Whether you read one book a year or ten books in a month, it’s always a fun idea to keep track of what you’ve read. You can keep a log of your reading to challenge yourself to read more or simply to help you remember all the books you have enjoyed in the past. Whatever the reason, here are some useful sites and methods you can use to track what books you’ve read and even find some good recommendations.
1. Goodreads
Goodreads, the most popular online book-tracking site, allows you to log in your past, current, and future reads; to receive recommendations based on your favorite genres; and to leave reviews and ratings for every book you add. The site currently has over 90 million users and an enormous internal library where you’re likely to find any published book.
Goodreads also has a community feature where you can connect with other readers, see book reviews and ratings from other users, create discussions and groups, share your favorite quotes, and even interact with authors.
If you’re looking to challenge yourself, Goodreads allows you to set a yearly reading goal and provides end-of-year stats on the books you’ve read. Also, keep an eye out for Goodreads Choice Awards, where you can vote for your favorite books of the year.
Download Goodreads for free on your mobile or desktop device (App Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store) or access it on your browser.
2. Reading Journals
Reading journals are perfect for lovers of journaling and scrapbooking! They allow you to track your reading in your own way and to implement your own creative ideas. There’s no limit to what formats and spreads you can include (a book log, a review section, your favorite quotes, a to-be-read list, your reading goals, etc.) and you can choose to decorate and design your journal however you like.
On the other hand, if you enjoy the idea of having a reading journal, but don’t want to spend time creating the designs and spreads in them, you can buy a pre-formatted reading journal. You can fill it in with your book’s details and your thoughts on it, and easily keep track of what you’ve read.
You might even choose to not have an entire reading journal, and instead just use a few pages from your everyday journal or use and decorate a couple of loose sheets. The choice is yours!
Find inspiration to create your reading journal on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or buy some beautiful, fill-in reading journals on Amazon, Etsy, and other independent sellers.
3. Online Spreadsheets
If you want the creative liberty that a reading journal provides, but in a more efficient and organized way, try a book tracking spreadsheet! Using a spreadsheet allows you to choose what details you want to log in and allows you to create visual representations of your progress based on your entries. For fans of stats and graphs, you can keep track of when you read the most, how long it takes for you to read a book on average, what genre you read the most, and your average ratings all in one simple sheet.
You can choose to create and program your own spreadsheet, or you can choose to download a pre-made spreadsheet from those available online. One widely used spreadsheet is the CAWPILE spreadsheet by Book Roast on YouTube, which comes pre-programmed with dozens of different classifications for your books, its own detailed rating system, and over twenty charts and graphs breaking down your reading habits.
4. The StoryGraph
Similar to Goodreads, The StoryGraph is an online platform where you can keep track of the books you’ve read, or want to read, while also connecting with others. However, instead of categorizing and recommending books solely by genre, The StoryGraph personalizes their recommendations by more detailed reading preferences, such as mood, pace, character development, plot, and diversity, which you can set in your profile and rate on each book you read.
The StoryGraph is good for readers who want specific recommendations based on their unique interests. The app also provides year-round stats and graphs, as well as a yearly reading goal for both number of books and pages read.
Download The StoryGraph for free on your mobile or desktop device (App Store, Google Play) or access it on your browser.
These recommendations may be the most popular, but they are only a few of many apps, websites, and methods that could help you track your reading. Try them out and find the one for you!