Reading List Manager

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:

1. Source Capture: Title, author, type (book/article/paper)
2. Context Recording: Why you want to read this, who recommended it
3. Priority Assessment: How urgent/important is this?
4. Category Tagging: Topic area, reading type
5. Time Estimation: Approximate reading time
6. List Placement: Add to appropriate queue

Workflow 2: Choose Next Read

Smart reading queue management:

1. Context Check: What do you have time for?
2. Priority Review: What's most urgent or relevant?
3. Variety Balance: Mix deep/light, fiction/non-fiction
4. Goal Alignment: What serves your current learning goals?
5. Recommendation: Suggests specific next read with rationale

Workflow 3: Reading Progress Tracking

Monitor ongoing reading:

1. Check-In: Update page/chapter/percentage complete
2. Time Logging: How long are you spending?
3. Difficulty Assessment: Is this easier/harder than expected?
4. Retention Check: Can you summarize what you've read so far?
5. Adjust Pace: Speed up, slow down, or abandon?

Workflow 4: Reading Notes & Highlights

Capture key insights:

1. Highlight Capture: Note key quotes or passages
2. Personal Reflection: Why does this matter to you?
3. Connection Making: How does this relate to other reading?
4. Action Items: What will you do with this information?
5. Synthesis: Main takeaways in your own words

Workflow 5: Reading Review

Consolidate learning after finishing:

1. Summary: Main ideas in 3-5 bullet points
2. Best Insights: Top 3 takeaways
3. Actionable Ideas: What will you implement?
4. Connections: Related books, concepts, or experiences
5. Recommendation: Would you recommend? To whom?
6. 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

Reading Categories

Professional Development

• Business & management
• Technical skills
• Industry trends
• Leadership
• Communication

Personal Growth

• Psychology
• Philosophy
• Health & wellness
• Productivity
• Relationships

Creative

...