Reading Corner

1 - Who is the template for?

Reading Corner is made by a book lover for book lovers, especially those who want to keep track of the books in their lives! Of course, Goodreads has always been the default option when it comes to a personal library, but there is no harm in providing an alternative! It may work even better for you!

2 - What problems does the template address?

Whether it is the lack of flexibility or the features we don't need but couldn't remove, some of us just don't enjoy using Goodreads as our reading list. I personally dislike the presence of a reading challenge and book recommendations which take away the fun of exploring books (without caring about the ratings) and consuming them at my own pace. Meanwhile, I hope to have a reading list that is not publicly shown. That includes the thoughts I have and wish to write down after reading a book. I'm sure many of us prefer a clean, minimal platform where everything could be personalised to suit our individual needs. Hence, Reading Corner is born.

3 - How does the template address these issues?

There are two parts to this template.

Firstly, a book log. It is a simple tracker that tracks your yearly reading goals and progress. What makes it unique is the visualisation provided by the built-in progress bars that change based on the number of books you wish to read and actually read every year. Just enter the numbers and see the magic happen!

The next part is the meat of this template -- the bookshelf. This is where you add a book and everything about it such as the author(s), genre(s), fiction/nonfiction and more! I think the main attraction of this bookshelf is the ability to browse the books easily by different properties. Let's say you want to see your reading status for all the books. Whether it's currently reading, reading next, TBR, finished, or dropped, you can view them clearly with the latest group feature in Notion.

All in all, what makes this template beautiful is the fact that you can tailor it to work for you, unlike in Goodreads where everything is fixed as a one-size-fits-all platform. Remember, Reading Corner is a library that grows with YOU.