Organizing a Reading List

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by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | August 16, 2011 | Tuesday at 10:48 am | 71 Comments

Some people get a hankering to clean and organize in the spring. Me, when it’s beginning to get dark earlier and I see back to school schedules and promotions, I get all itchy to clean out closets and organize everything I see. I fall clean like crazy.

Fall also brings on the Jewish high holidays, one of which is Rosh Hashana, which marks the New Year (5772). So not only do I clean but I also make a set of new year’s resolutions (which I do again in December for the other new year). My goal for this fall’s resolution is to be better organized and to keep things in a logical and somewhat efficient system. Or, as I put it, making sure Present Sarah does Future Sarah a favor and doesn’t make more work for her.

One of my goals for all that organization and thinking aheaded-ness is to better organize my reading list. Because I read mostly digitally but occasionally on paper, I have to create a system to track not only what I want to read, but where it is - on the Kindle? On my iPad? On paper and currently on the side table? My list in progress is as much of a GPS for my books on the list as it is a schedule.

Which got me thinking - most people are probably better organized than I am (Shut up, you SO are). So, do you track and organize the books you have to read? A giant vertical pile? A written list? A spreadsheet?

I asked this question a week or so ago on Facebook and the answers were fascinating. Some use Calibre, and some use GoodReads. There’s the ever popular spreadsheet, either in Excel or GoogleDocs, or a pile of books or shelf order in the bookcase. Other folks use a time-honored system: the due date for the book to be back at the library.

I’m still trying to figure out the best way for me, but I’m curious, since all of you are avid (which really isn’t a strong enough word, really) readers: how do you track your reading list?

Filed: General Bitching, Random Musings

Tagged: spreadsheets, new years, jewish holidays, goodreads, calibre

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Kaetrin said on 08.16.11 at 11:40 AM • [link]

I devoted a few weeks earlier this year to putting all my books onto Goodreads and cataloguing them as either paper or ebooks so I know where to look for them. I haven’t graduated to actually sorting out a reading order yet but I do know which books I own and where they are - I even set up a “loaned-out” shelf (not that I do it often) so that I can track what sort of book I have and where it might be. Especially with series books, I often find it difficult to remember whether I already have a particular book and with the mobile Goodreads app for either Android or iPhone, I find it is really useful for making sure I don’t double-purchase. It’s a big job initially but once the backlog is done, it’s fairly low maintenance to put the new purchases/wins/ARCs onto the list.

I don’t think I could have a reading list- I tend to flit about when choosing what to read next, depending on my mood. I justify this by the notion that I have a responsibility to bring my a-game to a book - if I want to read it, that’s a good start and gives the book the best chance of success.
Rose said on 08.16.11 at 11:58 AM • [link]

But Sarah, you’re supposed to do this sort of cleaning and organizing for Passover, not for Rosh Hashanah!

Honestly, I don’t own enough books for this to be a problem. Until I actually own rather than rent (not anytime soon, that’s for sure), I’m not going to accumulate a huge collection that I might need to move on a regular basis. I have a firm “one book stays, another must leave” policy for hard copy books, and my Kindle won’t arrive until next week, so I haven’t yet accumulated too many e-books, either. My TBR pile, both real and electronic, has never contained more than ten books, and I don’t plan what I’m going to read - I just go with whatever I feel like at the time.

I began to track everything I read/want to read using an excel spreadsheet about four years ago and so far that’s worked for me.
Overquoted said on 08.16.11 at 12:30 PM • [link]

Well, I read in paper and ebook form. I’ve found, however, that I no longer remember which books I’ve read and which I haven’t in print. This is a recent development (I could’ve told you two years ago which books I’d read in the last ten). I’m thinking from now on, I’m going to start tagging my print books by putting those little round colored stickers on the spines.

The ebook side is a lot easier now that I use calibre with my Kobo. I use the tag system a lot. I usually have a 3- or 4-letter acronym of the genre the book belongs to (or if I want to read it immediately, it’s labeled [TBR]). Then when they get transfered to the Kobo, I have a metadata plugboard that outputs the title as {tags} - {title} -> {title}. Nifty thing. Helps remind me what the book is about. And if I’m the mood for a specific genre, I can go directly to a bunch of books of the same genre. When I’m done, I delete it from my Kobo and change the tag field to [Finished] in the library. It stays in my calibre library, but not my Kobo.

I have 700-1000 print books, and most of them are arranged in similar fashion. I even arrange an author’s books strangely. If it’s romance, I always sort them by the time period they’re set in, followed by whether or not they’re part of a series (even if it’s just related characters). Makes it easy to find a pirate or medieval romance. ;)

I should mention that I was almost OCD about organizing as a teenager. *cough*
Laura (in PA) said on 08.16.11 at 12:38 PM • [link]

I use an Excel spreadsheet too. I read a lot of mysteries, and I’m uber-anal about reading series in order, so I keep a list In order by author, then by series in order, and I indicate which ones I already have and whether it’s a hardcover, paperback, or on my Kindle. I also include a brief description of the plot/series setting, so i can keep them straight. It’s handy to have when I’m in a bookstore or otherwise acquiring books, so I know what I “need”.

I tried using iBookshelf, an app that tracks books, but it was too buggy (series didn’t always go in right or at all, book info wasn’t always correct, you couldn’t always see where in a series the book fell), so I went back to the good old Excel spreadsheet.

As for organizing physical books, I have two 5-shelf bookcases that hold most of my books, and they are organized by author, then in series order, if applicable. One case is for mysteries, one for non-mysteries (romance and general fiction). Then there are the piles next to my bed, which are far less organized. :)

As far as what I read when, it totally depends on my mood. When I finish a book, I peruse the piles/shelves, titles languishing in the Kindle, or even the spreadsheet to figure out what I feel like next. That’s why I’ve never joined a book club - it would annoy me to have to read something I’m not in the mood for. Plus, they always seem to choose sucky books. ;)

So yeah, “avid” may not be strong enough…
Sarah W said on 08.16.11 at 01:01 PM • [link]

I look at the stack on top of the toilet tank. If I’ve read it recently, it’s probably there.

But honestly? I don’t track. Inadvertant re-reads don’t bother me at all.
Alex said on 08.16.11 at 01:40 PM • [link]

Woah, aren’t people organised? I don’t computerise it at all. I have about 5 giant piles of books next to the bed (they also double up as a big bedside table which is quite useful!) that make up the bulk of my TBR pile. I have to read what takes my fancy at the time though so often that means the pile will be ignored and I’ll reread some of my favourites instead.

I keep a note in my diary of what I’ve been reading that day though. I think the total for last year was something like 345 books.
Morphidae said on 08.16.11 at 01:46 PM • [link]

Hi, my name is Morphy and I am a list addict.

