The Reading List Manager skill helps you curate, track, and extract value from your reading across books, articles, essays, and research papers. Rather than letting reading materials pile up in browser tabs and forgotten bookmarks, this skill provides a structured system for managing your reading pipeline and capturing key insights.
This skill applies principles from "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer Adler, Zettelkasten note-taking methods, and spaced repetition learning to help you not just read more, but retain and apply what you read. It helps you prioritize what to read next, track progress, capture highlights, and synthesize insights across multiple sources.
The system distinguishes between different reading types—deep reading for understanding, scanning for information, and recreational reading for pleasure—and provides appropriate tracking and note-taking frameworks for each.
Core Workflows
Workflow 1: Add to Reading List
Capture new reading materials:
Source Capture: Title, author, type (book/article/paper)
Context Recording: Why you want to read this, who recommended it
Priority Assessment: How urgent/important is this?
Goal Alignment: What serves your current learning goals?
Recommendation: Suggests specific next read with rationale
Workflow 3: Reading Progress Tracking
Monitor ongoing reading:
Check-In: Update page/chapter/percentage complete
Time Logging: How long are you spending?
Difficulty Assessment: Is this easier/harder than expected?
Retention Check: Can you summarize what you've read so far?
Adjust Pace: Speed up, slow down, or abandon?
Workflow 4: Reading Notes & Highlights
Capture key insights:
Highlight Capture: Note key quotes or passages
Personal Reflection: Why does this matter to you?
Connection Making: How does this relate to other reading?
Action Items: What will you do with this information?
Synthesis: Main takeaways in your own words
Workflow 5: Reading Review
Consolidate learning after finishing:
Summary: Main ideas in 3-5 bullet points
Best Insights: Top 3 takeaways
Actionable Ideas: What will you implement?
Connections: Related books, concepts, or experiences
Recommendation: Would you recommend? To whom?
Rating: How valuable was this?
Reading Frameworks
The Reading Pipeline
QUEUE
New additions, not yet started
Prioritized by urgency/relevance
Categorized by type and topic
IN PROGRESS
Currently reading
Limit work-in-progress (3-5 books max)
Mix of deep and light reading
Active note-taking
COMPLETED
Finished with notes captured
Summary and key takeaways recorded
Insights extracted and filed
Recommended or archived
ABANDONED
Started but not worth finishing
Brief note on why abandoned
No guilt—life's too short for bad books
Reading Types & Approaches
Deep Reading (Books, long-form)
Read for comprehension and retention
Active note-taking
Multiple passes if needed
Time required: Hours to weeks
Scanning (Articles, reports)
Read for specific information
Skim for relevant sections
Capture key facts or data
Time required: 15-30 minutes
Recreational (Fiction, light non-fiction)
Read for enjoyment
Minimal note-taking
Focus on experience, not extraction
Time required: Hours to days
Research (Academic papers, technical docs)
Read with specific question in mind
Critical evaluation
Detailed notes and citations
Time required: 1-3 hours per paper
Progressive Summarization Method
Layer 1: Capture
Highlight passages as you read
Layer 2: Bold
Bold the most important parts of highlights
Layer 3: Summarize
Write key ideas in your own words
Layer 4: Remix
Connect ideas across sources into original thinking
Quick Reference
Action
Command/Trigger
Add new reading
"add to reading list"
Get recommendation
"what should I read next"
Update progress
"reading progress update"
Capture notes
"reading notes for [title]"
Review finished book
"review [title]"
View reading list
"show my reading list"
Search reading history
"find books about [topic]"
Reading stats
"reading statistics"
Reading Categories
Professional Development
Business & management
Technical skills
Industry trends
Leadership
Communication
Personal Growth
Psychology
Philosophy
Health & wellness
Productivity
Relationships
Creative & Arts
Fiction
Poetry
Design
Writing craft
Creative thinking
Science & Technology
Popular science
Research papers
Technology trends
Innovation
History & Current Events
Biography
Historical analysis
Journalism
Cultural commentary
Tracking Templates
Reading List Entry Template
TITLE: [Book/Article Title]
AUTHOR: [Author Name]
TYPE: [ ] Book [ ] Article [ ] Paper [ ] Essay
STATUS: [ ] Queue [ ] In Progress [ ] Completed [ ] Abandoned
ADDED: [Date]
SOURCE: [Where you found this / Who recommended]
WHY: [Why you want to read this]
PRIORITY: [ ] High [ ] Medium [ ] Low
ESTIMATED TIME: [Hours or pages]
CATEGORY: [Topic/Genre]
TAGS: [Keywords for searching]
STARTED: [Date]
COMPLETED: [Date]
ACTUAL TIME: [How long it took]
RATING: [1-5 stars]
WOULD RECOMMEND: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Maybe
Reading Notes Template
TITLE: [Book Title]
AUTHOR: [Author]
COMPLETED: [Date]
MAIN THESIS:
[Core argument or purpose of the book in 1-2 sentences]
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. [First major insight]
2. [Second major insight]
3. [Third major insight]
FAVORITE QUOTES:
- "[Quote 1]" (Page X)
- "[Quote 2]" (Page Y)
ACTIONABLE IDEAS:
- [ ] [Something to do/try/implement]
- [ ] [Another action item]
CONNECTIONS:
Related to: [Other books, concepts, experiences]
Contradicts: [If applicable]
Expands on: [If applicable]
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
[How this changed your thinking, what surprised you, what you disagree with]
RECOMMENDATION:
Best for: [Type of reader who would benefit]
Skip if: [Who might not find value]
Quick Article Capture Template
TITLE: [Article Title]
SOURCE: [Publication/Website]
URL: [Link]
READ: [Date]
KEY INSIGHT: [Main point in one sentence]
USEFUL FACTS/DATA:
-
-
ACTION ITEMS:
-
SAVED FOR: [Why you saved this—project, interest area, etc.]
