สำเนาบทสนทนา 🔗
1
00:00:00,049 --> 00:00:02,840
Francesca: Most normal people
track their reading on good reads,
2
00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,769
and some people are really fancy
and use a bullet journal instead.
3
00:00:06,769 --> 00:00:07,790
And then there's me.
4
00:00:07,790 --> 00:00:11,120
I have been tracking my
reading for almost two decades.
5
00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:11,659
Yikes.
6
00:00:11,719 --> 00:00:12,110
Yes.
7
00:00:12,110 --> 00:00:14,054
I was born in the 19 hundreds.
8
00:00:14,424 --> 00:00:15,334
Let's move past it.
9
00:00:15,508 --> 00:00:19,648
And granted, after almost 20 years,
I have apparently decided that
10
00:00:19,678 --> 00:00:21,628
one system is not enough for me.
11
00:00:21,628 --> 00:00:26,638
But 2026 is wild because I am doing eight.
12
00:00:26,638 --> 00:00:28,468
Yes, you heard that right?
13
00:00:28,678 --> 00:00:32,427
Eight different ways to
track the same exact books.
14
00:00:32,848 --> 00:00:33,778
Am I okay?
15
00:00:33,778 --> 00:00:36,415
Probably not, but am I going
to have the most beautiful
16
00:00:36,415 --> 00:00:37,645
data at the end of the year?
17
00:00:37,825 --> 00:00:38,575
Absolutely.
18
00:00:38,619 --> 00:00:41,409
Hi, I am Francesca, welcome to Under
the Covers, and today I'm gonna be
19
00:00:41,409 --> 00:00:45,129
walking you through my completely
excessive and slightly unhinged
20
00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,649
reading tracking system for 2026.
21
00:00:47,649 --> 00:00:49,158
So welcome to the chaos.
22
00:00:49,198 --> 00:00:53,158
I've broken these down in terms
of what part of my personality
23
00:00:53,188 --> 00:00:55,258
each one of them is serving.
24
00:00:55,258 --> 00:00:58,408
But before we get into those
specifics, let me start with my
25
00:00:58,408 --> 00:01:00,328
newest addition to the family.
26
00:01:00,328 --> 00:01:03,358
This is the new toy here,
and it's the app margins.
27
00:01:03,598 --> 00:01:05,337
Now, I didn't plan on using this.
28
00:01:05,337 --> 00:01:08,968
But then December rolled around
and I saw a lot of people posting
29
00:01:08,968 --> 00:01:12,898
about margins, and a friend of
mine actually sent me her margins
30
00:01:12,898 --> 00:01:15,418
wrapped, or like the wrap up of 2025.
31
00:01:15,478 --> 00:01:19,708
And I got the worst case of FOMO in
my life because it is shiny, it's
32
00:01:19,708 --> 00:01:23,908
aesthetic, and I realized that I
needed that specific dopamine hit.
33
00:01:23,908 --> 00:01:27,396
So margins is now added
strictly for the vibes.
34
00:01:27,396 --> 00:01:31,867
Now I will say that the Goodreads
import worked perfectly, but I
35
00:01:31,867 --> 00:01:35,497
am still struggling on importing
my story graph data, and that is
36
00:01:35,497 --> 00:01:37,770
actually where I have my 2025 data.
37
00:01:37,770 --> 00:01:41,490
so I am a little disappointed that I
still didn't get the beautiful 2025
38
00:01:41,490 --> 00:01:44,130
wrapped data, but I'm still working on it.
39
00:01:44,152 --> 00:01:48,277
Now margins is the new kid, but
I am still loyal to my main trio
40
00:01:48,277 --> 00:01:49,688
that I was planning on using.
41
00:01:49,868 --> 00:01:54,008
I actually did a whole video recently
about quitting Good reads where I deep
42
00:01:54,008 --> 00:01:58,478
dived into page bound story graph and
fable, so I'm gonna leave that video here.
43
00:01:58,478 --> 00:02:02,332
So if you wanna check it out, you can get
in more detail what those apps are like.
44
00:02:02,332 --> 00:02:07,752
But here's why I am keeping all three of
them for 2026 because I realize that they
45
00:02:07,752 --> 00:02:09,822
feed different parts of my personality.
46
00:02:09,824 --> 00:02:13,455
First is the data nerd, and for
that a hundred percent story
47
00:02:13,455 --> 00:02:15,705
graph that is non-negotiable.
48
00:02:15,705 --> 00:02:16,875
I need my pie charts.
