My first To Read lists started on paper. I would jot titles down as I saw them on whatever I had handy - scrap paper, napkins, magazine covers, etc. Once in a while, I would add each slip or note to a master To Read list. As I read a book, I would cross it off. Once the strikeouts became too many, I would rewrite the list. (Yes, I'm that kind of person.)
When I went to college, I received my very first personal computer. One day I decided to upgrade my To Read list to an Excel file. This move allowed me to easily add, update, and sort all the interesting books I found. After I got a cell phone, it became even easier to add titles. I moved from random paper notes to sending myself e-mails and pictures of titles. As you can imagine, that Excel file got pretty darn long.
While I still hold onto that master Excel file, I've found myself relying on a new To Read list. This one has take the form of a Pinterest board. Two actually: one for "personal" books and one for professional reads. I like using Pinterest because it allows me to use covers. The visual image helps jog my memory as to why I wanted to read the book in the first place. Lately, I've started to think that I should migrate my Excel list to Pinterest... but that would take quite a bit of time.
How do you keep track of all the books you want to read?
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