My Reading Notebook

Writers often read for pleasure differently than non-writers. We see things that others don’t – typos, errors in logic, problems with point of view, questions in character motivation, and lots more. And so many times we think, now so long as I don’t do that, I’ll be fine. Or, if only I could do that I’d be an amazing writer!

Page from Reading Notebook

I got tired of trying to keep track of what I’ve read and what I wanted to remember from it. At the beginning of this year, I bought a schoolchild’s composition or exercise book and I write down one page of notes on every book I read. (Right now, I’m only writing down information on fiction.) At the top of each page I write the date, the title, the author, and whether I borrowed the book or own it (in hard copy or on Kindle).

Then I write whatever comes to mind as I finish the book. Sometimes I’m surprised at how differently the book reads now than the first time I read it (like Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis). I didn’t remember Fog Magic being such a simple story, and I thought of lots of complexities I might add if I wrote it today.

A few times I’ve really enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book and then the ending ruined my enjoyment – which means it’s the last thing I remember (Meridian by Amber Kizer and Fallen by Lauren Kate). These are the times that the sooner I write down my thoughts in my Reading Notebook, the more likely I’ll be to remember all the good things I liked about the first half of the book as well as what I felt was wrong with the end.

And then there are books I’m reading solely for escapist pleasure. Whether they are books I’ve read several times (Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood) or the first time read of a book by a favorite author (An Affair to Remember by Karen Hawkins), I make a note of my favorite parts or what I thought could be improved on or whatever I feel like writing at the time.

Now that I’m in school again, I’m also recording the novels I’ve read for class (Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer) and books I’m reading to study something on my own, maybe to study a technique or how description is used or how world-building is done (The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis). The entire process is less helpful if I don’t write down my thoughts right away or if it took me too long to read the book. (It took me nearly three months to read Dead Beat by Jim Butcher simply because I was constantly reading something else for class.)

Have you started something like this? If not, give it a try for a few months. It’s great for looking back and remembering a technique you wanted to emulate or something you wanted to steer clear of.