I first began keeping a list of books I finished reading while I was on a hitchhiking trip. I was camping on a sandbar on the Missouri River and started writing down the books I was reading on that trip. I’ve kept the list ever since and also added books I had read as an adult before I started keeping a written record.
I only include books I’ve read in their entirety, including collections of short stories and poetry, as well as plays. As such, it’s not a list of everything I read but it covers quite a bit. Also not included are books that I read in high school or before.
I encourage anyone who enjoys reading to keep a list. It’s a lot of fun to go back and look through all the books one has read over the years. The record functions as a sort of shorthand journal, as I often remember reading a particular title and seeing it in a chronological list reminds me of what I was doing and where I was at that point in time.
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