Reading Journal Ideas: How to Keep a Reading Journal

A reading journal, also called a book journal, is the perfect way for students and book lovers to keep a record of the insights, observations, and lessons they've learned from reading. A reading journal can also double as a book log—including a list of books and relevant summaries—to help readers stay on top of their reading goals. You don't need anything fancy to start a reading journal. A simple lined, blank, or dotted journal will do just fine. Just be sure you have the right number of pages to last you all year.

Consider these reading journal ideas for keeping your own reading journal.

1. 1. Use a small journal for easy transport. Instead of opting for a larger journal, opt for a small, pocket-size journal that you can easily stash in a pocket or handbag for on-the-go journaling.
2. 2. Track the types of books you’ve read. Keeping a book tracker or reading log is helpful for keeping track of your reading habits, revealing whether you’re more into mysteries, thrillers, historical non-fiction, or novels.
3. 3. Stay on top of reading goals. Keeping a reading tracker is all about being able to measure your progress and keep yourself accountable to a reading challenge. Keeping a list of the books you've read will help you gauge whether or not you're on track to beat last year's goals.
4. 4. Keep notes to write book reviews. When you finish a new book, consider writing a review. Whether it be a short synopsis, star rating, or lengthy critique, writing down notes as you read the book is a helpful method for remembering how it struck you. This is especially helpful for members of a book club who may be pressed later to give their opinion of the book.
5. 5. Keep a list of your favorite books. Avid readers could benefit from keeping a section of their reading journal devoted to listing their favorite books of the year. This way, at the end of the year, you'll have a convenient way to find more books that you’ll likely be interested in exploring.
6. 6. Leave room for doodles. Sometimes inspiration is more easily captured by drawings than words. Leave some room in your reading journal for drawing doodles to help you process the reading in a new and unexpected way.
7. 7. Personalize your journal. When starting a reading journal, add some personal touches to keep your journal interesting to you. Washi tape comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and it won't damage your journal pages. Adorning the front of your journal with stickers is a great way to add a little color to your bookshelf.

A bullet journal (BUJO) is a journal specifically formatted to suit your unique journaling goals. As such, it will take some effort on your part to set up your bullet journal spread. Purchase a blank page or dotted journal, and use markers or pens to organize it to your liking. Consider organizing it by month and creating checkboxes for each book you wish to read in a particular week. Create a section at the end of each week to jot down your impressions of the book, leave a review, or assign it a star rating. Unlike planners, BUJOs are not dependent on the calendar year and can be started at any time.

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