A Genius Trick for Readers

Ah, the quiet joy of being immersed in a good book: I take great pleasure in wondering what the characters will do next as I go through my day, knowing they’re waiting for me when I climb into bed. For example, this week, my thoughts are consumed with questions about Julia, the protagonist in Same As It Ever Was: Why did her mother treat her so unkindly? Why is she so self-destructive? Will her marriage survive?

But as I near the end of an engrossing novel a sense of dread will creep in if I don't have another great book on deck to read next. 

It’s not that I lack recommendations: I subscribe to numerous newsletters, magazines, and newspapers that give me excellent book ideas, I have friends with great taste, and I regularly browse bookstore shelves, too.

The problem is how to keep track of everything I want to read! I’ve tried keeping a handwritten list beside my bed, a list in the Notes app on my phone, an Excel spreadsheet, and more.

But for some reason, nothing has worked…until now.

My new method for keeping track of the books I want to read is super easy—and it might work for you, too!

There are just two simple steps:

1.     Take a screenshot or photo of the book cover; and

2.     Save it to an album on your phone titled Books to Read.

That’s it!

Because I mostly find my book recommendations online it’s easy to snap a screenshot of an intriguing title. And when I see a book in real life, I simply take a photo of the cover and save it to my album. Something about the visual nature of this new method makes it more effective: my “Books to Read” album is like a tiny, satisfyingly tidy, colorful online bookshelf. 

Now, when I near the end of an excellent book, I no longer get anxious about what I’ll read next, safe in the knowledge that my “Books to Read” list is up-to-date and easy to find!