I have been keeping track of the books I read and my thoughts about them for all of 2020 and 2021. People have asked me why I think it is so important to keep track of your books you are reading and what you are learning.

I want to answer that question as well as suggest some super basic ways to keep track of your books on your own.

Why you should keep track of your books as you read them

Before diving into the how, we need to talk about the why.

If you are someone who reads a lot of books (or listens, I don’t judge), then you may already know this answer just by your own habits and personality.

However, if you only read a few books a year, then maybe this isn’t as obvious.

Keeping track of your books as you read them helps in several ways:

• You can track how many books you have read
• You can set and keep goals for yourself
• You can begin to see what books you like and don’t like
• You can see which authors might be some of your favorites
• You may find out you have a favorite genre
• You might realize you need to broaden your horizons
• And more!

There are so many reasons to track your books for simple and basic reasons that will help you know yourself better.

More importantly, though, knowing these things will help you remember what you have learned, enjoyed, and where you can grow.

If you read a lot of fantasy, then that is amazing. But maybe you realize you should read something to help you professionally or personally every now and then. Or maybe you realize that a biography here or there could help you learn from the struggles and triumphs of someone else.

So if you keep track of your books as you read them, you will set yourself up for success in the long run. Plus, you’ll feel that sense of nostalgia when you look back at your books and think, “Oh! That one was soooo gooood!” or “That one was HORRIBLE!”

So, I can see I have convinced you. Perfect.

Now, let’s talk about the how.

How to keep track of your books

Okay, so this seems incredibly simple, but I think there is some nuance to it.

Obviously, you can just jot down book titles and authors down on paper in a notebook and keep that notebook updated. Simple.

Or you can go digital with some type of word processor or spreadsheet tool. Better.

Maybe you just use Goodreads to do exactly what you are wanting and it is both public and private and helps you choose your next books, etc. Even better!

Now, let me tell you what I do and why I think it is the best.

…

I built my own no-code app using Glide Apps.

It uses a Google Sheet and then you design it from there.

I won’t go into all the details here, but Glide Apps are a favorite tool of mine for multiple reasons.

Here’s why:

1. I can easily track all of the information I want to track about my books right from my phone
2. I can also simply update the Google Sheet and it updates on the app, too (plus, there is always the web version of the app, too)

I can use a library computer or someone else’s phone to update my reading list if I, for some reason, don’t have my devices on me. 

It’s so great and simple and makes it so I have no excuse to NOT track my books as I finish them.

I really recommend it. 

And I recommend taking down plenty of information.

I record the author, the book title, my rating of the book 1-10, a one-sentence takeaway, the genre of the book, whether it was fiction or nonfiction, and even what format I read it in (physical, audiobook, or ebook).

These all help me keep great data that will help me recall what I learned from the book.

For example, if I see that I read a certain book but I am drawing a blank…I can see that I thought it was a 4/10 (probably why I forgot about it), that it was a nonfiction book about marketing, and I read it as an ebook.

Now, I can associate all of these different things (like the reading experience and the genre) to help jog my memory about what I learned or didn’t learn.

It seems overly simple and complicated at the same time, but it does wonders for helping me recall information and makes my reading journey far easier to follow and understand.

So, whaddya think?

Am I crazy? Am I overthinking this? Possibly.

But, I read 64 books in 2020 and 50 in 2021 and I genuinely remember most of them and can talk about them in conversation.

So, if those 114 books have anything to do with it, then I think I have been a successful reader and you can be, too, when you keep track of your books.

If you like what you see and what you read, then I do sling some ink for clients from time-to-time. So you can hit me up here.

Got any questions? Just shoot me a direct email.

Read on, friends!