By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Keeping Track of What You Read and Want to Read #BookBloggerHop #coffeeramblings

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Do you use Goodreads as the main website to keep track of what you have read? If not, please share what you use?

(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews) 

Yes, Goodreads is the leading website I use to keep track of books. I’ve tried other things like journals and an excellent spreadsheet developed by another book blogger, and, though these things have their benefits, ultimately, Goodreads has always been more accessible for me to use. I don’t use Goodreads in any complex ways. But NetGalley links to it – albeit with a few kinks- so that’s convenient for me.

I also have another app called Readerly that I’ve been trying out. I’m not sure if there are any benefits over Goodreads at this point, though. At the bottom of this post, I have included step-by-step screens of what you do in Readerly. I do have three invite codes that I’ve never used if anyone is interested. It is free though there is a pay option – just like many other apps – and you can download your books read from Goodreads into Readerly. Here is Reader Voracious’ look at Readerly and all about it.

How do you keep track of books?

46 Replies to “Keeping Track of What You Read and Want to Read #BookBloggerHop #coffeeramblings”

  1. kat says:

    I’ve heard of Readerly, but have never checked it out. It looks like it keeps track of quite a lot! My method is kind of prehistoric compared to it and Goodreads. I simply keep them on my shelves or in different folders on my Kindle. I also have a physical paper-based planner where I write in when I’m posting my reviews and that pretty much keeps me on track with what I’ve read and what I need to get around to reading. Unlike many readers, keeping track of what I read destroys some of the pleasure I take of selecting a book and diving in. But I often envy how so many book bloggers are able to showcase their year in reading. It’s quite impressive!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The spreadsheets produce those impressive stats some book bloggers share. I just have trouble keeping up with my reads that way. Goodreads, I just mark if anyone recommends a book and my currently reading and when I’ve finished. Plus all my reviews go on there. But your system sounds great! It’s whatever works for you and you definitely never want to ruin your reading experience. ❤️❤️❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Jenny Mcclinton says:

    I use Goodreads mainly too, although I do have a spreadsheet too. I have tried storygraph too, but I don’t really use it too much as it doesn’t seem to have a shelf system like Goodreads 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Kelly says:

    I’ve been using Goodreads since 2017 and last year I created my own spreadsheet to keep track of my reading. This year, my spreadsheet became a little more elaborate than last year’s and I’ve already been thinking about adding another column next year, it’s really very addictive 😄

    Like

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Spreadsheets are so addictive! I do have one that I use to calculate blog growth % to put in my NetGalley info and I want to be able to train myself to enter book info on a spreadsheet. It just covers so many details. And you can do so much with it.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Kelly says:

        I just scheduled another bookish quarter in pie charts post for next week, it’s so much fun to have a look at your stats that way and keeping track is really helping me to diversify my reading.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. bookwormbloggerweb says:

    I use Goodreads as my online tracker of what I’m reading and want to read. I also have a book log that I write in when I’ve finished a book. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      My poor book log has many big holes in it. But I am pretty consistent with Goodreads. I’ve never been able to figure out why I can’t consistently enter in other places 🤷‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Off and on for a few months. Once I saw I could bring in my records from Goodreads, I started using it more. Here’s your code:

      Here’s one of my invite codes for Readerly so we can swap book recommendations! Enter code gz6k8y https://www.readerly.com/i/gz6k8y

      Like

  6. Staci Troilo says:

    I guess I technically use Goodreads, but I don’t really find a need to keep track of what I read. Once I’ve read and reviewed something, I don’t really look back at the titles again. I don’t track status or statistics of any sort. I’m lucky if I have time to read for pleasure. Tracking what I read makes it feel like work, and I have enough of that to do as it is.

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    1. Lady Tessa says:

      You are not alone in that. Maybe that’s why I’ve only been able to handle just the basics in Goodreads because to do more feels more like work and I always want reading and blogging to be a pleasure.

