How to Get Goodreads on Your Kindle Paperwhite Right Now

Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads was met with a mix of cheers and disdain. Regardless of how you feel about the purchase, though, Goodreads' integration with the Kindle Paperwhite is a welcome addition this long travel weekend - that is, if you can get it working.

Last Tuesday, Amazon announced an over-the-air update for its second-gen Kindle Paperwhite that lets you see what books your Goodreads friends are reading and rating directly from the e-reader. You can post what books you're currently reading and rate them from the Paperwhite as well. It all sounds great, until you realize the update actually isn't on your Paperwhite yet. In the announcement, Amazon stipulated that the update 'will be delivered automatically in the coming weeks.' If your flight is tomorrow and you still haven't received the update, here's how to force it.

Step one: Head to Amazon's software update page for the Kindle Paperwhite. Download Software Update 5.4.2 to your computer and make a note of where you save it. Don't try to uncompress the file.

Step two: Plug your Paperwhite into your computer with a micro-USB cable. The Paperwhite will show up under the Devices sidebar on OS X and the Storage area on Windows. Drag and drop Software Update 5.4.2 (update_kindle_5.4.2.bin) to the top-level folder of the Paperwhite. Do not put it in the documents folder or any other folder.

Step three: After the file finishes copying over, disconnect the Paperwhite from the computer. Navigate to the Home screen of the e-reader. Tap on the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right hand corner. In the drop-down, tap on Settings. Once in Settings, tap on the Menu icon again. In the drop-down you'll see Update Your Kindle. Tap that!

Step four: Your Paperwhite will install the update and restart. After restart, you'll see a 'g' in the menubar that signifies Goodreads is ready to go. Now to double-check the weather and your flight. Yeah, you might want to download a few more books based on your friends' recommendations.

Roberto is a Wired Staff Writer for Gadget Lab covering cord-cutting, e-readers, home technology, and all the gadgets that fit in your backpack. Got a tip? Send him an email at: roberto_baldwin [at] wired.com.

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