Sometimes Goodreads and Storygraph just aren’t enough. I need to write essays on my thoughts and physically cross books off my list. I need to doodle key moments, and I need my reading journal. And you do too!
Journaling has a long and vibrant history and takes many different forms, one of them being “the reading journal” — a way to document what you’ve read, your thoughts and feelings, and to express your creativity. Whether you do it online or on paper, it’s a cathartic experience, with some taking it a lot more seriously than others when they hide behind their laptop screen.
When I first wanted to make a reading journal, I had no idea where to start or what to do. And so many people are too creative for their own good and make anything I’ve attempted so far in my journaling years (a grand total of one and nearly another one) look…not as good as I imagine🤩. So I’m clearly expertly qualified to write this: my beginner’s guide to the reading journal…
Taking the plunge
The hardest part is finding the right journal…and then having the courage to buy said journal. It shouldn’t be the hardest bit, but it is. I spent hours browsing online for the perfect journal, and then settled on the most basic boring black one, but as they say, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
There are so many options! You have to choose the right cover, the right page design (yes, it’s really that tedious, and yes, dotted is the correct answer, always), whether you want a pre-designed one, or to start your own from scratch. But I’m going to hold your (and my) hands when I say this: You need to get a grip, it’s only a bloody book. Just make it yours.
@amys.journal.nook ✨ 2025 Reading Journal Set (Part 2) I shared this on my bookish account but wanted to share here too! Im obsessed with how this spread came out and cant wait to share the rest of my setup 🤍 #readingjournal #readingjournal2025 #readingjournalsetup #readingjournalsetup2025 #journalwithme #journaltok #booktok #bookishtiktok #journalcommunity ♬ house song – searows
How to Make it Yours
You don’t need fancy pens or millions of stickers and paper samples (unless you want them). As long as you aren’t physically repulsed by your creation, and it’s functional, you have yourself a personal reading journal!
Pinterest and TikTok were my saving grace when designing mine. I consider myself a pretty creative person, but sometimes, you just need a helping hand to know where to start. Here are a list of ideas I wish I’d had a long time ago:
- Title page
- Tbr list for the year ahead
- Single/double page spread for each book you read (more on this later)
- Reading habit tables/graphs/stats
- Book bracket to determine book of the year
- Rating system key
- Book BINGO!
- Alphabet reading challenge
There is no right or wrong way to do it; it only has to be a space for you to log what you’ve read, or you know, whatever you decide to do with it.
@thequirkycupco Sugar & Spice Reading Journal tour 🫶🏼 #readingjournal #bookjournal #bookreview ♬ original sound – The Quirky Cup Co
Reading Entries
If you decide to create space for entries of the books you’ve read, deciding what to include on those pages is a whole different kettle of fish.
From what I’ve seen of others’ reading journals, there are many ways you can embellish your entries to take up space:
- 5 star rating
- Title, author, genre
- Thoughts
- Review
- Synopsis
- Doodles/illustrations/collages
I don’t want to make this all about me, but I’m going to anyway, so give me a second.
The first year I did a reading journal, I gave myself a double page spread per book; on those pages I’d create an “aesthetic collage” of small printed images based on the vibes of the book (that’s my university printing credit allowance down the drain), then used the rest of the space to word-vomit all of my thoughts. Safe to say this got very old very quickly, and it turns out I don’t have infinite thoughts about all of the books I read, let alone enough thoughts to occupy two whole sides of A5 paper.
So, cleverly, this year I only dedicated one page per book and scrapped the collaging. I doodle things instead (she’s an artist 👨🎨). This has only taken up half of the pages in my journal, meaning I can use the second half for next year (do I hear environmentally conscious queen?? 🤪)
But Why Bother?
Excellent question. At the end of the day, a reading journal is just another commitment (albeit a small and rather meaningless one), and another excuse to buy something you don’t need. BUT, it’s a great hobby, and it can become something of a passion project if you do it year after year, like I plan on doing.
They’re not for everybody, and I wouldn’t force them on anyone. Too often have I put off filling in my reading entry because I just couldn’t be bothered, or I didn’t have the time, and then finally got around to doing it and couldn’t remember a single thing about the book I read, or a single thought I had while reading. Super UNhelpful when the only thing I write on the page is my thoughts, and the only doodles I doodle are key things in the book.
I digress. The point is, if you don’t want to do one, simply don’t bother 😀. The reading police aren’t going to arrest you for not being a dedicated enough reader. In fact, never let anyone tell you that you aren’t a proper reader if you don’t review books. Or you don’t have a Goodreads or Storygraph account. Or you don’t keep a reading journal. If you read, you’re a reader…but that’s a whole other story.
If you do want to do one, YAY! Hopefully this has been a helpful guide and you’re feeling a lot less intimidated about beginning one. The great thing is, as I’m finding out too, if you don’t like the way you’ve done it, first of all, no one has to see it, and second, there’s always next year!
So take the plunge and buy that journal!
Related content:
