Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I know we have a lot of planners in this group who just thrill at the idea of organizing and reorganizing their books. We've had a lot of conversations where we've mentioned how we organize our lists and challenges. And a lot of us use spreadsheets. And love our spreadsheets! I've gotten some good ideas from you guys & have made changes to how I manage my spreadsheets.

Do any of you keep your spreadsheets online, like in Google Drive, where you could post a link here? I'd love to see how you guys keep track of your books & your tasks. Yes, I do love spreadsheets enough that I want to see yours. And I think seeing yours will help make mine better.

Or if you can't link to your spreadsheet, I'd love to hear spreadsheet tips & ideas & your favorite things about your spreadsheets.

Neat idea - I've gone through a number of different iterations of the way I keep track of my lists, but seeing how other people do it might inspire or improve how we all keep track of things.

Here's a link to my most recent version:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

There's no legend, but here's a brief description of the different symbols.

X - indicates where the book is available
I - indicates an interlibrary loan (for books not available at my library)
L - indicates audio book available through library
H - indicates audio book available through Hoopla
O - indicates audio book available through Overdrive
Red font - indicates book is not available through the library
Blue font - indicates a book that has not been published yet

What a great idea Katie, here are my spreadsheets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

In the 2016 tab, the yellow book is the book I'm reading, the rosy ones are the next I want to read.

In the 2017 tab, the blue ones are the books I added after the first analysis I did of which books fit in which categories (means I have to check them again).

Then I have multiple tabs helping me organize ;)

I hope it helps, don't hesitate to ask questions!

Mine isn't on Google Docs, but it is very similar to Peter's. I have a list of challenge topics, my first book choice for the topic, and where it will be when I need it (library, hardcopy I own, e-book I own, to buy, etc) Library books that I have on hold I mark where I am in line for the book and I update that a couple times a week. Books that I have checked out currently, I mark with the return date.

Nothing terribly fancy but it has all the information that I need without becoming a job to keep up to date.

I use Google Docs to keep track of books I'm reading, my challenges, etc.

I use an excel spreadsheet, also similar to Peter's, which includes my back-up Plan B books in one column at the far right, in case I'm not happy with the Plan A choices. There's also a Y/N column in there for "1001 Books To Read...", since I like to keep track of that, too. Also helpful - I added in a 2nd worksheet that offers a sentence or two summary about each selection. It's separate from the other data, so I can focus on just the book itself. I did this because at some point, I became paranoid that my list included too many books that sounded suspiciously similar to one another.

I've gone through about six versions of my list, as I've made some switcheroos to book selections along the way. What I found really helpful is sending both spreadsheets to my phone and saving them to my "notes" section. That way I can consult the list whenever I want.

I am also using google docs: Nicole's book planning.

I have a sheet for the actual challenge, a sheet for planning (with about 6 suggestions for each), and a sheet for my own genre challenge. I tried to take the books from my TBR, but there are a few categories that are empty.

I decided to bring mine into Google Docs. I was using Excel but I found that I wasn't updating it and then I couldn't remember which changes I had made and when. So I'm hoping the shortcut in the browser will help.

It's extremely simple because I really just wanted to keep track of my challenges and make sure that I wasn't overlapping unintentionally.

Grey books are completed and the few red ones are the books that aren't concrete.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Oh my goodness! I love you guys and how organized you are! And here I was, all impressed with myself for being on goodreads and having my readings "organized" on this website.

I used to use Excel, but I now use Google docs. That way if my computer (gasp!) dies or I am away from my pc, I can still access info.

MJ wrote: "Oh my goodness! I love you guys and how organized you are! And here I was, all impressed with myself for being on goodreads and having my readings "organized" on this website."
I use Goodreads for organizing, too. I just use bookshelves for challenges. And I use the plans folder for my challenges here!

I just found this spreadsheet on Booktube, it seems interesting for stats, so maybe some of you will be interested by it (you don't need a dropbox account to download it):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/adce5tzx0ow...

I thought I might upload my own statistics spreadsheet that I've created too, in case anyone is interested. I've been doing the stats on my books for the last two years, and I find it really interesting! I just pop in the statistics for each book when I've finished reading it, and it calculates everything for me.

Here you go!

