As the new year approaches, I’m sure I’m not the only one looking for reading journal spreads that inspire me.
What Is A Reading Journal?
If you’ve heard of the bullet journal, you basically already know what a reading journal is.
A reading journal is typically a notebook that one dedicates to tracking, organizing, and reflecting on the books they read.
Some reading journals are very minimal, focusing solely on practicality. Others, which you are more likely to see people showing off online, add an additional layer of artistry. These journals combine practicality with creativity to turn journaling into a hobby entirely of its own.
With the new year just around the corner, many people use this time to plan and/or start a new reading journal. That said, you can start a reading journal whenever you want, and the reading journal spreads I’m sharing with you today are evergreen.
What Are Reading Journal Spreads?
In the journaling community, a “spread” traditionally refers to a two-page layout in a notebook. One topic spans the two pages, so you can lay the whole thing out side-by-side.
However, this isn’t the only way the term “spread” is used.
Many people will also define a single-page layout as a “spread.” This takes a broader definition, referring instead to a more general format or type of page.
In this article, I’m using “spread” to refer to either one-page or two-page layouts, as I feel that you can (and should!) adapt either one to meet your needs.
When discussing reading journals, specifically, different spreads can help you manage many different bookish tasks. Here are just a few examples of what your reading journal spreads can help with:
- Record the books you read.
- Take note of your opinions on different books.
- Remember all the books you want to read.
- Sort your books into different lists.
- Set and achieve your reading goals.
- And anything else you can imagine!
What Supplies Do You Need?
As with any hobby, you’re guaranteed to see all sorts of shopping lists associated with journaling. But that does not, by any means, mean that you need any of those items. Truly, all you “need” is paper and a pen/pencil.
That being said, many people who get into journaling like to spice up their pages with other embellishments. You may want to dabble with using a few other materials:
- Markers, colored pencils, colored pens, or highlighters.
- Rulers and stencils.
- Paint.
- Washi tape, scrap paper, and stickers.
- And whatever else your heart desires!
BUT…
Before you go out and buy a whole rack of journal supplies, consider this:
Use. What. You. Have. There’s no need to buy a ton of new supplies when you already have materials around you. I am a major advocate for “Use what you have” in any and all situations, and journaling is no different. So take stock of what materials you already have. And if you’re looking for something new, consider checking out a local secondhand store, or get creative with other materials!
With that said, let’s get into the reading journal spreads that I am SO excited to share with you!
5 Reading Journal Spreads to Steal This Year
1. Annual Book Tracker
Starting strong with my personal favorite spread, we have the annual book tracker. This spread allows you to write down every book you read throughout the year so you can remember them all.
This spread doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as a list! But some of my favorite designs that I’ve seen feature a drawing of a bookshelf, with each book representing one that you read.
By tracking your books as you read them, you’ll have your whole collection in one place to look back on at the end of the year. This will enable you to better remember the stories you’ve consumed and track how your tastes may have shifted over the year. Plus, you can compare your lists from one year to the next.
Examples:
Image Source: @mandyjournals on Instagram.
This gorgeous spread is one of my favorites I’ve seen. You can mimic it by drawing the empty bookshelf at the start of the year and coloring in each book as you read more.
By the end of the year, you’ll have a full shelf of books to admire.
Image Source: @britishbookart on Etsy.
Once you have a blank template such as this one at the start of the year, I like to choose 12 colors to represent each month. Whenever you finish a book in January, use your “January color” to fill in the book.
This can add an extra layer of fun to your tracker, as you can see visually which books you read during which months.
Although I love the “empty bookshelf drawing” approach to annual book trackers, you obviously can customize this format however you like. Get creative with it!
2. Series Tracker
Some book series get complicated! Especially when you throw in prequels, companion novels, or similar titles, it can be a lot to track.
That’s where your reading journal series tracker comes in. This spread enables you to keep track of how many books are in a series, and you can use it to guide the order in which you will read them.
As you progress through the series, you will create a visual representation of how much you’ve read. And there’s nothing more satisfying than checking off the books as you go!
Examples:
Image Source: @genresandjournals on Instagram.
Using a format similar to this one, you can track many series at once. This is a great option if you tend to bounce around and come back to a series rather than reading them straight through.
Image Source: @BookishprintablesSK on Etsy.
Here’s another simple template that you can use to track your series. I like the addition of adding a star rating to each book as you go. This allows you to track whether the series improves, gets worse, or remains consistent throughout.
