Creating a Reading Journal

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Last week we talked about building a book list. There is never a time when I don’t have a to be read pile on my kindle or in the stack of books on the shelf. Curating that list has saved me time, money and keeps me reading consistently. 

And I love data. Crunching those numbers makes me feel like I’m making progress in my life adventure. Goodreads has held my library for ten years, I think. Way back when I stood in front of my bookcase and scanned hundreds of books to get it on my Goodreads library. Now it pulls in my digital purchases automatically.  

There are thirteen hundred books on my bookshelf over on Goodreads. It’s not all the books I have ever read in my life, but it’s a decade’s worth. This year I’m keeping a close eye on my digital book journal over there. So far, I’ve read seven books.  

I’ve also been reading the same self-help book since the first of the year. Let’s talk about that. When is it okay to say goodbye to a book you can’t finish? There is nothing wrong with the book I’m reading. My belief right now is if I’m resisting something, it’s because it gets too close or under my skin. Then I need to turn and lean into it. But sometimes a book isn’t for me right now. There is nothing wrong with saving it for another day or to lay it down as not for you. I put these books on my “stopped reading” shelf.  

Goodreads is a digital option. It’s free and if you’re a reading person, you probably already have an account.

Now let’s talk about analog options.  

One of the crafty folks I follow started a book club for her Patreon. She then put up a video of making a reading journal with ink and stamps. Then she linked to two different people on YouTube who she'd used for inspiration.

For another analog idea, look at some of the planner sticker community. I love Creating and Co. Her shop is now all book themed. You can find all kinds of things to help you make a reading journal with stickers. She also has a video or two around about how to make book cover stickers for in your journal. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list of all the ideas out there. There are a couple of ready to go journals you can buy. There are so many Etsy folks who have printables and such. Look around until you find something that appeals to you.  

There are plenty of people out there who’ve rediscovered reading over the last two years. Finding a fun way to show your progress can be fun and insightful.  

Do you like any of these ideas? How do you track your reading?