Books on the Nightstand discussion

In our most recent podcast episode we discussed different ways to keep track of what you've read and what you want to read. I'm guessing, since this topic is here on Goodreads, that most of you use Goodreads to manage your lists.

Are there any other things you do? Things you've tried? Things you want to try?

UPDATE: forgot to ask this question, Do you keep track of books you don't finish... do they "count?"

I use Goodreads and have a solution for for books which you did not yet finish. You can create a shelf and "make it exclusive." I call mine "on-hold."

Summer wrote: "I use Goodreads and have a solution for for books which you did not yet finish. You can create a shelf and "make it exclusive." I call mine "on-hold.""

Good shelf name but I would need one labeled on-hold-indefinitely as well -;)

I'll be back with further comments on what I've done and do to keep track of my reading.

I usually write a small book review and post it to some blind sites and to some of my friends who are also book junkies. I take a bit of the book description from n l s or another site and then give my opinion and my rating. I keep my reviews on my computer. I haven't quite got the hang of good reads format and how to navigate it with my screen reader, but I am still working on it.
Carla

I keep a book journal for the books that I have finished reading. I put the name of the book, the author and my thoughts on the book and a grade. I break it down by year and then month. I think it is great fun to see how many books I have read at the end of the year.
I don't keep track of books I don't finish. As I have got older, I don't feel the need to read a book I don't like. I give it 50 pages and if it isn't enjoyable, it is gone!

Summer - I had no idea you could make a shelf exclusive! That makes my comments on the blog about having to put a book on read, currently reading or to be read, completely wrong, and I'm glad. THANK YOU so much for telling me about this!!! Goodreads just got even more useful for me!

Thanks also to everyone who commented on the "keeping track of books you don't finish" topic. I said in the podcast I'd start a conversation about that, but forgot to put the question in my original message. I guess that means you all listened to the podcast. Many thanks!

Marsha wrote: "I keep a book journal for the books that I have finished reading. I put the name of the book, the author and my thoughts on the book and a grade. I break it down by year and then month. I think i..."

That is a fantastic idea!! I think that I am going to start doing that. I've been wanting to start a book group in my area-and I think that will get me started with ideas. I'm always looking for a good book discussion :)

I keep a list on goodreads, and an MS Word document on my computer wherein I keep a page count for the year. I also have a handwritten list. I review everything I complete on Amazon and goodreads, so my ratings are all online. I have an exclusive shelf at goodreads for the books that I did not finish, but I don't *review* books that I don't finish, as that is unfair to the author.

Up until I joined an in-person reading group through the local Women's League I kept no record of what I'd read but I had a pretty good recall of what I'd read at that point. It was a bit earlier that Oprah had begun her book club official reading and I'd been reading quite a few of those so I gathered those and the in-person group books into a basket and stashed any pages of notes in with the books -- that was the beginning of my record-keeping.

From there I moved to a journal where entries vary from a stab at the date and the title and author to a page of comments and remarks. Since Constant Reader my main online group kept an archive, the books I read with them, I referred to the archive when needed. Now that Constant Reader has moved here, I've been building shelves and using them as my record keeping. I've recently decided that I want to bring my journal up to date as there is something satisfying about leafing through it and revisiting what I've written about books or thinking about the reasons behind those bare bones entries which just doesn't come about by clicking through a list on a computer shelf even those as nicely adaptable as Goodreads gives us.

I have a pretty extensive excel spreadsheet on my palm pilot.

The master list page is everything (read and to-read) with columns for author, series, series order, recommended by, date added to TBR, etc. etc.

From there I can sort and filter to create smaller working lists for additional pages:
read soon
library (both to request and those out so I can watch due dates)
shopping (used or new)

etc. etc.

Yes I'm a dork, but I've used this for years and it's great to always have my TBR/shopping/library list with me on my palm pilot.

Some of the books I don't finish go back on the TBR pile -- Jane Eyre went back and forth about 5 times before I finally got through it!

I love these suggestions -- I've never had a formal tracking system of what I've read/want to read but it is a great idea. I think Microsoft Works has a library template where you can enter your books.

I keep a small notebook in whatever bag I'm using; it must come with me to bookstores so I can write down titles I've come across that I can check out later on Amazon. In it, I also list books I've finished and books I've started. When the notebook is full, I check the list of unfinished books, and sometimes carry them over, manually handwriting the titles, to a new notebook, which will then accompany me everywhere. It's a time-consuming method, but I like the old-fashioned handwritten thing about it (esp. in a moleskin notebook a la Bruce Chatwin....). I started a doc on my laptop, but it just doesn't have the same feeling. Have a TBR pile, but that pile has spilled over from the bedside to about 4 shelves now and it's hard to track individual titles.

