Happy weekend, writers,
Last weekend, while I was hanging out with some family, a cousin took out some sort of pedometer and said, "Hey, I walked 6,800 steps today! I need to write that down."
We keep track of everything these days. Every dollar spent, every calorie we take in, every step we take. Every book we plan to read.
So why do so few of us keep a list of books we've
already read?
When I asked four friends who read as much as, if not more than, me, all four of them said that while they maintain a running list of books to read, they don't at all keep track of the
books they have read.
I've kept a reading list since March of 2010, and it's one of my most treasured possessions. Every few months I'll open it up and spend some time scanning it. That list reminds me not only of
what I've read, but where I read each book, and when, why, how.
In essence, it reminds me of who I was when I read a particular book.
In that way, the books I've read become bookmarks poking out of the thousands of days of my life.
I wrote about this subject for our latest blog post, "Books Become Bookmarks." Read it now!
I also asked some questions of you fine readers, which I'll duplicate here, because even if you don't read the post, I want to hear from you.
Share your answers with us in the comments section of the post itself, or simply respond to
this email and we'll discuss in private.
1. Do you keep a list of books you've read? Why or why not?
2. Do you care to remember the circumstances under which you read a particular book, or is it enough simply to remember the book itself?
3. Can you recall a particularly affecting reading experience?
Do you remember where you were, when you were, who you were? Why does this experience stick with you?
Let's talk books! I'm always eager to hear from you.
