When is a book a "Read" book?

[Troy]

I have at least 30 years worth of reading under my belt and I was going through all the books that I have read through out the years and realized, "yeah, I have read a lot of books but I don't remember what a lot of them were about." Can I still count them as a "read" book or do I need to re-read them. Should I re-read the ones that I don't remember but that I remember loving. Is it worth my time to re-read the ones that I know I read but don't remember but know that I wasn't that impressed with? Or do I just keep reading books that I never have read and continue to change from "want to read" to "read" on a list of books that I will soon forget.

[Britteny - , Mod Assistant]

I started reading when I was 4, so the last 25 years I have read a TON of books. I can't remember most of them, even ones I remember enjoying simply because after reading a book and then a couple dozen after that, I'm definitely NOT gonna remember that story. My brain would be more crazy than it already is. So, if I don't REMEMBER reading it, I don't stress. Certain stories I remember reading and enjoying, and will probably read again just to refresh the story and have the enjoyment again. (If I can find copies.)
For example, I remember reading a bunch of Boxcar Children books (I think I had the first 14 in the series!). I loved those books. Eventually I had to do away with them because we just didn't have the room for them--no where to store them. But somewhere down the road, I hope to have the space where I could start reading them again. Similar story with Nancy Drew books.

[Michelle, Mod Assistant]

Ditto. I know I've read dozens of Kristy's Great Idea (Babysitter's Club) books when I was a kid. And I loved The Boxcar Children too. But I couldn't recall them. There are a lot that I'd like to re-read and if I do re-read them, I'll count them among my read books. As a rule of thumb, I don't count it unless I can remember it enough to thoughtfully discuss my opinion of it.

Since I resurrected this GoodReads account, I've been toying with the idea of only including the books that I've read going forward (that way I can review each of them while they're fresh in my brain and re-visit my thoughts). But I'm not sure... my "read" shelf seems so empty.

[Adriana]

I too have a lot of books that I know I've read but don't remember what they're about. But usually I know if I enjoyed them or not so I counted them as "read".
I have a "to read again" shelf and I have some books there that I've read ages ago but don't quite remember them. And I also have books that I've read two months ago, because why not!

[Cait]

I have a freakishly good memory so I do remember an awful lot of the books I have read in the past.

For the last five years I've kept a record of the books I've read. First on my computer and then in a book journal.

If I've read a book then it's read, even if I don't remember all the details. If I'm reading it again then I count it as a reread, regardless of how much I remember of it.

[Jessica]

If I've read it before, I'll mark it as 'read'. If I don't remember it, I'll go back and re-read it then change the 'read' date to recently.

[EllenZReads]

Cait wrote: "I have a freakishly good memory so I do remember an awful lot of the books I have read in the past.

For the last five years I've kept a record of the books I've read. First on my computer and then..."

Cait, do you include any thoughts about the books you read in your book journal? Or just title/author/date info? I have never tried to keep a book journal...I used to write book reviews for a couple sites many years ago and am thinking about trying it again...not that I have the time...but I'll have to make time.

[Jessica]

Cait is always so organized with her stuff!!!

[Troy]

Ellen! A book Journal! I like it.

Jessica, I have yet to put a read date down for the majority of the books I have read but I think I will now leave them blank unless I re-read a book and then start putting in read dates. Another great Idea!

Cait, I wish I had such a memory but as the years go on I fear that it's just going to get worse. Any tips on improving memory?

Adriana, a "to read agian" list!....I don't know why but for some reason I love making lists. I think it might be a sickness but I am going to go with it. and like you say, "why not".

Michelle, Your statement "I don't count it unless I can remember it enough to thoughtfully discuss my opinion of it." Really struck a chord in me and got to the base of my dilemma. Yes, I don't think I can truly count a book as "read" unless I can discuss my opinion of it with someone.

Britteny, your mention of those books when you were a kid, (I also remember loving "The Boxcar Children" but don't remember the books themselves) reminded me of a series that I loved but had totally forgotten about. Endless Quest series by Rose Estes

[Jessica]

Troy wrote: "Jessica, I have yet to put a read date down for the majority of the books I have read but I think I will now leave them blank unless I re-read a book and the..."

Sometimes I'll go back and add a year, but my bookshelves really aren't that organized.

[Troy]

Jessica wrote: "Troy wrote: "Jessica, I have yet to put a read date down for the majority of the books I have read but I think I will now leave them blank unless I re-read a book and the..."

Sometimes I'll go b..."

Lol...I really wouldn't be able to think back to what year I read something unless i just purely guessed...My brain would hurt too much!

[Cait]

Hehe, thanks Jessica. I wish I could be as organised in the rest of my house as I am with my bookcases!

Ellen, I used to get the Moleskine Book Journals, which are lovely. I used them for three years but they only give you six pages for each letter and I'd end up with dozens of extra pages for books beginning with S or M stuck in at the back of the book, so last year and this year I'm using a nice Black & Red A5 notebook I was given at work.

I've copied most of the sections across from the Moleskine books, so I've got: Date read (started & finished), Title, Author, Pages, Publisher, First Edition, Year of Publication (of the edition I'm reading), Awards, Original Language, Notes (like where I got it from, if it's one of a series, if I'm reading it for a challenge), then Quotes (I used to copy around around five per book but this notebook is lined so I average around three), Opinion and then a 1-5 Star Rating.

I also include in my book journal which book number it is for the year (so I can keep track of how many I've read), whether it's a '1st time read' or a Reread and what format I'm reading it in (ebook, hardback or paperback).

And having typed all that out I realise how incredibly obsessive that makes me sound, hehe. But it's handy for tracking down specific editions of books I've read or finding where I've put books I've read/want to read (since I store paperbacks and hardbacks in different places).

Troy, afraid I can't help with any tips on improving memory. I've always had a freakishly good memory for things like books I've read and places I've been. Ask me to remember a date or phone number and I can't help you! ;-)

[Daisie]

I mark books as read when I have an opinion. Even if I can't remember the story, often I will remember that I hated or loved the book. If I remember reading something but have no gut reaction when thinking about it, I don't mark it as read.