Just joined GoodReads.... let's see if this will help me keep track of my reads.

Bruce Chatwin, you say? Hmmm -- I'll be checking out your Goodreads shelves as you stock them. If you are a Chatwin reader, there may be other books on your shelves which I'll find of interest. Welcom to Goodreads and Books on the Nightstand -- and come over and check out Constant Reader group as well.

Sigh. You are all so more organized that I will ever be. I just realized that I have not entered any of the books I've read since the New Year, except 1. And now I'm not sure I'll even remember them all. So much for falling off the wagon in April, this year it appears I fell off before it started moving!

I have started a database to keep track of what I read. I just record the basics (Author's name, title, date read, Genre, Copyright year, rating). If the book is part of a series I record the name of the series and what number the book is in in the series. I also created a little box that I can check if the book is a Pultizer Prize Winner or is part of the 1,001 Books You Must Read before You die.

I never kept track of my books until Goodreads. This website was like a dream-come-true for me. When I hear about a book, I jot it on a scrap page, or receipt, or wherever and then eventually my notes land on goodreads. When I go to the Library, I use the online terminal to access my goodreads account and list the books I want to look for. Then I hop on the card catalog and off I go.

I have never been organized enough to handle a journal or home library or PDA or anything like that. Plus, with Goodreads, I don't even have to remember to take anything with me. It's at the Library when I get there.

Leah wrote: "I never kept track of my books until Goodreads. This website was like a dream-come-true for me. When I hear about a book, I jot it on a scrap page, or receipt, or wherever and then eventually my ..."

Leah, I never thought to use the library computer to access my goodreads account! Thanks for the idea....

That is a good idea to use the library computer-I went out to the library yesterday and had trouble reading my little scraps of paper that I had written everything down on!

I started keep track of the books and audiobooks I've read in a little notebook about 13 years ago. I did it partially because of my failing memory. I frequently couldn't remember whether I'd read a book and would get it at the library or buy it twice! It also helps to have it when I make a list of my favorite books of the year. I don't write any comments, just the book and author and, in the case of audiobooks, the production company and narrator.

To keep of the books I want to read, I keep a little notebook in my purse. However, I also use the library website. They have an option in which you can keep a list of the books and other materials they own that you want to get in the future. Frequently, an item is on the shelf and doesn't need a hold, but I just don't have time right then to use it.

And, then, of course, there is goodreads. I love using lists here, but have kept them pretty simple.

I love being surrounded by total book nerds - I can admit my quirky obsessions.

I have a small hardbound notebook that I decorated with small pictures of colored book covers that I use for writing down books I want to read; mostly titles from Bookmarks magazine go in here. I highlight the books once I have read them, and I cross out the books that I start but don't enjoy enough to keep reading. It is organized by issue.

I also have a binder with some lists printed from the computer: The Modern Library's Top 100, Recommended Books for AP English, The Guardian's top 100, etc. I highlight the titles as I read.

On my computer here at school I have a file called "book list". Each year (since 2005) I have typed in all books read. Great books are in bold.

GoodReads was a dream come true. I love writing and reading reviews and organizing books onto shelves. My shelves are the basics, plus one for my book group Busy as a Bee Books, one for BOTN, one for favorite childhood/YA books, one for audiobooks, and one for the reading group we have here with our students.

My husband is not a big reader, but he finds my obsession endearing. When he asked my dad permission to marry me, my dad replied "You realize you get all of the books in the attic, too, right?" My dad asked me if I planned on inviting the staff of my local library to our wedding. When I moved back to my hometown he said I should ask the mayor to install a direct book shoot from my home to the library.

I am done rambling.

Stephanie, LOL, I love your obsession and am honored that you have a BOTNS shelf!

Stephanie....Tooooo funny!
You've sure come to the right place!

It is nice to know that I'm not the only book nerd around, Stephanie. My husband is not much of a reader either, but since he has a bit of an e-bay obsession he does not judge me on my book obsession!
I just found Goodreads a couple of months ago and now I don't know how I lived without it (oh, and Books on the Nightstand too -- it's awesome!)

I love being a nerd. I delight in the fact that I am one. My students laugh when I proclaim it on a consistent basis. Nerds rule the world.