I have a few MS Access databases:

Lifetime To Be Read
Read Books
Author Bibliographies

The Lifetime To Be Read database is a list of “only” 9,000 or so of the books I want to read… eventually. I also have my various challenges there - book lists that I track how much I’ve completed such as all Hugo winners.

Read Books tracks my reading including author, title, year published, a quickie review and rating among a few other pieces of data.

Author Bibliographies has tables of every author where I want to read their entire works.

Then I have a table in my To Do database that has the books I want to read in the next month or so - about 25 - 30 titles.

Oh, and another table with the books that are TBR Soon - that runs about 100 - 200 titles.

Nothing much. Heh.
Alley said on 08.16.11 at 01:54 PM • [link]

I keep track of what I’ve read on GoodReads. As for a TBR list . . . I don’t know that I have one? I have a shopping list on Amazon that I add books to for reference, and I put a ton of samples on my Kindle, so I guess that could count, but I don’t attack them one after the other. I’ll jump from book to book—or, sometimes, sample to sample—to decide what I feel like reading. (I’ve noticed that having a stocked ebook makes me focus less on a particular book if it’s not grabbing my attention. Previously, I would soldier through a library book for awhile longer, but now, if it’s not grabbing me in the first eighth to quarter of the book, forget it. There are too many other books in the world for me to force myself to finish something I’m not enjoying.).

I’m a moody reader and my reading goes in phases, so while everyone may be raving about a romance novel, I may be tired of romance and into mystery for the moment, and so that novel gets set to the side. Or I’ll start something I want to read, and then decide I just don’t care about it right then. To have an actual list to go down would feel like required school reading to me.
Rij said on 08.16.11 at 02:13 PM • [link]

My physical books are organized into:

-reference (which means basically any non-fiction that gets looked at occasionally)
-comics and manga
-unread paperbacks
-read paperbacks
-unread hardcover
-read hardcover (Hardcover and paperback are mostly separated by size, not the quality of their actual covers.)

I don’t have the books listed anywhere, so far I’m able to remember most of them. Then there’s the huge pile of library books on the bedside table that never seems to shrink as I keep bringing home more books than I get around to reading.

My Kindle collection is still pretty small so I’m able to keep all the unread books on the first two pages of the index. I just have to go through the list after every couple of books so that all the unread stuff is at the front.

I just started keeping track of books I’ve read two years ago. It’s just a simple Word document. Another simple text on my computer is a list of books that I am going to either borrow or buy, this list also includes dates for books that haven’t actually been published yet. I keep thinking that I should organize the lists better but never seem to get around to it.

I read multiple books at the same time and choose books based on my mood. There are dozens of books on my shelves that have been waiting for just the right mood for years. I don’t schedule my reading and there are very few books that I have to read, which is how I can get by with just the rough read - unread division.
Carin said on 08.16.11 at 02:46 PM • [link]

I use a couple things.

My physical keeper shelf is organized by genre and series. (Series as in Kenyon, Feehan, Cole, etc.). And, of course, each series is shelved in order.

Digitally, I had a brief affair using Callibre to organize books for my Sony, but gave that up as too much effort. I’ve got MANY folder (oh, I’m sorry, I mean ‘collections’) on my Sony. One of them is called ‘about to be read’. I had to put the ‘about’ in there o pull it up to the top of my list of collections. Inside the atbr list I put the books in the order I think I’ll read them.

I’ve got an excel spreadsheet listing all titles but I don’t keep it up to date well.

I’ve got files with long series (In Death, I’m talking to you, and you, too, Psy Changelings) listed in order.

I recently read on DearAuthor a pst by Jane on using Dropbox and Callibre together to organize books. I jut got an ipad and I need a non-Sony based Organization system. I’m hoping to spend some time trying the Dropbox+Callibre system once the kids are back in school. One of my favorite features with Callibre was the way you can change metadata. So, for example, I changed all my Psy Changeling titles to include the number they were in the series.

I’ve got an excel spreadsheet
Suzy said on 08.16.11 at 02:47 PM • [link]

I keep my books organized via LibraryThing.com. I don’t have many ebooks right now, but that will be changing. I also organize where books are by catagory & status. I rate them, tag them & am able to easily find them. When I don’t want to keep a book, I can mark (comment or tag) why I didn’t want to keep it.

I have a couple of small bookcases that have my TBR books. Not all of the TBR mountain is located there, but most of it.

But, while you are prioritizing your books for reading, I’m moving within the next month. 3000+ books to move. Can’t do 3000+ books, so I’m selectively culling. **SOB**

So, I’m tagging the books (on LibraryThing) that I’m not taking with me. This will tell me what I had & help me to replace them if I want to. What is hard, though, is that I have many complete series sets and many books that are out of print or difficult to get. (yes, my heart is hurting!)

But, organizing & being methodical about the move & the books is helping. I won’t forget the books I had because I have a record of them & I can probably get them again, possibly in digital (although it isn’t the same).

Oh, it is hard!! (& heavy, too)
Carin said on 08.16.11 at 02:48 PM • [link]

*ignore that last “I’ve got an excel spreadsheet”. I’m having editing issues.
Kerry Allen said on 08.16.11 at 02:50 PM • [link]

I use Goodreads, but it’s more to keep track of what I’ve already read so I don’t waste money buying multiple copies and to keep track of what I loathed with the fiery passion of a thousand dragon farts so I never buy anything by that author again.

If I haven’t read a book, it’s physically on a bookshelf I’m methodically trying to clear lately. If nothing on the shelf holds any appeal when I need something to read, I know it’s time to go shopping.
Rae said on 08.16.11 at 02:54 PM • [link]

I’m on shelfari. It’s dangerous at times, because they have three categories for books: To Be Read, Read and Reading Now. I’m not always faithful about updating the “read” section, which has lead to a few re-reads but nothing in a bad way. For the most part, I use it to keep track of my TBR list. The one that isn’t physically located on a growing pile on my dresser.

Let me tell you, having a 16mo really puts a crimp in your reading time. I did get sneaky and start reading via Kindle app on my phone while snuggling with her (in that “I’m asleep but don’t you dare put me down” phase) and then transfer where I am to the actual Kindle to finish the chapter in my bed…but it’s hard to do that with real books.
Jayne said on 08.16.11 at 03:05 PM • [link]

My long-term TBR pile is my Amazon wishlist, and the short-term TBR pile is the 3-4 books on my Kindle at any given time. I don’t want to talk about how much I spend on e-books, it’s embarrassing.

As for what I’ve already read, I LOVE having a blog. Even if nobody else reads it, I like to be able to review almost every book I read (or at least every romance) while it’s still fresh, and looking through the archive when it comes to recommending stuff. Although other people submit reviews to me, which means my TBR pile grows even larger, and the whole thing begins again. May the circle be unbroken!
Chrisbookarama said on 08.16.11 at 03:06 PM • [link]

I use Google Docs for books I get in the mail. I have 3 categories: 1) review books (with date received, when to review, pub) 2) books for book blog tours 3) books won in contests or from friends (so I can thank them when I review them).

