Musing Mondays - March 30

Oh, I like this one. . .

Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not? (question courtesy of MizB)

I'm not nearly as organized as Rebecca but I do keep a journal of the books I've read. I started the journal in January 2006 so it only has three years worth of reading. I love my journal though. I really wish I'd started it earlier because I've read a lot of books that I barely remember.

I started the journal when I decided to set a reading goal for myself. It was my New Year's Resolution in 2006. I set a modest goal of 24 books, four of which must be classics or award winners. I really had a desire to read more and read better books. The journal has taken on a life of it's own since then. Now I'm listing challenges, adding more books to my requirements, and doing an author tally.

I list the date I finished the book, the title and author, and I give a brief "review". It's usually just a few sentences mentioning whether or not I liked the book. It's fun to go back over things to see my first reaction after finishing. It's probably more telling than my "carefully" worded reviews.

The spreadsheet is saved for the books I've yet to read. . .