A reading journal is a place where you note what you read and what you think of it. Four things are enough: the title, the dates, the pages and one sentence after the last page. The rest is a bonus. This piece is for adult readers, not a school reading log, so nobody is grading you.
Why keep a reading journal
A journal does three things. It reminds you what you read (after a year we forget titles), it shows your rhythm (when you read most) and it leaves a trace of your thoughts you can come back to. It does not need to be pretty or long: one sentence after a finished book beats a beautiful notebook you abandon after a week.
What to write: the minimum and the extended version
| Field | Minimum | Extended version |
|---|---|---|
| Title and author | yes | yes |
| Start and end date | yes | yes |
| Page count | yes | yes |
| Rating | one sentence or stars | a reason in three sentences |
| Quote | no | one memorable passage |
| Mood or place of reading | no | yes |
| What the book changed in me | no | yes |
Start with the left column. Come back to the right one when you notice you want more.
A template you can copy
It takes two minutes to fill in. If you want to shorten it, keep the title, dates and pages: the rest can wait. Keep books you have not started yet somewhere else: here is how to run a TBR list. Prefer paper? Get our printable reading log: three A4 sheets with the columns ready.
Writing a note from memory, rather than copying lines out of the book, also helps you keep it. Why that works, and how to use it, is in how to remember what you read.
Paper, notes app or reading app
A paper notebook
Pleasant to touch and a keepsake. Worse if you want to count something, because you make the stats yourself.
A notes app on your phone
Always at hand and easy to search. It needs your own structure, so the template above will help.
A reading app
Counts pages and shows progress for you. In Talemi you log a page and the app updates progress, stats and matching challenges. There are no notes or reviews there yet.
You can also combine them: pages and dates in the app, thoughts in a notebook. How to log progress is covered in how to track reading progress.
How not to abandon a journal after a week
- Write right after reading. By evening the details fade, and a short note is enough.
- Limit yourself to two minutes. If an entry takes longer, simplify the fields.
- Log books you did not finish too. The page where you stopped is useful information.
- Look back once a month. You will see your rhythm and get a nudge to write the next entry.
If goals matter to you, combine the journal with a daily goal in pages. And if you are thinking about picking an app, see our guide to reading tracker apps.
Want your shelf and progress in one place? See how Talemi works and join early access.
