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Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight

Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight is an excellent organizing journal for passionate readers, but maybe not for book bloggers.  As an avid reader with a to-read list in the hundreds, there are not enough pages in this book to house all of my reading wants and needs.  An online version of this book may have been a better product, allowing readers to continuously add pages to their loaner and recommendation lists. . . but then wouldn’t we call it Good Reads or LibraryThing?

The explanations on how to use the journal at the beginning seemed unnecessary, but could be helpful for a reader who has never kept track of their reading.  

However, what is really useful in this journal are the lists — lists of Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and more.  There’s room to add new book award winners, but again there should be more spaces attributed to this.

The loaner pages and recommendation pages are essential to any reader interested in lending their books to friends, family, and neighbors or recommending specific books to the other readers in their lives.  It seems that these sections are thinner than the others, and depending on how many books a reader owns and loans out or recommends, these blank pages should be photocopied before they are filled up.

Finally, the journal includes a list of online resources for book lovers, which seems pretty comprehensive in terms of places to search for book blogs and lit blogs, but I take issue with the term “lighter” to describe some wonderful bloggers who may not have PhD’s in literature, but have valid points about structure, theme, literary devices, etc.  While many are not professional reviewers, their perceptions and analyses of books are no less valid or insightful, which the term “lighter” implies. 

With all of that said, however, Read, Remember, Recommend is an excellent resource for stellar literature, online recommendations and information, and a place to write down reader’s thoughts about their books as they go along — whether or not those thoughts end up on a blog.

I plan on using this book for a completely different purpose.  I’ve attended a number of writing conferences and have often heard the best way to figure out where your writing will be accepted by publishers and literary journals is to check out the acknowledgments of authors and poets who have writing similar to your own.  As a result, I plan to use the journal pages to keep track of those literary magazines, publishers, and other locations where I should be sending my work, and hopefully that will translate into some publications.  I’ve got a ton of books to go through and a good stack of pages in this book to fill up.

I’ve got an extra copy for one of my readers anywhere in the world.  Here are the rules:

1.  Comment on this post about why you want to get your mitts on this reading journal.
2.  Spread the word about the giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc. and leave me a link.

Deadline April 12, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST

About the Author:

Rachelle Rogers Knight is a passionate reader who has enjoyed books her entire life. Rachelle self-published Read, Remember, Recommend and Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens in 2007, and earned the Bronze Medal for “Independent Publisher of the Year” from Independent Publisher Online Magazine in 2008. Sourcebooks, Inc. is releasing new and improved editions of the self-published hit this April.

***
Also Don’t forget to check out the next stops on the 2010 National Poetry Month Blog Tour, Jenn’s Bookshelves and West of Mars.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Read, Remember, Recommend for review.  Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you’re reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena’s Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Comments

  1. I started my own book journal in November but have been struggling to stay organized. I have notes and lists on three different spreadsheets and different websites. I would love the opportunity to consolidate and truly get organized. Please consider me entered in the giveaway!

    jmchshannon (at) gmail (dot) com
    .-= Michelle´s last blog ..REVIEW – Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh =-.

  2. Cindy Woolard says

    I could really use this journal. Right now I try to keep track of things on a spreadsheet…when my laptop is co-operating. Please enter me into your giveaway and thank you so much for the opportunity!

    Smiles,
    Cindy W.

  3. I would love to win a copy, mostly for the lists of award-winning books that I might be interested in reading! (I just retweeted your post, btw.)
    .-= JHS´s last blog ..Book Review: Nineteen Minutes =-.

  4. You raise very good points about this journal, Serena. I have a copy (so don’t enter me) which I bought and while I think it does have its good points, it’s not nearly as complete as I would like. Maybe if it’d been like a ring binder where I can add pages . . .

  5. I’d love to have this because I’d like to see what books I read and keep track of challenges I enter. It’s always fun to look at these lists later and see what kinds of books you read and what you were thinking at the time. Also, I think my children would love to look at it after I’m gone.

  6. This sounds like a great resource for booklovers and I’d love to have a copy. I like that it includes so many lists of information! Thanks for this wonderful giveaway.

