Do you read certain books without logging them on GR?

[Melody]

I remember seeing an old discussion of GR members who wanted the option to create secret or private shelves for books they still wanted to track, but would rather not let the public know that they've read. (Some folks place a stigma on certain genres, like YA or romance/erotica, for example.)

Obviously, that's still not possible now, but I wanted to throw the question out there for you guys: Do you track all your reads on GR? Or are there certain books/genres you prefer to keep to yourself?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I track all of my reads, but I don't read anything I think I should be embarrassed by... Reading is reading and I'm not judging you for the erotica haha.

I do have a friend who is pregnant and read a lot of pregnancy-related books, but waited to log them into Goodreads until after she told everyone they were expecting. That makes total sense to me.

[Sophie]

I do log everything on GR even though I cringed a little when I entered some self-help books haha

[Anastasia]

I track all of my books. The embarrassing ones too. Just by logging them some one else may not be so embarrassed about reading it. We all have questions. Reading is a safe way to answer them.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

I log pretty much every book I read. There have been some how-to type books that I've put on my tbr and then just taken off once I've used them. Mainly just because I didn't feel a need to rate or review them, and it hardly counts as reading. I don't normally log my cookbooks either since I don't really 'read' those, unless I feel like I've got something to say about it.

[Nicole]

I log most of my books, but sometimes (when I read some really shallow easy books) I wish I would not have to show them to everyone.
But I still want them to count towards my Goodreads reading challenge goals.
Plus especially with those books I'm often not sure anymore what I already read.
If there was a private shelf, I would definitely use it.

[Johanne]

Yes I do. I sometimes get swallowed by a really trashy romance vortex, like last weekend when I read 4 (I think) badly written shapeshifter romances/erotica in one stretch... why? I honestly don't know. I don't put this on my read shelf, mainly because I am embarassed, but also because I have a semi-professional profile where I am friends with authors whose books I have reviewed professionally... And I don't want them to think I am not a 'serious' reader of their works. The problem is I lose track of what I have read, so I would use a secret shelf. I actually thought of making a GR profile for this purpose.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

One thing I think I would use a secret shelf for is for kids. I don't have any, but I think for parents it would make it easy to keep track of what books you've read with them and what they thought, without having to make that publicly accessible information, having those books confuse your recommendations, or having to maintain a second account.

I get the professional vs personal account though. If I had any professional stakes in my reviews, I would definitely be curating what goes on my account.

[Peter]

Jackie wrote: "One thing I think I would use a secret shelf for is for kids. I don't have any, but I think for parents it would make it easy to keep track of what books you've read with them and what they thought..."

You can set your shelves so that certain ones don't trigger notifications in your shelf settings. I have a shelf for DNF, Disappointing Reads, and Children's Books, but I don't get notifications based on those shelves.

As far as reading goes, I try to track everything I read. I like to see the books I've read and when. I wish I could remember all the books I read in highschool and university so I could add them too.

[Irene]

I add all my books but not the rereads. Nobody needs to know when I start reading Harry Potter for the 7th time :-)

[Ellie]

I don't add cookbooks (I don't really read them cover to cover) and I probably wouldn't add any boring technical books I read for work purposes. But other than that, I don't mind telling people I read something that they might be embarrassed about.

[Entropia]

I add everything I read nowadays, but there are tons of books I read in the past and didn't add it here, because after adding a few I got annoyed that I don't remember when exactly I've read them or I don't know how would I rate them today.

[Bonnie G.]

Sort of. For short books I don't put in the dates read so they don't count in my annual totals, but I do still enter them so I can remember I read them and not get 20 pages into a book and realize I read it before. (This is an old brain.)

[Marilyn]

I am totally new to this challenge, so I don't know what I'll be doing re going off-list. The 6 books read thus far fit into categories listed. Will have to see how this all works out. Might substitute an older Challenge for one of the numbered ones for 2019 Challenge (I printed the old lists of challenges): I decided to 52 books, but have no desire to read a psychological thriller! Time will tell. I'm not entirely sure I will even read 52 books yet!

[Marilyn]

Irene wrote: "I add all my books but not the rereads. Nobody needs to know when I start reading Harry Potter for the 7th time :-)" Too funny! I've only read the series once, but my daughter's read it 2 or 3 times (she's in her 40s). I would too, except being older than the daughter I have much less time left to read all the other books I want to indulge in!

[Marie (UK)]

I track all of my reads - sometimes i read something that has an Erotica label - mainly without intending to, however I think Labels don't always define the book.

I also log everything to know what I have read - how much? is it more or less than last year are my ratings better or worse are my tastes changing etc.

[Jody]

I track everything. I have no shame.

[dalex]

I don't know who you people are who read books so naughty they can't be logged on goodreads but I do suspect you'd be a lot of fun at a party! :lol:

[Entropia]

Jody wrote: "I track everything. I have no shame."
Shame is for the weak.

[Bonnie G.]

dalex wrote: "I don't know who you people are who read books so naughty they can't be logged on goodreads but I do suspect you'd be a lot of fun at a party! :lol:"

LOL, I was thinking the same. I log all my porn-y books. I have a 20 year old I need to mortify.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

I track everything that I actually read on goodreads, though if it's a reference book or something I only read parts of I might not shelve it unless I have a strong reaction that makes me want to review it.

I don't really read anything I'm embarrassed of though, so there's that. No erotica, and I refuse to be embarrassed by reading YA and middle grade.

[Alicja]

I track almost all books. After going through a break-up, I went through a relationship/mental health self-help binge and I don’t need everyone knowing all that. Other than that personal, emotional time, I don’t care if people see me track anything. I would have liked a private shelf for that.

[Betty]

I wish we had a secret list! We really should be able to keep track of our books without the world knowing what we are reading! Sometimes I'll read a silly, useless, no-brainer book and I honestly don't want everyone thinking I'm that shallow! Even I roll my eyes at some of the book titles!