Today’s assignment from the BBAW meme fairies is to “encourage you to blog about a book you read only because you discovered it on another book blog. Preferably, this will be a book you loved! You might also write a bit about the blog you discovered it on!”
OK, here’s the thing … when it comes to keeping track of book recommendations, I’m not all that organized!
Some parts of my life are very organized … spices are labeled and lined up in alpha order:
Fiction is arranged in alpha/author order:
My family is color-coded (I’m not kidding!). Water cups, toothbrushes, and napkin rings are easily laid claim to, depending on the color:
But, book recommendations are about as organized as this pile of books in our playroom … in my defense, my younger daughter is in the middle of “organizing” these bookcases, moving some of the early chapter books into her room in exchange for picture books she no longer reads … it doesn’t always look this bad, but, it’s like my system for tracking book recommendations, all over the place!:
Yes, scraps of paper, Post-Its, relying on my memory … none of my “systems” for keeping track of book recommendations were cutting it!
Just last week I started tracking my “wish list” on my LibraryThing account. I can add the book to my “wish list” collection, then add a “private comment” to indicate where and when I got the suggestion. “Private comments” aren’t visible to anyone but me, but anyone can take a peek at my wishlist; I’ve already sent the link to J for gift ideas! With this new system. I’m hoping I can make this a habit, and stop the path of Post-Its that litter my desk!
There are only three items on my wishlist so far:
- Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks; a memoir recommended by the uber-concise Kathy from BermudaOnion
- French Milk by Lucy Knisley; a memoir recommended by Beth F at the eponymous Beth Fish Reads
- The Price of Privilege byMadeline Levine; from an IRL friend. The subtitle on this one is How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
Interesting that the three books I’ve noted in the past week are all non-fiction. Maybe I’m getting ready for more serious reading now that summer is passing us by.
Sorry for the lame content today … I’m using the photos like a magician’s smoke and mirrors, hoping to distract you (“she color codes her family?!? Well, at least she doesn’t alphabetize them!! Talk about wacky!”)
What books have you read lately, based on a blogger recommendation?
When my Aunt Gerry had all five of her kids still living at home, she color coded them, so I totally get that.
I recently started doing the same things (leaving private comments for myself) on my GoodReads account. If the blogger is one of my friends, I add their name in the “Recommended By” box and in the private comments I link the blog post if there was one.
What a good idea to keep track on LibraryThing. I’m much like you were before–right now I’ve got a notebook, a post-it on my desk, some pages in my planner and some books saved under favorites on my computer. And those are just the lists I can remember!
When you told me that LT had a wish list, I thought I saw that little spark of light at the end of the tunnel. And then you said that there was a way to note where I found the book, I knew I was in the right tunnel (okay, give me a break, I’m trying here!).
Anyway — I happy that I helped contribute to your wish list. Yay me!
I’ve just started a new system for keeping track of book suggestions too, but mine’s just a plain ol’ spiral bound notebook. I could remember the book I wrote about since it was early in my blogging days when my memory was better.
Thank goodness you included that last pic. I was beginning to have flashbacks to that movie from the 70s The Stepford Wives. Honestly though, I am pretty organized but I do it with the least possible effort when at all possible. I guess that makes me organized AND efficient.
You should never excuse good or entertaining photos
When I saw the first one, I remembered a ´bright´ student who wrote “racism is the belief that some spices are better than others.”
In our family we also colour-code the toothbrushes, and years ago, when I had three children at home, we colour-coded their socks. White for me, black for my husband etc.
Like you, I am organized in every facet of my life…except for the books. J. Kaye was posting recently on a computer program that organizes your books. I need something, seriously. The chaos is out of my nature!
I keep my want-to-read list on an Excel spreadsheet – I’m big on spreadsheets! I have lots of suggestions from book blogs, but I haven’t had a chance to act on them yet because I have a big backlog of review books.
And I’m so impressed by your alphabetical books and color-coded family. I like to try to be organized, but wow!
Sue
I’m usually very organized, but my spice cupboard is a mess! Yours is almost scary in its perfection!!
I am organised in a disorganised way. And I know exactly where to find my things. I got a photographic memory!
BBAW: Which book blogger is responsible for this?
I agree with Ti – thank God for the last photo. Alphabetical spices? Whoa! I do get the color coordinated family though. That works. I’m sure the mother in you is bothered by the last photo. The grandmother in me loves it.
Perhaps Ti, Margot, and I should come over for an Intervention. We could dump out all your spices and mix them all up! And see if you go insane! No, actually, I organize my spices too but by GENRE. (not of books, of food)
Maybe I should color-code my family; it might help me keep my three boys straight instead of calling them all by the wrong names!
Did you recognize yourself in my blog today at BBAW? You were my first blogger friend!