How To Set Up A Reading Journal: Your Personal Library and Book Club in One

Are you a bookworm looking to keep track of your reading progress and thoughts on the books you're reading? Then a reading journal might be just the thing for you!

Not only does it allow you to reflect on your reading experience, but it can also help you remember important details about the books you've read and identify patterns in your reading preferences.

So, how do you set up a reading journal? It's actually quite simple! Here are some simple steps you can follow:

1. Choose a Journal

You can use any notebook you like to keep track of your reading, but if you want to make sure it's going to be sturdy enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily use, we recommend our 170gsm Dot Grid Journal. It's made of high-quality paper that can withstand spills and tears, with enough pages to keep track of months or years' worth of books without running out!

2. Create a reading tracker

In your journal, create a page that lists the books you have read and what you thought of them. This will help you keep track of the books that you have read and how much time it took to read each one.

3. Create a reading log

This is the most important part of your reading journal. You need to keep track of what you're reading, when you read it.

To do so, create a column in your bullet journal for each book you're currently reading. Then, when you finish any book, write down the date that you finished and the title of the book in the appropriate slot. You can also include a brief summary of what happened in the book here, or just write down what you remember if that's all that comes to mind!

4. Add a review and rating page

One of our favourite ways to keep track of what we've finished is by adding a rating or review page.

Set aside some time each week or month to rate or review the book you read. It will help you stay in control of your reading list. It also helps you remember what you've read and what you liked about it so you can better choose what to read next!

5. Add a page for quotes or passages that stood out to you (optional)

If you want to take things up another notch, try adding a page at the end of each week where you can write down quotes or passages from books that really stuck with you throughout.

You can also include artwork here if they inspired any doodles or drawings in your bullet journal.

When it comes to reading, we all have our own routines. If a reading journal is something that appeals to you, by all means give it a try. A reading journal isn't the only activity you can use your Bullet Journal for—it's highly adaptable and can be customised to suit your needs.

You can also check out this amazing video by Erin Smith, on how she set up her 2023 Reading Journal.


Happy reading and journaling!

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know in the comments! Share it with your friends using the social share buttons below.