Can you remember the books you read last summer? What aboutthat one you loved? That one you couldn’t stop thinking about. Or have you beenasked for a good book recommendation recently, and you find your mind has goneblank? I hate it when that happens. Why not start recording what you read?You’ll always have a great book recommendation at hand, and you’ll never wonderhow you spent those lazy summer days reading. You’ll know.

Should You Record The Books You Read?

• Keeping a record of the books you’ve read canhelp you to see if you want to prioritise reading more. We often wonder why wedidn’t have time to read, but keeping a record of what you’ve read will allowyou to see, in black and white, how many books you’ve gobble up in a year. Thisnumber could be high, or it could be low. But knowing the number allows you tomake adjustments accordingly. If you’re not happy, make more time forreading.

• Keeping a record of the books you’ve read can help you tocreate reading goals. You can know what’ realistic and what’s going to be achallenge.

• Keeping a record of the books you’ve read allowsyou to notice what you like. You start to develop a style or type. You’ll learnwhich books are going to set you alight, and you’ll know when to leave a bookunfinished.

• Keeping a record of the books you’ve read willhelp you to retain more of the information you’ve read. This is especially truefor non-fiction. Making notes and copying out quotes helps you to cement the learningfrom the book you’ve read. Here’s how youcan read more non-fiction.

• Keeping a record of the books you read is also agreat way to document your life. By looking at the books you’ve chosen and thestories you’ve spent enjoyed allows you to see a visual representation of howyou’ve spent your time. It’s also a great way to add some tangibility to yourlife documentation. You can count the pages, tally up the hours, and literallysee how you’ve spent your days.

How To Record What You’ve Read

For the last few years, I’ve made a list of all the booksI’ve read. It sounds like a bit of weird thing to do, but this guy I met at Unitold me he did it and although I’d dabbled in the past, I decided in 2019 – I’mdoing it properly. And I’m so glad I did. I’ve not looked back since. You can seethe books I read in 2019 and in 2020.

Thereare lots of different options to help you record the books you’ve read.I’ll be honest, I just like a simple Google Sheet. It takes seconds to update,and I can access it whenever I’ve got my computer. You could use paper diaries and journals, set upan account on Goodreads, or even start your own Twitterthread. It doesn’t matter how you do it, you just need to start.

When To Start Recording The Books You Read

It can feel criminal to start recording the books you’ve read on any other day, other than the first of January, right? But if we waited for the first of January to start lots of our plans, we wouldn’t get much done. The best time to start recording the books you’re reading is now. Today. With whichever book you’re reading. Start in the middle of the month, start on a Thursday. It’s amazing how quickly we can forget what we’ve read, unless we write it down.

The Books I Read in 2021

I read 52 books last year. It’s funny how the number forthis year is almost exactly the same as last year – 54 books. I’d hope to readmore, but I think I’ve found the number which is manageable (still achallenge), but it fits into my list of things to do, without feeling like achore.

To read more books, I’d have to be ‘stricter’ with my timeand routine, and I don’t want to read to become something else that I can beatmyself up about for not doing. So, I’m happy with an average of a book a week.However, when I analyse my data, which sounds extremely serious, but reallymeans glimpsing at my Google Doc, there are some months where I only read oneor two books and others where I read double figures. It’s funny how it works,but we can learn to read more – if we want to.

My Top Five Books From 2021:

1. Know My Name – Channel Miller

2. Anything You Want – Derek Silvers

3. Think Big – Grace Lordan

4. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

5. Normal People – Sally Rooney.

The Rest Of The List:

1. Almost Everything – Notes on Hope – Anne Lamott
2. Bittersweet – Shauna Niequist
3. The Seven Sisters – Lucinda Riley
4. Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur
5. Calypso – David Sedaris
6. Ghosts – Dolly Alderton
7. The Course of Love – Alain de Botton
8. The Lonely Hearts Travel Club: Destination Chile– Katy Colins
9. Carry on, Warrior– Glennon Doyle
10. YesPlease – Amy Poehler
11. ThePanic Years – Nell Frizzell
12. TheThursday Murder Club – Richard Osman
13. KnowMy Name – Channel Miller
14. TheRosie Project – Graeme Simpson
15. YourSecond Life Begins When You Realise You Have One – Raphaelle Giordano
16. AnythingYou Want – Derek Silvers
17. ShowYour Work – Austin Kleon
18. YourAuthor Business Plan – Joanna Penn
19. TheHard Way – Mark Billingham
20. TheHandmaids Tale – Margaret Atwood
21. NobodyWill Tell You This But Me – Bess Kalb
22. HappyEver After: Financial Freedom isn't a Fairy Tale – The Seven Dollar Millionaire
23. ThePomodoro Technique – Francesco Crillo
24. StarlingDays – Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
25. ScaryClose – Donald Miller
26. Slaughterhouse5 – Kurt Vonnegut
27. You'rethe Business – Anna Codrea-Rado
28. Metamorphosis– Charlotte Lunn
29. ThePath Made Clear – Oprah
30. ThinkBig – Grace Lordan
31. SoGood They Can't Ignore You – Cal Newport
32. TheMidnight Library – Matt Haig
33. GloriousRock Bottom – Bryony Gordon
34. ThePractice – Seth Godin
35. NormalPeople – Sally Rooney
36. High:My Prison Journey As One Of The Infamous Peru Two – Michaela McCollum
37. AMoveable Feast – Hemingway
38. TheyBoth Die At The End – Adam Silvera
39. Olive– Emma Gannon
40. TheSquiggly Career – Helen Tupper
41. MyName Is Why – Lemn Sissay
42. HowWe Met – Huma Qureshi
43. The  Testaments – Margaret Atwood
44. FindYour True Voice – Emmy Brunner
45. NoOne Is Talking About This – Patricia Lockwood
46. TrustExercises – Susan Choi
47. BlueLike Jazz – Donald Miller
48. Iowe You One – Sophie Kinsella
49. Kindfulness– Padraig O' Morain
50. TheYear of Less – Cait Flanders
51. TheTrick to Time – Kit de Wall
52. TheSun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur
53. TheTop Five Books of The Dying – Bronnie Ware
54. EasyPeasy Puppy Squeezy – Steven Mann

Picking five books was hard! So many others I loved, but somany more I didn’t really enjoy. Why is it so hard to leave a book unfinished?

I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these books on the list. Please get in touch and tell me. I also love to hear about the books you loved and the ones you want to read again and again. What did you read in 2021?

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