starting a book log

what is it?

I’d like to write about what I’m reading. Both to be a little more intentional with how I’m reading (I’ve been reading for plot most of the time I’ve torn through a novel of late, which is totally fine! But I’d like to make sure that’s not the only way I’m reading), and to write a bit more consistently. I could put this in a journal somewhere, but I’d like to be able to find it all in the future and, most critically, I don’t want the medium to get in the way (“oh I can’t write about this book I read because I don’t have my book journal!”). I can publish to this site from anywhere/anything, so there’s less friction there. So my plan is to start a log of books that I’ve been reading, writing up a bit of my thoughts after I’ve finished with a book.

what’s the format?

Short blurbs, I think. I don’t know that a ton of structure does me much good. I’ll have to see how it goes. I’m going to backfill a few bits from books that I read in 2025 that stick out in my mind, but those will all be a little off (since they’re done well after the fact). I think I’d like to write about all types of books (I read both for pleasure and for work, but I think covering technical books as well could be useful to me).

I think I’m ok with partial completions as well. Just because I’ve picked up a book doesn’t mean I must finish it, so I might log partial entries as well. This is particularly useful for technical books (which I think sometimes have a Dickens style “paid by the word” issue).