For the past couple of years, I've been on a bit of an organization kick. I've blogged - probably too many times - about my love for my Happy Planner, and talked about goal setting, and shared my motivation/goal-inspired Words of the Year.
For the past two years I've added to those things a reader's journal. Initially, I used the journal because I was part of two different reading challenges (because when I decide to do something I usually go 'two' far). The first was a 50 books in 50 weeks challenge and the other a read/watch challenge in which I read a book and watched a movie/documentary/tv show all with the same theme -- themes like 'New Beginnings' and 'Retro' and 'Unusual'.
For the past two years I've added to those things a reader's journal. Initially, I used the journal because I was part of two different reading challenges (because when I decide to do something I usually go 'two' far). The first was a 50 books in 50 weeks challenge and the other a read/watch challenge in which I read a book and watched a movie/documentary/tv show all with the same theme -- themes like 'New Beginnings' and 'Retro' and 'Unusual'.
I didn't do too badly on the reading challenges but quickly into it I realized I needed a way to keep track of what I'd read and what I still wanted to read and, since I "test" new authors by trying their books at the library first, a place to decide which books I wanted to add to my personal collection. Also, I wanted to think about what I was reading - what I liked/didn't like, how what I'm reading is changing my thoughts about...oh, everything and anything. That's when I found the Well Read Woman reading journal.
I found this little goodie at our local BooksAMillion, thumbed through it a little and realized this is exactly what I was looking for - a reader's journal with just enough direction. There is a place for the title and author (naturally) along with follow-up
books (assuming it's a series book) or just more books by that author that seem interesting. But, the journal also prompts for favorite quotes from the books, plot things I liked/didn't, and character things I liked/didn't.
But what I like best about this journal is the pictures. Samantha Hahn is the journal 'author' and along with the journaling part, she included her watercolors of famous literary women - Wendy from the Peter Pan books, Emma Bovary, Hester Prynne, Ophelia, and even little Mary Lennox from "The Secret Garden". There is also a quote from each book (y'all know how I love a favorite quote)...which led me to another reading challenge: re-reading books I loved as a child.
Do you like keeping track of favorite books/authors? How do you keep track of books that you've read?
I found this little goodie at our local BooksAMillion, thumbed through it a little and realized this is exactly what I was looking for - a reader's journal with just enough direction. There is a place for the title and author (naturally) along with follow-up
books (assuming it's a series book) or just more books by that author that seem interesting. But, the journal also prompts for favorite quotes from the books, plot things I liked/didn't, and character things I liked/didn't.But what I like best about this journal is the pictures. Samantha Hahn is the journal 'author' and along with the journaling part, she included her watercolors of famous literary women - Wendy from the Peter Pan books, Emma Bovary, Hester Prynne, Ophelia, and even little Mary Lennox from "The Secret Garden". There is also a quote from each book (y'all know how I love a favorite quote)...which led me to another reading challenge: re-reading books I loved as a child.
Do you like keeping track of favorite books/authors? How do you keep track of books that you've read?
Kristina Knight is a contemporary
romance author, part-time swim-kid wrangler, and full-time Thin Mints
enthusiast. You can find out more the book and Kristina on her website,
and feel free to stalk follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Kristina Knight’s newest release, Perfect
on Paper, is out now. Daisy MacIntosh needs a
man, and any man will do. After being jilted by her ex - who is also her boss -
she needs a date to the company retreat in Mexico. The only problem? Daisy
doesn't have time to find a guy, and her ex is hinting that he'd like this work
trip to become a reunion romance. Stepping in to become Daisy's pretend
boyfriend isn't the best idea Nick Vega has had, but it's the only one he's
got. But are they willing to risk their life-long friendship for a romance that
might fizzle once they're back home?
2 comments:
I find the book blurb on Amazon, do a PrintScrn/Alt picture of it, paste it into Word, Crop insignificant info out of the "picture", and drag/enlarge it on a page. I then type underneath that picture my personal info with bullets: i.e., July 23/18-Enjoyed it-Felt their love and passion for each other-HEA was too abrupt for my liking-Wished there was an epilogue.... Whatever thoughts I have on it, I write/type it. I print said page, write the author's name down the side of the page, and I file them alphabetically in numerous binders.
I won't remember every book I read, as I have read over 250 books every year since 1973 (yes, I keep track of that too). I never used to keep track, but I wanted to "remember" past books, and this is a great reference for me when blogging (which I've done since 2009).
Probably sounds expensive (but *I* don't think it is), but it saves me OODLES of time by providing the book cover info, the blurb (I tell Amazon to Read More so I get the entire blurb), and my own comments (I type for a living, so it is quicker to type than write for me). I use a laser printer/toner, which is much cheaper than ink cartridges. I use the backs of papers with unneeded info on their reverse sides.
If I started doing this today, I wouldn't print the pages but instead save them in a HUGE Word file alphabetically by page, as USBs and backup hard drives weren't common/cheap back then.
that's a great tip, Laney, thanks for chiming in!
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