(ETA - You have to scroll across to see it, I have it set so that it's in the middle of my screen so I don't have to turn my head too much ... I know it sounds lazy, but stuff like that has stuck with me since we did OH&S training at work!)

I copied this one from girlxoxo:
http://www.girlxoxo.com/how-to-track-...

and then just modified it a bit to make it more my own. Hope this helps! :)

These are some really good spreadsheet options!
I love your statistics spreadsheet, Jody. Rachel was just posting about her statistics on another thread. I think maybe I'd enjoy having that kind of information at the end of the year.

I really enjoy looking at them, and if you do it one book at a time as you finish, it's not much effort at all. :)

I think I'm also going to do some statistics, I can't resist a little Excel challenge ;)

Thanks Jody for giving me a purpose when I'm bored at work!

Hi, I'm Kathryn, and I'm a compulsive spreadsheet user!

I found a spreadsheet online a couple of years ago and really enjoyed using it so I used it again this year. I use Excel for my spreadsheet, and I tried to upload it to Google Drive, but it didn't work very well. However, this is where I got the spreadsheet I use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCypS...

The links to download the spreadsheet are in the comments section below it and the video explains how to use it (just fast forward to about 3min 38sec in), for anyone who needs a hand. I've found a few glitches in the spreadsheet and have fixed them, but it might be tricky if you aren't very familiar with how Excel works. I like checking out the stats that I get from this spreadsheet.

It's also interesting to check out other people's spreadsheets - great idea for a thread, Katie!

I think the most useful feature I see after almost one year of spreadsheeting my books is the purchase tab. I'd no idea how much I spent in books, so it gives me a good idea of it.
I'm also enjoying following stats about the authors. Nothing really new for the rest, I think GR already gave me a good idea of it, as my reading tastes.

Zaz wrote: "I think the most useful feature I see after almost one year of spreadsheeting my books is the purchase tab. I'd no idea how much I spent in books, so it gives me a good idea of it.
I'm also enjoyin..."

I also like looking at the stats breaking down author gender (even though I seem to consistently read twice as many women authors as men!) and where they come from, also the breakdown of genres I'm reading and how my reading panned out throughout the year and which months I read most (and least) in etc.

I can see that purchases would be interesting to track if you buy a lot of books. I don't even bother with that because I can tell you (with reference to my spreadsheet!) that only 8% of the books I read this year were bought either new or used (and the majority of those were used books). The rest were either borrowed from friends/family, gifts, won or borrowed from the library.

My spreadsheet also had some columns regarding publishers, but I don't care about that, plus there were other sets of data I wasn't too worried about, so I just hid all of those columns that didn't have any relevance to me.

The same for the publishers, no interest for me.
I'm on the same boat for authors' genders, I started to track them in 2015 because I followed recommendations which were most of the time for males, but now that I pay attention, I read more women than men, so I won't track that next year.

Love all the spreadsheets! I have it on my list of goals (now that I can read what I want again) to track my stats again. :) Enjoying seeing everyone's--it is a great inspiration.

oh boy this could become a thing!! my little organizing heart is squee-ing right now!

This is how I track all of my reading as well. It has tabs for 2018, but also still includes my 2017 reading!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

I have a spreadsheet of list books, if anyone is interested - 1001 Before You Die, Guardian 1000, BBC Big Read, etc. There’s (I think) twenty-two different lists on there at the moment.

So I just made this ATY community spreadsheet (because I was bored and inspired by another GR group that's doing this for Popsugar).

If you want in, feel free to add your name and your books!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Also, Jody, I'd love to see those list sheets!

Emily, it's a good idea, although I need to remember to update it!

On my personal spreadsheet where I track my reads, I have a list of things I need to do after reading (review on goodreads, add to my blog's challenge list, post in this group on the book topic and the prompt topic, etc.) so I added it to that list!

I did the same ;)

All organised people unite! hihi

Emily wrote: "So I just made this ATY community spreadsheet (because I was bored and inspired by another GR group that's doing this for Popsugar).

If you want in, feel free to add your name and your books!

htt..."
I went ahead and added myself to the spreadsheet!

Yay! The more people, the better!

Sophie wrote: "Emily, it's a good idea, although I need to remember to update it!"

Sophie, could it be a good idea to link the spredsheet at the start page of the Group for easy access? Just an idea.