If you want, you can also add other notes about the series: your favorite characters/scenes, a one-sentence review of each book, your favorite quotes, or whatever else you’d like to include.
If you use your journal for more than just books, this spread can be adapted for other media as well. I’ve seen people make similar ones for TV series they watch or a music artist’s discography. Whatever hobby you choose to represent with this spread, it can be modified to fit.
3. Book Review
For avid book journalers, including a review of each book you read will add so much life to your journal!
Over time, it can be difficult to remember the details of a book you read long ago, even if you loved it. That’s why I, personally, write my book reviews here on Shelf of Pages! But for those who don’t blog, it can be useful to compile your notes in another location, such as in your reading journal spreads.
Your book review is a great place to record a synopsis of the book, your thoughts and feelings about it, and other key details such as page count or genre. And don’t forget your overall rating, if you use a rating system!
Examples:
Image Source: @saskia003 on Pinterest.
Your book review page can be an opportunity to tune into your creativity! Adding decorations, colors, stickers, or other details to the page can make it that much more memorable.
You can even stick to a certain theme (colors, motifs, etc.) that matches the vibe of the book you’re reviewing.
Image Source: @katiereadsfiction on Instagram.
Printing out an image of the book cover is a popular trend in book journals, though it’s obviously not necessary. Finding any way to personalize your review while still keeping it manageable is a must!
Maintaining a reading journal can be such a fun hobby, so engage with it in any way that feels authentic to you!
Both examples shown here depict a one-page review. But if you want more space to record your thoughts or add creative elements, lots of people opt for a two-page spread instead.
4. Monthly Wrap-Ups.
In the online reader community, it is common to come across people’s monthly wrap-ups. In fact, I post a monthly wrap-up to my blog every month, and you can view my October 2024 Wrap-Up here.
Wrap-ups are an excellent way to compile all the books you’ve read in the past month into one location so it’s easier to look back on later. It also gives you a good overview of your recent reading habits.
Your monthly wrap-up can be as simple or detailed as you like. If you are drawn to the simpler route, you can merely write down a list of every book you read in the past month and your ratings. For those wanting more, you can track other statistics like page count, genre, format, etc.
Examples:
Image Source: @katiereadsfiction on Instagram.
Don’t be intimidated by the large number of books a lot of content creators read in a single month! Even if you read one or two books in a month, you can scale your wrap-up down to a single page as you see fit.
Adding extra decorations and creative detailing to your page can also help add personality to it.
Image Source: @danicainpages on Instagram.
A spread like this one sure is ambitious, but I’m including it for inspiration! Take a closer look to get ideas for all sorts of statistics you can track.
For variation, you can switch up how often you make a wrap-up. Although monthly wrap-ups are the norm, you can also extend this to quarterly, bi-monthly, weekly, or annual wrap-ups as you see fit. I tend to do simpler monthly wrap-ups and a more detailed, statistics-oriented annual one. Do what works for you!
5. Pages Per Day Tracker
A popular type of page in the journaling community is yearly “pixel” trackers. To adapt this for reading journal spreads, try a page tracker!
The idea is to record how many pages you read every day of the year, all in one place. This way, you can see your general trends throughout the year. Do you tend to read more or less depending on the day of the week? the season? Around holidays? This tracker can give new insight into your habits.
These types of reading journal spreads require more upkeep than others since they need to be updated every day. But if you’re up for the challenge, this is a great option!
Examples:
Image Source: @littlebirdiecanada on TikTok.
Many “pages per day” trackers use different colors to represent different numbers of pages you read on a given day. Choosing a fun color palette can encourage you to come back to this spread and update it every day.
Image Source: @jessie_reads_too_much on Instagram.
You can also write in the exact number of pages you read every day. This can also help you keep track of pages if you’re participating in a readathon, for example, that considers page count.
And if committing to the full annual spread is too much, you can create a mini “pages per day tracker” for each month individually, or even each week.
Obviously, how you split up your categories will depend on how much you read. For those of us who are slower readers, increments of 5 or 10 may be more reasonable. But if you read a lot, larger increments could make more sense for you.
Suggest Other Reading Journal Spreads!
Have you dabbled into the world of reading journals? If so, I would love to hear more of your favorite reading journal spreads! Feel free to leave a comment sharing some of your ideas; I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to hear them!
Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to subscribe for more bookish content.
Liked it? Pin it!