Then I have Goodreads for all the books in my house. Other than categorizing them as owned, borrowed, ebook, audio book, I don’t really organize them. I use Goodreads for when I’m too lazy to go look at my shelves but want to pick what to read next.

Organization is really personal, I find. It’s interesting to see how other readers do it.
Kathleen M Martin said on 08.16.11 at 03:22 PM • [link]

I enter all the books that come into my house whether in print or digitally into my account at LibraryThing. I also have a GoogleDocs spreadsheet that I use to keep track of review books. That one is sorted by the date the book will be published. Beyond watching the spreadsheet to make sure that I am meeting my commitments for review books, I don’t really organize my other books. I prefer to browse through what I have and read what catches my fancy at the time.

On the other hand, fall is the time I go through the masses of YA books that I have gathered but not read and sort out the ones I don’t think I will ever get to. Those get donated to my HS Media Center where they will still be accessible to me if I ever do find the urge to read them. The adult books I haven’t gotten to yet just end up piling up around my house.
Asia M said on 08.16.11 at 03:31 PM • [link]

I don’t list books I’ve yet to read, but I do list those I’ve read… For romance novels, I even keep a ratings page on my blog.

I compiled my TBR pile a few weeks ago and found out I had nearly 30 romance books to read, some I bought over a year ago… plus all the other books. Why make a list when I’ve got too much choice right now? Because I also review books on my blog, I usually try and diversify the genres or subgenres, but that’s something I decide when I close a book and start looking for the next one.
Bri said on 08.16.11 at 03:41 PM • [link]

I started using good reads in December, so i use that for the recent things I have read. I am not going to go back a keep track unless i run across a link to seomthing I hvae read

I have an excel spreadsheet fo the newer things in my TBR - so i can split it up by gnere becuase if I just have a list of titles I will never remember what they are remotely about

the paper books in my apt are helter skelter with the spines exposed - I do not have enough room for anything more orgnaized than that at this point in time, I get a lot from the library still so use the due date method for those

I dont usually re-read so finding locations of copies of things is not usually a probem for me

Dont have an ereader yet so I only have a few ebooks to track and those were notsly ones i got for free.

I also still have paper lists of some authors - (the ones i had from before the spread sheet), that i highlight as I read the books - i find this helpful for series that are long (such as in death) and find it less work to print it once than go to the website for every single book. and it helps me remember what the last title i read was. :)
Mo said on 08.16.11 at 03:45 PM • [link]

I used to use Shelfari, but it hasn’t met my needs in a long time. So, I switched over to GoodReads. I like it a lot. I just wish now that I had kept a log of all the books I have read in my lifetime. :(

I find it very easy and convenient, especially with the iPhone app so I’ll never buy a book I already have.
Grace Lillevig said on 08.16.11 at 03:58 PM • [link]

I use LibraryThing. I think since I’m a librarian I like their tagging capabilities better than GoodReads (I’ve tried both). I use it to track what I’ve read, including a synopsis as well as my to read list. I also have a list of to read for my son (20 months old) and my husband. It helps me keep track of what’s what.

Long ago, I did the paper thing, but electronic is much easier. I’d recommend one of the services since they’re geared towards books rather than a spreadsheet or database (just my opinion).
Snarky*Bitch said on 08.16.11 at 04:02 PM • [link]

I use Book Collector from Collectorz.com and then export it into an Excel spreadsheet & save it to Dropbox so I can bring it with me to the bookstore to avoid duplicates. I also use Collectorz Connect if I want to add books to my library in realtime when I’m shopping my book route.

Book Collector has an option for whether or not you’ve read it or if it’s on your wish list, which rocks!

T~
Kimberly Mears said on 08.16.11 at 04:03 PM • [link]

LibraryThing!!! It is great for organization of books. You can tag books with their location (like 3rd shelf or Kindle) or you can create categories. Goodreads is nice for the social stuff, but LibraryThing is better for organization and cataloging books. It gets book information from lots of different sources, not just Amazon. It has fewer errors in the book information than Goodreads. Plus, Goodreads is married to the shelf thing. Not the best way to organize. Tags make organization much easier. I have categories for Wishlist and To Read (as well as Read but Unowned, Favorites, ebooks, Audible, etc). I also use tags so that I can find things within my categories. Tags can be anything (The way I use it is with a tag for book genre, one for book format, one for book location, one for book setting, one for book time period, and one for anything special about the book I loved (like “witty dialogue”). You can also enter using a barcode scanner (I use the one on my phone). I use both Library Thing and Goodreads. LibraryThing is my book catalogue. I enter information into Goodreads just for social purposes (to find other books similar, to get recommendations, etc).
Spinster said on 08.16.11 at 04:04 PM • [link]

I’ve been reading pretty much exclusively on my nook since I got it a year and a half ago. So my TBR “pile” is a nook shelf named “Unread” and there’s also my ebook wishlist. I keep another wishlist on the same site (Barnes & Noble) of TBRs that aren’t available in ebook. My loose rule is that if it’s on that list for a year, and I’m still interested in it, I’ll start looking for a cheap used hard copy.
As for read books, I organize my bookshelves and my nook by genre, then series (if any). Quick and easy, works for me.
Anna the Piper said on 08.16.11 at 04:09 PM • [link]

Goodreads is my primary To Read list, but there, I break it down a bit across a couple different wishlists and subsets of the To Read list:

1) Do I want to actually buy it? If I want to buy it, do I want it in print or electronically?
2) Do I want to check it out from the library? If so, do either of my local libraries have it in ebook?
3) Do I own it? If so, do I own it in hardcover, trade, mass market, or e? If I have it in both print and e, which formats?

Once I actually own it, if it’s a print book, it waits on the shelf until it bubbles up to the top of my queue. If it’s electronic, it goes into Calibre, where, again, I have to do a bit of organizing.

1) If it’s a purchase from B&N, which is likely given that I’m a Nook owner, it’ll go onto the Nook without Calibre’s intervention. My iPhone and iPad both have Nook apps so if I forget to take the Nook somewhere with me, I can use those as backup reading devices and keep my reading position synced, yay!
2) If it’s a purchase from elsewhere, and it’s epub, it’ll still go onto the Nook via Calibre. I’ll probably also put it onto the i-Devices just to be thorough because I never really know what I want to read at any given time.
3) PDFs HAVE to go on the iPad because that’s where I can read them best. The Nook talks PDFs but not nearly as well as the iPad does.

I also have a small number of books in Stanza on the iPhone, although that’s become less of a go-to source for reading for me now that I have the other devices.

Once I actually read a particular book, I’ll yank it off all the devices it appears on.

