Are you trying to read more in 2020? Tracking the books you read is one of the very best ways to increase your reading. It’s motivating to see your completed books add up. It’s a great way to learn more about your taste in books. And it doesn’t have to be complicated!
I’ve tried lots of ways of tracking my reading, including keeping a book journal, using Goodreads, and jotting lists in random notebooks. But I never stuck with any of those methods for very long. Enter Trello.
Since 2017, Trello has become one of my very favorite and most used apps. I use it to keep track of every book I read and my To Be Read (TBR) list. (It also is my favorite tool for for meal planning!)
I know this sounds like an ad, but it’s 100% not. Trello does not know I exist and is not paying me to write this.
What is Trello?
Trello is a productivity app that’s also available via online browser. It’s a visual list organizer. A completed board looks something like this.
It has tons of great features, like the ability to sync with your calendar, create checklists, and assign collaborators. (But if you’re tech averse, don’t worry – you don’t have to master any of those extra features to track your reading!)
Why use Trello?
My very favorite feature of Trello is that boards are available on both the app and in the online browser, and all information syncs between them. That means that my TBR lists are always easily accessible. When I’m headed to the library, I don’t have to remember to bring a physical list with me – everything I need is on my phone! Likewise, if I just can’t remember the name of a great book I finished, I have a full record of all of the books I’ve read with me at all times.
Using Trello is also incredibly quick and easy. The one reason I abandoned all my other book tracking methods is that they took too much time. I didn’t want to have to sign into Goodreads every time I finished a book and go through the trauma of figuring out an immediate rating. (Is that an agonizing process for anyone else?!) I didn’t want to feel obligated to record thoughts about the book in a journal. Trello eliminates all of that pressure. I literally just move a card from one board to another.
I also stick with Trello because it’s so stinking satisfying. Moving a book from the To Read list to the Finished list is my favorite kind of gratification, and I love watching the Finished books add up!
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How to Use Trello to Track Your Reading
These steps are quick and intuitive. You should be able to set up your board in 5 minutes!
1. Create and account and log in
Just head to this website or check out the app.
2. Create a board
There are multiple places to do this.
3. Give your board a name
I create a new board every year, so my current board says Books 2020. If you aren’t reading huge numbers of books, you may choose to just keep the same list at the end of the year. Do whatever works best for you.
4. Change your background
I enjoy taking a minute to find a good bookish background, but it is not mandatory.
You can also save this step for later.
5. Create lists.
Just click the Add List button! I recommend these 3 lists to start.
- Finished
- In Progress (or On Hold, if you’re a library holds user)
- To Read
I will often end up adding an Abandoned list as the year goes on. Life’s too short to finish books you aren’t enjoying.
6. Add cards with book titles.
Just hit Add Card. I like to track the title and author. You can be super minimal and just do the title, if that’s more your speed.
7. Add a description and labels.
Just click on the card to bring up this view.
Over the last few months, I’ve discovered typing just a few words about why I wanted to read a book can be helpful when I’m looking for a book that fits my mood. The key to this is keeping the description very short! If adding this step will make you not record your books, skip it. You’ll be fine without it.
I also add labels, which appear as color-coded bands on the top of cards, to my books. I make a separate label for each of these categories.
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Essay/Memoir
- Classics
- YA
- Audiobook
- Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge
If you forget what a color symbolizes, you can click on the band of color on the card, and it will show the text on the label.
I like having this info just to track any trends in my reading life, but again, this is totally optional! If you’re not interested in that information, don’t spend your time on it.
8. Move cards between boards.
Finish a book in your To Read list? Just drag and drop it in the Finished list. See? So satisfying.
9. Enjoy adding books!
I’ve found Trello a sustainable, easy way to track my reading. I wish I would have started using it sooner!
How Tracking My Reading Has Helped My Reading Life
Consistently tracking my reading has truly made my reading life better. I am easily motivated by checking off boxes, so the compulsion to move those nifty little cards from my To Read list to the Finished list inspires me to read more. (Sad, but true.)
Having a list of completed books is also practical for anyone without a superhuman memory. I hate not being able to remember really great titles, so I rely heavily on my Trello boards when recommending books in real life and in posts like Top 10 Cozy Books for Fall and 8 Realistic Books about Love.
I also think I have gotten better at choosing really good books. Looking back over the books I’ve completed reminds me which titles I loved and which ones just weren’t for me. It helps me identify common themes between the books I enjoyed, making my selections even more spot-on in the future. Thanks to this practice, I’ve realized just how much I enjoy subtly funny, character-driven stories.
And hey! If you also enjoy those kinds of books, I have a fun bonus for you. I used my reading boards to compile a list of my very favorite books of all time. My top 5 picks in contemporary fiction, nonfiction/memoir, classics, YA, and middle grade are all in one easily downloadable list. If you’re looking for a book that’s guaranteed to be a good one, these are the titles I’d recommend.
Just click the button below to get access to a downloadable list of my favorite books!