READING JOURNAL

The concept of a reading journal was new to me not too long ago. Immediately, I loved the idea. I’ve always enjoyed reading and often times I forget the main details of a book so I thought it might be kind of fun to record a few of my thoughts on the book to look back on and maybe help jog my memory. Along with that, I loved the idea of keeping track of the books I’ve read. How satisfying would that be to flip through a journal and see everything I’ve read? 

I love all things notebooks and pens. I love scrapbook paper, washi tape, and cute stickers. Some of the reading journals people share online are amazing! They are so crafty and cute and I would absolutely love to do something like that. But I realized that I had to be honest with myself. There is no way I could keep up with that style of journaling. I have to admit that I just don’t have the time. I can’t spend more time making a journal spread than I would reading the book… I knew that if I started a reading journal for myself I would need to be realistic about what I could do at this point in my life.

I found a format online that I liked and felt like I could keep up with. It’s fairly simple but that’s what I like about it. With each book I read I’m recording:

-dates read

-page count

-format (hard copy vs digital)

-where I got the book (my copy, library, ect)

-my star rating

-my thoughts, likes and dislikes 

At first, I was using stamps like the girl I modeled my reading journal format after. But after a few months I realized that the stamping process was a little more involved than I was hoping for and it was making me put off updating my journal. I know that sounds ridiculous. Stamping isn’t that hard. But that’s just the reality of how I felt with the things I had going on in my life… I realized that I could make some stickers with my Cricut and use them instead. Now all I have to do is pop a few stickers in place, write my quick summary/thoughts, and tape in the image of the book cover. I also made a stencil for the lines that make my sections on my pages and that has made my life so much easier! Now I can just trace it when I start a new page instead of getting out my ruler and trying to measure it out. I’m all about simplifying these things!

I’m so happy I found a way to journal my reading that works for me and brings me joy. I feel like I’m reaching my goals when I update it at least once a month. I keep track of the dates I’m reading a specific book in my planner so it’s easily accessible when I go to update my journal. I’ve decided that I can go ahead and add a different type of journal spread if I feel like shaking things up or there’s something I’d like to do but I’m not going to put pressure on myself to make it look a certain way or include things I don’t need.

Starting a reading journal has been a fun thing for me. It brings me so much joy! If it’s something you’ve thought about, I would encourage you to give it a try. Find a method that will work for you. There are no rules! You don’t need to start it at the beginning of the year. Just start where you are.

Other Reading Journal Posts

Reading Journal 2026

A-Z Reading Challenge