Keeping Track Of Books

[Michael Colton]

Hmm, GoodReads is definitely the option of choice it seems. I will look into it. The public domain aspect always makes me a bit jittery, but if it allows non-public comments to be attached to books just for my own use I may utilize it.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I started on Goodreads a few years ago and tossed everything I could remember reading into it, but I am lazy about remembering to keep track of things, so I'm not keeping up with it.

 

[Timba]

I have used a spreadsheet. I created a database in MS Access and used it for awhile. The truth is it is the reading of them that is important to me and if I cannot remember whether or not I read it before I usually simply read it again and either enjoy it again or am reminded of why I don't remember it


I gave up on tracking it and simply focus on enjoying reading.

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

The only true way to tell how many books I've read in the past 2 years is my blog. I do use a spreadsheet for the ARC copies, just so I know which book review is expected first.

 

[Michael Colton]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I have just come across Book Collecter by Collecterz and downloaded the trial version. I shall let people know what I think of it. If I do not like it, I will either go Excel or GoodReads.

After briefly checking it out, Book Collector is not for the faint of heart. It is a database that mimics a library system, not a book list application where you simply attach reviews. While it has all of the functions I would want, the free version limits your titles to a hundred. I cannot imagine being willing to pay for the full version.

 

[Abernovo]

I'm lucky in that my memory is reasonable, but my most common tool for lists is the old-fashioned pen and paper. For books, a small ring-bound notebook? You can put ones read in the front and to-be-read in the back until they meet.

Oddly enough, as soon as I write things down, I remember them much better - probably a visual memory thing.

 

[Kylara]

I was thinking of getting the book collectors free trial and moaned to the OH that 100 books wouldn't even do the whole of my baby bookcase in the bedroom. He disagreed and then proceeded to start counting books on the shelves. 100 books almost on two shelves, horizontally and double stacked. He then looked at the massive piles all over the floors in multiple rooms, the floor to ceiling wall to wall full bookshelf in the library, the 4 bookcases in the living room and then stared at me whilst uttering, "how many books do you HAVE?!"
It was quite funny, but now I really want to know, and to have them all sorted out and listed. I could make an excel spreadsheet but I much prefer the idea of scanning the barcode and the software fixing it for me. Hehehe

 

[Michael Colton]

I was thinking of getting the book collectors free trial and moaned to the OH that 100 books wouldn't even do the whole of my baby bookcase in the bedroom. He disagreed and then proceeded to start counting books on the shelves. 100 books almost on two shelves, horizontally and double stacked. He then looked at the massive piles all over the floors in multiple rooms, the floor to ceiling wall to wall full bookshelf in the library, the 4 bookcases in the living room and then stared at me whilst uttering, "how many books do you HAVE?!"
It was quite funny, but now I really want to know, and to have them all sorted out and listed. I could make an excel spreadsheet but I much prefer the idea of scanning the barcode and the software fixing it for me. Hehehe

I do admit that Book Collector appears to be exactly what I am looking for, but 30 USD seems a bit more than I am willing to pay unless I have a splurge moment.

 

[Vertigo]

Sodice, I would seriously take a look at Calibre (oh and it's free!!!). Even though it is designed for managing ebooks, you can just as easily create entries without an actual book file attached and then just use the 'metadata.' Using this you can add as many tags to each entry as you want (eg. SF, adventure, military, dystopian) I put my reviews into the 'comments' section of each entry. It can easily fetch blurb, cover image, isbn etc. from the web. I have attached a sample screen grab which should give you a sense of what it does

 

[Fried Egg]

Hmm, GoodReads is definitely the option of choice it seems. I will look into it. The public domain aspect always makes me a bit jittery, but if it allows non-public comments to be attached to books just for my own use I may utilize it.

It does, just click on the "more options" link when reviewing a book and a box appears for private notes. I never use it myself personally...

 

[Michael Colton]

Sodice, I would seriously take a look at Calibre (oh and it's free!!!). Even though it is designed for managing ebooks, you can just as easily create entries without an actual book file attached and then just use the 'metadata.' Using this you can add as many tags to each entry as you want (eg. SF, adventure, military, dystopian) I put my reviews into the 'comments' section of each entry. It can easily fetch blurb, cover image, isbn etc. from the web. I have attached a sample screen grab which should give you a sense of what it does

That looks very promising. And I am always a sucker for open source. Much appreciated.

 

[Vertigo]

I find it great; I've been using it for several years now, pretty much ever since I started reading ebooks, though as I say you don't have to actually have the book to add it into your database and, indeed, I have a number of books there that I've borrowed from friends or libraries.

 

[Michael Colton]

I rarely read ebooks, but I have no problem tracking my books in that format. It appears to be structured in a database form, which is what I have been looking for. After playing around with it some later tonight I will let you know what I think.

 

[andreasn]

A notebook. I'm surprised how few here use a notebook for this purpose. I don't actually do this myself, though I have many other notebooks and I don't have any other system for this either. and be sure to use a fountain pen to write in it, fountain pens are just the best writing instrument there is.

 

[Michael Colton]

A notebook. I'm surprised how few here use a notebook for this purpose. I don't actually do this myself, though I have many other notebooks and I don't have any other system for this either. and be sure to use a fountain pen to write in it, fountain pens are just the best writing instrument there is.

I have a hard time reading my own handwriting, it is so awful. That is why I rarely use notebooks for anything. If I write something down and come back to it much later, it is very likely I will be unable to read it.

 

[Kylara]

I would use a notebook, but I want everything alphabetised by author and then by publishing date within author sections. If I use a notebook I am constantly having to rewrite it all out (plus my handwriting isn't the best) I am also lazy and like the whole scan it and the software does all of the work for you!

 

[Vertigo]

That's the beauty of something like Calibre. You can just click at the top of any column to sort on that column. It also remembers previous columns so if you click the top of the title column, then the series and then the author you get it sorted by author (last name), and then within author the series (if any) and then within the series by title. It makes it so easy. In fact I usually have it open for reference when posting on Chrons.

 

[J-Sun]

Yep, what Sodice and Kylara said. Like I said, between computer systems, I used notebooks and it's impossible to sort, hard to find, and hard to read. I was very happy when I finally got around to transcribing it back into the computer (I mean, the titles and dates and all - not the commentary, which I still look up and puzzle through in the notebooks but now at least it's easy to find the entry in the notebook... when I bothered to make one. )