The To-Read List

A few years ago I got a Moleskine Book Journal which I use to keep track of what I'm reading. I'm onto my third volume now and it's become a proper habit now.

It's got alphabetical tabs down the side with space for the book title, author, date you read it, when it was first published, the edition you're reading, the author's nationality, the original language and any awards it's won. The one thing I think it's missing in my opinion is the number of pages so I just add that in on the line for the publisher. It's also got space for notes about the book, quotations and your opinion at the end.

The book has a Moleskine pocket at the end with various stickers in it which you can use for reviews but also to label the final six tabs which are left blank for you to label as you like. In each incarnation my labels usually vary but, without fail, the first is always for my 'To Read List'.

Two of the three pages of books I'm hoping to read

Each year I organise this slightly differently. Sometimes it's just books I own that I plan to read (with a separate section for books I want to read but don't own); sometimes it's anything I fancy.

Since this year I've got most of the books I intend to read out on display it's made the To Read List compilation a little easier. I've even gotten then sorted into different categories. At some point I'm planning on rearranging all the books on the bookcase and in the cupboard so they are in a similar order to my journal, but that's just me being a bit over-organised.

The To Read List is currently standing at approximately 179 books, that's not counting the earlier books in series that I'm working through, or books that I've already read in the first month or so of the year. Obviously, I won't get through all of them this year, but I'm hoping to make a sizeable dent to them over then next ten or so months. And of course, I'll be recording my progress here.

Do you keep a To Read List? How do you keep it under control?