Reading Goals - How To

[Oogiem]

I thought I'd share a goal I've had for several years now that has related to why I am reading so much more than I used to.

Starting back in 2008 when I got my kindle I decided I wanted to read more. I didn't track what I read that year but then I read some posts over in another forum about keeping a book log. I started tracking some of the books in 2009 and I read 24 that I entered into my log. For 2010 I was a lot better about tracking what I read and I managed to finish 38. For 2010 I decided I wanted to do a book a week plus one extra a month and I finished a total of 64.

For 2012 I decided that instead of setting a number goal of books finished I would instead set a reading goal based on time and days reading. With a number of books goal once I met my goal I slacked off a lot and didn't finish any more after I met the goal I had set. My reading goal is now based on reading for 1 hour every other day. I set a repeating task in my TTD list manager and check it off when I've finished my hour of reading. I still also track every book I read with the title, author, start date and end date. By not setting a specific number of books goal I found I was reading even more than before and at the end of August I had finished 72 books this year. Some months I read very few. In May I only finished 3 but we are lambing in May so not too surprising. Yet in February I read 21 new books. February is the month with almost no farm work to do. Because I know I can read a lot of books in a relatively short time I am more free to read books outside my mainstream interests.

OTOH I am also a lot more picky. If I pick up and read the kindle sample and I am not grabbed by it I delete the sample and move on. If I am still interested I add it to my kindle wish list. Once a quarter I go through the kindle wish list and do 2 things. I check to see if there is a trend with me putting on a group of similar books or books on a particular topic. If so I try to take another look at that group and pick one to get and read. If I still am interested in the topic I'll leave the rest on my list if not I delete them. I also refresh the list because as newer versions of books get published the old ones become "unavailable" but they are often still out on kindle just in a new printing. I delete the no longer valid links and add the new ones. This system keeps my kindle wish list at about 400 books so I am never without a choice of something to buy and read when I finish the current books.

So what do you do to track your reading?

Do you keep a log or journal about books you read?

[CalvinHobbes]

Starting around mid-July/beginning of August I started keeping a log. I don't read as much as you do--maybe 2-3 books a week, but it's been fun logging them! On my word document I write a brief paragraph about the book, because I realized I was reading so much I didn't remember whether or not I liked the book. Also, I use this website to track my books.

[Raikas]

Also, I use this website to track my books.

I use GoodReads as well.

Back when I had a long (+2hrs/day) subway commute and used to read 4-5 books a week I actually kept a fairly detailed reading journal but I've found that now that I read so much less that I actually remember what I read more easily, so I stopped. Probably because now I'm only reading fiction by favourite authors or non-fiction about favourite topics rather than just reserving every well-reviewed titles at the library every week.