A new notebook/reading journal
I'm probably the worst person for keeping a reading journal or a book log or just having a notebook where you could write about the books you've read. I used to have a small, pocket notebook (something like 10 cm × 7 cm) but I ended up writing the amount of time (in days) it took me to finish a book and the title and author. It served no purpose so I abandoned writing it in a very short time.
Around Christmas I saw this beautiful, spiral bound notebook in Konzorcij bookshop. As always I contemplated about buying it for slightly too long and when I came to the shop after the holidays, they sold out the entire stock (man, history DOES repeat itself). The contemplation was all right, though. I knew I was a total loser when it came to keeping a book diary, so naturally I wondered whether I should invest money into something like this only to find it in ten years on the bottom of one of my desk drawers as virginal and untouched as it was on the day of purchasing. (I detest buying things, spending money on them and then only having them so you have more clutter and useless rubbish on your desk, in your drawers or wardrobe.)
Then itoccurredd to me that I didn't have to enter EVERY book I read, I simply had to write about the memorable ones. When I like a passage in a book I usually copy it onto a piece of paper only to find out later (when I want to use the quote) that I have lost the particular bit of paper. So when Konzorcij restocked their shelves, I bought one immediately (I especially liked the tea-cup on the front) and started copying book-quotes into it.
I love the notebook (and, mind you, I'm a notebook addict, so it's not too surprizing I get so excited about a new notebook). It is spiral bound, so the pages turn easily and stay put, the paper is slightly thicker than ordinarily, so it will (hopefully) last long and outlive many page-flippings.
I don't write the book-reviews in the notebook; I'll rather post them on the blog and I do promise, I'll write the reviews of all the books listed on my "Books in 2006" (the ones which so far don't have links). I just thought it might be smart to put them on the list, so you know I'm reading, but just not finding time at the moment to write the reviews.
So...do you keep a book diary? What do you write in it and why?
9 Comments:
No book diary for me. I sometimes wish I had one because I have quite a few 'Where did I see that?' moments. Unfortunetly, though, if a book is compelling enough, I don't have the patience to stop reading and write down notes, and if it isn't, there's likely little worth noting in it.
I do keep a list of SF & fantasy books I've read along with my personal ratings. I have put it online some day.
And now that I've started blogging, I also post reviews of books. Unfortunately I rarely have time to read (books), except when I'm on holiday.
Perhaps I would keep a diary, if I had such a lovely notebook as yours.
But also, this is an interesting post ... where to put all the thought: just keep them in a head, write them all down in a notebook, or also some in computer, etc.?
Hm.
Let me think.
No diary here either. But if I had one, it would defiantly be in digital form (yes, I am of sufficiently geek persuasion to make a proposition, of having a computer(-ish) device on me rather than pen and paper, a more or less given).
However, I think not having a quick reference for each and every one's whim may infarct prove beneficial, as one uncovers all sorts of lore long forgotten during ensuing frantic search through one's library.
Owca - I borrow books from the library and when you need a certain book to check a fact or a quote, it's usually not in. So having a reading journal helps with providing exact quotes or facts. I have a rather good memory, but when writing something I prefer to double check the facts than just putting something in (a research paper) and later finding that I made a mistake.
Bo - if you really want to remember something, it's usually wiser to write it out.
Mitja - that's exactly how I felt before starting to use the journal. I knew I read that somewhere, but where was it exactly, were the facts I remembered correct or did my memory mislead me... :)
This concept of a book diary sounds interesting, but it's entirely new to me. It has never occurred to me to keep a diary about my reading. It would probably be a good thing to do, but I suspect I'm too lazy to do anything of that sort.
When I was borrowing books from libraries, I usually just typed a few of the most interesting passages into a file on my computer. Nowadays I mostly read books that are my own, so I just draw squiggly lines (and the occasional exclamation mark or smiley face) in the margins where there's something particularly interesting going on in the book. [Well, actually I just do that to paperbacks -- with hardcovers I somehow can't bring myself to write in them, so I have to resort to typing out the interesting passages just as if the book had come from a library :) I know, it's an absurdly silly prejudice :)]
I guess that the blog I'd started last year is by far the closest approximation to a book diary I've ever done.
I have to say I have a notebook, but it's still no way as handsome as yours. It suffices, it has paper and all, and at least to me the right kind of a pen matters more over a notebook anyway. My favorite pen: Pilot V Ball 05. It feels so good to write with it, like opening a present. I've just bought two.
My notebook is small and I carry it around. Probably you too have the moments of great thoughts flying around just below your skull, moments extraordinary, yet when they are gone, they are gone for good. I trick them, and put them down in my notebook.
It so occurred to me that I have this to say on the subject of putting down thoughts: arms, wrists and fingers seem to me as a natural extension of mind. I almost think with them, definitely helping my mind with stretching. I will never be completely satisfied with merely a computer, even with such thing as programming a computer code.
A notebook, or a diary, is one hell of an idea! I just think that it's good to keep it as chaotic, childish and colorful as possible. I shall never force myself into writing something prearranged exclusively.
I guess I would be a bad employee at the bank.
ill-advised: your blog serves you well, I think. To have a diary on top of that might be too much pointless work. I use my diary to copy certain interesting passages so I can use them for reference later (as I usually have to return the book). With books I own (I love paperbacks) I don't do that.
Bo: a notebook is a fine idea indeed. When I'm writing a short story, I usually carry around a notebook especially for the story. I probably write the best passages on the bus. :) If chaos makes sense to you, then it is definitely wise to use it.
Almost half a year since your post... Do you still use this lovely notebook? :)
Yes, I do. I use it to jot down an interesting quote, as I keep track of the books I've read here on the blog. :)
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