How to Use a Notion TBR Template for Managing Your Reading List, Book Recommendations, and Literary Interests

Reading is not only a gratifying hobby but also a continuous learning process. However, managing an ever-growing reading list, keeping track of book recommendations, and organizing your literary interests can be quite a challenge. Thankfully, Notion—a powerful all-in-one workspace tool—offers a versatile solution with its customizable TBR (To Be Read) template. In this article, we will explore how to effectively set up and use a Notion TBR template to manage all your reading-related activities using the latest Notion features and best practices.

Why Use a Notion TBR Template?

Notion provides a flexible and intuitive platform to help you organize your reading list, track recommendations from friends or online sources, and delve into your literary interests. The TBR template simplifies this process by providing a structured framework that you can customize to fit your unique needs. With Notion’s latest updates, including improved database views, enhanced filtering options, and seamless mobile integration, you can maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive TBR list with ease.

Setting Up the Notion TBR Template

To get started with your customized Notion TBR template, follow these steps:

1. Create a New Notion Page: Open Notion and create a new page—either a blank page or one within an existing database. You can use the Ctrl + N shortcut (or Cmd + N on Mac) to quickly create a new page.

2. Add a TBR Database: Click on the "+" icon to add a new block and select "Table" to create a table database. Choose the “Full Page” option if you want your TBR database to occupy the entire page.

3. Customize the TBR Database: Rename the columns to suit your needs. Common columns include "Title," "Author," "Publication Date," "Genre," "Status," "Priority," and "Notes." Adjust the properties for each column as needed. Notion now also offers additional column types like multi-select and date properties that you can take advantage of for richer organization.

4. Add Books to the TBR Database: Start populating your database by adding books you want to read. Fill in each column with the relevant information such as book title, author, genre, and any personal notes. You can quickly add new entries by using the inline editing features.

5. Utilize Additional Pages: Besides the main TBR database, create supplementary pages within Notion to store book recommendations, detailed book reviews, reading notes, or other literary interests. To create a new page, click on the "+" icon and select "Page." Name the page according to its purpose and customize it to keep your information organized.

Managing Your Reading List

Once your Notion TBR template is set up, you can efficiently manage your reading list by leveraging these features and functionalities:

Status and Priority

Assigning a status and priority to each book in your TBR list helps keep track of your progress and decide what to read next. Add dropdown menu columns such as "Status" (e.g., unread, in progress, or completed) and "Priority" (e.g., high, medium, low) to organize your books intelligently.

Tags and Filters

Tags and filters make it easy to pinpoint books based on specific criteria. Add a "Tags" column to your TBR database and assign labels like "Fiction," "Non-fiction," "Sci-fi," or any genre you prefer. Use Notion’s advanced filtering options to sort and display books based on their tags or other criteria, making your reading sessions more targeted and efficient.

Linking Recommendations

When you come across book recommendations from friends, colleagues, or online sources, Notion allows you to link these suggestions directly to your TBR database. Create a separate page for recommendations and link it to individual books in your main TBR list. This way, you can easily track who recommended a particular book and revisit those suggestions when you’re ready to read.

Adding Book Reviews and Notes

Notion’s TBR template also offers space for adding book reviews and notes. Create a dedicated section or a separate page for each book where you can jot down your thoughts, favorite quotes, or detailed reviews. This not only enriches your reading experience but also serves as a valuable resource for future reference.

Syncing with Other Notion Features

Take advantage of Notion’s integrations and organizational features to further streamline your reading experience. For instance, you can:

1. Link your TBR list to other pages within your workspace.
2. Create a reading calendar to track progress and set deadlines.
3. Connect your TBR data with other Notion databases, such as a personal library or a book club tracking system.

These integrations help create a cohesive ecosystem that makes it easy to manage all aspects of your reading journey in one place.

Conclusion

Notion’s TBR template provides an efficient and customizable solution for managing your reading list, tracking book recommendations, and organizing your literary interests. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up a comprehensive TBR database and take full advantage of Notion’s features—such as tagging, filtering, and linking—to stay organized and inspired. So, go ahead, create your own Notion TBR template, and embark on an organized and fulfilling reading experience!