How to keep track of book series and never lose your place again

Series are where reading logs earn their keep. You finished book three eighteen months ago, book four is finally out, and you cannot remember whether you read the novella in between, who betrayed whom, or what the last chapter was. Tracking a series takes a few seconds per book and saves you a weekend of rereading.

Record the series, not only the book

1. 1Series name and the book's number in it. Use decimals for novellas — 2.5 sits between two and three, which is how most readers and publishers number them.
2. 2Whether the series is finished or still being written.
3. 3The date you finished each book, so you know how long the gap has been.
4. 4Two lines on where the last book left things. This is the part people wish they had written.

Publication order or reading order

Some series are best read in the order they were published, even when the author later wrote prequels. Others, especially big fantasy worlds with several sub-series, have a recommended reading order that differs from both. Pick one, note which you chose, and stick to it. The order matters less than knowing which one you are following.

Interconnected romance series

Many romance series follow a different couple in each book, set in the same town or friend group. You can usually read them out of order, but you will meet earlier couples again and some reveals land better in sequence. Track them as a series anyway; it is the easiest way to see which couples you have already met.

Waiting for the next book

• Keep upcoming books on your wish list with their release date.
• Before the new book comes out, read your two-line notes, not the whole previous book.
• If you plan a full reread before the finale, put it on your up-next shelf a month early. Rereads take longer than you think.
• Mark series you have decided to stop, so you are not tempted by book six of something you stopped enjoying at book three.

A series page with every book in order, the ones you have read ticked off and the next one waiting is one of the most satisfying things a reading tracker can show you. It turns a long wait into anticipation instead of confusion.