I used to think reading journals were for a very specific type of person.
The kind of person who finishes a book, immediately writes three thoughtful pages about symbolism, and somehow never loses their notebook.
That was not me.
I was more: finish a book, love it, rate it on Goodreads, swear I’ll remember it forever…
And then, two weeks later:
→ Wait. Who was the main character again?
→ Why did that ending hit so hard?
→ Was this the one with the vampires or the hunted witches? Or both?
That’s the real reason a lot of people start a reading journal. Because you don’t want your books to vanish the second you close them.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to start a reading journal, what to include, and whether a digital or paper setup makes more sense.
What is a reading journal?
A reading journal is simply a place to keep track of what you read and what you thought about it.
Nothing fancy (if you don’t want it to be).
It can be a notebook, a Google Doc, a page in your Notes app, a Notion page, whatever works.
The point is that you have somewhere to capture things like:
- What you felt while reading
- What stuck with you afterward
- Quotes you don’t want to lose
- Patterns in the kinds of stories you love
If you’re looking for simple reading journal ideas, this is the kind of thing you’ll want to write down as you go.
Why most people abandon reading journals
Most reading journals don’t fail because people lose interest in them. They usually fail because the upkeep becomes too much.
Too many pages to fill out. Too many prompts to go through. Too much effort after you’ve already finished a 500-page book.
If your journal starts to feel like homework, you’re not going to keep up with it.
So the trick is to start small.
How to start a reading journal in 5 steps
Step 1: Keep it simple at first
If you want to start a reading journal, you just need a few things, namely:
- A list of books
- The author name
- A reading status (To Read, Reading, Finished, DNF)
- Space for a few thoughts
- A rating (in actual ★s is you want to be fancy)
- The main theme or trope
Here's a simple reading journal idea in Google Sheets::
And yes, DNF belongs in a reading journal (and for whatever reason, Goodreads doesn’t offer this option). Logging a book you didn’t finish is still useful, and you don’t need to feel awful about it.
Step 2: Decide what you want to remember
This is where book lovers overcomplicate things.
Ask yourself one question:
→ When I look back on my reading life, what do I want to know?
Maybe it’s the books that made you cry. Maybe it’s the ones you’d recommend instantly. Maybe it’s the ones you never want to accidentally reread again.
Your journal doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. What it needs to do is help you remember what mattered to YOU.
Step 3: Use journal prompts (minimally)
Having built-in prompts in your reading journal can be super helpful.
But you know what’s not helpful? 100 prompts, 95% of which you’ll never use.
A few good ones go a long way.
Try questions like:
- What was the main theme of this book?
- What stuck with me most?
- How did this book make me feel?
- Would I recommend it, and to who?
- What quote do I want to keep?
You don’t need to write an entire essay if you don’t want to. Even 1-2 sentences is enough to help you log your thoughts.
Step 4: Add a reading tracker
Some readers love reading challenges while others hate them.
Personally, I like having a yearly goal. It motivates me and holds me accountable... to myself.
(Note: If it’s only going to stress you out, you can skip this part).
If you want to track your reading, keep it simple:
- Set a goal (e.g., I want to read 15 books in 2026)
- Track it in a way that doesn’t require constant manual updates
If you’re using a paper journal, this usually means checking things off yourself as you go.
But if you’re using a digital reading journal like this one, the nice thing is your progress can update automatically as you mark books finished, so you don’t have to count anything or maintain a spreadsheet.
Step 5: Paper vs digital reading journals
Paper journals are beautiful.
And if you’re someone who retains information better when you write things by hand, this is probably a good option for you.
You can either create your own paper version in a blank notebook using the entries mentioned in this blog, or you can find ready-made ones at bookstores or online.
But for the rest of us who’d likely abandon a paper journal it in a drawer (guilty!), a digital journal is easier to maintain long-term because it’s searchable, flexible, and always with you.
With a digital reading journal (especially in Notion), you can:
- Build a personal library with genres, ratings, reviews, and quotes
- Track books across statuses like To Read, Reading, Finished, and DNF
- Auto-update your reading progress as you go
- Set a yearly reading challenge without manually counting anything
- Save meaningful quotes and connect them to your own thoughts
- Use optional guided journaling prompts to reflect on what you read
If you already use Notion (it’s free), it’s a great home for this.
If you want a ready-to-use digital reading journal…
At some point, I wanted something more personal than Goodreads.
Somewhere to track my books, write down my thoughts, and actually keep everything organized.
So I made one ↓
It includes:
- A full library database
- Reading statuses (To Read, Reading, Finished, DNF)
- Automatic progress tracking
- A yearly reading challenge
- Space for ratings, reviews, and quotes
- Optional guided reflection prompts
- Dark academia vibes, because ‘tis sexy
You can check it out here:
Instant access, beginner-friendly, SIMPLE, and no setup required whatsoever.
Happy reading (and journaling)!
FAQ about reading journals
What do you write in a reading journal?
You can write as little or as much as you want. Most people keep it simple: a few thoughts about the story, a favorite quote, and how the book made them feel.
Do you need to write in a reading journal every day?
No. A reading journal isn’t a daily habit unless you want it to be. Many readers only update it when they finish a book or when something really stands out.
What is the best way to organize a reading journal?
The easiest way is to organize by book title, genre, and reading status (To Read, Reading, Finished). That way you can always find what you’ve read and what’s next.
Is a digital reading journal better than a notebook?
It depends on your style. Paper journals are lovely, but digital reading journals are easier to search, update, and maintain over time, especially if you want automatic progress tracking.
Can a reading journal replace Goodreads?
For a lot of readers, yes. Goodreads is great for browsing, but a personal reading journal gives you a private space to rate, review, save quotes, and actually remember what you read.
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