  7. I think this woud be perfect for my daughter. She loves to read, and always lends books to her friends. This would be a perfect way to keep track of the books she has read, and those she needs returned at some time. Thanks for the giveaway!

  8. Laura Fabiani says

    Great review, Serena! I had some of the same issues you brought up when I reviewed this book. No need to enter me in the contest. Just wanted to stop by and check out what your thoughts were.

  9. Heidi V. says

    I really could use a book like this to organize my reading I have scraps of paper in a box to keep what I want to read and what I have read. The list of award winning books would be nice to keep me on track also….

  10. I would love this because my current reading journal (which has been fantastic for book club selections as I can never remember what I loved or hated about books, or fantastic quotes by the time our meeting comes along unless I take notes) is almost full and I haven't been able to find another one I like.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

  11. Beth(bookaholicmom) says

    I posted your giveaway on the side of my blog.

    http://bookaholicmom.blogspot.com/

  12. Beth(bookaholicmom) says

    I would love to have this to help organize my reading lists and to see what is recommended in the book as far as reading lists and bloggers. It sounds like a very useful tool!

    bthgordon at yahoo dot com

  13. Rachelle: Thanks for taking the time to stop by my review. I really do love the resources and the prize winner lists. Those are very helpful.

    I'm not really the norm I don't think in terms of journaling about books. I tend to write my reviews and thoughts immediately after finishing the book, which is why I have the laptop all the time.

  14. Bibliobabe says

    Thank you for the review of my journal.

    I will definitely take all thoughts of more pages to Sourcebooks. I think they are entertaining the idea of an electronic version as well.

    My goal with the journal was to make it a valuable resource for any reader, and I appreciate the feedback.

    Rachelle Knight (Bibliobabe)

  15. I would love to be able to keep track of what I read, what I want to read, stats on the genre of what I'm reading – the list could go on. The fact that there is no restriction makes it scrumptious! Please count me in please.

    mystica123athotmaildotcom

  16. Martha Lawson says

    I would love to havethis to keep track of all my books that I read..

    Please enter me for it.

    I follow

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

  17. sandrareads says

    I love this journal! I have the older version (pub. 2007) and have used it with almost every book I've read. I am a voracious reader and am ready for a new one! I am so happy to see there is a new version.
    I have to say that I take my journal with me all the time – and wouldn't want it to be too much bigger. Also, if I use mine for too much longer, it will be too beat up! I am happy to spend a little on such a wonderful book every couple of years – it is perfect!

  18. I second your thoughts entirely!!

    Don't enter me because I have this one too!!!

  19. christine says

    I am very interested in the lists in this – much more than just a journal.

    christinezeg(at)gmail(dot)com

  20. amandawk says

    I would love to win this because it seems like an easy way to keep track of what I've read.
    amandarwest at gmaildotcom

  21. Susan Helene Gottfried says

    No need to enter me, babe. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book for you.

  22. I'm in! This sounds cool for the lists!

  23. Jennifer L. says

    I love books and writing and love the idea of having a place to keep track of book-related things. This lists sound like fun.
    jentam777 AT gmail DOT com

  24. I keep a book journal "of sorts" – but it is simply a book of blank pages where I write down what I've read and what it was about. Totally unorganized. This book sounds wonderful – just what I need. thanks for the giveaway.

  25. Anna: I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

    Sandy: I can't imagine how many pages that would take..but maybe this should have been a three-ring binder rather than a spiral notebook format, enabling users to add new pages.

    Julie and Kathy: I really like it, but for my own devious purposes…lol

  26. bermudaonion says

    I really like this journal too, but already have a copy, so don't enter me.

  27. I just looked through this yesterday in the car and thought it was a great resource!

  28. Sandy Nawrot says

    I would agree, there could have been more room to write stuff, but to truly satisfy most of us, how many pages would it take? More than they would be willing to include I think! Ha! I love the lists. All in one place with little boxes to check off!

  29. No need to enter me, but I'll add the giveaway to my sidebar.

    I pretty much have the same feelings about this book.

    –Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

  30. rhapsodyinbooks says

    I would like to have this because at the end of the year, everyone else has such impressive stats, and then I could keep track also! (of course, that won't necessarily help my stats be impressive, but it will be impressive that I even have stats!)

    nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

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