All of which is really rather complicated, but hey, this is what happens when your To Read list has 900+ things on it and will probably clear a K by the end of the year. ;)
Cass said on 08.16.11 at 04:09 PM • [link]

I started using GoodReads in January, and I absolutely love it—because I set a reading goal, and it’s so helpful to have their tracker for that. It’s great to be able to see the percentage, whether I’m on track or not, and the visual layout of all the books I’ve completed. There’s a great sense of achievement attached to tracking things through them.

In the real 3D world, I’m a hyper-organised freak when it comes to my books (and almost nothing else). My bookshelves are organised first by genre, then alphabetically by author—except for the history and historical fiction shelf, which is organised chronologically by subject (from dinosaurs to Good Omens, a book about the apocalypse, because that’s the sense of humor that I have). There’s just nothing quite as satisfying as a well-organised bookshelf. ;D

As for what I’m going to read—that’s a little less focused, mainly because I’m easily distracted by either new shinies or by the need to revisit old friends. I have a to-read list on GoodReads, but it’s more of a “remember to buy/borrow this at some point” list, not a “read these things in this order” list. A running to-read list on my blog gives me some accountability, and I usually have a reading project or two going, but generally I pick things up as the fancy hits me.
rudi_bee said on 08.16.11 at 04:14 PM • [link]

I moved out of home this year and with that came packing, moving and re-shelving my many books so I created a spreadsheet of all the books I own and where they were in life (my parents place, my new place, lent to a friend etc.). I actually found it so helpful that I’ve continued to maintain the spreadsheet and added tabs of TBR and books to buy.

Plus it was a great way to procrastinate while feeling like I was actually doing something.
Julie said on 08.16.11 at 04:16 PM • [link]

Wow, looks like I’m more old-fashioned about these things. I’m a librarian so I hardly ever buy books and I don’t own an e-reader. I keep a little notebook where I write down every book I want to read, since I see so many at work that look good, I can’t keep them all bedside. I just highlight what I’ve finished. I do use goodreads, but only to keep track of what I’ve already read and rate it so I can remember if I liked the book/series or not. I also keep a word file with authors’ bibliographies as I am also very anal about reading series in order.
Brandy said on 08.16.11 at 04:20 PM • [link]

I’ve been using goodreads for nearly a year now and I love it. Not only can I keep up with what I plan on reading, but I can also keep up with what I’ve already read. After I read a book, I write a brief review and the date I finished the book. I’m really surprised by how much I actually read now that I can see it.
Katie said on 08.16.11 at 04:26 PM • [link]

I love me some goodreads! I have been using it for about a year to keep track. I need it mostly for books I want to read and not so much for those I have (I have a pretty good memory for titles, but I have looked back recently to find out an author). The best part is the same book can be on multiple shelves. For instance, I have some books that are on my to-read list and also on avail-as-audio (library audio, of course!), avail-at-library, and requested-at-library. You make up the names of your shelves, which is super helpful. So you could also do genre or series if you were so inclined.

It also shows you what your friends who use goodreads are reading or what they rated a book they read. It has (MY FAVORITE FEATURE OF ALL!) a barcode scanner on the mobile app. Which means that when I am at a friends/the bookstore/the library and see a book I am interested in I don’t have to write down the name (which I am guaranteed to lose), but just scan the barcode and put on my to-read shelf. Love it!
Hannah said on 08.16.11 at 04:27 PM • [link]

Fall always feels like a time for new beginnings for me, also. I must be in tune with the Celtic/pagan cycles where Samhain/Halloween is considered the new year.

Anyhow, my print books are organized by how they fit on my shelves. You wouldn’t guess by looking at them that I had an M.A. in LIS (except maybe for the sheer number of books!) I try to enter new acquisitions (print or digital) on goodreads but I’m pretty lax about this. This winter, I tried organizing my TBR in order of what to read next on goodreads but I found their system a PITA to use. Maybe it’s easier to use now. For now I keep index cards inside my Kindle case with a list of what I’d like to read in the upcoming months. I follow the list to a certain extent.
Melanie said on 08.16.11 at 04:28 PM • [link]

My system is pretty simple. I don’t have a to-be-read list as such. Since I was in high school, over 20 years ago, I have kept a list of books read each year: just title and author. I do this as both a handwritten list and a Word document. I also keep a “Books Bought” list for each year, sorted by date. Once a book on the bought list is read, it gets a star, so I can tell easily by looking at the list what I still have to read. Other than that, I occasionally make a shortish “Books to Read Next List” when there are a bunch of books that I need to read within a fairly short time period, such as library books and ones borrowed from friends.

Verification word: greater76. I guarantee that the number of books in my apartment is much greater than 76.
CiindyK said on 08.16.11 at 04:32 PM • [link]

Well every library book I read, I write it down in a notebook, author, title. I’ve been doing this for about 28 years now. :) I have many note books.

My personal books that I’ve bought I think I have a spread sheet somewhere, or a note book - but only the ones that I gave up (sold or donate). Because they are all precious and I don’t want to give them up or admit having to give them up, so I don’t write them down.

My ebooks I have used calibre, but when your main os hard drive dies and then you try to import the library back, everything can be messed up. Its tricky. So when you move on to another computer system and start over, its less appealing especially when you have a laptop in the mix and then end up rebuilding the computer again because the last one was dying in stages.

I have attempted goodreads, but alas, I’m not good at maintaining or updating, go figure.

I know I need something better, but its a daunting task - one that I am currently avoiding. Thanks for asking.
Meg said on 08.16.11 at 04:33 PM • [link]

When I read a review or someone recommends a book that I want to read, I add it to my Amazon wishlist. Once I’ve bought a book, I remove it from the wishlist and add it to my Goodreads to read list. That way I have my to-read and to-buy lists in seperate places.
Faellie said on 08.16.11 at 04:44 PM • [link]

I read a lot, but for pleasure not professionally as SB Sarah does, so I don’t understand the notion of a To Be Read pile: if I want to buy and read a book I buy and read it. Why would I buy it and not read it? I buy four at one time at most, all of which are read in a few days, at which point I buy the next batch. It means that I’m only buying the books I most want to read, so it’s a good way of editing my time and expenditure.

I find it easier to remember physical books than ebooks - there’s a sense memory to the physical object that isn’t there for books on screen. That means that it is easier for me to find a physical book I own, even if they aren’t all in full category and alphabetical order, than it is to find an ebook that isn’t properly filed. For ebooks, I read on a laptop, and as I read try to rename the files by author and title, and put into categories such as “favourites” “novels” and “shorter stories”. It doesn’t always work that well, though, and I’m sometimes better at backing up than filing, because of the fear of losing books through a crash is greater than the inconvenience of hunting for something through my various libaries of ebooks.

