My Reading System
How I Use Apps as a Reader
Some days I want to get rid of all my devices and pretend like I live in a pre-iPhone world. Other days, I get so excited about technology and all the opportunities we have because of our digital connectivity.
My reading workflow falls somewhere in the middle. It is a system that allows me to leverage my devices utility to ultimately spend less time on my devices. It is a collection of apps and processes that help me find, save, choose, source, read, track, and journal about books.
I hope it helps you do the same!
My Reading System
Step 1: Finding Books
Real-World: For me, finding books in the read-world almost always includes the library, Barnes & Noble, and Half Priced Books. Browsing around with no agenda and a fun drink in hand is one of my favorite activities. It is also one of my favorite ways to find new books to read because it feels like such a treasure hunt.
Digital: In the digital realm, there are countless ways to discover new books. Social media (for me, mostly YouTube & Instagram) is a great way to get recommendations from creators you like and trust. Also, both the Goodreads and Kindle apps have so many lists of ideas that are often more tailored made for your reading tastes.
Step 2: Saving Books
Quick & Easy: I use Goodreads to save all of the books I want to read, so my Goodreads “want to read” list is just an ever-growing TBR. It is the perfect way to save books quickly and have them all in one place to refer to later. You can also sort them by publication date, date added, rating, and more which can be really helpful!
More Involved: When I have a little more time, I use Notion to save books more intentionally for specific months or seasons.
Step 3: Choosing Books
When choosing upcoming books to read, there are a few things I consider…
First, I thinking about what genres I am most in the mood for during the month or season. For example, romance in the summer or fantasy in the fall.
Then, I take time to look at any new releases that are coming out that I might want to read.
Finally, I look at what books I have holds on - whether on Libby or at the library so I can hopefully read those books whenever they come available.
Once I find some books I want to add to my reading list, I craft my list in Notion.
4. Sourcing Books
Real-World: Library, Barnes & Nobles, Half Priced Books, McKay’s, other local bookstores, etc.
Digital: Libby, Hoopla, Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Spotify Audiobooks, Apple Books, etc.
If you are interested in more about where I get books, check out this video!
5. Reading Books
This is the fun part where you actually get to read! The only technology I sometimes use when I am reading is my Kindle. I was hesitant at first because I have always loved physical books, but I really love my Kindle! I encourage you to try it out, even if you are skeptical.
6. Tracking Books
Quick & Easy: Goodreads is the best place to quickly mark a book as read, rate it out of 5 stars, and even write down a couple quick thoughts in a review.
In the Middle: Storygraph is an excellent option if you are looking to track what you are reading a little more diligently. There are more options for what you can add in your reviews, and the app creates beautiful charts of statistics for you - from pages read to average rating and more.
More Involved: Notion allows you to essentially create your own version of Goodreads/Storygraph that is fully customizable. This is where I keep quotes, thoughts, spice ratings, notes about language, my scores out of 100, genre, page count, and all kinds of other data. Notion also just released Notion charts which has allowed me to put all of this data into beautiful graphs.
7. Journaling About Books
Recently, I have started dabbling in digital planning and journaling. Specifically, I have started trying to create a reading journal in Goodnotes.
Sometimes journaling looks like creating a page with quotes and photos from a specific book, and other times it looks like journaling my thoughts about some of the discussion questions at the end of a book. Either way, I have found journaling allows the story to impact me even more and helps me connect to it more as well.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are having a lovely September so far.
If you are interested in learning more about any of these apps, check out this video!
Take care,
Caroline
That’s a good process. Notion is a good tool