Reading Log and Book Architecture

The Record

I wanted a single place to track every book I read so I built this running log. This is a living post. I append a new entry each time I finish a book and add a new year section when the calendar rolls over. I keep it factual and short. Each entry lists the title, the author, the status, and a star score.

I am currently reading Four Thousand Weeks. The pending titles follow once that one is finished.

How I Score

I score every book on one axis, which is whether it was worth the time and whether I would recommend it. I keep it to a five star scale with no half stars, because the point is to force a clean call rather than agonise over fractions. I score right after finishing while the impression is fresh, and I never re-score on a re-read. A re-read gets logged as a new dated entry instead.

A book only gets a score once I finish it. If I start one and set it aside, it stays in the log marked Paused with no score, so the record stays honest about what I actually read through.

Stars	Meaning
★★★★★	Changed how I think or act, would push it on people
★★★★☆	Solid, real value, would recommend
★★★☆☆	Fine, a few good ideas, no strong push
★★☆☆☆	Weak, mostly filler, skimmed value
★☆☆☆☆	Waste of time

2025

Title	Author	Status	Score
Rich Dad Poor Dad	Robert Kiyosaki	Finished	★★★★☆
The Alchemist	Paulo Coelho	Finished	★★★☆☆
Jung: A Very Short Introduction	Anthony Stevens	Finished	★★☆☆☆

2026

Title	Author	Status	Score
Dopamine Nation	Anna Lembke	Finished	★★★★★
Models	Mark Manson	Finished	★★★★★
Bounce	Matthew Syed	Finished	★★☆☆☆
ADHD 2.0	Edward Hallowell and John Ratey	Finished	★★★★☆
50 AI Ideas You Really Need to Know	Various	Paused	-
Four Thousand Weeks	Oliver Burkeman	Reading	-

Score Notes

The reasoning behind each score, kept short so the table stays the reference.

Rich Dad Poor Dad scored four because the detail is thin and dated, but the mindset shift around assets and liabilities stuck and changed how I think about income.

The Alchemist scored three. A clean fable with a couple of lines worth keeping, simpler than its reputation, and it did not change how I act.

Jung: A Very Short Introduction scored two. Dense and dry, it works as a reference if you already care about Jung, but it assumes more than it teaches as an introduction.

Dopamine Nation scored five. The pleasure pain balance model reframed my habits around training, food, and screen time, and I have applied it directly.

Models scored five. The strongest on the list for shifting behaviour, an honest mindset book that changed how I approach social confidence.

Bounce scored two. A couple of good ideas early on around practice and talent, but it stretched a thin argument out longer than it needed to be.

ADHD 2.0 scored four. Very informative and practical, with framing that mapped onto my own patterns and gave me something to act on.

Reading Flow

This diagram tracks the chronological progression downward. The year sits inline as a marker where each one starts, then the books follow under it. I extend it as the log grows.

graph TD
    Y1[2025] --> A[Rich Dad Poor Dad]
    A --> B[The Alchemist]
    B --> C[Jung A Very Short Introduction]
    C --> Y2[2026]
    Y2 --> D[Dopamine Nation]
    D --> H[Models]
    H --> E[Bounce]
    E --> F[ADHD 2.0]
    F --> G[Four Thousand Weeks Reading Now]
    F -.-> P[50 AI Ideas Paused]

    classDef year fill:#D4A017,stroke:#8A6A0F,color:#1A1205,font-weight:bold;
    classDef current fill:#1F6F54,stroke:#0F3D2E,color:#FFFFFF;
    classDef paused fill:#E5E5E5,stroke:#9A9A9A,color:#555555;
    class Y1,Y2 year;
    class G current;
    class P paused;

Summary

This log captures the order I have worked through each book and how each one scored. I append new titles, update the status and score fields, and add a fresh year section as the reading continues. The flow diagram extends downward with each new entry.