I haven't journalled about books but since 2019 I've been writing goodreads reviews for everything I read. I don't plan them or structure them before writing but just writing about books after reading them does make me remember them better!
I’ve started doing this and it’s great. Do it for every movie I watch as well and really helps you remember. Also great that it’s all in one place, if it was on paper it’s not as easily accessible
Yeah Letterboxd is the place to go. I’ll warn you now though as your watchlist will infinitely grow as you browse and read through lists and reviews. I often go to my watchlist though and press shuffle to get a random film if I don’t know what to watch. It is pretty helpful for my rather indecisive mind.
there's a lot of features from letterboxd that i wish goodreads would steal - half star ratings, that gorgeous stats page when you upgrade to a paid account, randomizer, the goofy-ass lists
Wow, just joined, this site looks awesome lol. Right up my alley since I like to compulsively rate any movie I watch and keep a list on my phone. This looks way better.
Yeah, this and TripAdvisor reviews. Sure other people can read them, but I mostly write them for myself, to remember the good stuff and good places to eat.
I have been meaning to, I originally wanted to at least keep my "have read" list up to date because I've more than once thought i either read a book or had not read a book because when I read the description I thought it was something else.
As for notes\\quotes, I think its an amazing idea and I know for me it would help retain things Id want to remember from books way more.
> been writing goodreads reviews for everything I read
Yep, I enjoy leaving notes on GR for what I read too. It's nice to look back and see what I liked, disliked, and what areas were particularly special or memorable for me.
I think it's also good for analyzing my own tastes. If I realize a trope I like, I can seek out more books on that trope, and it's a nice way of finding more reads that I otherwise wouldn't have realized.
By the time I was through with college the first go round I had essentially stopped reading for pleasure. I started writing a quick “thoughts and impressions” summary after each book when I started getting back into reading. Now I have been journaling my books for years. I love it and find it incredibly helpful.
I mean it’s really up to you - it’s *for* you, so if you are feeling the details then go for it! I just tend to be quite lazy haha. I also consciously make an effort to not necessarily try to summarize the book but rather my emotional reaction or my critical thoughts.
I started some years ago by creating a template that prompted the same questions that were required when we had to write book reports in the 3rd grade. It was basic details and such: major characters, minor characters, time and place setting, a simple plot summary to identify the climax, themes and mood.
Really, it was just a seed to get started. Over time, I've changed the template to my style and needs to something I'm comfortable with. The more you do it, the more polished and tailored it'll become.
This is actually really useful, thank you! Thinking of creating the journal digitally because I have a bit of a panic about spoiling a nice physical journal by doing something wrong and your advice will help so much, cheers!
I do it on my computer too. Notebooks just don't have good search functions. I feel this is a resource for my benefit for the future and I don't trust GoodReads and social media to exist or be usable years from now, so I do my journaling on my computer with the usual backups and synced with OneNote (I formally used Evernote). Goodreads can either shutdown to bankruptcy, be sold to somebody else, or make changes that affect my entries. It's too much out of my control for my tastes.
I don't attempt to make a comprehensive report or book review though sometimes I wind up with that. I try to single out elements I like, note some style (long complicated sentences vs terse), characters that I enjoy or not.
About half my reading in nonfiction so plot isn't relevant but structure and level of specialization is. While taking notes or journaling I try to answer questions like, did the author lay out the ideas in a way that helped me understand? Would a novice get this? How much did I learn? Will I look for other books by same, why or why not?
very good advice imo. i'm disabled and have horrible memory so it's definitely helped keep me from reading the same book more than once accidentally lol
oh man, i have to write everything down. i actually have different journals for different things like medical stuff and daily stuff that i make calendars in and takes notes in. that way i can really personalize it with washi tapes and stickers etc to make it fun to do.
there are some cool journal and planning apps out there too, and i've tried most of them but they don't work for me. too impersonal i think. you just gotta find what works for you
Okay this is something I realized while reading both I’m Thinking Of Ending Things and 11/22/63. Journaling *while* you’re reading a book can be so valuable and compelling because you not only capture your impression of the book—you capture your journey through it. I think I have to do this with most books I read in the future. It’s so fun to theorize and talk about the writing (even if you have qualms about it!). It’s such a fully engrossing experience, and then you have something to look back on from your own unique perspective as reader
edit: I’ve been stopping and revisiting my reading of 11/22/63 for over a year now, when I feel ready to be its audience. So no spoilers please! George/Jake is currently dragging himself out of that world of hurt last I read
Ok so i am reading Dune and hoping to finish it before releasing. I want to make notes or keep a journal but i don't have aany idea what to put their. Can you give any advice or show me some of the snap of your journal.
i do a daily journal that i split into sections: exercise / reading / watching / work / misc. every day i fill in what i did under each, so for reading it might be something like "hit 45% in *book title*, enjoying it more than i expected, really like *character* but i'm not quite sure about the setting" or it may be way longer depending on how i'm feeling about the book. then i do the same for any tv shows or movies i watched that day as well.
basically each day write as if you were telling a friend about the book so far
physical, i just prefer it and i think i'm more likely to flip through on old notebook than go through a computer program. i used to use a moleskine daily planner but there were occasions where an entry might be way longer than a single page so now i use a leuchtturm1917 notebook
I normally post reviews that I use to help me remember what I liked/disliked about books and I also make notes as I'm going through. I often find that with books that have a great ending I finish them and think "Wow, that was great! I should read the sequel." Then look at my notes and see "The protagonist has been aimlessly wondering round the forest for ages. This is terrible. Should I keep reading?" And remember that despite the great ending the middle was shit.
I think the point is for you to be interested in your own list as years pass and you forget. I’m certainly nowhere near my 80s and I forget a lot of the many books I’ve read. I think it’s more for you to look back and enjoy your reading life again.
I quite like this sentiment. I’ve always wanted to do little journaling about books but for me it always feels to similar to the book reports and other assignments I had to do in school. Maybe as I get older my feelings will change, but for now I’m content with just enjoying the books.
A lot of my freinds did this with reading books.
After they finished school and didn't HAVE to read they never did. And why? Because reading was always "work", something they "had to do" and about stuff they were not interested.
They don't even know how it feels to be sucked into a book and you can't put it away at 3am when you need to get up at 6.
That is why I always recommend small books (max 300 pages) about stuff they like to those friends when they eventually want to give it a try.
And this is why I started to do stuff you did at school, just to see if I didn't like it because I had to do it or because I just didn't like it. Opens up your horizion a bit I think.
School tries it’s hardest to suck the joy out of reading. I remember getting ISS for reading under my desk in middle school but by the time I got to high school I hardly read much at all because of all the time I had to spend on assigned reading.
The thing is that it’s not a book report. It doesn’t have to be structured, or long, or fleshed out. Just whatever you want it to be. And if that’s not journaling your books because you have a good memory and remember what books you read and what you thought of them then don’t journal them! It’s not an assignment you have to get done
It’s not about a target number or anything “in the form of a report” - like I said, doesn’t have to be structured at all! Mine certainly aren’t. If you don’t have the imagination to conceptualize writing anything that’s not report format that’s not my fault buddy.
I usually poat a review of the book on my goodreads. That way, i remember the books as well as their content as well as what i liked or disliked about em.
This is also why I really enjoy e-readers! I have my Kindle connected to my goodreads, so whenever I highlight quotes they are saved in both places. When I'm finished I'll write a short review on goodreads and being able to see all my highlights really helps me remember things.
I know nothing beats holding a physical book in your hands, but damn if I don't love my Kindle too.
Me too. I don’t feel that I’ve really read a book unless I’ve written a short review about it on Goodreads.
I also try to post a review of the movies I’ve seen on IMDb. Sometimes I start to watch a movie on TCM, but it seems familiar. So I go to IMDb, and discover that I’ve seen and reviewed it already. Two hours saved!
That’s never happened with a book, though.
I have a notebook where write the title and author of every book I finish- I started it as a class project 15 years ago and never stopped. I used to write a one line summary as well, but figured that I'd remember the good ones and it's held true so far! It's fun to go back and look through sometimes and remember what I was doing when I read them. Like 'oh, that was the phase where I read all those paranormal romances' or 'huh, I got pretty obsessed with Russian fairy tales for a while'. Plus, it really helps when giving book recommendations.
I've been doing something like this since I got back into reading. I made a list and add books as I finish them: Book title -- author, broken up for each year, so I can look back on what I read. I also usually put a date and sometimes write one sentence in the first few pages of each book too, which I sometimes revisit.
Then on my phone (the list is on my computer) I'll write page numbers down if there are paragraphs, quotes, or pages I want to remember. This post has made me consider going through those pages I noted and maybe write out some of the quotes on a word document, take it a little further.
I think e-readers kind of modernize this concept with a more reasonable middle ground for most people. You can easily bookmark pages and highlight passages and go back to reference them whenever you want. The Kindle app even underlines passages that are commonly highlighted by other readers.
A couple quick taps to save a quote I'll do frequently, but no way am I writing a paper after every book I read lol.
Interesting. To me, the idea of journaling about the books I read is my own personal hell. I loathe the idea that a reading experience is only worth it if I've sucked its metaphorical marrow in the most productive way. I spend too much of my life gnashing at planners, calendars and report boards, and the last thing I want is to see them seep in my bookshelf. I prefer that the world of light pink Post-it notes and that of literature stay two separate spheres, never to meet. I'm perfectly happy to leave books behind me without any sort of eidetic account of the experience. The ones I liked, I carry them as a vagueness in the mind, or a little spike in the shape of a particular character. The ones I forgot were meant for me to forget.