I actually found out about GoodReads from a posting on The Knot's website when I was planning my wedding. I don't even want to remember how dark my life must have been before this site. And before my iPod. And before my Nintendo DS. Oh, and before my husband. I should probably throw him in that list, right? Nintendo DS is amazingly fun and sometimes, I have to admit, I will put a book aside to play some video games. Well-educated people can still enjoy some video game action. That is a whole 'nother topic. I have a game that is basically like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book - remember those? I LOVED them.

Choose Your Own Adventure books were very cool... Do they still make them?

Yes, but they are slightly different. The boy I tutor loves them. I kept all of mine from childhood. I checked my library for the old titles, but they don't have them.

I absolutely adore Goodreads. Before I found this website, I never kept track of the books I had read or attempted, except in my head. For the most part I did a pretty good job of it. There has been a time or two when I have checked out a book I've already read.

I love being able to sort the books into my own bookshelves and rate them.

What I really love Goodreads for, however, is keeping track of the books that I want to read. I would always write them down on a scrap of paper, then lose it somewhere! Now I just keep track on Goodreads and I can always access it.

I am also new to this group and your podcast (which I love). I love books and often think there isn't enough time to read everything I want to read!

Hi Dia,
Thanks for coming over to visit us here, and for your compliment about the podcast. Truly: there will never be enough time to read everything we want, but we can dream, right?

Nice to meet you!

I keep an old - fashioned journal of books I read. Sometimes I just write down the name of the book, sometimes I write summaries, sometimes I write reviews, it's all really random. I have this weird fantasy of keeping this journal, and it being something that my (unborn) kids will keep as a memory of me - it's written in my handwriting, and maybe it will encourage them to read and explore books. Some people do this with recipes - pass them down in a recipe book, I am doing it with a book journal.

I of course keep track of things here on Goodreads.
It is my only way to keep track of my TBR list. It is so massive (like 300 something) that I've tried keeping it in a notebook, but it is almost impossible to keep up with.

I do have a book journal, where I record every book. I keep track of the title, author, date I started, and hopefully date I finish. Then I write a little review, and any quotes that I liked. I do record what books I don't finish, and just strike through the finished label. I think it's interesting to see what book I picked up and couldn't get through, for whatever reason.

I just transfer my reviews from that notebook to Goodreads, and the rate it. I sort my bookshelves pretty simply- read, to read, come back to later, and classroom books. I also have a non-exclusive shelf of wishlist books, and my library- books that I own.

Definitely goodreads helps but I also have a review blog that helps here.

I used to keep a notebook with a list of all the books that I've read but since discovering goodreads, I am slowly bringing that list over to goodreads. I use it to track both read and to read books now. The only down side is not having a handy list of 'to be read' books when I'm at the bookstore/library/etc. But, I manage :)

Amy, if you have a mobile phone with web access, there is a Goodreads mobile site that's pretty slick: http://www.goodreads.com/m/home

Personally, i'm hoping for an iphone app, but the mobile site works well too.

Before Goodreads came along, I would (and still do...old habit) write down the books I've read on a calendar. I buy a specail calendar every year just for this purpose. I usually finish everything I start, so don't have a separate way to keep track of those. And if they're that bad that I can't finish them, I don't want to be reminded of them!

oh, thanks, Ann! I'll go check that out ...

I used to keep a word doc of books I wanted to read but that was a huuuge pain. Now I use Goodreads exclusively. I recently created shelves so I could sort my choices and I cross-post. Like when Michael recommended "Fragment", I put it in both my "botns" and "sci-fi" folders (because I'm so OCD I like to know where the idea to read the book came from. Don't judge me.)

As far as Michael's question about books not finished, yes I have an "Abandoned" shelf. I really hate to not finish a book but I recently read a comment that Nancy Pearl (a librarian, author and NPR contributor) made; she said if you don't like a book after 50 pages, it's ok to put it down and read something else as there is more worthwhile reading out there already that you'll never get to to waste time on something you don't enjoy.

Stephanie wrote: "I love being surrounded by total book nerds - I can admit my quirky obsessions.

I have a small hardbound notebook that I decorated with small pictures of colored book covers that I use for writ..."

You are adorable! Thank you for the ideas, I have a notebook I just purchased from Barnes and Noble to "manually" (imagine that!) record my favorite books with just a quick informal reference note. This notebook I purchased has a title on the cover, "Book Lust"...it describes you to a T! Sounds like your husband married you, books and all, for better or worse. Sounds like he got the better!

Tee-hee! (I have use that after being called adorable!)

I am old-school. I do keep a general list in WORD, but I like my little notebooks.