Emily wrote: "So I just made this ATY community spreadsheet (because I was bored and inspired by another GR group that's doing this for Popsugar).

If you want in, feel free to add your name and your books!

htt..."

Nice, I filled in my progress as well! I love spreadsheets ;)

Zaz wrote: "I just found this spreadsheet on Booktube, it seems interesting for stats, so maybe some of you will be interested by it (you don't need a dropbox account to download it):
https://www.dropbox.com/s..."

This spreadsheet is paining me with wantness.

Emily wrote: "Also, Jody, I'd love to see those list sheets!"

Here's a Dropbox link to both my mega spreadsheet of lists, plus my Statistics spreadsheet. Hope it helps! I add a list to it every now and then - just added the Amazon 100 YA books today. ☺️

Jody wrote: "Emily wrote: "Also, Jody, I'd love to see those list sheets!"

Here's a Dropbox link to both my mega spreadsheet of lists, plus my Statistics spreadsheet. Hope it helps! I add a list to it every no..."

HOLY COW THIS IS AMAZING

Hi, I'm Barbara and I'm a spreadsheet addicted.

Today I found the heaven.

Thanks for sharing Jody!! As I'm going through these lists, I'm realizing how terrible of a classics reader I am... and I studied literature in college!

Here's a link to my spreadsheet in Google Drive.... I'm taking Jody's lists and formatting them for Drive, if anyone wants to steal them from me as well.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet Emily!

I love working on mine but I feel I've reached a pretty good place with it, so I don't have anything left to do :(

A coworker walked into the teacher's lounge today at break and said, "Anyone ever just feel really happy after creating a great spreadsheet?" and I laughed out loud then grabbed my computer and showed off my book reading spreadsheet 😂

Emily wrote: "A coworker walked into the teacher's lounge today at break and said, "Anyone ever just feel really happy after creating a great spreadsheet?" and I laughed out loud then grabbed my computer and sho..."

No one understands spreadsheet nerdom except other spreadsheet nerds!

On Sunday I was playing around on the laptop with my reading spreadsheet and my wife saw it and asked, "What is that? That's not for work, is it?" (because we have a strict rule that Sundays are fun days). I told her that it was my reading spreadsheet.

......the look on her face. 😂

Emily wrote: "A coworker walked into the teacher's lounge today at break and said, "Anyone ever just feel really happy after creating a great spreadsheet?" and I laughed out loud then grabbed my computer and sho..."

Haha so cool!

dalex wrote: "Emily wrote: "No one understands spreadsheet nerdom except other spreadsheet nerds! "

That is true wisdom my friend!

Hannah wrote: "Emily, thanks for creating the Group spreadsheet - so cool!! I just added my ATY reading to the list. And I'm so jealous of how organized you all are. Your spreadsheets are amazing, especially for ..."

Hey, Hannah...FYI on the spreadsheet: you don't need to update the numbers in the first columns. The spreadsheet will count any books added automatically with the formula.

We now have at least one book read for every category, and it makes me so happy haha!

I’m planning to use a Goodreads spreadsheet next time. My excel spreadsheet is way too color coded. I’ve pretty much run out of colors to use for the many, many columns I’ve included this year. Insane!

Summer has hit me hard and I have felt the need to tinker with my spreadsheets. I added a challenge page (because I hate the way my plan is formatted on Goodreads -- will have to do better next year) and a stats page (with ideas stolen from all of you guys).

I also added (many more) lists that I'm tracking. I think I'm addicted!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Also, on the community spreadsheet, I added a tab for 2019 Plans. I think I'm going to just throw all of my possible books in one column so I don't clog up the spreadsheet, but feel free to join along as we move through the process of picking the 2019 prompts!

Emily wrote: "Summer has hit me hard and I have felt the need to tinker with my spreadsheets. I added a challenge page (because I hate the way my plan is formatted on Goodreads -- will have to do better next yea..."

Your speadsheet is awesome, Emily!

Anna wrote: "Emily wrote: "Summer has hit me hard and I have felt the need to tinker with my spreadsheets. I added a challenge page (because I hate the way my plan is formatted on Goodreads -- will have to do b..."

Thanks! I was inspired by everyone in this group!

Emily -- all your activity makes me laugh -- in a good way -- and I love the results!

Great spreadsheet, Emily!