My Reading Journal: A Notebook and Diary for Book Lovers

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But as I’ve read more books, and added audiobooks to the mix, I’ve found it useful to have a place to jot down my thoughts as I read. I also like having a place to note all the books I want to read–as well as why they catch my interest (because I’m bound to forget!).

Likewise, if you don’t want to have multiple journals, you may want to create a bullet reading journal that can help you organize various areas of your life (where reading is just one section).For instance, you could make your reading journal double as your monthly calendar. If you want to get serious about reading on a regular basis, this type of setup may be right up your alley.

When you’re ready to grab a new book, you’ll have a wonderful, pre-vetted selection to choose from. 6. Incorporate a Review Section (& Unleash Your Inner Book Critic) Also known as a reading journal, it can be just about anything you want it to be. In general, this type of journal is used to: The word “spread” is just a term used for a section within your journal. So for this idea, you would use a year-at-a-glance calendar and pencil in a reading plan for the year. Trust me on this. It’s such a fun, creative outlet to critique a book without the intimidation factor of someone critiquing your critique!The truth is, even when the most voracious readers finish a book and are blown away by how fantastic it was, we just don’t always remember it weeks, months, and years later. Some of the book plots are derived from the imaginative minds of creative geniuses while there are some book plots that are inspired from daily real-life events. Great books sometimes send our thoughts in crazy directions–let yourself record what you’re thinking and feeling as you reflect. Share Your Reading Journal Ideas!

If you’re thinking about starting a reading journal, look no further than this ultimate guide to book journals. You’ll find book journal ideas, reading journal examples, prompts, and thoughts on why you should start a book log to improve your reading life. Pre-Designed Book Journals: There are a ton of pre-designed, book journals out there. The benefit of these is that they’re simple to use and ready to go. The downside is that you may not be able to customize it as fully as a blank journal. You may find that there’s wasted space you don’t use, or that it doesn’t have all the questions you’d like. Make sure you preview what’s offered and decide what you’re looking for (see tip 2) before purchasing.

Another Journal for Book Lovers

Journaling about books can help you remember the story, characters, and the feeling of reading those books. Do you ever set reading goals for yourself? Maybe you want to read a certain number of books each year or even every month? A dedicated book journal for your reading challenge can be especially useful if your challenge will span a whole year (or even longer). It can help you stay focused on your goal and remember to work in those books that help meet your challenge.

In addition, those jotted notes usually lead to additional insights and connections that I wouldn’t have made without the physical act of writing. Typing up a review is one thing, and it’s useful, but those pen-on-paper notes are gold. Choosing a Readers Journal If you prefer something paperless and free, then you may opt to use your mobile phone or laptop instead of an actual notebook. But when I started my first reading journal this year, I wasn’t sure how it would work for me. I’d gotten out of the habit of journaling in general and I thought Goodreads might be enough, flawed as it was.I tend to avoid numbers-based challenges, but I do like to consider my reading habits each year and what kind of books I want to read more of. My 2020 reading challenge was to read one nonfiction book per month and one book from my shelf. This is also useful for removing books from your TBR–which for me, also happens frequently. If a book doesn’t work for a trusted reader friend, I’ll go in and cross it out. Same thing if something about the book is problematic (e.g., American Dirt). For instance, you can keep a timeline of the important events in each book to help you chronicle important points. One fan raved: “I absolutely love this book log! I am a bookstagrammer and read 70 or more books a year and this log has everything I need! I bought 2 of them and am so pleased! There’s plenty of room for your review as well as start date/finish date, genre, title, publisher, author, any quotes you liked in the book, and more!”