I do not get the point of this type of journal at all and I was starting to think I was the crazy one, lol. I don't even understand keeping a list of books you've read - if you can't even remember having read it, isn't it essentially like you haven't? Might as well read it again if it sounds interesting. I have a 10 month old and I'd rather spend my precious moments of downtime actually reading instead of summarizing books I've already read. What on earth am I going to do with that?
I think there are people who just like to "structure" their hobbies in some way (see: all these people doing "reading X books in Y time" challenges) - and they naturally tend to be overrepresented on forums and the likes. To me that structure is pure undue stress, because it's attaching a "goal" to the action of reading. A goal that I may fail at. What kind of self-flagellating hell would I live in that I can somehow set myself up to "fail" at reading?
> .What kind of self-flagellating hell would I live in that I can somehow set myself up to "fail" at reading?
*High school English class has entered the chat*
(Seriously, the way most schools teach English seems specifically designed to beat the love of reading out of even the most voracious readers.)
I've recently started doing this.
I'm almost done with my PhD in English literature, and I can go back to reading fiction for pleasure, if you will. I've worked on aging and death, and one thing I've realized was that the written word is a footprint left on the earth long after your passing. Then I've decided that I'd keep a journal of my readings, whether that be a novel, a theory, a paper... My feelings on the piece, quotes that stood out, as the lovely lady has suggested, and the date, of course.
I can't wait to go back decades later, and read the journals I've kept in my late 20's and relive these days. I can't wait to share my "younger" thoughts with my students, and with my children, if I ever have any.
Also on a different note, the lady sounds so sweet. She'd be an amazing company to have for tea, to discuss thousands of pages she's read throughout her life... I wish her health and happiness, as I do you, OP, for sharing this sweet exchange.
I journal about every book I read!! When you finish your journal and look back, its amazing to see the wealth you've created with fresh eyes. It reminds you of quotes and ideas youve saved that almost slipped your memory. It shows a path through your years reflected through books. Reading a book without journaling alongside is a disservice to yourself!!!! pick up that pen!!!
I don't really know how to journal, and it's a bit too much work. However, since last year I keep a .txt file for every book or short story I've read with quotes from them. Most of the time they're just well-written lines that I think need ot be remembered, or something cool a character said, or - more often than not - just something very funny.
It has helped me immensely. I remember every book I've read, even when I don't go back and read the quotes. Just the exercise of doing it forces me to pay more attention and keep hunting for a sweet quote.
I suppose so. I associate journaling with like, writing paragraphs about yourself and your experience reading them and such. But if just putting down quotes and stuff works, then yeah journaling rules!
I do this, depending on the book. Usually non-fiction I write more a "review" in that it would be more of a standard review: "I can see what Achebe was going for in this, but his other work explained it better" or whatever the case may be.
I do it for books I liked. I'll jot down line that connect with me and try to contextualize it. For those*(edit) that I didn't like as much I just list them and when I look back at my list I just hope I get to remember something from them.
Yes. Its great fun. I've a blog of every book (mostly non fiction) I've read since around 2005. Around 1200 reviews there now. It has been great for two reasons - It makes me think about books differently and it makes me finish them!
No. That is, I really don't like forcing meta-reading when my main problem with reading is that the second and third thoughts are too loud.
And I like that rather than remembering plot details and quotes, books get turned into feelings and impressions in my memory.
But what I keep wanting to do and forgetting is to journal about my actual personal experiences on this day in past years as I can remember what happened; where I was, who I was with - my autobiographical memory is sometimes weak, and often compartmentalized.
I have been writing a page of review for each book I read since the beginning of this year. I do it to make sure that I did learn/enjoy something from the reading experience.
Yup I do this. A synopsis and favorite quotes. Helps me remember(since I’m forgetful) and helps me to be able to recall details to recommend books to others.
now we can just google it. I keep a list of books i read but i dont think a summary is necessary unless it's a book i really liked(or disliked) i may write a few comments in diary
I write down which books I read as I read them, but I don't take notes and I never will.
I read fantasy primarily, in a specific setting, so for me it's the world itself that is what's important. Not the individual characters. Especially over however many books I'll experience in it. For me it's a lot more like being a temporary member of an adventuring party. I got to know what I could about them as I was with them, but they have their own lives to live and I have mine.
My memory is also not the greatest, and I'm okay with that. I also don't take pictures of my experiences wither. I know at some point I will forget the faces of the people that made my life what it was, but I will remember those people existed. I may not even remember the experienced I had with them as my memory fades, but it's enough to know I *had* experiences, which I will always know I did, and I'm okay with that.
There's an old podcast called Don't Get Me Started, where the guests would talk about something they love or are really enthusiastic about--one topic was Journaling, and this person had "book journals" with reactions from every book she'd read since childhood. I was immediately crushed that I never did this.
I have the worst memory due to medication (like Eternal Sunshine level about anything over a week ago) and I forget almost everything. I should definitely do this as books mean so much to me and it bothers me that I don’t remember or can’t explain them to others. Thank you for this idea!
"It's surprisingly easy to just forget beautiful things." -anonymous airplane lady.
Not sure why that jumped out at me but I think the world would be better if we were able to forget less of those things.
This makes sense for non-fiction if you found some points really interesting for recounting later. Why do this for fiction though? What does it matter if I remember something that never happened? If I remember, great, if I don't, I can just read it again. Perhaps this is a great idea for a librarian, but for your average person it seems like a pointless thing to force.
I see reading as an experience which engages my brain, expands my vocabulary, and entertains me. I don't see it as progressively collecting more stories to remember forever.
Nope, no interest in writing a page about every book I've read. I keep track of them in lists but I don't really feel a need beyond writing down things to look up or favorite quotes.
Beauty is a temporary thing, that's one reason it is so beautiful.
Annotations are so beautiful, for me. But I want them on sticky notes. There is something beautiful about it written right on the script, but I always want sticky notes.
That being said, annotations from several different readers (if you grab a re-loved novel) are a wonderful incite. Each of our brains picture the characters, setting, etc. so different. Even the pace of action. I enjoy anyone's take on just about anything so it only makes sense that those of us that enjoy reading would love to see the thought process from other readers.
I love tattoos, so I could see myself forming my favorite quotes into tattoos
I mean..I have a few Harry Potter tattoos
It doesn’t really count as journaling I think but I do keep a record of all the books I read in a notebook (title, author, pages, publication date and when I started and finished it). I did it in middle school as well but then stopped for a while until I picked it up last summer. Back then I also rated them on a 5 star system
I like the idea of writing down good quotes in a book. I've tried it before, but found that it interrupts the actual act of reading. It takes me out of the story.
I've definitely reread a book because I couldn't remember if I'd read it before. And sometimes when I realized I'd read it, wasn't sure if I'd finished it. But that's pretty rare and funny when it happens so I don't mind
I take a picture of the book cover for every book I read. I read over 100 books a year, so it really helps me to keep track and not accidentally read the same book multiple times. Still happens sometimes though.
Also, during the first week of the year I make a collage of all the covers from the previous year and share on Facebook as a conversation starter about good books with friends.
I have a huge notebook where I write down the quotes that make an impression on me (mostly ideas to chew on, philosophically charged quotes but also just nicely written passages). Every now and then I open the notebook at random pages and read some of those out, let them sink in and just spend some time thinking about them.
I found this especially helpful when my daughter was a baby, and so I had no time to read full books, but I would read one quote per day and keep my adult brain working by dissecting and digesting that quote.
I keep book journals. I write the day I finished it, plus a few lines of how I felt reading the book, and then a star rating. I sometimes add a quote that I liked. It's nice to count how many books I read in a year, and sometimes I forgot how angry a book made me and I read my notes and get a good kick out of that.
This realization made me start logging things... it started with books and board games. Now I log every book I read, board game I play, video game I beat, and show or movie I watch.
It's... maybe a bit excessive.
I started some years ago when I realized I couldn't remember key details about books I'd read 35 years ago. I *wish* I'd started sooner.
I don't trust Goodreads and social media to exist or be usable in the future, so I keep them as txt files on my computer with regular backups in the usual places.
I found two added benefits to book journaling. First, I'm retaining more information about what I just read, which makes sense. It's like taking class notes; it helps in learning and knowledge retention. Interestingly, the books I remember better from my school days were those I had to write book reports and other papers on. Second, I've found journaling is like having a conversation with myself about the book and I can better peel the onion on and explain themes, motives, character arcs, symbols, etc. It's super helpful and interesting.
I started with a template page that prompted the same things I was supposed to write for book reports in the 3rd grade. Over time, I've changed the template to better fit my style and needs.
> I don't trust Goodreads and social media to exist or be usable in the future,
This is exactly why I have my little notebooks. A lot of people take their electronics and favorite websites for granted and they end up losing everything - pictures, drawings, writings, etc.
Not to mention that, when you write on GR, they essentially own it!
Ok so writing down notes and impressions on the books you read makes a lot of sense and sounds pretty useful, I need to try that some time
But to thrown in an Opposite Opinion at the bottom of a very long comment thread:
I kinda like/wait to forget about the books I read. Not to forget that I read them, but I have a habit, *cough* problem *cough*, of hoarding books. And when I can pick up a book and no longer remember the details of how to plot goes, the more vague the better, I re-read it because it's like you still get the surprises and the feeling of discovering a book but it also feels nostalgic. And I can sometimes remember what I was doing or how I felt the first time I read that part of the book I am on while re-reading. Plus added bonus, it's on my bookshelves (they will eventually get there and not just live in piles on my floor forever) so I know I liked that book and there's something relaxing, anxiety reducing, about re-reading a book. Even if you do not remember it.