49
00:02:16,875 --> 00:02:17,805
I need my data.
50
00:02:17,805 --> 00:02:21,165
So if I don't log a book into
story graph, did I even read it?
51
00:02:21,165 --> 00:02:21,975
Probably not.
52
00:02:21,975 --> 00:02:25,245
In fact, yes, that happens sometimes
because as much as I have eight
53
00:02:25,245 --> 00:02:28,748
ways to track my reading, sometimes
I forget to track it at all.
54
00:02:28,748 --> 00:02:32,448
And once in a while I'll look for a book
on story graph or wherever I'm tracking
55
00:02:32,448 --> 00:02:36,168
and realize that I didn't log it at all,
but I did read it, and so I correct it.
56
00:02:36,218 --> 00:02:37,388
Look, mistakes happen.
57
00:02:37,388 --> 00:02:41,498
Second, though is the gamer
in me and that is page bound.
58
00:02:41,498 --> 00:02:44,648
Sometimes my logging of my
reading is not about the plot.
59
00:02:44,888 --> 00:02:48,702
It's because of the badges and the
competitiveness and the points and page
60
00:02:48,702 --> 00:02:51,762
bound turns my reading into a fun quest.
61
00:02:51,792 --> 00:02:55,482
Plus it really sparks that competitive
side with trying to get more and
62
00:02:55,482 --> 00:02:59,232
more points like you want to add
recommendations and books like and
63
00:02:59,232 --> 00:03:03,132
interact in the forums and anything that
will get you an extra set of points.
64
00:03:03,132 --> 00:03:03,838
I am there.
65
00:03:03,838 --> 00:03:07,680
The third is the social butterfly
aspect, and for that is Fable.
66
00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,303
This is where I'm gonna go on to talk
about books with other people Fun fact.
67
00:03:11,303 --> 00:03:15,023
Obviously for the Romanceopoly Reading
Challenge, we do have a Fable Book
68
00:03:15,023 --> 00:03:18,353
club, so I definitely wanna make
sure that all of my reading for
69
00:03:18,353 --> 00:03:20,543
the year is also updated on Fable.
70
00:03:20,543 --> 00:03:23,458
Since I am running a book club and
a reading challenge on the platform.
71
00:03:23,810 --> 00:03:28,640
Now we have the main trio of apps and the
new
Load full transcript
toy, but we need to talk about Bookly.
72
00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:31,790
Bookly is to satisfy my
timekeeper personality.
73
00:03:31,790 --> 00:03:35,270
And this app is strictly
for the act of reading.
74
00:03:35,270 --> 00:03:38,780
So when I sit down to read a
book, I open Bookly, I go onto
75
00:03:38,780 --> 00:03:40,380
that book and I hit start.
76
00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:43,320
and then when I finish for
that session, I hit stop and I
77
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:44,550
log where I'm at in the book.
78
00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,950
Whether that is tracking the
pages or tracking the percentage.
79
00:03:47,950 --> 00:03:49,750
So it tracks my reading speed.
80
00:03:49,750 --> 00:03:53,020
It tracks the number of sessions
that it takes me to finish a book,
81
00:03:53,020 --> 00:03:57,400
and it gives me this great report
of my time spent with that book.
82
00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,890
And I'm gonna be honest, I don't
remember to do this, or I don't
83
00:03:59,890 --> 00:04:03,190
want to do this necessarily for
every single book that I read.
84
00:04:03,190 --> 00:04:05,168
But I do use it most of the time.
85
00:04:05,168 --> 00:04:08,911
Fun fact also is this is actually
the only subscription that I pay
86
00:04:08,911 --> 00:04:10,531
for when it comes to book apps.
87
00:04:10,531 --> 00:04:14,671
Everything else here, I use the free
version, but Bookly does get my money.
88
00:04:14,671 --> 00:04:18,284
Why you may ask that is because you
can only have a certain number of
89
00:04:18,284 --> 00:04:22,934
books that you keep in their system for
free, and after that, you have to pay.
90
00:04:22,934 --> 00:04:24,794
So it does have the same functionality.
91
00:04:24,794 --> 00:04:30,134
I actually do like to export that data
of the reading sessions into one of the
92
00:04:30,134 --> 00:04:34,784
things that I'm gonna talk about next,
but I sometimes don't do it fast enough.
93
00:04:34,784 --> 00:04:37,784
So 10 books can get limiting
for me and that's the only
94
00:04:37,784 --> 00:04:39,647
reason that I actually upgraded.
