Motherhood

20 Inspiring Reading Journal Ideas

April 9, 2025

Reading is an amazing and relaxing hobby to have! Tracking what you’re reading is a fun way to add to your reading life. Check out these 20 inspiring reading journal ideas to help get you started in tracking your books and being intentional with your reading goals!

Why Keep a Reading Journal?

There are many reasons to keep a reading journal. It really will depends on what your reading goals are. Here are a few reasons to start a reading journal for yourself:

Tracking your reading progress can keep you motivated in your reading life.
Organizes your reading life by keeping a list of your reading log, TBR, book wish lists, book reviews, and more.
Helps you remember what you’ve reading because you can create a section in your reading journal for book summaries to deepen your understanding or to look back on uin
Save your favorite book quotes all in one place.
You can make reading more meaningful as you build a record of all the stories you have read.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” – C.S. Lewis

How to Start a Reading Journal

Starting a reading journal isn’t complicated. You can choose to buy a reading journal or use our free printable reading journal. If you use ours, print it out and add it to a binder. You could even create a reading journal basket where you keep all your supplies together. Once you get your book or print-out ready, take time to start adding books that you have finished within the last year. Start by adding a few books to each section just starting out.

20 Inspiring Reading Journal Ideas

Book Wish List – Keep track of books you want to read next.
Reading Log – Record titles, authors, start/finish dates, and ratings.
Book Reviews – Reflect on each book with your thoughts, takeaways, and favorite parts.
Favorite Quotes – Collect meaningful, funny, or beautiful quotes.
Books to Buy – A list for future purchases or gift ideas.
Book Summary Pages – Jot down key plot points, themes, or characters.
Reading Goals – Set monthly or yearly goals to stay motivated.
TBR (To Be Read) List – Organize your upcoming reads.
Author Tracker – Keep a list of favorite authors and books you’ve read by them.
Genre Tracker – See which genres you read most or want to explore more in the future.
Reading Challenges – Create or join fun prompts like “read a book with a blue cover.”
Book Club Notes – Jot down meeting dates, discussion points, or shared opinions.
Monthly Reading Recap – Reflect on what you read each month.
5-Star Reads List – Keep a special list of your all-time favorites.
Books You Didn’t Finish – Track DNFs with a few notes on why.
Reading Mood Tracker – Note how your reading habits change with your mood.
Adaptations to Watch – List of books turned into movies or shows.
Books Borrowed or Loaned Out – Stay organized with borrowed/loaned titles.
Reading Spot Log – Favorite cozy spots you love to read in.
Seasonal Reading Lists – Create themed lists for fall, summer, or holidays.

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Tips for Staying Consistent with Your Reading Journal

Being consistent with your reading journal doesn’t have to be hard. It will be personal to each person depending on the amount of time you can devout to it. Some people will be able to write in it every day if they are an avid reader. Some people may be able to just add books weekly, or maybe even monthly. All of these are great options. The main thing is to be consistent with using it and adding books to it regularly.