Welcome to another edition of the ‘Open Book Blog Hop’. This week’s subject is:
‘How do you keep track of all the books you read?’
I read a lot of books. I read a reviewed 150 books last year in a wide variety of genre’s including children’s, poetry, horror, supernatural, cosy mystery, family drama and the odd memoir and thriller.
My preference is to select the books I read and review by which I mean that I rarely read and review books on request by an author or publisher. The reason for this is that I quickly learned that I frequently didn’t enjoy books that I read at the request of someone and this caused a conundrum for me when it came to the review. I don’t post reviews that are less than 3 stars. That is a personal decision I have made as I firmly believe that despite all attempts, I make to read and review books with a fair and unbiased eye, there are some topics or styles of writing I just don’t like and that would reflect negatively in my review. Another reader could have a very different experience of the same book. I know this is true because I have read reviews of books by other readers who have assigned a low rating to a book. I have read and loved the same book and it has been a 5-star read for me. A good example of this is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. 13% of the reviews for this amazing book on Amazon are 1 star reviews. I gave it 5 stars.
I digress, however, from the question of how I keep track of the books I have read.
I have entered the Goodreads reading challenge again this year. Goodreads then keeps track of all the books I read and review on my Robbie Cheadle profile. I have, however, recently created a second profile on Goodreads under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle. This is the publishing name I am using for my supernatural, science fiction and adult writing and books. The result of this is that I am now reading and reviewing thrillers, science fiction, romance, adult classics, supernatural, dystopian and horror books on my Roberta Eaton Cheadle profile. I am reading and reviewing children’s and poetry books as well as books I read as part of Rosie Amber’s book club on my Robbie Cheadle profile. I am aiming to read 120 books this year, with at least 60 books under each profile. I have not entered the Goodreads challenge under this new profile, but Goodreads still records all the books I enter as read and reviewed and I can access the list if I want to. I provides the date I entered the book as read.
I post reviews for every single book I rate on Goodreads and Amazon, whether the author died two hundred years ago or not. With regards to my comment about not posting 1 or 2 star reviews, due to my selection techniques, these sorts of reads are very few and far between and it is most unusual for me not to post a review of a book.
Prior to my recording my reads on Goodreads, I never kept a record of books that I read.
Let’s see how other blog hoppers keep track of their reading matter. Click on the blue button below to find out, or just leave a comment:
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
roberta-writes.com 
Wow! You’ve read so many books, Robbie. I think that’s a really good point about reading books you want to read and not that you’ve been asked to.
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Thanks Esther, I am a bit selfish like that, but I do enjoy a huge array of genres and styles.
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong in that at all.
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I never kept track until I joined Goodreads, an excellent way to keep a record for yourself and to know your reviews are safe, unlike my experience with Amazon! I would only want to read or review books I had chosen. If I start a book and don’t like it and give up it doesn’t matter.
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Amazon’s new policies have created a lot of unhappiness, Janet. I seem to have been spared to date. I have wondered if the fact I read and review such a vast spectrum of books has anything to do with it. I like Goodreads. It and WP are my most frequently used and favourite social media.
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Goodreads is a great place to keep track of books. I used to have a notebook where I would list the books I read but now I keep track on Goodreads. Well done on reading so many books.
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I love Goodreads, Darlene. A great social media for writers and readers. I never bothered to keep track of what I read before I had a blog. There didn’t seem a need to do so. Now, I post reviews, but have never really thought about it as a way of keeping track of what I read until now.
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Wowee… 150 books is a lot! Well done, that’s all I can say apart from like you I tend to read and review in my preferred genres.
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I think that is pretty normal, Stevie, to read in your preferred genres. I have expanded my horizons since I started blogging though.
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Blogging has expanded my reading horizons as well.
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Isn’t it great!
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Yes, and fun, too!!
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I feel uncomfortable posting bad reviews as well. I’d rather support fellow writers than tear someone down.
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Yes, I am like that too. I have rarely found a book to be so bad that it warrants a really poor rating, but maybe I have been lucky due to my selection process.
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Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
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Thank you, Ed.
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120 books is amazing, Robbie, especially considering everything else you do!
I use the GR reading challenge as well, but I also use BookBub, and I keep a annual list on my phone, which allows me to flip back through my list at a moment’s notice.
Like you, I won’t post any reviews that are below 3 star, but hitting a book of that nature is infrequent for me as well.
Happy reading!