I track forthcoming physical books from favourite authors through an Amazon wishlist, and forthcoming ebooks through a favourites list on the browser.
CK said on 08.16.11 at 04:54 PM • [link]

Or - ga - ni - ze…reading list? What is this MADNESS you speak of? Off with you before you spread your insanity.

Stacks in a corner? When a stack falls over it’s a sign to start a new one. >.<
Nicole said on 08.16.11 at 04:57 PM • [link]

I use Shelfari, which - I think - is just like Goodreads. I love being able to tag my books and keep a yearly tab of what I’ve read. I also make it a point to review every book I read, even if it’s just THIS IS BAD, or THIS IS GOOD. That way, it’s all there for me.

Once upon a time, I used the site for social interaction - book groups and reading challenges, etc. I don’t really have time for that anymore, but still make a commitment to sign in and keep up my reading lists.
Ros said on 08.16.11 at 05:01 PM • [link]

I’m with the non-organisers and non-listers. Reading is fun! Lists make it feel like a chore.
Lynn S. said on 08.16.11 at 05:05 PM • [link]

How about bookishly avaricious? It’s wordier and, if nothing else, makes you sound slightly more dangerous than simply being avid.

Organization for me is no more or less complicated than that lovely bit of software known as calibre (aka God’s gift to the bookishly avaricious). If there is such a thing as Labor Day resolutions, I should resolve to get my hard copy books listed in calibre but I think the fear of knowing exactly how many books I have may deter me.
cleo said on 08.16.11 at 05:11 PM • [link]

Or - ga - ni - ze…reading list? What is this MADNESS you speak of? Off with you before you spread your insanity.

Exactly my reaction. I have a shelf where I keep all library books and books that I’m currently reading, plus a couple misc books that don’t seem to have a home anywhere else. I have a pile of sticky notes with scribbled names of recommended books - from this blog, friends, author interviews on the radio, etc. And that’s it - that’s my grand organizational system - had NO IDEA that other people have actual systematic SYSTEMS.
Chelsea said on 08.16.11 at 05:30 PM • [link]

I have a system. It just doesn’t look like it to the untrained eye. My poor fiance, he just sees full shelves and piles off books and he’s a neat fellow and wants to clean it for me. So he’s always hearing “No, don’t touch that, it’s right where I want it.”

All of the paper books that I’ve read go on a shelf in alphabetical order by author and in series order (or by publication date if it isn’t a series). Then there’s the real source of contention, the TBR. First books in a series or stand alones get one shelf. Then come the second books in a series, then the third, and so on. Books I’m likely to read very soon go on a pile (umm, ok small mountain) next to my side of the bed.

Favorite books that I’m rereading or am likely to reread can be ANYWHERE. One time Here Comes the Groom by Katrina Bliss got folded up in a towel and put away in the linen closet. Oops.
Kathleen O said on 08.16.11 at 05:57 PM • [link]

I am great procrastinitor of “I am going to clean out this closet this week”, but the week goes on and on and on and it never gets done..
Now my books to read and have been read are all on spreadsheets. I have never had so many boosk to read at one time.. OMG it my books ever colapsed and rained down on me, they would not be able to find me for a month…

I have a list of books that are on my tbr shelves, I have a list of books that I read each month, I have a list of books that I want to purchase and a list of books I might want to read.. OMG if I ever printed them out, I would have to buy a ream of paper..
Kristyn said on 08.16.11 at 05:59 PM • [link]

lol I’m so a library-due-date kinda girl!

After that, I try to pick four books at the beginning of the week based on this criteria: the release date of the book, how long it is going to take me to read it, and whether it will allow me to finish the other three books on the weekly list.

After I make the list of four books, I set it aside, never to look at it again, and read whatever strikes my fancy on my shelf or iPad. I wonder why I keep making that list? lol
ashley said on 08.16.11 at 06:03 PM • [link]

i don’t track what I’ve read because, if it was worth reading again, I would have bought it. I do, however, track all of the books that I own, in a big old list in Microsoft Word, which also tells me who has borrowed any of my books. sadly, this list is months over due for an update but I just have so many damn books it’ll take at least a week to do that.
Andrea Z said on 08.16.11 at 06:06 PM • [link]

My wish lists at Amazon have turned into my system for organizing my “To Be Read” pile—aside from the physical one beside my bed, of course. It started out as a wish list of future releases so I could stay on top of the pre-orders I wanted, with a “purchased” list to move them to (since I don’t necessarily buy them at Amazon).

Now I have various additional wish lists such as “Possibles” (good for perusing when I’m in one of those don’t-know-what-I-want moods), as well as “Definite to Buy,” “Library Possibles,” “To Look For at Used Bookstores,” and “Read and Probably Won’t Buy.” For whatever reason, this is easier for me than trying to keep up with updating a program every time I finish a book. Maybe it’s because I’m more often there at the computer anyway when I’m purchasing/looking, as opposed to actually reading. Plus Amazon also gives recommendations based off of the books on these lists… and while their recommends system may not be as sophisticated as others, I don’t have to do anything except fix the recommendation if I’m not interested or own it already.

As for tracking on my Kindle, I’ve created collections with a 3-digit number in front of the collection title, like “000-Currently Reading/TBR” and “003-Lunch Reading” (which are books I can put down more easily). This enables me to get them back to the top alphabetically when needed.

car76—It sure seems like 76 cars couldn’t contain my print book collection at this point… probably why my database project to catalog my books isn’t going anywhere.
Kirsten said on 08.16.11 at 06:23 PM • [link]

I couldn’t possibly keep an effective list for myself, I read too much in too many different places, and am always picking things up and putting them back down.

I do, however, keep two kinds of tracking lists. One for my son, whose school has a program called the 100 Book Club, so I record every book we read together there. The other, for our review site, because we get so many requests and books arriving and I have to get them to our reviewers, knowing who has what, and trying to keep everyone on track. For this I keep a list in GoogleDocs.

There is just no way I could possibly conceive of keeping any kind of accurate list anyplace else. I occasionally make attempts at Goodreads, but so far, I just can’t be consistent.
Tessa said on 08.16.11 at 07:35 PM • [link]

Wow. I’ve half a mind (well, yes, that too) to make my husband read the comments in the thread so he will stop complaining about what he views as my list obsession.

For my TBRs, I divide books into my request list at the library, and Amazon wishlist for titles the library doesn’t have or that I suspect I’ll want to keep/own on paper.

I don’t track what I’ve read, like many of you, I’ve been a voracious reader from an early age, and only recently have I allowed myself to quit reading a book even if it’s dreadful, or dropping a series when it loses my interest.

