Do you keep a log of the books you read?

[ficbot]

Just curious if anybody keeps a log of books that you read---do you keep track of ALL books (print and e) or just e-books? What software/journal/system do you use?

I keep a log using Delicious because I like being able to download and browse the list while on the go with my iPod Touch. I like knowing how many e-books I have read because I keep a spreadsheet keeping track of my costs. So far, I have spent about $700 on both devices AND books, and read about 82 books, making my average cost per book in the vicinity of $8 (which is cheaper than paperback prices! If I read every book currently on my device BEFORE I buy new ones, my cost per book will go down to about $2).

Delicious lets me keep track of books I paid for AND freebies easily by using tags. For example, here are my Fictionwise purchases:

http://delicious.com/ficbot/Books--Bought

And here are the Project Gutenberg freebies I've read:

http://delicious.com/ficbot/Books--Free

I am planning to add a 'To Read' tag as well for books I own but haven't read yet.

It is a very easy system because all I have to do is find the book on Fictionwise or Manybooks after I read it, and press one button to tag it. I do not log print books because I read too many and am not interested in tracking the cost amortization the way I am with e-books.

Any other log/list keepers? Curious what system you use.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Any other log/list keepers? Curious what system you use.

Yes, I use librarything.com... I only enter books that I have read. But, you can enter all and there is a "read" and "to read" flag if you prefer that method.

To see my library go to http://www.librarything.com/catalog/PilotBob

BOb

[Gibbo]

Bob I've got something you'll might find interesting check it out here

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Gibbo

Bob I've got something you'll might find interesting check it out here

Wow... I didn't even know there were Trek comics. Maybe I will put this on my Christmas wishlist. Although I never really got into comic books.

BOb

[ChipnDale]

Yep, I have shelfari...I use it to check for books I've read and also to scout out new books I may like to read . It helps with unintentionally re-reading books

[bbusybookworm]

I don't but want to, and I've signed up for Librarything to do so, but have not earnestly started yet.

I'm still working out how to get the hundreds of books I've read in the past onto it easily, as doing it manually is not really going to work

[tompe]

My book register with read information (kept since 1979 or so) is an SGML file. I do not want to be dependent on any program or web page that might disappear. I synchonize the file to my N810 using subversion. I edit the file on my N810 using leafpad. html files with information about what I have read is generated using Perl scripts.

[alehel]

I've just started. I've decided to list the books I own, as I have no chance of remembering ones I've read, but no longer own. I also use LibraryThing and think it's great.

Here's a link to my profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/alehel

[leandroide]

I've tried several options, and at last I decided to mantain the list of the books I've read in a html file.

You can see the format I use in the attached image.

Regards,

L.

[DDHarriman]

To answer to the basic question: no, I do not keep a log of the books I read (have).

One main reason is that I know everything I have read, so no need to make a list - I think one would want to do one to remember oneself, not a problem for me.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DDHarriman

To answer to the basic question: no, I do not keep a log of the books I read (have).

One main reason is that I know everything I have read, so no need to make a list - I think one would want to do one to remember oneself, not a problem for me.

Impressive that you can remember all books you have read. But I suppose you cannot do a list of them from memory. Another thing that is good to have is the dates you read the book and consequently how many times you have read a book. I can usually answer if I have read a specific book but not always since I have started reading a book and realized half way that I had read it before.

[Ervserver]

Nope, not at all

[Liviu_5]

Since I discovered Goodreads I found it an invaluable tool to catalogue the books I've been reading, trying to read, started but put aside for now and so on.


I do not discriminate between e and p, though on the whole I tend to read about 65%-35% print to e, though now with my new 700 I've been reading more e overall recently, though I have quite a few print *must* print books waiting so the ratio will still remain 60% or more print for 2008.

Next year I hope to get much more pdf e-arcs for review than regular print since now with the 700 I ask first for pdf's and only if the publisher/author is not willing I take print, while from what I buy, hopefully there will be more books I want as e but I have no control about that.

Since I tend to read 200 or more new books a year and try/start at least 100 if not more, it was hard to do it by hand and I was not willing to pay for Library Thing.

[Elsi]

I keep a simple text file on my laptop. Since I take my laptop with me everywhere I go, it's not a problem to have it handy when I finish reading a book. Quarterly, I post a summary to my Reading Blog (http://www.elsi123.net/~elsi/ ) Although I have accounts at LibraryThing, GoodReads, Shelfari, and even Delicious, I just update them periodically and keep the active file on my laptop.

Tompe, I'm interested in your SGML file. What markup system do you use? Do you have a schema?

[Greg Anos]

No, but sometimes I make a log out the ones I have read...