Book Tracking – Track What You Read
How to keep track of the books you have read – 15 Tips
Reading is one of the simple pleasures of life. Some read to accumulate knowledge and to educate themselves, while others like to escape from the banalities of life into the realms of adventure. No matter the reasons, tracking the books finished is something many struggle with. This article lists some of the most effective book tracking apps and strategies that can enhance your reading experience.
Benefits of Book Tracking
If you read many books, it is worth tracking all the books you have finished. Who doesn’t like to be systematically organized? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the ability to instantly search and whip out a book even though you read it a long time ago? That is only possible when you have cataloged your books either in alphabetical order, genre-wise or simply the order you finished them. If you are still not convinced, here are more reasons to start tracking books.
Crutches for your memory: Even with the sharpest memory, there will be countless blank spaces in the coming years. When you tracking books consistently, you certainly won’t end up owning multiple copies of the same book. More importantly, however, you can quickly review books and refresh their key information.
Feeling of achievement: For the competitive bookworms among you, tracking books will help you look at the total number of reads in a particular year or throughout your life. This won’t only fill you with a sense of accomplishment but also help you feel more connected to the books.
Motivation to read more: Tracking a list of the books you have finished will motivate you to read more and faster. Many readers like to set themselves monthly or yearly goals and tracking the books finished is an easy and efficient way to do that. It helps you challenge yourself and compete against previous scores while improving your reading habits. Tracking books also enables you to analyze the genres you like the most and encourages you to read something out of your comfort zone.
Being a resource for other readers: Don’t let your poor memory come in the way of you being an expert. When someone asks for the best recommendations from a particular genre, your curated list of the books will come in handy.
Rediscovering old favorites: More often than not, even the most ambitious readers among us forget about books and authors they absolutely loved at one point. Looking back at the list of the books you read throughout your life can rekindle the memories and remind you of your old favorites.
10 Book Tracking Apps
Book tracking apps are an efficient way to organize your reading. They can be portable libraries that you can access anytime, anywhere. Here are some apps to help you manage and track books and even socialize with fellow book lovers.
1. Goodreads
Goodreads is a top-rated service that lets you organize your books in nifty catalogs. It lets you track all your books, and it also lets you log the ones you would like to read in the future. Readers can rate, review, recommend completed books to their friends, join clubs to discuss monthly reads, or challenge themselves to new goals. Goodreads is no less than a heaven for readers with so many features that let them sort out their books the way they want and connect with like-minded people.
Price: Free. | System: Android, iOS. Website.
2. Litsy
Litsy is one of the most interactive book tracking apps. It is famously and aptly defined as a healthy mix of Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads, all blended into one app meant for die-hard book fans looking to socialize over their shared hobbies. Users can post photos of their favorite books or the ones they are currently reading. Litsy touts itself as the place where enthusiasts recommend books to fellow users instead of algorithms giving you automated recommendations.
Price: Free. | System: Android, Apple iOS
3. Libib
Libib is much more than just a nifty book tracking app. In addition to organizing and sorting out your books the way you’ve always wanted, this app also enables you to track video games, music and movies. It offers a better experience by allowing you to rate and review books and import and tag them. Users can also make notes and publish their libraries for the world to see.
Price: $9/month, $99/year (single user). Availability: Apple iOS, Android
4. Scribd
Scribd is an effective and reliable subscription-based service that provides its users access to unlimited books, documents, journals and research papers. Track books, discover new reads, and build perfectly curated libraries to keep everything in one place. With applications and websites that offer digital libraries, the interface plays a significant role in determining the user experience. Scribd has an easy-to-use interface that doesn’t come with an extensive learning curve, making it immensely popular among millions of readers worldwide.
Price: $8.99/month. Trial available. | Availability: Android, iOS
5. Serial Reader
The concept behind Serial Reader is pretty straightforward. It sends a modest twenty minutes worth of reading material from a book of your choosing straight to your mobile device daily. This helps the users develop a habit, thanks to the daily snippets they receive. It’s a smart solution for those who lack time to read or find it an insurmountable challenge. The interface is smooth, simple and easy to use for beginners. All things considered, Serial Reader is primarily geared towards ardent fans of classic literature since its library content mostly consists of timeless classic novels.