(I worry about this: is it maturity and learning the value of my time? Or the shortening of my attention span as a consequence of our speeded-up culture?)
StarOpal said on 08.16.11 at 07:47 PM • [link]

I haven’t had a chance to read previous posts yet, but…

For myself, I have a set of bookshelves entirely devoted to books I haven’t read yet. They’re sorted by basic genre>author>series or pub date. Which sounds all organized, but if you actually see it as an outsider it looks like a horrible mess (When I fill up the bookshelves I make myself promise not to buy anymore books ‘til there’s room. So I, of course, do the reasonable thing and put books into every available space).

My digital library is still very small (can’t quite get into reading off a screen) but is all on the same reader.

I use Amazon Wishlists to keep track of books I’m interested in, but haven’t decided if I want to take the plunge and buy yet.

Then when I finish a book I catalog it (I keep a list every year with title, author, page count, how I graded the book, and the date I finished it), and put it in the appropriate spot on the Finished bookshelves (same system as TBR shelves only without the cramming).

All of it is a system that only bookie types seem able to understand, where nonreaders look at me like I have lobsters coming out of my ears and just go, “...Okay….”
Karenmc said on 08.16.11 at 08:06 PM • [link]

I use BookPedia on my Mac and sync it with PocketPedia on my iPod Touch, which goes with me to bookstores. It’s a database with links to all sorts of sites online (I have mine set to check U.S. Amazon) and has default categories.When I add a title, it pulls the metadata from Amazon, as well as the cover. I’ve added my own categories (series, Got Rid Of, comments, etc.). I need to add one for paper vs. ebook.

It sounds like I could as easily be using any of several systems mentioned in the comments, but I bought BookPedia three or four years ago and it’s always worked really well - no point in changing now.
Sam said on 08.16.11 at 09:00 PM • [link]

I have a Goodreads account, though I’d say that’s less to keep track and more to share with my friends (and brother who recently moved away) what I’ve read and what I thought of it. (And I’ve got so many “currently reading” books it feels like an accomplishment to mark them “read”. I just love seeing the number of “read” books go up.) But GR does have a to-read “shelf” which I use to keep track of titles I’m interested in that I found while on that site.

My main TBR list is my private Amazon wish list. I like my books in paper and I tend to buy them (mmm, used&new;!) so that’s mainly how I keep track. (And with printed txt files of titles and online prices that I can take to the book stores. Printed. ‘Cause I don’t even have (or really want) a cell phone, let alone one of those fancypants iThingies.)

As for the ones I already own, my shelves are very neat and organized. To ME at least; no clue if anyone else could find something without just going through it all. It’s by size of book (some books are too tall for some shelves, I mean), how much I liked it (or think I’ll like it), subject (very messy on subject, some shelves. Why are the Crusades with modern war and Tibetan history? Or the Star Wars guide with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome? ‘Cause I felt like it, that’s why! And it might move next week), and by what I felt like putting where last time I went into a book-organizing frenzy.
Sometimes I think of my room more as a book/DVD/CD library, only with three house rabbits, a bed, and a whole lot of model horses, too.

Then there’s the books I can’t fit in my room but don’t want to sell; those go in my brother’s old room in the basement. In boxes. :(
maybeimamazed02 said on 08.16.11 at 09:06 PM • [link]

I’m definitely a library gal. Due dates rock! And if I haven’t read it by the due date (or I’ve done the maximum number of renewals), I obviously wasn’t that compelled to read it in the first place.

My books are pretty much organized by color and size (I’m weird like that), though I do try to keep authors grouped together. I keep TBR physical books at the top of my tallest bookshelf (I have three), and any ARC’s I may blog about are in a pile on top of my smallest bookshelf.

The Nook has been a godsend for TBR’s: my very first visible shelf are the books I haven’t read yet. I also put a lot of things on my wish list, and occasionally go through the list to cross-check with the library to see if any are available in ebook.

When it comes to buying books, print or ebook, my test is usually: will I want to reread it? I’m not big on buying books I will only want to read once (see: Room). If it’s an author I love, I try to buy it so I will support them, though if they’re a New York Times-bestselling author I’m a little more lax on that. In the interest of space - I have a studio apartment - I’m trying to keep most of my book-buying in ebook format. The exception is if I want the whole collection - like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books - or if I know the author is coming to town and I want them to sign the book (though I’ve had two authors sign my Nook cover!).

This was an interesting post - I love hearing how people organize their reading!
Jessica E said on 08.16.11 at 09:10 PM • [link]

I am a spreadsheet person. Any time I need to research something, I start a spreadsheet. When I bought my first car, I had a multipage, multi-sheet, color-coded spreadsheet with all of the objective information on the cars I was looking at. I am uber detail-oriented so lack of organization kind of makes me insane. I finally reached the point where I could no longer mentally keep up with where all my books are when I was 20 so I started keeping track of my books via Excel.

I have 4 separate sheets in the workbook: My library, DVD library, CD library, and Wish List. My library has columns for Author(alpha by last name), Title, Date of publication, page count, genre(or what I think of it as), and location in my room or who it is loaned to(by shelf number and title). For books that are “To Be Read”, the entire row is highlighted in light blue. I finally have gotten to the point that I’m no longer updating it every time I buy a book and am only saving a copy once a month with each month’s copy saved as “Jessica’s Library-11.08.16”. They are saved in the European format of date so that when I move them into my Saved Libraries folder, they automatically are in sequential date order.

For my DVD library I have this neat filing box that I got at the Container Store(I LOVE the Container Store) so my dvd’s are in alphabetical order by title in there and then I have them input into my spreadsheet by file number and title. They’re fairly simple and relaxed compared to my books and cd’s.

For my CD library, they are organized by Artist, Album, Collection if one of a multi-cd set, and genre(which is subjective to what I consider it). I primarily rely on iTunes to organize my cd’s. My cd’s are also in their own separate filing box, except for my Christmas cd’s which have their own cd binder.

My Wish List is organized by author and has titles and nook prices so that when I’m the bookstore I can compare prices.

I have about 900 books right now, 100 of which are on my Nook, so without a system in place I would completely lose my mind. I’ve probably sold 100-200 books in the past year to HPB to try and free up shelf space for more books. I need more bookcases!!!!

PS: does anyone have any recommendations on high quality affordable bookcases? I’m looking at IKEA and Target but if someone has any ideas I would love to hear them!
Daisy said on 08.16.11 at 09:13 PM • [link]

I don’t track my books or reading in any way. I do sort my books (both paper and electronic) by genre, then by author on my bookshelves, but as far as tracking what I have read - I don’t do that. Nor do I have a TBR pile.

Several years ago I had a 100+ book TBR and I made a pact with myself that I would not purchase another book (other than must have new releases, especially those in a series) until I had read the entire TBR pile. Once that was completed, I sorted all the books I own into keepers or not; the nots went to the Library book sale, the keepers got sorted to their appropriate shelves. If it is on the shelf it has been read - most of them more than once, as I am a rabid re-reader.

The only time I have a TBR pile now is when I am actively judging for an RWA chapter contest. Since those have a definite read by date, they go in a stack by the bed and get read first.