95
00:04:39,647 --> 00:04:41,727
So where am I logging that data?
96
00:04:41,727 --> 00:04:42,567
You may ask.
97
00:04:42,607 --> 00:04:47,222
This is what we're gonna get into my
number six system, which is notion.
98
00:04:47,222 --> 00:04:51,362
And this is something that I basically
see as my legacy archive Now I personally
99
00:04:51,362 --> 00:04:53,252
use a template that I design myself.
100
00:04:53,252 --> 00:04:55,022
I do have it up for sale.
101
00:04:55,022 --> 00:04:56,042
If you're interested.
102
00:04:56,042 --> 00:04:58,837
I have a full walkthrough on the
channel of the whole template.
103
00:04:59,131 --> 00:05:01,411
but all of my reading data lives here.
104
00:05:01,411 --> 00:05:03,811
Now, you may be asking if you
have all these other apps,
105
00:05:03,841 --> 00:05:05,671
why do you also need Notion?
106
00:05:05,971 --> 00:05:09,841
And that is because, well, one,
apps come and go and Notion
107
00:05:09,841 --> 00:05:11,881
has been there forever for me.
108
00:05:11,881 --> 00:05:12,751
Obviously not forever.
109
00:05:12,751 --> 00:05:16,261
There were other things before, but
I want to have one place where all
110
00:05:16,261 --> 00:05:17,881
of my data can live in one place.
111
00:05:18,234 --> 00:05:22,506
I am also obsessed with having multi-year
data with actually looking at trends
112
00:05:22,506 --> 00:05:26,492
in my reading and maybe changing
some of the things that I read or in
113
00:05:26,492 --> 00:05:31,112
which direction the books that I'm
picking up should go in base of data.
114
00:05:31,112 --> 00:05:35,462
Or even importing data like my reading
sessions and all of that, the speed
115
00:05:35,462 --> 00:05:39,332
that I read a book and all of that
data gets also added into notion,
116
00:05:39,332 --> 00:05:43,622
and that again, gives you practical
information that you can use.
117
00:05:43,622 --> 00:05:45,422
To determine what books you're gonna read.
118
00:05:45,422 --> 00:05:49,142
I know that that is a little bit extra,
but I do look at that and also there's
119
00:05:49,142 --> 00:05:53,582
fun things you can look at, like who are
your most read authors of all time or.
120
00:05:53,901 --> 00:05:57,531
What genres have you read the most
or tropes or any of those things?
121
00:05:57,531 --> 00:06:00,801
I know that there are now some apps
like Fable, for example, that easily
122
00:06:00,801 --> 00:06:04,131
show you what are your most read
authors every year and across all of
123
00:06:04,131 --> 00:06:05,601
the years that you have logged in there.
124
00:06:05,601 --> 00:06:09,201
But I definitely love to see
all of that data in Notion.
125
00:06:09,251 --> 00:06:12,581
So notion is basically the forever
home for my library because yes,
126
00:06:12,581 --> 00:06:16,022
it also actually has all of my
book inventory in there as well.
127
00:06:16,022 --> 00:06:18,032
Now, all of those are the fun things.
128
00:06:18,062 --> 00:06:18,479
Okay.
129
00:06:18,479 --> 00:06:21,389
But now we're gonna talk about the
business of reading because I do
130
00:06:21,389 --> 00:06:24,809
have a book blog so I get advanced
reader copies from publishers,
131
00:06:24,809 --> 00:06:26,339
from authors, from PR companies.
132
00:06:26,339 --> 00:06:31,859
And I have some loose deadlines, at least
for when I should be reading these books.
133
00:06:31,859 --> 00:06:36,693
But I have a toxic trait and that is
that I am always late reading arcs.
134
00:06:36,701 --> 00:06:41,699
In fact, I probably have all of my most
anticipated reads of 2026 sitting in
135
00:06:41,699 --> 00:06:43,558
my Kindle, and I have not read them.
136
00:06:43,558 --> 00:06:47,856
I know I have a problem, I do log all
of that stuff in different places, I
137
00:06:47,856 --> 00:06:51,786
have started using a new app to take
care of this and remind me of things,
138
00:06:51,786 --> 00:06:53,558
and it's been working out great.
139
00:06:53,558 --> 00:06:57,609
So the app that I am using is shelf
control, and this is basically
140
00:06:57,609 --> 00:07:02,521
acting like my manager, I go on
as soon as I get a book for review
141
00:07:02,521 --> 00:07:04,501
and I simply add it on there.
