many sources daily, but on this app I find books that haven’t been reviewed anywhere else. It’s not just for best sellers - older books pop up, and remind me of titles I’ve meant to read for years. Titles change daily. It’s addictive.

by GpT4E

Just what I have been waiting for. Living in a small town it is nice to have access to Tertulia - it is like walking through a well curated book store in a university town or large city. Lots of great and unique books highlighted.

by Catherinediff

This is the first time I’ve experienced the treasured feeling of browsing an independent bookstore online. The first book I ordered I finished in 3 days and I just ordered 2 more - the recommendations are spot on. This is now my go-to for buying books - order shipped very quickly as well!

by Shandee24

I recently moved all of my Goodreads info to this app because they are much better at keeping my lists and recommendations in a concise, visually pleasing format. I’ve easily doubled the amount I’m reading because they have all the books I’m looking for and generous deals throughout the year to keep my bookcase stacked. They also listen to their user feedback and their customer service responds right away. That little spark I used to have for learning and indulging in literature has been reignited thanks to this app’s passion for expanding the bounds of reading to include salons and book clubs. It’s interactive, comprehensive, and constantly getting better; the best book app to date.

by Bibi&knut

Finally a book buying experience I want to repeat! Tertulia makes it easier to find and buy books I’ll love, its actually a smart way to recommend books.

by Chouberry

I love the ability to read summaries and reviews in one place. The range of voices thinking and commenting on books really enhances the experience. The only problem is that my reading list is already too long after two days in Tertulia …

by Evoritim

Great book discovery app ! love books but buying them online has always left me disappointed. With Tertulia I feel like I’ve stumbled into a bookstore filled with great recommendations from fellow bibliophiles. Excellent way to find a gift for someone in your life based on the little things you know about them. Highly recommended !!

by TheyTwin

this app is so easy to use, and the ability to turn to all the book info I need in just one place is fantastic. I just bought my mother a birthday present that would have taken so much longer to find anywhere else. I'll be using this great resource again and again.

by Jbgardenparty

Wonderful resource! Tertulia not only introduces new titles, but also new commentators. I discovered a new podcast reading reviews of the latest fiction title I chose to read via Tertúlia. Bonus that it tracks your ‘want to read’ titles. I can sift out the genres that don’t interest me and zone in on the ones that do.

by H A Greene

I am thrilled that this app is here! What a perfect way to make books widely accessible while also supporting the much needed conversations around books and the authors themselves. Open, worldwide discussions and the freedom to share ideas around books, both old and new, is wildly important - frankly now more than ever. Thank you this app!

by Aubrie*

this app is much more than an app but a community for book lovers. Book recommendations from reputable reviewers, lists of award winning authors, and personalized recommendations have transformed my TBR list for the better. Since joining I’ve discovered new books and authors that would remain unknown to me without this app.

by Avidreader9633

This is a GORGEOUS and easy to use app. I’m avid reader and have tried good reads in past or amazing but both are horrible. This is such a stupendous way to discover books. Thank you @this app

by TeeKochkar

Initially this was a very difficult app to use; however, I gave it another try & it seems to be user-friendly now.