      Like

  7. Teri Polen says:

    I use Goodreads. I link my reviews to NetGalley, and I also enter contests for books I want to read. I never win any, but there’s a friend in my bookclub who seems to hit the jackpot regularly. I have no idea what her secret is.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. mehsi says:

    Goodreads for me. It is the one I always use(d) and the one I keep coming back to. They are more complete than most sites as I also read Dutch + adding books to their site is just way easier than any site I have so far encountered. I have tried other sites (many which have died within a few years), I have tried journals/reading notebooks (but kept forgetting to write notes/books into it). It was just all too much work at times so I am now focussing solely on Goodreads with a once in a month update to Storygraph (would do that more but the site is not my cup of tea + I have to wipe all the books from my account so I can add a new import of GR’s file) so I got an extra back-up for most of the books I read in case that GR ever disappears/stops working.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I can see where Goodreads would be perfect for international readers. Their database is so incredibly extensive. And I forget to add to my reading journals too. 🤗

      Liked by 1 person

      1. mehsi says:

        Yep. It is amazing. 🙂 Even after all these years I am happily surprised when, after a library haul, I find so many Dutch books already in the database. Haha, it seems to be a bookworm problem. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Carla says:

    Goodreads is my basic way to track, but….. I use a spreadsheet for my blog tours so I check that daily. I also have paper all over my house such as books I want to read that are on KU, books by specific publishers that I want to get to, I have a wishlist at my library and so on. Having said all that, all the books on those lists are also on my TBR on Goodreads. I didn’t want to make more shelves though. I also have a small book where my favourite authors are listed with their books. I cross off when I read a book. This goes with me when I go to flea markets, used book sales etc. so I don’t buy a book I have already read. Wow, that does sound complicated, but it works for me. 😀🧡📚

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Tari Hann says:

    I use Goodreads too, but I love using the spreadsheet I made, pretty much for the same reason Hayley said. It took a little while to remember, but I’m definitely in the habit of recording on it when I’m done with a book and its review.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I downloaded the latest copy of the spreadsheet I used in the past and made my personalized tweaks. Now I need to make myself use it until it becomes habit.

      Like

  13. CJR The Brit says:

    I use goodreads too. I really wanted to have a go at storygraph but I can’t upload my goodreads shelves from my phone and my laptop doesn’t work at the mo so will need to wait until its fixed (or I’ve thrown it out the window!!)

    Liked by 1 person

          2. Lady Tessa says:

            I was able to do it on my iPad. You just need to put the exported file in a folder on the iPad

            Like

  14. Julie Anna's Books says:

    I feel like I use way too many tracking methods at the moment – ideally I’d like to simplify it a bit! I haven’t heard of readerly – it looks good!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      If you like a Readerly code to look at it, I’m happy to give you one but I didn’t want to throw it out to you since you have too many tracking methods going on. Seems like that would have been a “didn’t you read everything I wrote” kind of moment. ❤️ I totally get what your saying, since I can’t handle a lot of tracking.

      Like

  15. Louise H says:

    Goodreads does what I need it to and it’s so easier to search for your old reviews, which it isn’t on Amazon! I will give Readerly a try but I just don’t seem to be able to cope with more than a few social media/bookish sites at any given time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I would say it’s worth looking at. I know it’s hard to keep up with everything out there but it is an interesting take.
      Never hurts to look though. ❤️

      Here’s one of my invite codes for Readerly so we can swap book recommendations! Enter code d6qmjk https://www.readerly.com/i/d6qmjk

      Liked by 1 person

  16. WendyW says:

    I use Goodreads also. I’ve looked at and tried other apps, and websites, but since NetGalley links to Goodreads, and the publishers and authors want us to review on Goodreads, it makes sense to me to stay there. I also use a spreadsheet just for ARC’s so I don’t miss a review date.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I use my google calendar with all its pretty colors for that. I guess that’s sort of like using a spreadsheet ❤️

      Like

  17. nsfordwriter says:

    I keep track the old school way, an Excel spreadsheet 😀 I have been keeping track in the back of my diaries since 2001 and then I transferred to a spreadsheet. I only recently got Goodreads, I don’t use it to keep track for myself, more as a resource if anyone else is interested. I use a Word document to note what books I want to buy.

    Liked by 1 person

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