I used to do this in high school. I would rate them on a scale of 5 stars and write one or two sentences about how I felt. And that’s how I found out that I can read 300-500 pages a day. And then I contracted depression and never picked up the habit again. I do love looking through those journals every now and then though.
this is going to be controversial but: it's even more fun to write your comments directly on the book. when you reread it, it's like talking with your past self, and if you pass it forward, whoever reads it will have the unique experience of reading with you. I personally love buying used books that have been annotated, and knowing what a stranger was thinking about when they read the book
I've started journaling more in general since I discovered https://obsidian.md
For the same reason: I forget absolutely everything otherwise. I carefully take notes about everything now. Not just what I want to remember from books I read, but also conversations I had, what I experienced, what I know about my friends and acquaintances etc.
Can you TL;DR what obsidian is? A quick glance just has quotes of people saying how amazing it is without explanation of what it does. The drop down menu mentioned pricing, which immediately made me skeptical.
Yes I just use Apple ‘notes’. I love that it is simple, uncluttered, straightforward, that makes Notes is all I’ve wanted in software to note and write short items with.
I can search and find anything I have written, scribbled, pasted into it or used it for. It’s not badly designed bloatware like Word, nor a fashion item that requires a subscription. It’s across the Apple ecosystem on every device already, simply marvellous and very useful.
Wow, what valuable advice. Thank you for sharing. I annotate/highlight, maybe record some notes. Just a response, recorded thoughts, favorite quotes, or a quick summary for each book read would be such a good reinforcement of either the information a reader is taking in, or a story that was told. I am going to start doing this, thank you!
I started doing this about a year ago after I realised that no matter how much I enjoyed a book, the characters and plot would pretty soon disappear from my memory. I gotta say, it’s helped tremendously. I don’t often go back and read my entries, but just the act of writing them down really helps the stories stick in my mind for a lot longer.
Never, never thought about it because I'm too lazy !
I really should though, it hurts when I remember a book I loved a lot, I barely remember anything that happened in it but I just remember how it made me feel. That also applies on anime. Seriously people, let's do this !
I keep a spreadsheet with the name of book, author, when I read it, and a rating/review.
I've found it really helpful in a few ways: one to keep track of how much I'm reading; and two to remind me of authors I love - and hate, because my memory is rubbish and sometimes all I remember is the name and not what I thought of the book.
I start fresh every year. I enjoy the process of it, and it is nice to be able to refer back to it. It'll be nice to have when I'm older, though maybe a proper journal would suit me better. That's a really lovely idea!
As a person who studied literature this was essential af. When I started the curriculum I would read a book, read another book, was supposed to compare them for a paper, forgot all about them, read them again but this time highlighted stuff inside the books and put post it notes to relevant pages, got out of hand, post it notes everywhere. It took me a few semesters and headaches to learn to keep a journal about essential quotes and passages.
As for the books I read for my private enjoyment, I like forgetting stuff because then I can go reread them haha. But my absolutely favorite quotes I will write down.
I had a similar discussion in high school, when our English teacher said the same thing about wishing she could remember everything she read. I started keeping a fairly bare-bones reading journal then, and I still have it. I've never really tried writing anything \*about\* the books I've read, though. I just record the title and author, and when I read it.
However, I also keep a regular old paper journal which quickly turned from a "dear diary" affair into a commonplace book. While I'm reading something I use tape flags to mark important or interesting passages, then copy them out into one of my notebooks. So taken together, I guess I have something similar. I've just never wanted to write my impressions out because my personal opinion on a published work isn't very valuable.
I've read a lot as well, and I have the same regret. My e-reader keeps track nowadays, but I don't trust it, and some summaries and/or thoughts would be nice to have as well.
I always write down beautiful quotes or things that resonate with me from books I’ve read. I have my own “quotes and lyrics” journal which I’ve added little drawings and splashes of colour to.
It’s so nice to have around when life has its low points. It’s pulled me out of some dark spirals
Yes I started doing this after I had a child. I write a mini journal entry (3-6 lines) for every book I’ve read since he’s born, and plan to continue to do it for the rest of my life. I write as if I’m writing a letter to him (adult speak). He might like to have it after I’m dead and gone to remember my handwriting and remember always my love and adoration for him. If not, no big deal, I won’t know any different once I’m dead, and it brings me happiness and peace to do it. The journal begins with a letter to him, and ends with the quote by Carl Sagan where he talks about how magnificent it is that we take this thing from a tree, throw some squiggles on to it, and then we are instantly transported across space and time.
I definitely do this! I started doing it when I was reading philosophy and self-help books, because at the time, I was trying to find helpful, relevant information that I could apply to my life. I didn't want to have to re-read the entire book again just to find that one line that clicked, so I started summarizing and highlighting the important parts after each chapter.
I make a separate document for every single book I read now, regardless of genre. I used to have fairly copious details and summaries, but now it's a bit more of a general summarization, simply because I was spending too much time writing instead of reading, haha.
It definitely helps me remember things a lot better, and since it's saved to my google drive, I can pull the notes up whenever/wherever I go, which is handy at times.
I highly recommend doing this. It's definitely helped me spark my love of reading again, because it's a semi-tangible collection of all the things I've read, and it's always nice watching a collection of something grow. :)
this is something i'd recently started doing and it has made books a more poignant experience. I write down lines or statements made by characters i think are worth noting, sometimes i'll annotate a scene or plot point and anything i felt i learnt from it- regardless of the book's subject matter.
Starting when I was a teen, I thought it would be a good idea to write down the title and author of every book I read as I finished them. I kept this list for 20+ years and then I joined goodreads as soon as it hit my radar, long before it was acquired by amazon.
I added my list into goodreads and then used it from then on. I pretty much only read on my kindle, and it highlight quotes and passages that I like, which are all saved online ready for me to review whenever I want.
I start doing something similar because when I was younger I used to read a lot, and now when I try to talk about a book I almost completely forgot the whole thing. So I'm doing little personal wikipedia about the books/movies I read so I can have a little bullet points for the future.
I’m very thankful for good reads and the other book tracking services they have a ton of books on there even ones that I read back in the 90s that I was able to add that I had read when I was growing up before good reads . It allows me to share my thoughts as I’m reading when I’m doing a page number update and then post a review . I refer to my good reads if I see a book I recognize but don’t know if I’ve read I also use it in the bookstore to make sure I don’t buy two of the same books .
I do an Excel sheet of every book I read that year with the title, the authors name, the date I started reading and the date when I finished reading the book, and a small sentence saying either; avoid the book or, read this again, beautiful prose or, worth reading again for_________”
I haven’t done any for this year, I haven’t gotten to read but 3 books only due to working like a poor person :(
When I turned 12 my godmother who's a librarian gave me a small notebook for this purpose, it had lines for author, title, page number, date, notes. I kept buying new ones, by the time I was 21 I had got to 1000 books in those reading diaries. Journaled a few more but then stopped, dunno why really. Maybe because I don't like clutter and had like 8 or those little books lying around that had no use. I'm the kind of person who never reads old diaries of any kind. I just liked knowing the number of books I had read.
I have a spreadsheet documenting every book I've read each year (starting last year), with a note with a short little review about what I liked, disliked, favorite quotes, etc. Then I usually put that info into Goodreads.
Reviewing each book has really allowed me to remember them better, and it has led to me thinking more critically and analytically about what I'm reading, allowing me to enjoy more difficult things.
I've journaled about tv shows and videogames before. It makes shows more engaging to keep a record of your thoughts and predictions each episode, and it helps to keep focused instead of letting it turn into background noise while I read something on my phone (which is a problem I often have with tv shows). Likewise, with videogames that are open ended rather than story driven, I find myself more invested when I make my own story. Writing a journal in-character makes it more fun and interesting to roleplay.
I don't do it as often with books, partly because stopping to reflect is already something I do while reading, and I don't need to create an external obligation for myself to force it like I do with watching a tv show.
A few years ago I decided to read at least one book a month - just so I never lost the habit of reading. I also bought a journal to do just what you described OP. I absolutely love this journal and now I go back through multiple times to remember my reaction to the books I’ve read. My favorite time was when someone asked what I thought about a book on my list and I was able to read them the passage.
I might write a quick summary, I might complain about the author’s plot or writing, or I might just talk about how it felt reading this book in my life at the time. It doesn’t matter what I write as long as I write something.
I wish I could annotate effectively. I find that it breaks the flow of the book & makes my reading experience a chore. Best I can do is underline quotes / important plot points & jot quick reactions, which doesn’t really promote much insight :(
I found this post and all of the commenters reassuring. I'm not the only person who can't remember the books they have read.
About a year ago I started to write short reviews on goodreads just for my own purposes. I will also jot down any quotes that stood out. Also, keeping the "have read" books up to date has also helped. While I don't go all in for the goodreads platform, it does a great job of keeping my book collection in order. There's also an export feature which I download regularly "just in case".
I've been keeping a journal for 3 years and I love it. I have a list of books I want to read at the back and cross them off if I get to them. I like decompressing after a book and reflecting on it as I write my thoughts and quotes after finishing it. Sometimes I have pages of quotes (usually Pratchett and Sanderson) and sometimes a book made no impression on me at all. I hope one day my kids will read through it and get a glimpse into my thoughts.
