You love books. And you read a lot of them. But can you remember everything you’ve read?
Probably not. That’s why keeping a reading log is important for bookworms.
Not convinced? Here are five reasons why you need to be documenting your reading list as you start the new year.
Why You Need to Keep a Reading Log
1. Easier to share the books you love. All your friends know you’re the go-to person for book recommendations. But how do you keep up with all that you’ve read and still suggest just the right book for each person who asks? With a book log, of course! By having a list of the titles, authors, genres, and your personal thoughts on a book it’s much simpler to spread the love of your favorite stories!
2. Helpful in making new book selections. If you’re trying to decide on the next great book you’ll escape with, why not return to a favorite author or series? With a reading log, you can easily find the names of the writers and titles you enjoyed the first time around and figure out how to spark that joy again.
3. Enables you to broaden your “reading” options. Avid book readers can be overly dedicated to a particular genre or style of writing. While it’s not a bad thing, it does limit your options. Documenting what you read allows you to see the gaps in your reading patterns and consider how you might broaden your horizons with your next reading selection.
4. Keeps you accountable. Want to read more this year? Great! But how will you know if you’re accomplishing that goal or falling behind? By logging the books you read, you’ll have an accurate count of how many books you’ve actually read and can determine if you need to read more to reach the finish line or readjust your goal based on your current track record. Stop saying, “I think I’ve read ____ books this year” and know for sure with a book journal.
5. Helps you absorb what you read. I’m a fast reader and can jump to a new book as soon as I’ve finished the last one. While that’s all fine and dandy, I don’t always take time to process what I just read. What was the author trying to say? What lesson(s) I can take away from this story? A reading log causes me to slow down a bit and reflect on what the book was about and how it affected me (all books should affect us in one way or another!). Sometimes that can be more profound than the book itself!
I’ll be honest, in my 45 years as a reader, I’ve never kept a reading log. But a few months ago, I got tired of trying to “remember” who and what I’d read, so I purchased this inexpensive reading log. I regret that I hadn’t done this sooner! For all the reasons I listed above, keeping a reading log has been a great tool for me as a writer and a reader. I can’t wait to add my latest read to my log these days and hopefully, after reading this post you’ll be inclined to do the same!
Have you ever kept a reading log?
What benefits have you experienced from doing so?
How could these 5 reasons encourage you to start keeping one?
