Books & reading
Build a reading wishlist you will actually use
A simple way to remember book recommendations, choose your next read, and keep a reading journal without turning it into homework.
Capture the reason, not just the title
A friend mentions a novel at dinner. You save its title, then forget why it sounded interesting. A useful reading wishlist preserves that small piece of context: who suggested the book, what caught your attention, or when you might want to read it.
Keep the note short. ‘For a quiet weekend; recommended by Maya’ is more useful than an empty entry you no longer recognise. You do not need a review before you have read the book. You only need a reason to return to it.
Separate wanting a book from having a copy
A book can be on your wishlist even if you borrow it, and a book you own can remain unread for years. Treat access and reading as separate questions: can I get a copy, and do I want to start it now? Buying a book is not a commitment to finish it immediately.
In Leisure, you can save a book with Want status and record ownership separately. Search by title, author, or keywords through Open Library, or add a private manual entry if the edition or title you need is missing. Leave ratings empty until you have something to say.
Keep your next choice small
A long wishlist is a memory aid, not a queue you have to finish in order. When you are ready to read, choose two or three possibilities that fit your mood. A short novel, an essay collection, and a longer story give you different starting points.
It is fine to read several books at once. A five-page evening and a thirty-page Sunday are both reading. Avoid making every entry a deadline; a useful list should make choosing easier, not make leisure feel overdue.
Leave a small trail for your future self
After a reading session, record the date and, if useful, the actual time spent. A private note can hold your page number or one thought about the chapter. Do not estimate minutes from page count: different books and different days move at different speeds.
Leisure currently supports reading sessions and private notes. Dedicated page-position tracking is still planned, so use notes for your place for now. If you stop reading a book, keep what you learned from it; an unfinished book does not make the journal incomplete.