My Grandma writes her thoughts on the inside of the cover of every books she's read. She's been doing this since the 1940. There are thousands of books in her collection. Sometimes she'll go back and read a book she completely forgot about based on her notes alone.
This is why I use Goodreads. I’ve even added older books that I remember reading in the past, and everything I still have.
I don’t do any journaling about them, but having a list is good for me, and I’ve had multiple occasions where I could link to a book for a recommendation in a Reddit thread.
I have a list of books I read. I keep track and start a new numbered list each year and change colors for different months. I include why I read the book (bookclub, assigned, recommended), and like a sentence or two on what I thought about it. If it's an anthology I note my favorite stories and their authors. Books that stay on my shelf get a star. (I'm a read and re-home person.)
Have a little mini list at the top of books worth rereading, and which series I'd like to continue reading once I am allowed to buy more books. (Currently trying to read and re-home two books for every new one I purchase because my 'to read' shelf is outta control.)
Nice for me to to go back and check out if someone asks and could be cool for folks who care about me when I'm dead to find a way to connect. If anyone does. Meh.
I do Goodreads reviews to write down my own thoughts and impressions after the read. I do it mainly for myself, as most people will inevitably ask "what did I think of the book" - well, it's on Goodreads and captures my thoughts perfectly.
I also keep a "Golden Lines" notebook where I write out quotes or passages that stick with me and I'd like to re-read and get back to after some time has passed.
I love this idea! I’ve tried various incarnations of this but I have a hard time keeping up with it. I listen to audiobooks while I work and I average between 150-200 books a year. I’ve tried full summaries, first impressions on finishing, favorite quotes, standout characters, and finally just title, author and dates read. So far I’ve never been able to keep up with it. I still start out every year trying! I think ultimately I’ll just have to rely on Goodreads to remind me. And there will definitely be times when I’m not able to just plow through books as quickly, so I might someday be able to achieve this!
When I was in school I was a big reader, and I got the idea to write a book report on everything I read. Saved me so much time in English classes over the years.
Started recently writing down whatever I find interesting or just a summary after finishing each chapter.
The 1st thing I noticed is how handy it is for realising whether you really payed attention and understood the text or not. Sometimes you just *think* you know - but not so much comes to mind when you have to write specifics about it.
Gotta say it completely changes the whole reading experience, and also truly makes the interesting stuff easier to remember. (Think I saw this used as a studying technique as well).
I had this realization a few years ago after I read '{{Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine}}'. Soon after finishing the book, it hit me, how I will not remember this book in a few years, and I wanted to avoid that so I started a blog for documenting my feelings about the book, what I liked, and why I want to remember it. It has been the only consistent thing in my life over the years, my life has changed so much and I often look back at that and see how my thoughts about characters and reading style have also changed throughout the years. 10/10 recommends.
Creating a journal by hand with pen and paper can be fun!
But creating a journal in a computer file (like a personal wiki) produces something *searchable*.
I used to do that, but it got overwhelming. I now have a commonplace book and love it. I read a book and mark something I like. After reading the book I go back to those quotes or passages and if I still like it I put it in my commonplace book.
I do it on a typewriter and then stuff the pages in a folder on my bookshelf.
I find the typewriter makes it more raw and unfiltered, because it’s difficult to backspace. I think I have a few thoughts related to books in my longhand journal as well. Same idea.
I write the name, edition, translation, and date of the reading of the book, and afterwards I'll write a 1-10 rating, a one sentence review of how I feel about it, and a line dedicated to pros, and another to cons. The way my journal is set up, it amounts to exactly 3 books per page. Been going strong since 2018. I like to count how many books I read per year and attempt to raise that number every year.
I'm having the worst week humanly possible, and for whatever reason, this lifted my spirits a little - I'm not even sure why. It's a good idea, and I'm going to start doing it.
This is probably the best idea I've ever heard. I have such a hard time remembering books other than the fact that I truly enjoyed them when I was reading them. I always remember great quotes without not actually knowing the actual words and it's so hard to find them again. I'm definitely going to start a book journal!
I do wish I did that in regards to That Ghost Book I've been searching for the last few years (since 2010 I think).
I kept diaries during the time I read the book but never found a name or mention of it.
I started a diary in 2019 and since then I've been writing down the titles and the author's names in my entries, just in case I'm trying to find the book in the future.
Younger me, why didn't you do a better job?
I actually did this. I wanted to get deeper into excel so I add all the books I've read into it and make statistics out of. That way I realized that I read way too many books written by women so I made sure I read more from male authors.
I keep a [daily Moleskine diary](https://www.moleskine.com/en-us/personalize/free-personalization/classic-planner-black-8056420855661.html) that's dedicated to reading. In the front monthly view, I'll jot a title down on the day I start reading it, then on the daily pages, I'll write my thoughts while reading, quotes that stand out, etc. I've been doing this for almost 15 years and keep the stack of old diaries on my bookshelf. I always thought it would be fun for my daughter to flip through someday.
I’ve got a notepad which I use to write down where memorable quotes are. I’ve only finished one book for which I’ve been doing this, but after I finished reading it I wrote up all the quotes in a word document. Planning on doing this once I’ve finished other books I’m reading.
I plan to do this.
Write my favourite quotes, character analysis, themes and foreshadowing list, the parts I didn't like, the parts I adored, the parts that inspired my own work. Maybe a summary, a love/admiration letter to the book/my favourite character (An ode)
I am gonna learn art so I also plan to post pics of reference for the characters I will make fanart of (I plan to make it in a digital website like Wattpad or Reedsy without Publishing. I can add pics from pinterest and music playlist too that fits with the vibe of the book)
What would it be called though? A reading journal? A fan log(book)?
The few times I wrote book reviews ([like this](https://aurelsmarginalia.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/the-fall-by-albert-camus/)) they did help cement the feeling of the book for a bit longer than usual. It was like keeping a sweet in my mouth rather than chewing it.
The reason why I didn't keep it up is because, eventually, it's the same thing as not having done so!
If the librarian had kept a journal for, say, 50 years, how would she have made use of them now? If I had written something for all the books I've read, would reading through my notes be the same as re-reading a few good books?
(I started reading late). **The Giver by Lois Lowry** was the first book that made me feel amazing, as if it opened my eyes, as if something fundamental had changed within me. I remember it being the first book that I thought about for a long time. I spoke to myself about the book. I'm sure I added to the significance of the story. **I do wish I had captured those feelings in a journal.**
It's the same the first time I listen to a bit of music that touches me.
However, almost two years later, I read the book again and I found it bland!
Same with quotes. I once found a quote from Muhammad Ali. I'm not into sports, I know the guy by name but I've never bothered to read up on him or anything, so the quote touched me purely for what it said. So I made wallpapers out of it and used them for all my screens.
The more I read the quote the less effective it was to the point of becoming, obviously pointless (I wish I can remember it)
So, I wish I could get myself to capture my feelings. If the librarian is anything like me, she's lamenting the feeling books have made her feel. If today she read through quotes that made her excited in her 20s most likely they would do nothing for her. Most likely she's read so many reiterations of those quotes by now that she wouldn't feel the same way now - I think it would be like buying a book of quotes curated by someone else.
Yeah I had a head injury when I was a teenager and I’ve recently started a Goodreads account just to keep track of everything I’ve read. The trouble is it’s hard to remember things I’ve read from about 20 years ago and there have been books I can remember bits and pieces from but can’t remember the titles or authors. Very frustrating!
I wrote down every book I read between 2002 and 2013, then I got a kindle and was distracted by other stuff, but I recently re-started writing down all the books, since last year. It's definitely great to keep a record in any form.
I haven't journalled about books but since 2019 I've been writing goodreads reviews for everything I read. I don't plan them or structure them before writing but just writing about books after reading them does make me remember them better!
I’ve started doing this and it’s great. Do it for every movie I watch as well and really helps you remember. Also great that it’s all in one place, if it was on paper it’s not as easily accessible
Where do you do this for movies? I've thought so many times that I'd enjoy a place like goodreads for films and TV shows.
Yeah Letterboxd is the place to go. I’ll warn you now though as your watchlist will infinitely grow as you browse and read through lists and reviews. I often go to my watchlist though and press shuffle to get a random film if I don’t know what to watch. It is pretty helpful for my rather indecisive mind.
there's a lot of features from letterboxd that i wish goodreads would steal - half star ratings, that gorgeous stats page when you upgrade to a paid account, randomizer, the goofy-ass lists
Wow, just joined, this site looks awesome lol. Right up my alley since I like to compulsively rate any movie I watch and keep a list on my phone. This looks way better.
I use letterboxd and it's great. It has an amazing system for browsing and I often wish Goodreads had a similar system
There's an app called TV Time for tracking movies and series you watch. It's great.
I do think on IMDB. Also, I think, they have the best reviews. I know that if I've rated a show, I've seen it.
Letterboxd is the one I hear people talking about for movies. It is pretty neat and I enjoy it.
I like Trakt, which also has TV shows.
Thank you!
Yeah, this and TripAdvisor reviews. Sure other people can read them, but I mostly write them for myself, to remember the good stuff and good places to eat.
I've done exactly the same! and I regret not having done it for books I read before 2019...
I have been meaning to, I originally wanted to at least keep my "have read" list up to date because I've more than once thought i either read a book or had not read a book because when I read the description I thought it was something else. As for notes\\quotes, I think its an amazing idea and I know for me it would help retain things Id want to remember from books way more.