Price: Free (upgrade to premium for $2.99) | OS: Android, Apple
6. OverDrive
Schools and institutions also need digital libraries to track books and keep everything in one place. OverDrive is ideal for that. It stores eBooks, audiobooks, journals, periodicals and other media material from local libraries. If you want to grab something from your local public library, chances are that OverDrive has it. Offering users digital access to countless reading materials, it is quite an efficient app for book tracking.
Price: Free | OS: Android and Apple iOS
7. Playster
Playster gives its users access to a digital library with an impressively wide variety of eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music and games. You can read and track books effectively and also get unlimited access to all other media content. It is possible to shortlist and like titles and create a wish list for offline reading. This service is ideal for users looking for a one-stop destination that covers most of our entertainment needs. Since Playster graciously offers a 30-day free trial period, one can peruse through the content on offer, judge the interface and make an informed decision.
Price: $14.95/month | System: Android and iOS
8. LibraryThing
LibraryThing is a functional and easy-to-use book tracking app. Add the titles you are currently reading and the ones you have already completed to build a library that you can access anytime. It also allows you to connect with people who like the same books and gives you suggestions based on your current list.
Price: Free (upgrade option for $10/year) | OS: Apple iOS, Android
9. BookShout
BookShout does what it promises! Loaded with features to track books and digital libraries, this app also partners with several content distributors and corporations that supply eBooks from diverse genres. With its massive library, finding your favorite bestsellers won’t be a problem. The only thing that BookShout lacks is the social aspect. You won’t be able to connect and communicate with other readers but if your goal is to catalog your reading effectively, this book tracking app has got you covered.
Price: Free | OS: Android, Apple iOS and PC. Website.
10. Audible
Constantly having your eyes glued to the screen can get tiring. That’s where Audible comes in. Not only can the users organize their books but they can also listen to the recommended ones while driving or doing chores. With the advanced playback features, you can easily navigate between chapters and bookmark your favorite pages. Integration with Amazon’s Kindle and Alexa is also available.
Price: Free | OS: Android, Apple iOS and PC
Old-school Methods To Track Books
Bullet journal or a book log
If you are someone who considers apps a hassle or prefers a closer connection to the physical world, writing the titles down on a notebook is the simplest way to keep track of books. There’s nothing like a pen and paper. Your memory is also more likely to retain the information you pen down. Maintain a log either in a notebook or get yourself a journal to keep track of all your books.
Google Sheets
This is another simple way to keep things organized. Every time you read an author, simply record the title, author’s name, genre, and the date you finished reading it into the columns. You can access this information anytime via Google Drive. This method of tracking books is ideal for people who don’t want anything fancy, just a safe place to have their information stored and sorted out to their personal liking.
Tips To Further Enhance Your Reading Experience
- Rate all your books to remember your reading experience.
- Write a short review of every book you finish reading.
- Whether you use an app or a journal to track books, add extra info such as what did inspire you or who in your circle will enjoy it the most.
- Write down your favorite quotes.
- Research the author and read a little about their personal and professional stories. Writers have sensitive minds and more often than not, go through experiences that make one think. Getting to know the author will strengthen the memory of the book.
Book Tracking – Summary
While reading pages after pages, tracking books might not cross your mind but doing so will save you a lot of hassle and confusion later at some point. Book tracking makes it easy to analyze your habits and recommend material to others. It also instills a sense of achievement and motivation to read more.
While keeping a journal or a notebook is a fairly simple way of recording your books, applications such as Goodreads, Litsy, Libib, BookShout and Scribd, allow you to track books while offering many interactive features efficiently. Choose the one that suits you the most and start the habit of book tracking today.
What are your favorite book tracking strategies? Please share them in the comments below.
Further reading: Speed Reading Books | Vocabulary Apps | Fast Reading Apps