If you’re my friend on Goodreads, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted a review in months, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not still reading! I’ve been reading well over 100 books a year since I started using Goodreads in 2018 after my colleagues from my internship at the Library of Congress encouraged me to join the platform so we could keep up with each others reading after we all went our separate ways in the fall.
I’ve loved using Goodreads as a way to track what I’m reading, write reviews to share with others, and see what friends, former classmates, coworkers, and others are reading! I’ve discovered new books, tried thanks I otherwise wouldn’t have read due to glowing recommendations from others, or felt validated in my opinions on various books.
However, one of the things that really has become apparent to me over the past couple years, is that while I have a really good memory for details about my friends and families lives, I have a terrible memory for the books I read (except for the things I read as a kid, I have an exceptional memory for those). I can look at books I’ve read in the past and tell you if I liked it or not, but rarely am I able to recall the details of a book, even of things I’ve absolutely loved.
One of my 2023 goals was to try to remember more of the books that I read. Reading is a hugely important part of my life, and I want to feel like I’m engaging on a deeper level with the things that I’m reading, rather than just reading things as quickly as possible and rushing on to the next read.
I don’t think that there’s a simple answer to this, and I don’t think Goodreads is at all to blame, but in January, I started a book journal in one of my Field Notes where I write down the title of the book, the author’s name, a synopsis, a star rating, a small review.
Now, when I finish a book, instead of rushing onto Goodreads to review it, I find time to sit down at my desk, pick some colored pencils that match the cover of the book, and sit with the book. When I’m traveling and finish a book (or two or three), I fill in my journal when I get home. Even this act of not immediately jumping online to review a book on my phone or even at work, but instead writing in my book journal when I have time, makes me sit with a book’s details a little longer than I usually would. I try to write all of my entries without actually referencing the book which really helps in making me remember both relevant details and my own reaction to the book.
Since my priority has become my book journal, I’ve not actually reviewed anything on Goodreads since April. Because my Field Notes are all a standard 48 pages, I still have a good idea of how many books I’ve read so far this year (currently I’m in my second journal and am at 87 books). I really like the physical aspect of the book journal, it makes my reading more tangible than a Goodreads reading challenge goal. Over all in my life, I feel like I’m trying to rely on technology less for things because I’m not actually sure using technology for things is actually the most convenient and I often find that it’s not the most enjoyable.
Another reason that I’m using Goodreads less is that I just don’t find the same benefits from it as I used to. I previously got a lot of reading recommendations from what I saw my friends reading on Goodreads, but now that I’m more established in my professional career – I have no shortage of books on my TBR list purely by the virtue of working in a library and keeping up with . I still love to pop into Goodreads to see what folks I know are reading, but rarely do I leave with something new to add to my own reading list.
This isn’t to say that I’m completely done with Goodreads or online reviewing. I receive a decent amount of electronic Advanced Readers Copies (eARCS) from Net Galley and since I’ve fallen off of Goodreads, I’ve fallen out of the habit of reviewing those titles online which isn’t great as publishers and authors appreciate reviews of these books, and publishers are more likely to approve you for advanced copies if you have a good rate of reviewing the titles of the books you request – so I do need to actually get back in the habit of reviewing those titles at least on the Net Galley website, it not on Goodreads as well.
If you’re interested in what I’m reading, just ask! Never fear, I still plan on doing my year-in-review reading roundup post in December, albeit with slightly less data since I’m not willing to track the number of pages I’ve read without Goodreads doing it for me. So far, about half way into the year, my Book Journal has been a really great habit for me, and I can’t wait to continue with it.
Bookishly Bright 