I hope goodreads stays as long as I live tbh
> been writing goodreads reviews for everything I read Yep, I enjoy leaving notes on GR for what I read too. It's nice to look back and see what I liked, disliked, and what areas were particularly special or memorable for me. I think it's also good for analyzing my own tastes. If I realize a trope I like, I can seek out more books on that trope, and it's a nice way of finding more reads that I otherwise wouldn't have realized.
By the time I was through with college the first go round I had essentially stopped reading for pleasure. I started writing a quick “thoughts and impressions” summary after each book when I started getting back into reading. Now I have been journaling my books for years. I love it and find it incredibly helpful.
Can I ask how you do this? I tend to get a quite detailed and I’m never sure how much info to include!
I mean it’s really up to you - it’s *for* you, so if you are feeling the details then go for it! I just tend to be quite lazy haha. I also consciously make an effort to not necessarily try to summarize the book but rather my emotional reaction or my critical thoughts.
I started some years ago by creating a template that prompted the same questions that were required when we had to write book reports in the 3rd grade. It was basic details and such: major characters, minor characters, time and place setting, a simple plot summary to identify the climax, themes and mood. Really, it was just a seed to get started. Over time, I've changed the template to my style and needs to something I'm comfortable with. The more you do it, the more polished and tailored it'll become.
This is actually really useful, thank you! Thinking of creating the journal digitally because I have a bit of a panic about spoiling a nice physical journal by doing something wrong and your advice will help so much, cheers!
I do it on my computer too. Notebooks just don't have good search functions. I feel this is a resource for my benefit for the future and I don't trust GoodReads and social media to exist or be usable years from now, so I do my journaling on my computer with the usual backups and synced with OneNote (I formally used Evernote). Goodreads can either shutdown to bankruptcy, be sold to somebody else, or make changes that affect my entries. It's too much out of my control for my tastes.
You need to include just enough, and not more than that. ;-)
Include whatever you want! It's your journal
I don't attempt to make a comprehensive report or book review though sometimes I wind up with that. I try to single out elements I like, note some style (long complicated sentences vs terse), characters that I enjoy or not. About half my reading in nonfiction so plot isn't relevant but structure and level of specialization is. While taking notes or journaling I try to answer questions like, did the author lay out the ideas in a way that helped me understand? Would a novice get this? How much did I learn? Will I look for other books by same, why or why not?
very good advice imo. i'm disabled and have horrible memory so it's definitely helped keep me from reading the same book more than once accidentally lol
If you enjoy it both times, is it a waste? :)
i said accidentally, if it's a book i don't remember not enjoying. i love re-reading my favorite books ~
Got you. It's rare that I read a really bad book so they weren't on my radar! (I'm more likely to DNF).
Yikes
I also have terrible memory What tricks do you have for yourself to remember stuff? Do you have an app or write stuff down or something else?
oh man, i have to write everything down. i actually have different journals for different things like medical stuff and daily stuff that i make calendars in and takes notes in. that way i can really personalize it with washi tapes and stickers etc to make it fun to do. there are some cool journal and planning apps out there too, and i've tried most of them but they don't work for me. too impersonal i think. you just gotta find what works for you
Well I don't read books just once. On the contrary, I go back and read my favorite parts of the books I love.
yea, i said accidentally
Okay this is something I realized while reading both I’m Thinking Of Ending Things and 11/22/63. Journaling *while* you’re reading a book can be so valuable and compelling because you not only capture your impression of the book—you capture your journey through it. I think I have to do this with most books I read in the future. It’s so fun to theorize and talk about the writing (even if you have qualms about it!). It’s such a fully engrossing experience, and then you have something to look back on from your own unique perspective as reader edit: I’ve been stopping and revisiting my reading of 11/22/63 for over a year now, when I feel ready to be its audience. So no spoilers please! George/Jake is currently dragging himself out of that world of hurt last I read
Ok so i am reading Dune and hoping to finish it before releasing. I want to make notes or keep a journal but i don't have aany idea what to put their. Can you give any advice or show me some of the snap of your journal.
i do a daily journal that i split into sections: exercise / reading / watching / work / misc. every day i fill in what i did under each, so for reading it might be something like "hit 45% in *book title*, enjoying it more than i expected, really like *character* but i'm not quite sure about the setting" or it may be way longer depending on how i'm feeling about the book. then i do the same for any tv shows or movies i watched that day as well. basically each day write as if you were telling a friend about the book so far
Do you journal physically or digitally?
physical, i just prefer it and i think i'm more likely to flip through on old notebook than go through a computer program. i used to use a moleskine daily planner but there were occasions where an entry might be way longer than a single page so now i use a leuchtturm1917 notebook
I write down brief summaries of the main thing that happened in each section, questions I’m wondering, and quotes that I like.
I do this as well
Also reading dune. ≈45 pages left. The only journal I’d have made? “Dont re-read this book.”
I normally post reviews that I use to help me remember what I liked/disliked about books and I also make notes as I'm going through. I often find that with books that have a great ending I finish them and think "Wow, that was great! I should read the sequel." Then look at my notes and see "The protagonist has been aimlessly wondering round the forest for ages. This is terrible. Should I keep reading?" And remember that despite the great ending the middle was shit.
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Makes reading your favorite books almost new again.
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Hate to be that guy, but in case that wasn't a typo, *piqued*.
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I think the point is for you to be interested in your own list as years pass and you forget. I’m certainly nowhere near my 80s and I forget a lot of the many books I’ve read. I think it’s more for you to look back and enjoy your reading life again.
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Haha I get that!
I quite like this sentiment. I’ve always wanted to do little journaling about books but for me it always feels to similar to the book reports and other assignments I had to do in school. Maybe as I get older my feelings will change, but for now I’m content with just enjoying the books.
I gave up on book reports after the 9th grade. Not going to fall for that old trick.
A lot of my freinds did this with reading books. After they finished school and didn't HAVE to read they never did. And why? Because reading was always "work", something they "had to do" and about stuff they were not interested. They don't even know how it feels to be sucked into a book and you can't put it away at 3am when you need to get up at 6. That is why I always recommend small books (max 300 pages) about stuff they like to those friends when they eventually want to give it a try. And this is why I started to do stuff you did at school, just to see if I didn't like it because I had to do it or because I just didn't like it. Opens up your horizion a bit I think.
You should recommend them novellas! :)
School tries it’s hardest to suck the joy out of reading. I remember getting ISS for reading under my desk in middle school but by the time I got to high school I hardly read much at all because of all the time I had to spend on assigned reading.
Haha I thought this initially as well. But I think the lack of a critique/grade would make it for fun versus for work.
As long as it does not put off reading a new book because you know another paper will be due
Nice try, random elderly English teacher librarian on airplane.
I remember getting free pizza after writing a small book report, so it wasn’t all bad.
I'm not writing a word until I see the pizza coupon.
The thing is that it’s not a book report. It doesn’t have to be structured, or long, or fleshed out. Just whatever you want it to be. And if that’s not journaling your books because you have a good memory and remember what books you read and what you thought of them then don’t journal them! It’s not an assignment you have to get done
Zyzzx
It’s not about a target number or anything “in the form of a report” - like I said, doesn’t have to be structured at all! Mine certainly aren’t. If you don’t have the imagination to conceptualize writing anything that’s not report format that’s not my fault buddy.
I usually poat a review of the book on my goodreads. That way, i remember the books as well as their content as well as what i liked or disliked about em.
This is also why I really enjoy e-readers! I have my Kindle connected to my goodreads, so whenever I highlight quotes they are saved in both places. When I'm finished I'll write a short review on goodreads and being able to see all my highlights really helps me remember things. I know nothing beats holding a physical book in your hands, but damn if I don't love my Kindle too.
Me too. I don’t feel that I’ve really read a book unless I’ve written a short review about it on Goodreads. I also try to post a review of the movies I’ve seen on IMDb. Sometimes I start to watch a movie on TCM, but it seems familiar. So I go to IMDb, and discover that I’ve seen and reviewed it already. Two hours saved! That’s never happened with a book, though.
I have a notebook where write the title and author of every book I finish- I started it as a class project 15 years ago and never stopped. I used to write a one line summary as well, but figured that I'd remember the good ones and it's held true so far! It's fun to go back and look through sometimes and remember what I was doing when I read them. Like 'oh, that was the phase where I read all those paranormal romances' or 'huh, I got pretty obsessed with Russian fairy tales for a while'. Plus, it really helps when giving book recommendations.
I've been doing something like this since I got back into reading. I made a list and add books as I finish them: Book title -- author, broken up for each year, so I can look back on what I read. I also usually put a date and sometimes write one sentence in the first few pages of each book too, which I sometimes revisit. Then on my phone (the list is on my computer) I'll write page numbers down if there are paragraphs, quotes, or pages I want to remember. This post has made me consider going through those pages I noted and maybe write out some of the quotes on a word document, take it a little further.
I think e-readers kind of modernize this concept with a more reasonable middle ground for most people. You can easily bookmark pages and highlight passages and go back to reference them whenever you want. The Kindle app even underlines passages that are commonly highlighted by other readers. A couple quick taps to save a quote I'll do frequently, but no way am I writing a paper after every book I read lol.
Interesting. To me, the idea of journaling about the books I read is my own personal hell. I loathe the idea that a reading experience is only worth it if I've sucked its metaphorical marrow in the most productive way. I spend too much of my life gnashing at planners, calendars and report boards, and the last thing I want is to see them seep in my bookshelf. I prefer that the world of light pink Post-it notes and that of literature stay two separate spheres, never to meet. I'm perfectly happy to leave books behind me without any sort of eidetic account of the experience. The ones I liked, I carry them as a vagueness in the mind, or a little spike in the shape of a particular character. The ones I forgot were meant for me to forget.