Personally I would rather spend the time reading than tracking what I am reading, though I understand the need for some people to track. I just don’t have that need. And not keeping a huge TBR pile on hand allows me to not feel guilty about purchasing a new book when I know I have a ton of them at home just waiting to be read.
Lynn M said on 08.16.11 at 10:28 PM • [link]

First, I’m glad I’m not the only person who tends to do major organizing and cleaning projects in the fall. I think it’s sending the kids back to school and having full days to fill that inspires me.

I am kind of OCD when it comes to cataloging my books. I use Goodreads, Library Thing, and BooksApp 2 Pro on my iPhone. Each method has good and bad points, so that’s why my system is redundant. That and I like to organize in general, so I don’t mind the extra work.

Mostly, I make sure to record any new purchases and/or recent reads in my BooksApp so I have something portable I can reference at the bookstore or library. Within that app, I assign books as TBR, Read or DNF. I also clarify if I own a paper copy or e-copy or if I don’t own a copy and it was a library read. I’ve also added a new category with my daughter’s name for books she’s read and/or has in her room so if she asks me to pick up the next title in a series, I know what she’s already got or read.

As for my shelves, they actually need a good cleaning and purging. The TBR bookshelf I have in my bedroom has filled to the point of being stacked double-wide. Time to do something about that.
Alexis Harrington said on 08.16.11 at 10:35 PM • [link]

Organized! Hahahahahahah! I keep waiting for those 1-800-GOT-JUNK trucks to pull up at my house with a film crew, a professional organizer, and a therapist. I’ll sit on the front lawn with a glass of red zin and watch as those strapping people carry away my junk.

Lists—don’t know nothin’ about no stinkin’ lists.

My CAPTCHA here is has44. I’ve got w-a—a-a-y more than 44. Of everything.

Sorry, I’ll go back to my writing corner now.
ReadinginAK said on 08.16.11 at 10:56 PM • [link]

I keep a to-read list on Goodreads, along with my read list and reading list. Occasionally, I tear through something so quickly (I’m looking at you, Jill Shalvis) that it just appears as read. I’ve been keeping a “books I’ve read” list since 2002 in a notebook. I’m trying to make an electronic version of that whole list… slow going.

Anyway, I have the Goodreads app on my phone (Droid). Said app has a scanner, so when I see something I want to read at the library, store, friend’s house, hospital waiting room, wherever, I can scan it in rather than hypnotizing myself into remembering. It’s awesome. I can always change the format if I decide to read it in ebook form or in paper.

I mostly read ebooks from the library or from B & N (I heart my Nook), but sometimes those garage sales/church sales/library discard bin have great yields and I get my paper fix. (Bought 8 Bertrice Smalls in May for $4.) I still use the library for paper as well.

Granted, I must say that my TBR list continues to grow. I make an occasional effort to downsize it, but it’s currently hovering around 125. I read one thing and add two. Such is the life of a reader. Right?
LisaJo885 said on 08.17.11 at 01:42 AM • [link]

I have exclusively paper books (though not necessarily for long), so my “to read” system is the pile books on top of the bookshelf. Anything I don’t own yet is put on the XL spreadsheet and printed out to be referenced whenever I enter a bookstore (or get frustrated and give in to Abebooks.com).

I’m only allowed to write down TBR recs from SBTB when my TBR pile is fewer than 20 books. So, it’s gona be a while.
JulieJV said on 08.17.11 at 01:43 AM • [link]

Count me as another person who gets the urge to do Fall cleaning. I think it’s because I spent 16 yrs in Minnesota and felt the need to organize and prepare for winter hibernation. Now that I’m in Texas, I still get the Fall urge, even with #%*& 100+ temps.

I am SO low tech it’s almost no-tech. I carry a small Circa notebook in my purse with lists of authors and their books (handwritten) so that I know what I’m looking for and what I already have when I haunt the local USBs. Too many previous re-purchases of books I already own. And I kind of have an addiction to the USBs. Which brings me to…

At the moment there are five, maybe six of those plastic underbed storage bins stacked in the closet of a spare bedroom filled with paperbacks, in alpha order by author, then in publication order with a number written on the spine. I call them my book humidors (should my husband ever find them and question them.)

I have a 3-ring notebook with printed out authors’ lists (in publication order) from fictiondb.com and I check off the ones I own or have on my Kindle2. As I finish a book I make a notation of the month/year and the first names of the H/h (these are all romances) in this notebook, then I have a separate Circa notebook that I list the book in and then write my own personal review for future reference.

I’ve organized my Kindle 2 into collections such as Contemporary and Contemporary Read, so I can move the stuff I finish from one category to another. I do like to go back and reread some things so I don’t archive anything.

I have two bookcases with my keeper authors, and one bookcase with non-romance fiction/non-fiction books to be read. Those books I just have on a running list. Non-keeper books get put in a pile to sell back to the USB or give away.

Like I said, just about NO tech, but it works for me. My TBR “stack” is about 400 books. I just take a look through my lists and see what my favorite authors are coming out with and read from there.

Some of the systems listed sound interesting, but I shudder to think of the work that would go into transferring stuff. I’m happy with my pen and pencils and notebooks…
Emily said on 08.17.11 at 04:35 AM • [link]

Of the 150 books on my Kindle, I’ve read probably 140 and the only book I paid money for that I’m not done with is Decision Points by GWB because it was boring. I own hundreds of paper books but I can pick up a book, read the back or look at the cover and remember whether or not I’ve read it. As a youngster my mom wouldn’t buy me books because I read so many so I read a lot of library books. Next year after I finish graduate school, I’d like to start compiling a list of the books I’ve read that I own and that I borrowed from the library or a friend. I think it will be a fairly ridiculous number.
Emily said on 08.17.11 at 04:42 AM • [link]

@Jessica E - I have a bookcase from Target that I paid $20 for. It’s a three level and espresso color wood. I think stacking two on top of each other would work. It’s sturdy, it was easy to build, and pretty cheap. I’m storing about 60-70 books on it with the books upright. I know if I stacked the books it could store more.
Theresa said on 08.17.11 at 05:25 AM • [link]

I use LibraryThing as well. About two years ago I looked at both Goodreads and LibraryThing and liked the organization in LibraryThing much better. I love the tags feature. I use simple tags for plot devices as well so I can remember what the book is about. I know there is the book description but a lot of times I find those are more confusing than helpful. For me, GoodReads’ shelves were just to limiting. At LibraryThing you can use collections and tags. So, I keep everybook I own in the “Library Collection” and keep track of everything I’ve sold/swapped on the “Unowed Collection” within these I have a collection for ebook, to be read, and wishlist. I can then use as many tags as I want to identify a book. My standard tags for a historical romance would be romance, historical romance, the time period (i.e. 1800s), location (i.e. England), main plot device (i.e mistaken identity) and anything else (i.e. if its a favorite of mine). I know, I know. I’m anal but it really helps me when I want to find a book or jog my memory on a book. I love LibraryThing…