Weekly Reading Review
WEEK OF: [Date Range]
BOOKS IN PROGRESS:
- [Title 1] - [% complete]
- [Title 2] - [% complete]
ARTICLES READ: [Number]
Best article: [Title and why]
TOTAL READING TIME: [Hours]
BEST INSIGHT THIS WEEK:
[What idea or concept stood out most]
COMPLETED:
- [Title] - [Rating]
ADDED TO LIST:
- [New additions]
NEXT WEEK'S READING GOAL:
[What you plan to read or finish]
Best Practices
Curate ruthlessly - Not everything deserves your time
Abandon freely - If it's not valuable after 50 pages, move on
Read with purpose - Know why you're reading before you start
Take notes in your own words - Summarizing aids retention
Use the right medium - Physical books for deep reading, digital for scanning
Read before bed - Better than screens for sleep
Follow your curiosity - Reading should feel engaging, not obligatory
Build a reading habit - Small daily reading beats sporadic binges
Reading Strategies
The Skimming Strategy
When to use: Articles, reports, books you're unsure about
Read title, subtitle, intro, conclusion
Scan headings and subheadings
Read first/last sentence of paragraphs
Look for bolded terms, lists, summaries
Decide: deep read, light read, or skip?
The Deep Reading Strategy
When to use: Important books, complex ideas
Pre-read: Scan structure, read intro/conclusion
Read actively: Highlight, annotate, question
Pause and reflect: Stop every chapter to summarize
Review highlights: Second pass to consolidate
Synthesize: Write summary in your own words
Apply: Use insights in real work/life
The Research Reading Strategy
When to use: Academic papers, technical documentation
Question first: What do you need to know?
Abstract/Summary: Does this answer your question?
Scan methodology: Is approach sound?
Results/Conclusion: What did they find?
Skim details: Read relevant sections thoroughly
Cite and file: Save with proper attribution
The Fiction Reading Strategy
When to use: Novels, narrative non-fiction
Immerse fully: Minimize distractions
Don't force notes: Mark favorite passages if you want
Reflect after: What moved you? What did you notice?
Discuss: Talk with others who've read it
Let it marinate: Insights emerge over time
Integration Points
This skill works well with:
Learning Path Creator: Align reading with learning goals
Goal Setter: Track reading-related goals
Journal Prompter: Reflect on reading insights
Idea Capturer: Capture ideas sparked by reading
Decision Helper: Use reading insights for decision-making
Example Reading List Session
User: "add to reading list"
Skill Response:
"Let's add that to your reading queue. A few details will help us prioritize and track it.
What are you adding?
Book title & author?
Article title & publication?
Research paper?
Essay or blog post?
Give me the title and type."
User: "Atomic Habits by James Clear, book"
Skill Response:
"Excellent choice—Atomic Habits is a highly actionable book on behavior change.
A few more questions to properly queue this:
Why are you reading this? (Helps with prioritization)
Recommended by someone?
Relevant to current project/goal?
General interest?
How urgent is it?
Need it soon for something specific?
On your list for when you have time?
What format?
Physical book, ebook, audiobook?
(This affects when/where you can read it)
Take your time—good metadata makes your reading list actually useful."
User: "Recommended by my manager, want to improve my habits, have physical copy, not urgent but want to start soon"
Skill Response:
"Perfect. Here's what I'm adding:
TITLE: Atomic Habits
AUTHOR: James Clear
TYPE: Book (Physical)
PRIORITY: Medium (want to start soon)
WHY: Manager recommendation, habit improvement
ESTIMATED TIME: ~6-8 hours (it's ~320 pages, very readable)
CATEGORY: Personal Development / Productivity
SUGGESTED READING APPROACH:
This is a highly practical book—I'd recommend:
Read with a notebook handy
Identify 1-2 habits to work on as you read
Apply concepts immediately rather than waiting to finish
Reading time: 30-45 min sessions work well
ADD TO QUEUE? [Yes/No]
Want me to suggest when to start this based on your current reading progress?"