First, Happy New Year!! I can't believe it is 2014. Seems like we were just celebrating the new century and goodness that was now 14 years ago. Wow! Anyway, today I wanted to share my new book log.
Several times in the past I have tried to keep book logs. I LOVE them. There is something about keeping track of the books you have read that is just wonderful. Well, I have found that my previous systems do not contain all of the information that I like to have. So, guess what that meant—time for a re-do!
The Binder
I have had a pink Filofax personal-sized binder for quite some time. I haven't used it in a while so it was perfect for my new book log. I did notice that they have the same binder but in chocolate brown on sale right now. It was originally $99 and is on sale for $29.70. It's really pretty and will work perfect for my new system. Click here to see the binder that is on sale.
The Cards
For this project I am using library cards again. You have seen me use these library cards for several projects. They work great for SO many things. I love keeping prayer requests on them too. You can see that post by clicking here. I buy them from amazon.com (click here).
To prepare the cards, I first punch holes in them. I punch about 10 cards at one time using my WRMK Crop-a-Dile. I do have a Filofax punch but it only punches one card at a time. I used it to create a template. I then clamp the 10 cards together and use the template to punch the stack of cards. I keep the template in the back of my binder.
On each library card, I print a small picture of the book. Yes, I should not judge a book by it's cover but I do. The cover is what draws me to a book. I am also a very visual person. Just seeing the title does not help me but having a picture of the cover works wonders!
To get the pictures, I—
- Find the book online.
- Right click on the photo to copy the picture.
- Paste it into Microsoft Word.
- Resize the picture to 1" wide.
- Print and adhere to the card.
- Author(s)
- Title
- No. of Pages
- Kindle or Paperback book
- Price Paid
- Retail Price
- Date Purchased
- Date Started reading book
- Date finished reading book
- Notes on the back of the library card about the book along with the book rating
Here is a picture of the front of a card:
Having these individual cards means that I can organize by title, date read, year, anything. I really love it. And when my binder gets full, it will be easy to pull out some of the cards and store them in a box and put in any order I wish to keep them.
I hope you have found this helpful. Have fun, and happy reading in 2014!
2 comments:
Hi Patter! I found your blog in December and am looking forward to following along with your 2104 challenge :)
In regards to the book log, I used to do something similar, only in a text document on my computer. Then I found a site called Goodreads. Have you heard of it? I track all my books there now. You can add all sorts of information there (and bonus, the cover images are already there on most!). You can also view by calendar year and keep track of books you want to read. I've been using it for a few years now and love having it all in one place! Of course, there is nothing crafty about it, but it does keep me organized.
Hi Jackie! Thank you for your excitement for the upcoming challenge! I am blessed to have you joining in!
And yes, I have been a member of Goodreads for years. I used to even keep my info in the sidebar of my blog but I just don't keep it updated. I LOVE paper. I still keep a paper calendar. I just can't do the "online thing" for keeping track of books. I tried and realized I am a miserable failure. LOL! Have a joyous day!
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