The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed I didn’t put up a Reading Journal entry yesterday. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the time to do it or I’d forgotten, but rather I’m starting to doubt its worth. In all honesty I really do enjoy writing about my reading day. Not only do I get the opportunity to put my reading into perspective – and to record my reading thoughts for my own purpose – but the feature also allows me to more intimately share my reading journey with everyone else, which is one of the fundamental reasons why I started it in the first place.
Lately however I’ve begun to have doubts, and I’m starting to wonder if my Reading Journal feature is maybe taking things a little too far. It’s not that anyone has ever said anything to the negative – in fact a couple of people have said some really nice things about the feature – it’s just a niggle that my Reading Journal feature isn’t really serving any purpose.
Preferring to work things out for myself I’ve never actually reached out like this to ask readers directly what they thought about something on RobAroundBooks before, but this really is important to me, and that’s why I’m asking. So I hope you can grace me with a minute or two of your time to let me know what you think.
So fellow reader am I flooding people with too much information here with my Reading Journal? Is a weekly journal entry of more use to people than a daily one? Are my entries too long, labourious and boring? Are there things I’m talking about in my Reading Journal which you don’t think I should be? Conversely, are there things I should be including but aren’t? I’d love to know what you think!
You can do that either by leaving a comment below, dropping me an email at Rob@RobAroundBooks.com, or, because I know a lot of you are shy 
even submitting your thoughts anonymously using the box below.
This may also be a good opportunity to let me know what else you do or don’t like about RobAroundBooks, and what changes you’d like to see me make, and what features you’d like to see me add. So please don’t be shy in holding back any. I’m a big lad, with a tough skin , and I really want to know you think.
I know your time is precious to you, so I thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart.
Warmest
Rob
About Rob
I actually like the reading journal – it adds some of your personality to the site!
My one suggestion for the site as a whole would be some easy way to see what your most recently added content is. Sometimes I have to look around for a while to see if there’s anything new.
Just to add, I know you have the recent posts box, but I meant something with a snippet of the text or a photo (kind of like the featured content), so I can tell right away if I’ve already read it.
says:
Thanks for that Lija. I thought I had it covered with ‘recent posts’, ‘featured content’ and thumbs in the ‘book news’ and ‘Featured Articles’ section, but obviously there’s room for improvement. Thank you!
Warmest
Rob
I know! You do have lots of cool features – that’s why I felt kind of silly saying it. I guess there’s just so much content on the home page it’s kind of hard to know where to look first.
says:
You’re not the only one’s who’s said that Lija, so your point is valid.
Warmest
Rob
says:
love your site rob as is your journal gives a glimpse to the man him self ,do miss your reader of the week thou ,hope you are well
says:
Thanks for the feedback Stu,
As it happens Rob’s Reader of the Week is coming back real soon, and you might want to check your email next week, just in case Rob comes a knockin’ for participants
Warmest
Rob
says:
will do rob
Rob I have to admit that I am not a big fan of the reading journal
Love the blog as always
says:
Nikesh,
Thank you for your honesty and unfaltering support. Your comment is duly noted.
Warmest
Rob
I’ll admit that I don’t always read the entire Reading Journal posts (just based on trying to decrease my online time in order to increase my reading time) … but I think that if it helps you to organize your thoughts or present impressions in a less formal way, then keep going! It’s your blog, after all, right?
says:
Thank you for your level-headed and thoughtful words Kristen. The way I ramble on with the Reading Journal some days I’m surprised anyone gets past the first paragraph. It was probably this that first got me thinking if it was at all worth while.
I do keep a reading journal offline too, so if I did stop doing the online version (although after a ton of positive comments that’s highly unlikely) then it would be no personal loss to me.
You’re right about this being my own blog though, but I don’t want to discourage anyone from visiting because my content sucks. Besides not asking for opinion may make me look pretentious and lordy – two things I’m definitely not
.
Anyway thanks again and enjoy the rest of your Sunday Kristen.
Warmest
Rob