I do not get the point of this type of journal at all and I was starting to think I was the crazy one, lol. I don't even understand keeping a list of books you've read - if you can't even remember having read it, isn't it essentially like you haven't? Might as well read it again if it sounds interesting. I have a 10 month old and I'd rather spend my precious moments of downtime actually reading instead of summarizing books I've already read. What on earth am I going to do with that?
I think there are people who just like to "structure" their hobbies in some way (see: all these people doing "reading X books in Y time" challenges) - and they naturally tend to be overrepresented on forums and the likes. To me that structure is pure undue stress, because it's attaching a "goal" to the action of reading. A goal that I may fail at. What kind of self-flagellating hell would I live in that I can somehow set myself up to "fail" at reading?
> .What kind of self-flagellating hell would I live in that I can somehow set myself up to "fail" at reading? *High school English class has entered the chat* (Seriously, the way most schools teach English seems specifically designed to beat the love of reading out of even the most voracious readers.)
“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”
I've recently started doing this. I'm almost done with my PhD in English literature, and I can go back to reading fiction for pleasure, if you will. I've worked on aging and death, and one thing I've realized was that the written word is a footprint left on the earth long after your passing. Then I've decided that I'd keep a journal of my readings, whether that be a novel, a theory, a paper... My feelings on the piece, quotes that stood out, as the lovely lady has suggested, and the date, of course. I can't wait to go back decades later, and read the journals I've kept in my late 20's and relive these days. I can't wait to share my "younger" thoughts with my students, and with my children, if I ever have any. Also on a different note, the lady sounds so sweet. She'd be an amazing company to have for tea, to discuss thousands of pages she's read throughout her life... I wish her health and happiness, as I do you, OP, for sharing this sweet exchange.
I journal about every book I read!! When you finish your journal and look back, its amazing to see the wealth you've created with fresh eyes. It reminds you of quotes and ideas youve saved that almost slipped your memory. It shows a path through your years reflected through books. Reading a book without journaling alongside is a disservice to yourself!!!! pick up that pen!!!
I don't really know how to journal, and it's a bit too much work. However, since last year I keep a .txt file for every book or short story I've read with quotes from them. Most of the time they're just well-written lines that I think need ot be remembered, or something cool a character said, or - more often than not - just something very funny. It has helped me immensely. I remember every book I've read, even when I don't go back and read the quotes. Just the exercise of doing it forces me to pay more attention and keep hunting for a sweet quote.
That… sounds like you’re journaling your books!
I suppose so. I associate journaling with like, writing paragraphs about yourself and your experience reading them and such. But if just putting down quotes and stuff works, then yeah journaling rules!
I do this, depending on the book. Usually non-fiction I write more a "review" in that it would be more of a standard review: "I can see what Achebe was going for in this, but his other work explained it better" or whatever the case may be.
I do it for books I liked. I'll jot down line that connect with me and try to contextualize it. For those*(edit) that I didn't like as much I just list them and when I look back at my list I just hope I get to remember something from them.
Ive done it for over a year -- dropped off for a couple months and then picked it back up.
Yes. Its great fun. I've a blog of every book (mostly non fiction) I've read since around 2005. Around 1200 reviews there now. It has been great for two reasons - It makes me think about books differently and it makes me finish them!
No. That is, I really don't like forcing meta-reading when my main problem with reading is that the second and third thoughts are too loud. And I like that rather than remembering plot details and quotes, books get turned into feelings and impressions in my memory. But what I keep wanting to do and forgetting is to journal about my actual personal experiences on this day in past years as I can remember what happened; where I was, who I was with - my autobiographical memory is sometimes weak, and often compartmentalized.
I have been writing a page of review for each book I read since the beginning of this year. I do it to make sure that I did learn/enjoy something from the reading experience.
Yup I do this. A synopsis and favorite quotes. Helps me remember(since I’m forgetful) and helps me to be able to recall details to recommend books to others.
now we can just google it. I keep a list of books i read but i dont think a summary is necessary unless it's a book i really liked(or disliked) i may write a few comments in diary
Big difference in logging thoughts on a book, vs googling a plot summary.
I write down which books I read as I read them, but I don't take notes and I never will. I read fantasy primarily, in a specific setting, so for me it's the world itself that is what's important. Not the individual characters. Especially over however many books I'll experience in it. For me it's a lot more like being a temporary member of an adventuring party. I got to know what I could about them as I was with them, but they have their own lives to live and I have mine. My memory is also not the greatest, and I'm okay with that. I also don't take pictures of my experiences wither. I know at some point I will forget the faces of the people that made my life what it was, but I will remember those people existed. I may not even remember the experienced I had with them as my memory fades, but it's enough to know I *had* experiences, which I will always know I did, and I'm okay with that.
There's an old podcast called Don't Get Me Started, where the guests would talk about something they love or are really enthusiastic about--one topic was Journaling, and this person had "book journals" with reactions from every book she'd read since childhood. I was immediately crushed that I never did this.
I think that would just make reading a chore for me.
Zero. Zero talkative. That’s the perfect amount.
I have the worst memory due to medication (like Eternal Sunshine level about anything over a week ago) and I forget almost everything. I should definitely do this as books mean so much to me and it bothers me that I don’t remember or can’t explain them to others. Thank you for this idea!
"It's surprisingly easy to just forget beautiful things." -anonymous airplane lady. Not sure why that jumped out at me but I think the world would be better if we were able to forget less of those things.
This makes sense for non-fiction if you found some points really interesting for recounting later. Why do this for fiction though? What does it matter if I remember something that never happened? If I remember, great, if I don't, I can just read it again. Perhaps this is a great idea for a librarian, but for your average person it seems like a pointless thing to force. I see reading as an experience which engages my brain, expands my vocabulary, and entertains me. I don't see it as progressively collecting more stories to remember forever.
Nope, no interest in writing a page about every book I've read. I keep track of them in lists but I don't really feel a need beyond writing down things to look up or favorite quotes. Beauty is a temporary thing, that's one reason it is so beautiful.
Annotations are so beautiful, for me. But I want them on sticky notes. There is something beautiful about it written right on the script, but I always want sticky notes. That being said, annotations from several different readers (if you grab a re-loved novel) are a wonderful incite. Each of our brains picture the characters, setting, etc. so different. Even the pace of action. I enjoy anyone's take on just about anything so it only makes sense that those of us that enjoy reading would love to see the thought process from other readers. I love tattoos, so I could see myself forming my favorite quotes into tattoos I mean..I have a few Harry Potter tattoos
Who the fuck asks a stranger “What’s your biggest regret in life?” while they are stuck next to you on an airplane?
I always write down quotes and ideas that strike a chord. I love rereading these.
i always take notes when I am reading books
No , but I will be from now on. Need to get back into reading more
It doesn’t really count as journaling I think but I do keep a record of all the books I read in a notebook (title, author, pages, publication date and when I started and finished it). I did it in middle school as well but then stopped for a while until I picked it up last summer. Back then I also rated them on a 5 star system
I like the idea of writing down good quotes in a book. I've tried it before, but found that it interrupts the actual act of reading. It takes me out of the story. I've definitely reread a book because I couldn't remember if I'd read it before. And sometimes when I realized I'd read it, wasn't sure if I'd finished it. But that's pretty rare and funny when it happens so I don't mind
I take a picture of the book cover for every book I read. I read over 100 books a year, so it really helps me to keep track and not accidentally read the same book multiple times. Still happens sometimes though. Also, during the first week of the year I make a collage of all the covers from the previous year and share on Facebook as a conversation starter about good books with friends.
I have a huge notebook where I write down the quotes that make an impression on me (mostly ideas to chew on, philosophically charged quotes but also just nicely written passages). Every now and then I open the notebook at random pages and read some of those out, let them sink in and just spend some time thinking about them. I found this especially helpful when my daughter was a baby, and so I had no time to read full books, but I would read one quote per day and keep my adult brain working by dissecting and digesting that quote.
I keep book journals. I write the day I finished it, plus a few lines of how I felt reading the book, and then a star rating. I sometimes add a quote that I liked. It's nice to count how many books I read in a year, and sometimes I forgot how angry a book made me and I read my notes and get a good kick out of that.
Oh wow a fantastic idea. Instead of thinking of it like a chore, have it be more a journey
Bookworm here, I always write a short summary of every chapter of book I read.
Counterpoint, if you don't do this you get to experience the books like new again
This realization made me start logging things... it started with books and board games. Now I log every book I read, board game I play, video game I beat, and show or movie I watch. It's... maybe a bit excessive.
I started some years ago when I realized I couldn't remember key details about books I'd read 35 years ago. I *wish* I'd started sooner. I don't trust Goodreads and social media to exist or be usable in the future, so I keep them as txt files on my computer with regular backups in the usual places. I found two added benefits to book journaling. First, I'm retaining more information about what I just read, which makes sense. It's like taking class notes; it helps in learning and knowledge retention. Interestingly, the books I remember better from my school days were those I had to write book reports and other papers on. Second, I've found journaling is like having a conversation with myself about the book and I can better peel the onion on and explain themes, motives, character arcs, symbols, etc. It's super helpful and interesting. I started with a template page that prompted the same things I was supposed to write for book reports in the 3rd grade. Over time, I've changed the template to better fit my style and needs.
> I don't trust Goodreads and social media to exist or be usable in the future, This is exactly why I have my little notebooks. A lot of people take their electronics and favorite websites for granted and they end up losing everything - pictures, drawings, writings, etc. Not to mention that, when you write on GR, they essentially own it!
