Frank kept a book journal, which chronicled what he read and his reactions to it, but also drifted to what might be considered a more diary-like journal. Did it surprise you that Grace didn’t know about this habit? Do you keep a book journal, and if so, what do you note?
No it didn’t surprise me because this seemed like a personal thing, more than just reviews. I review books on Goodreads, but don’t include personal info.
It did not surprise me that Frank had a journal. I also have several book journals. I often look back to remind myself of a book I read, esp. if I read a book review. I like to read how differently people react to the same book, so mine go back 15 years.
Keeping a book journal was new to me. I thought it was interesting how Frank could relate to different characters in different books - and then write about how it personally affected him. It seemed very therapeutic for him. These journals were private but I believe they were extremely helpful to Grace after he died.
It didn’t surprise me that Grace didn’t know about his journals. He probably spent many hours in his study. She would not have known if he was working or journaling. I like how thorough they were. I only keep a list of books that I have read. One of my friends keeps a list with the title, author, grade that she gives it, and a few descriptive sentences. I have her send me her updated list a few times a year. She reads more than I do, and I usually like the same books that she likes. I love that she shares it with me.
I thought it was odd that his book journal crossed over into a personal journal where he reflected on people or things beyond the book. I suppose that makes sense, but I had just never thought of combining the two.
I do keep a record of the books I read, but it’s just a spreadsheet. I include a couple of sentences with my thoughts about the book, but no real ruminations on themes or anything like that.
It didn’t really surprise me that Grace did not know about Frank’s book journal since this was his personal writing. I have never kept a book journal. Several years ago, I started a spreadsheet of books I have read. I include a few very brief comments but nothing as personal as Frank’s. I am not sure I would want those written thoughts left for anyone else to read.
I keep a record of what I read: the title, author, starred review (1-4), and a very short synopsis. That’s it. I wasn’t surprised that Frank kept not just a list of titles but personal reflections in it since Grace didn’t share his love of reading. I doubt she would have listened to his thoughts about the books he read. I don’t think she realized that they led rather separate lives; it sounds like she was more wrapped up in antiques and didn’t like to talk about difficult topics.
I wondered how many times Grace may have walked past Frank’s study and seen him writing in the journal but didn’t give it a thought. Whether she didn’t notice it was a journal or just didn’t pay close attention.
Franks book journals were like a diary. I had a diary when I was in school (the younger years) probably because I liked the key to lock it up, but I’m not a journal writer. However I have a printed BOOK TRACKER when I record the name and author of the book, the date and rate 1to 5 stars. I like being able to see how many books I read in a month and how many books I read of my favorite authors.
Frank seemed like a person who would want to remember the story and apply it to his live. Grace showed little interest in reading and Frank’s book club while he was alive so why would she know, or care, about his book journals? I’m glad she discovered them because I think she grew in knowledge of both Frank and herself by reading them.
Kim. I didn’t think it odd at all that Frank wrote his personal thoughts in his journals. I think once he started writing , it naturally flowed into personal. After all , he couldn’t talk about it to his wife! If he couldn’t talk about his books, there’s probabaly other things he would have liked to discuss and didn’t, The fact that he his his thoughts about his ADHD tells a lot about their relationship. Maybe part of the silent book club, was those who read and couldn’t share the books with others in thier lives.
It didn’t surprise me that Grace didn’t know about Frank’s journal – she wasn’t a reader and didn’t seem interested in what he read. I keep a book journal and note the date that I read the book, how many stars I gave it and a couple of sentences about the plot. I also keep track of where I’ve reviewed the book.
As I read your observation about Grace showing little interest in reading and Frank’s bookclub, I thought about how bittersweet it was that she finally understood how much Frank loved reading and how much the book club meant to him. It made me wonder how different their life might have been had she joined him in reading books.
Grace wasn’t the type to pry and I doubt that Frank mentioned it to her as she didn’t read that much. I do not keep a journal regarding books but I should as I start to read books that I didn’t know I had already read.
It didn’t surprise me Frank kept a book journal. I belong to a book club and some of the members keep a book journal, I keep a list. It also didn’t surprise me that Grace knew nothing about Frank’s journal or that his entries crossed over to personal observations. I reference books or things I have read in my journal that seem to just pop up when I am journaling. To me, it’s a natural process and I have done that for years.