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I am happy to hear that you also don’t come across poor quality books often. I think the books in this writing community of ours are all of a very good standard. I have never yet been disappointed by an Indie book although I frequently am with traditional books. Funny that. I haven’t really investigated BookBub as I just don’t have time to extend to anything else.
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Could you say a little more about being disappointed with traditional books You’ve piqued my curiosity.
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I do reviews on behalf of various groups and blog tour organisers but I’m very selective about what I pick. So far, I’ve never found a book that I couldn’t say something positive about, and I find that I read so many high-quality books by independently published authors. Far more than some people would have you believe exist.
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That is my experience too, Richard. I feel that modern Indie books have more interesting premises and themes than many of the traditional books that are shackled by the demands and expectations of the publishing house. I am sure their are bad books out there, I haven’t come across any yet, but I read within the ranks of our writing community. Good blogs and contributions to the community seems to equal a good quality book that is well edited.
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I think you’ve answered the question I posed above!
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Wow! Thanks for sharing your Goodreads technique for tracking, Robbie. I keep a handwritten list of all books i’m reading with a brief note reminding me what I liked best about each book or a cross-out if I prefer not to finish a book; then I try to write brief reviews in a WordDoc by the month so I can copy and paste them into Amazon and Goodreads. I appreciate your tips for logging and tracking on Goodreads–sounds much more efficient!
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Oh yay, I am glad I have shared something you have found useful, Bette. I learn to much from other bloggers like you. I really enjoy Goodreads and try to interact there for a few minutes every day.
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I am on Goodreads but have been slow to jump onboard with everything I read…not sure why but will try to correct it in 2020!
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I find Goodreads to be a great social media for writers and readers, John. Everybody there has a passion for books and the publishers are also there. There are lots of competitions and promotions too although I haven’t entered any of my books in any, I have supported others who do so and I have won a few books too.
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I post at least 1-2 book stories each week and buy a lot of books so I need to jump in and do it! Thanks for the motivation!
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I’ve never thought of using Goodreads to keep track of the books I read – what a great idea!
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It is a good way, Jim. You don’t have to review the books, you can just mark them as read.
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I too am pretty picky about what I read for exactly the same reason; if I’ve agreed to read something for someone and I don’t like it, what am I to do? I hate giving out poor reviews but I won’t lie either and say something was good when it wasn’t. So, like you, I’ve become picky about what I read. I keep track though, just in my head… which is not at all ideal 🙂
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Yes, you have summed up exactly what I think. I can’t really see why keeping tract is that important anyway. It isn’t as if you will ever have to produce a list of books you’ve read.
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Or do you? Maybe that’s the ultimate endgame… on your deathbed, before passing into the great beyond, a voice calls out, ‘only those who have read 674 books in their lifetime may pass through the pearly gates’… I bet THEN your keeping track would come in handy 😁
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Hahaha, Jessica, I guess it would. I am more worried about the list of sins.
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I don’t. If the register I recall why. Unless they are keepers for some reason they go on the shel if not they go in the half price books box to be swapped for more.
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I hate doing this on my phone!!!
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I can understand that.
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It’s amazing what all you get done! 150 books? Wowzers!
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I read very quickly H, but I do remember what I read and can give a plot outline of most books I have read even years later.
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Wow, so impressive!
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I know how you feel with the whole pressure to leave a good review. I, too, only like to give favorable reviews, so I’ve gotten to where I just don’t tell people that I’m reading their book. That way if I don’t feel like I can say something nice, I just move on. I’ve actually gotten pretty picky about which books I’ll review, unless I’m in a Reading Round, where it’s a keeping-your-word situation.
I used to read a lot more books, well into the hundreds, but lately I’ve been reading differently, more of a deconstruction process and taking mental notes. I’ll slow way down and reread the same passage, chapter, or book several times. I want to be able to answer lots of questions–how did they handle balancing opening description and exposition? How much time is spent generally on description? Where does the pacing slow and pick up and why? All that stuff.
I’m afraid I’m way less organized than you are on what I’ve read. I don’t really keep track. I read, I review, and move on. If it’s really good, then I study it. Btw, your book you co-wrote with your mom is on my list for further study. I’ve been playing with the idea of setting a narrative in WWII, and When the Bombs Fell is just chock-full of details. Not only the physical stuff, but how much emphasis ordinary people give an ongoing event that can kill them. It’s surprising how folks tend to think about other things, perhaps for their own mental protection. I’ve been thinking that I need to work more of that rhythm into my narratives. : )
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