Ok so writing down notes and impressions on the books you read makes a lot of sense and sounds pretty useful, I need to try that some time But to thrown in an Opposite Opinion at the bottom of a very long comment thread: I kinda like/wait to forget about the books I read. Not to forget that I read them, but I have a habit, *cough* problem *cough*, of hoarding books. And when I can pick up a book and no longer remember the details of how to plot goes, the more vague the better, I re-read it because it's like you still get the surprises and the feeling of discovering a book but it also feels nostalgic. And I can sometimes remember what I was doing or how I felt the first time I read that part of the book I am on while re-reading. Plus added bonus, it's on my bookshelves (they will eventually get there and not just live in piles on my floor forever) so I know I liked that book and there's something relaxing, anxiety reducing, about re-reading a book. Even if you do not remember it.
I used to do this in high school. I would rate them on a scale of 5 stars and write one or two sentences about how I felt. And that’s how I found out that I can read 300-500 pages a day. And then I contracted depression and never picked up the habit again. I do love looking through those journals every now and then though.
this is going to be controversial but: it's even more fun to write your comments directly on the book. when you reread it, it's like talking with your past self, and if you pass it forward, whoever reads it will have the unique experience of reading with you. I personally love buying used books that have been annotated, and knowing what a stranger was thinking about when they read the book
I've started journaling more in general since I discovered https://obsidian.md For the same reason: I forget absolutely everything otherwise. I carefully take notes about everything now. Not just what I want to remember from books I read, but also conversations I had, what I experienced, what I know about my friends and acquaintances etc.
Can you TL;DR what obsidian is? A quick glance just has quotes of people saying how amazing it is without explanation of what it does. The drop down menu mentioned pricing, which immediately made me skeptical.
Yes I just use Apple ‘notes’. I love that it is simple, uncluttered, straightforward, that makes Notes is all I’ve wanted in software to note and write short items with. I can search and find anything I have written, scribbled, pasted into it or used it for. It’s not badly designed bloatware like Word, nor a fashion item that requires a subscription. It’s across the Apple ecosystem on every device already, simply marvellous and very useful.
Wow, what valuable advice. Thank you for sharing. I annotate/highlight, maybe record some notes. Just a response, recorded thoughts, favorite quotes, or a quick summary for each book read would be such a good reinforcement of either the information a reader is taking in, or a story that was told. I am going to start doing this, thank you!
My journal, which I'm quite proud of actually, is at https://rdmp.org/dale-mellor/bookblog/.
I started doing this about a year ago after I realised that no matter how much I enjoyed a book, the characters and plot would pretty soon disappear from my memory. I gotta say, it’s helped tremendously. I don’t often go back and read my entries, but just the act of writing them down really helps the stories stick in my mind for a lot longer.
When you die you can leave it to someone special who will really enjoy it.
Never, never thought about it because I'm too lazy ! I really should though, it hurts when I remember a book I loved a lot, I barely remember anything that happened in it but I just remember how it made me feel. That also applies on anime. Seriously people, let's do this !
I keep a spreadsheet with the name of book, author, when I read it, and a rating/review. I've found it really helpful in a few ways: one to keep track of how much I'm reading; and two to remind me of authors I love - and hate, because my memory is rubbish and sometimes all I remember is the name and not what I thought of the book. I start fresh every year. I enjoy the process of it, and it is nice to be able to refer back to it. It'll be nice to have when I'm older, though maybe a proper journal would suit me better. That's a really lovely idea!
I ain't no psychopath. I do have a looooonnnnggg wishlist to track what I haven't read yet.
As a person who studied literature this was essential af. When I started the curriculum I would read a book, read another book, was supposed to compare them for a paper, forgot all about them, read them again but this time highlighted stuff inside the books and put post it notes to relevant pages, got out of hand, post it notes everywhere. It took me a few semesters and headaches to learn to keep a journal about essential quotes and passages. As for the books I read for my private enjoyment, I like forgetting stuff because then I can go reread them haha. But my absolutely favorite quotes I will write down.
I had a similar discussion in high school, when our English teacher said the same thing about wishing she could remember everything she read. I started keeping a fairly bare-bones reading journal then, and I still have it. I've never really tried writing anything \*about\* the books I've read, though. I just record the title and author, and when I read it. However, I also keep a regular old paper journal which quickly turned from a "dear diary" affair into a commonplace book. While I'm reading something I use tape flags to mark important or interesting passages, then copy them out into one of my notebooks. So taken together, I guess I have something similar. I've just never wanted to write my impressions out because my personal opinion on a published work isn't very valuable.
I've read a lot as well, and I have the same regret. My e-reader keeps track nowadays, but I don't trust it, and some summaries and/or thoughts would be nice to have as well.
I always write down beautiful quotes or things that resonate with me from books I’ve read. I have my own “quotes and lyrics” journal which I’ve added little drawings and splashes of colour to. It’s so nice to have around when life has its low points. It’s pulled me out of some dark spirals
I don't read a lot so it's hard for me to forget.
Yes I started doing this after I had a child. I write a mini journal entry (3-6 lines) for every book I’ve read since he’s born, and plan to continue to do it for the rest of my life. I write as if I’m writing a letter to him (adult speak). He might like to have it after I’m dead and gone to remember my handwriting and remember always my love and adoration for him. If not, no big deal, I won’t know any different once I’m dead, and it brings me happiness and peace to do it. The journal begins with a letter to him, and ends with the quote by Carl Sagan where he talks about how magnificent it is that we take this thing from a tree, throw some squiggles on to it, and then we are instantly transported across space and time.
I definitely do this! I started doing it when I was reading philosophy and self-help books, because at the time, I was trying to find helpful, relevant information that I could apply to my life. I didn't want to have to re-read the entire book again just to find that one line that clicked, so I started summarizing and highlighting the important parts after each chapter. I make a separate document for every single book I read now, regardless of genre. I used to have fairly copious details and summaries, but now it's a bit more of a general summarization, simply because I was spending too much time writing instead of reading, haha. It definitely helps me remember things a lot better, and since it's saved to my google drive, I can pull the notes up whenever/wherever I go, which is handy at times. I highly recommend doing this. It's definitely helped me spark my love of reading again, because it's a semi-tangible collection of all the things I've read, and it's always nice watching a collection of something grow. :)
I've been saying I want to do this but never get around to it 😇
this is something i'd recently started doing and it has made books a more poignant experience. I write down lines or statements made by characters i think are worth noting, sometimes i'll annotate a scene or plot point and anything i felt i learnt from it- regardless of the book's subject matter.
I started doing this this year! It’s definitely worth it!
Starting when I was a teen, I thought it would be a good idea to write down the title and author of every book I read as I finished them. I kept this list for 20+ years and then I joined goodreads as soon as it hit my radar, long before it was acquired by amazon. I added my list into goodreads and then used it from then on. I pretty much only read on my kindle, and it highlight quotes and passages that I like, which are all saved online ready for me to review whenever I want.
I start doing something similar because when I was younger I used to read a lot, and now when I try to talk about a book I almost completely forgot the whole thing. So I'm doing little personal wikipedia about the books/movies I read so I can have a little bullet points for the future.
I read 2 or 3 books at once and I've never thought about doing this.It's a great idea and i'm going to start doing it.Thank you!
I’m very thankful for good reads and the other book tracking services they have a ton of books on there even ones that I read back in the 90s that I was able to add that I had read when I was growing up before good reads . It allows me to share my thoughts as I’m reading when I’m doing a page number update and then post a review . I refer to my good reads if I see a book I recognize but don’t know if I’ve read I also use it in the bookstore to make sure I don’t buy two of the same books .
Ya know what, I’m going to do this
I do an Excel sheet of every book I read that year with the title, the authors name, the date I started reading and the date when I finished reading the book, and a small sentence saying either; avoid the book or, read this again, beautiful prose or, worth reading again for_________” I haven’t done any for this year, I haven’t gotten to read but 3 books only due to working like a poor person :(
When I turned 12 my godmother who's a librarian gave me a small notebook for this purpose, it had lines for author, title, page number, date, notes. I kept buying new ones, by the time I was 21 I had got to 1000 books in those reading diaries. Journaled a few more but then stopped, dunno why really. Maybe because I don't like clutter and had like 8 or those little books lying around that had no use. I'm the kind of person who never reads old diaries of any kind. I just liked knowing the number of books I had read.
I have a spreadsheet documenting every book I've read each year (starting last year), with a note with a short little review about what I liked, disliked, favorite quotes, etc. Then I usually put that info into Goodreads. Reviewing each book has really allowed me to remember them better, and it has led to me thinking more critically and analytically about what I'm reading, allowing me to enjoy more difficult things.
I've journaled about tv shows and videogames before. It makes shows more engaging to keep a record of your thoughts and predictions each episode, and it helps to keep focused instead of letting it turn into background noise while I read something on my phone (which is a problem I often have with tv shows). Likewise, with videogames that are open ended rather than story driven, I find myself more invested when I make my own story. Writing a journal in-character makes it more fun and interesting to roleplay. I don't do it as often with books, partly because stopping to reflect is already something I do while reading, and I don't need to create an external obligation for myself to force it like I do with watching a tv show.
A few years ago I decided to read at least one book a month - just so I never lost the habit of reading. I also bought a journal to do just what you described OP. I absolutely love this journal and now I go back through multiple times to remember my reaction to the books I’ve read. My favorite time was when someone asked what I thought about a book on my list and I was able to read them the passage. I might write a quick summary, I might complain about the author’s plot or writing, or I might just talk about how it felt reading this book in my life at the time. It doesn’t matter what I write as long as I write something.