142
00:07:04,501 --> 00:07:08,401
and then I can open the app and see
in just chronological order, what are
143
00:07:08,401 --> 00:07:11,450
the books that I should be reading
first in order of my due dates.
144
00:07:11,450 --> 00:07:13,603
I used to manage all of
this by just creating Kindle
145
00:07:13,603 --> 00:07:15,073
Collections for every month.
146
00:07:15,073 --> 00:07:19,543
But right now I need an app that can
just remind me and it keeps me on
147
00:07:19,543 --> 00:07:21,265
track and not getting blacklisted.
148
00:07:21,265 --> 00:07:24,925
And then finally number eight
is a physical reading journal.
149
00:07:24,925 --> 00:07:28,345
Now I have been using reading
journals off and on for many
150
00:07:28,345 --> 00:07:31,555
years, but for the past two years
I haven't used the reading journal.
151
00:07:31,555 --> 00:07:34,945
So in 2026, I am going back
to a physical reading journal,
152
00:07:34,945 --> 00:07:36,595
which I am super excited about.
153
00:07:36,625 --> 00:07:37,972
I haven't set this one up yet.
154
00:07:37,972 --> 00:07:41,506
But we'll be getting to that and you
guys will see a video of that soon.
155
00:07:41,506 --> 00:07:45,603
But I think that sometimes just
tapping on a screen is not enough.
156
00:07:45,603 --> 00:07:48,603
And a physical reading journal
is great for the artist in me.
157
00:07:48,767 --> 00:07:52,766
I need to use stickers, I need to use
color, I need to print out covers.
158
00:07:52,766 --> 00:07:53,966
I need to make things pretty.
159
00:07:54,186 --> 00:07:57,636
I tried doing that on a digital
reading journal last year and
160
00:07:57,636 --> 00:07:58,926
I didn't really stick with it.
161
00:07:58,926 --> 00:08:02,666
So I think I'm gonna go back to paper
because I have such a strong desire this
162
00:08:02,666 --> 00:08:05,276
year of doing a lot of things more analog.
163
00:08:05,276 --> 00:08:07,886
I don't know if that is just
me or if that is something that
164
00:08:07,886 --> 00:08:09,446
we're all collectively feeling.
165
00:08:09,446 --> 00:08:11,636
but I did get this beautiful new journal.
166
00:08:11,636 --> 00:08:12,266
Fun fact.
167
00:08:12,266 --> 00:08:16,766
I actually started setting up a whole
different notebook and I was quite
168
00:08:16,766 --> 00:08:19,406
far along in all my setup in that one.
169
00:08:19,406 --> 00:08:23,786
And then I decided that I wanted to buy
one of these beautiful tiefossi notebooks.
170
00:08:23,816 --> 00:08:27,956
So I am going to be resetting
everything and I will be recording
171
00:08:27,956 --> 00:08:29,546
it and sharing that with you guys.
172
00:08:29,546 --> 00:08:33,690
but if that's any indication of
what 2026 is going to be like, it's
173
00:08:33,690 --> 00:08:37,530
already on a rough start because I
basically had everything mostly done
174
00:08:37,530 --> 00:08:42,210
in December and now I bought a new
notebook and here we are already.
175
00:08:42,210 --> 00:08:45,960
Halfway into January
and I have nothing done.
176
00:08:46,050 --> 00:08:47,580
So off to a great start.
177
00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:48,783
But there you have it.
178
00:08:48,813 --> 00:08:52,833
Those are the eight ways that I'm
gonna be tracking my reading in 2026.
179
00:08:52,923 --> 00:08:55,083
One reader, eight systems.
180
00:08:55,083 --> 00:08:56,163
Absolutely no chill.
181
00:08:56,193 --> 00:08:56,793
It's okay.
182
00:08:57,093 --> 00:09:01,103
Let me know in the comments if you're
a good reads only normal person or
183
00:09:01,103 --> 00:09:02,333
if you're a chaos goblin like me.
184
00:09:02,596 --> 00:09:05,746
What are you going to be using
to track your reading in 2026?
185
00:09:05,796 --> 00:09:08,766
And now I think I need to
go update my eight different
186
00:09:08,766 --> 00:09:10,416
percentages in different places.
187
00:09:10,416 --> 00:09:13,716
So pray for me and I will
see you in the next video.
188
00:09:13,926 --> 00:09:14,406
Bye.