Plus the Early Reviewers program is great - I’ve gotten about 10 ARCs in the last two years (I love free books).
Mendie said on 08.17.11 at 06:33 AM • [link]

I got the idea to start a book list from Susan Elizabeth Phillips actually. She posted on Facebook that it was one of her New Year’s Resolutions to do a book log for the year so I have been keeping one as well! I just have it laid out in Word and my categories are as follows:

Title:
Author:
Date Finished:
Rating: (my personal rating…A,B,DNF, so forth)
Format: (Kindle Novel or Novella, Paperback, etc…)
Notes: (Here I just write whatever I liked or didn’t like about the book…sometimes I put a brief synopsis if I thought it was cute. This has actually helped me remember books and authors to look for new stuff.)
Then at the bottom of the entry I put mark what number that book was - so far this year I’ve read 128 books and that’s with being a full-time student and graduating pharmacy school!

I thought it was a great idea to do this and so far I’ve been able to keep up with it. I try to be diligent because it’s actually fun to track how many books I’ve read in so many months. It’s what I’m doing this year, but all of these good ideas may have me changing it for next year!
Virginia Llorca said on 08.17.11 at 05:25 PM • [link]

Sometimes I organize my personal bookcase in my own room by the color or combos of color on the spine. After a year or so it looses its coherency. The bookcase in the hall is a bunch of those leathery goldy thngs and they have to be by size. Under the console in the parlor they are huge like Bible and coffee table books and have to be by size. I am trying to get rid of many books as there are cases in my husband’s room and the family room. As far as what to read, I write in a notebook when I hear of something, but usually forget to take it. At the library, I somethimes have notes, sometimes go on impulse, sometimes search for a favorite author. This is a subject I can spend maybe .004% of my time on so I’ll have time to actually read. And I am usually reading two books at a time.
Nadin said on 08.17.11 at 06:12 PM • [link]

When I studied at the University and had to read a lot, I had a reading list. But today I choose books to read on the spur of the moment. Last time it took me two weeks to read 6 books of “A song of ice and fire”. As for my bookcase, I organize all books depending on their genre.
Mikaela said on 08.17.11 at 07:10 PM • [link]

I tend to pick books based on my mood. But, when I try to be more organized, I use a nifty Calibre plugin called Reading List to organize my reading lists.
Lisa said on 08.18.11 at 02:23 AM • [link]

Shelfari.com. It’s the bee’s knees for organising what you’ve read, how you feel about it, and what you want to read. You can also add it to your blog so others can see what you’re reading.
Christine said on 08.18.11 at 02:40 AM • [link]

I don’ t track my reading list, I track books to-be-purchased.
I took over a bedroom in my house and turned it into my personal library. The room holds 2000+ books, over half of which is my to-be-read pile of various genres, alphabetized within book binding type (hardcovers, trade size, paperback). The balance of the room is my keeper section, which is generally organized in a similar style. I track my to-be-purchased books in an excel spreadsheet, sorted by publication date and then by author’s name. If I am shopping and happen to see a book by a favored author and it isn’t on the list or just published, I probably already own it, have already read it, or didn’t want it in the first place. I stay organized by keeping all the books, except for whatever I’m currently reading, in the library rather than all over the house.
Andrea said on 08.18.11 at 07:02 PM • [link]

I’ve been using an Excel spreadsheet for years that has several columns, including: author, title, size (trade paperback, large paperback, hardcover), type (historical, contemporary, fiction, non-fiction, spiritual, etc), to read (after I’ve read this the cell is blank), series info, specifics (whether its a first edition, signed, etc), on loan, who its on loan to. I use shorthand for most of my columns as I’ve found what helps me best to organize. Then I can run a query to let me know how many books i have to read.
Virginia Llorca said on 08.18.11 at 07:43 PM • [link]

Is this so micromanaging important to people cuz they are naturally organized individuals? I’ll get a book out of the library and discover I already read it and I might read it again, or I might take it back. Some of this stuff people describe must take hours. My computer is so slow even if I am deleting an email that I cannot imagine consulting a spreadsheet to pick out what to read. And it’s Comcast and DSL so I am not in a dial up area. I’ll admit I am not too organized or practical. I cannot figure out how to get that old couch out of the basement, for example. I should Google it. Maybe there is an algorithm for that.

Spam filter: reason 29. No, way more than that about humans surprising me.
Cialina said on 08.18.11 at 09:42 PM • [link]

GoodReads is the best way to track my books for me. Especially since I have so many, I love their shelves feautre so I can prioritize what I want to read.
henofthewoods said on 08.20.11 at 09:31 AM • [link]

Oh Emily, 20 years ago I would have answered like you did. Sigh. Was it the late nights in the lab? The moves from State to State that necessitated separating my beloved books from my pretty good books? The libraries that de-accessioned the books I remember so clearly by location? [Sometimes, when I am trying to remember an author, I think of where on the shelf of the YA section at the Donnell Branch of the NYPL the book was. Once I have pictured that, I can guess the first initial of the author. The last time I did that it was Irma Walker. Do you know how hard it is to use two or three plot threads from a YA SF from the 80’s or earlier to track down an author? If only YA SF had HABO.]
Start your list fast before your brain starts aging. You will never regret writing down the name and author of a good book that you would reread, you will always be annoyed if you buy a second copy of a book that you don’t particularly want to give away.
For me, it is too late. I have scattered lists and email them to myself (so that Yahoo or Google will take care of them for me). I use the wishlist function for ebook purchases and library e-books. I end up with duplicates now and then.
And if anyone can remember the author of the book about “Reality Nirvana Tuttle” please tell me. I think it was in the T’s in the Ithaca Public Library (the old one that they don’t use anymore). Reality went by the nickname “Really” and worked at a nightclub deciding who was cool enough to get in. She gets in trouble for not letting in Jackie O one night (but really, Jackie was dressed like a frump that night, it wasn’t Reality’s fault). She opens her own club in her apartment. She has names for each of her outfits (there is a dress named Gina, after Gina Lollobrigida, Gina is very sassy and likes when construction workers whistle at her). Reality wants a tattoo of the Chanel logo, but it is so painful she stops after the first C. She draws the rest in in pen. She calls her job “door whore”. She has a relationship with an art critic who everyone thought was gay (especially his male lovers). She dates a model who uses the same material for hair gel as Cameron Diaz in “There’s Something About Mary”.
Hey, this made me remember. She is Lee Tulloch and she has another 5 books on her website. The book is Fabulous Nobodies.
Maybe my memory is good enough.

My word is example37 - I tried to use an example and it got 37 times larger than I expected.