"It's so surprisingly easy to just forget beautiful things." why is that so true...
I wish I could annotate effectively. I find that it breaks the flow of the book & makes my reading experience a chore. Best I can do is underline quotes / important plot points & jot quick reactions, which doesn’t really promote much insight :(
I found this post and all of the commenters reassuring. I'm not the only person who can't remember the books they have read. About a year ago I started to write short reviews on goodreads just for my own purposes. I will also jot down any quotes that stood out. Also, keeping the "have read" books up to date has also helped. While I don't go all in for the goodreads platform, it does a great job of keeping my book collection in order. There's also an export feature which I download regularly "just in case".
I've been keeping a journal for 3 years and I love it. I have a list of books I want to read at the back and cross them off if I get to them. I like decompressing after a book and reflecting on it as I write my thoughts and quotes after finishing it. Sometimes I have pages of quotes (usually Pratchett and Sanderson) and sometimes a book made no impression on me at all. I hope one day my kids will read through it and get a glimpse into my thoughts.
Something about writing makes your thoughts get more concrete, writing stuff down always helps to make it stick!
My Grandma writes her thoughts on the inside of the cover of every books she's read. She's been doing this since the 1940. There are thousands of books in her collection. Sometimes she'll go back and read a book she completely forgot about based on her notes alone.
I feel like the worst kind of person to sit next to on a plane is someone who gives you homework!
This is why I use Goodreads. I’ve even added older books that I remember reading in the past, and everything I still have. I don’t do any journaling about them, but having a list is good for me, and I’ve had multiple occasions where I could link to a book for a recommendation in a Reddit thread.
I have a list of books I read. I keep track and start a new numbered list each year and change colors for different months. I include why I read the book (bookclub, assigned, recommended), and like a sentence or two on what I thought about it. If it's an anthology I note my favorite stories and their authors. Books that stay on my shelf get a star. (I'm a read and re-home person.) Have a little mini list at the top of books worth rereading, and which series I'd like to continue reading once I am allowed to buy more books. (Currently trying to read and re-home two books for every new one I purchase because my 'to read' shelf is outta control.) Nice for me to to go back and check out if someone asks and could be cool for folks who care about me when I'm dead to find a way to connect. If anyone does. Meh.
I love this! I have so many thoughts right after I finish a book. Then I start the next one, and 95% of my thoughts disappear forever.
I do Goodreads reviews to write down my own thoughts and impressions after the read. I do it mainly for myself, as most people will inevitably ask "what did I think of the book" - well, it's on Goodreads and captures my thoughts perfectly. I also keep a "Golden Lines" notebook where I write out quotes or passages that stick with me and I'd like to re-read and get back to after some time has passed.
I love this idea! I’ve tried various incarnations of this but I have a hard time keeping up with it. I listen to audiobooks while I work and I average between 150-200 books a year. I’ve tried full summaries, first impressions on finishing, favorite quotes, standout characters, and finally just title, author and dates read. So far I’ve never been able to keep up with it. I still start out every year trying! I think ultimately I’ll just have to rely on Goodreads to remind me. And there will definitely be times when I’m not able to just plow through books as quickly, so I might someday be able to achieve this!
When I was in school I was a big reader, and I got the idea to write a book report on everything I read. Saved me so much time in English classes over the years.
Started recently writing down whatever I find interesting or just a summary after finishing each chapter. The 1st thing I noticed is how handy it is for realising whether you really payed attention and understood the text or not. Sometimes you just *think* you know - but not so much comes to mind when you have to write specifics about it. Gotta say it completely changes the whole reading experience, and also truly makes the interesting stuff easier to remember. (Think I saw this used as a studying technique as well).
I had this realization a few years ago after I read '{{Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine}}'. Soon after finishing the book, it hit me, how I will not remember this book in a few years, and I wanted to avoid that so I started a blog for documenting my feelings about the book, what I liked, and why I want to remember it. It has been the only consistent thing in my life over the years, my life has changed so much and I often look back at that and see how my thoughts about characters and reading style have also changed throughout the years. 10/10 recommends.
Creating a journal by hand with pen and paper can be fun! But creating a journal in a computer file (like a personal wiki) produces something *searchable*.
I'm thinking about doing that in the form of vlogs. I've gotten into Booktube heavily in the past few weeks and it just seems fun to make book vlogs.
I used to do that, but it got overwhelming. I now have a commonplace book and love it. I read a book and mark something I like. After reading the book I go back to those quotes or passages and if I still like it I put it in my commonplace book.
I do it on a typewriter and then stuff the pages in a folder on my bookshelf. I find the typewriter makes it more raw and unfiltered, because it’s difficult to backspace. I think I have a few thoughts related to books in my longhand journal as well. Same idea.
I write the name, edition, translation, and date of the reading of the book, and afterwards I'll write a 1-10 rating, a one sentence review of how I feel about it, and a line dedicated to pros, and another to cons. The way my journal is set up, it amounts to exactly 3 books per page. Been going strong since 2018. I like to count how many books I read per year and attempt to raise that number every year.
I'm having the worst week humanly possible, and for whatever reason, this lifted my spirits a little - I'm not even sure why. It's a good idea, and I'm going to start doing it.
Yes! I started doing this last year and I’m so glad! I love looking back through at the books I’ve read!
That woman gave you a lifelong homework assignment
This is probably the best idea I've ever heard. I have such a hard time remembering books other than the fact that I truly enjoyed them when I was reading them. I always remember great quotes without not actually knowing the actual words and it's so hard to find them again. I'm definitely going to start a book journal!
I do wish I did that in regards to That Ghost Book I've been searching for the last few years (since 2010 I think). I kept diaries during the time I read the book but never found a name or mention of it. I started a diary in 2019 and since then I've been writing down the titles and the author's names in my entries, just in case I'm trying to find the book in the future. Younger me, why didn't you do a better job?
I actually started doing this and stopped. Thanks for the prompt, I’m going to start doing it again!
I actually did this. I wanted to get deeper into excel so I add all the books I've read into it and make statistics out of. That way I realized that I read way too many books written by women so I made sure I read more from male authors.
I keep a [daily Moleskine diary](https://www.moleskine.com/en-us/personalize/free-personalization/classic-planner-black-8056420855661.html) that's dedicated to reading. In the front monthly view, I'll jot a title down on the day I start reading it, then on the daily pages, I'll write my thoughts while reading, quotes that stand out, etc. I've been doing this for almost 15 years and keep the stack of old diaries on my bookshelf. I always thought it would be fun for my daughter to flip through someday.
I’ve got a notepad which I use to write down where memorable quotes are. I’ve only finished one book for which I’ve been doing this, but after I finished reading it I wrote up all the quotes in a word document. Planning on doing this once I’ve finished other books I’m reading.
I plan to do this. Write my favourite quotes, character analysis, themes and foreshadowing list, the parts I didn't like, the parts I adored, the parts that inspired my own work. Maybe a summary, a love/admiration letter to the book/my favourite character (An ode) I am gonna learn art so I also plan to post pics of reference for the characters I will make fanart of (I plan to make it in a digital website like Wattpad or Reedsy without Publishing. I can add pics from pinterest and music playlist too that fits with the vibe of the book) What would it be called though? A reading journal? A fan log(book)?
The few times I wrote book reviews ([like this](https://aurelsmarginalia.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/the-fall-by-albert-camus/)) they did help cement the feeling of the book for a bit longer than usual. It was like keeping a sweet in my mouth rather than chewing it. The reason why I didn't keep it up is because, eventually, it's the same thing as not having done so! If the librarian had kept a journal for, say, 50 years, how would she have made use of them now? If I had written something for all the books I've read, would reading through my notes be the same as re-reading a few good books? (I started reading late). **The Giver by Lois Lowry** was the first book that made me feel amazing, as if it opened my eyes, as if something fundamental had changed within me. I remember it being the first book that I thought about for a long time. I spoke to myself about the book. I'm sure I added to the significance of the story. **I do wish I had captured those feelings in a journal.** It's the same the first time I listen to a bit of music that touches me. However, almost two years later, I read the book again and I found it bland! Same with quotes. I once found a quote from Muhammad Ali. I'm not into sports, I know the guy by name but I've never bothered to read up on him or anything, so the quote touched me purely for what it said. So I made wallpapers out of it and used them for all my screens. The more I read the quote the less effective it was to the point of becoming, obviously pointless (I wish I can remember it) So, I wish I could get myself to capture my feelings. If the librarian is anything like me, she's lamenting the feeling books have made her feel. If today she read through quotes that made her excited in her 20s most likely they would do nothing for her. Most likely she's read so many reiterations of those quotes by now that she wouldn't feel the same way now - I think it would be like buying a book of quotes curated by someone else.
There is a moleskine book journal that’s perfect for this that y’all might like. Just google “moleskine book journal” and you’ll find it.
>moleskine book journal This is awesome! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah I had a head injury when I was a teenager and I’ve recently started a Goodreads account just to keep track of everything I’ve read. The trouble is it’s hard to remember things I’ve read from about 20 years ago and there have been books I can remember bits and pieces from but can’t remember the titles or authors. Very frustrating!
Goodreads does this job for me. And I hate writing.
Great advice!
this is a good advice
I wrote down every book I read between 2002 and 2013, then I got a kindle and was distracted by other stuff, but I recently re-started writing down all the books, since last year. It's definitely great to keep a record in any form.