Reading journal: a free template for every book you read

What is a reading journal?

A reading journal, sometimes called a book journal, is a notebook where you keep track of what you read. Each book gets its own page with the basics, a rating and your thoughts. Many reading journals also hold a want to read list, reading goals and favorite quotes.

Readers keep them for different reasons. Some want to remember what they read. Some love having a record of a whole year of books. Students use them to prepare for essays and class discussions. Book club members use them to bring notes to meetings.

Why keep a reading journal

• Remember more. Writing a short summary and your thoughts helps a book stay with you longer.
• Think more deeply. Putting a reaction into words often shows you what you really thought.
• Find your taste. Over time you will see which authors, genres and styles you love most.
• Never lose a good quote. Your favorite lines are all in one place.
• Track goals. Count books, pages or genres if you like a challenge.
• Easy recommendations. When a friend asks for a good book, your journal has the answer.

How to use this reading journal template

1. Start a page when you start a bookFill in the title, author and format. Add the date you start, then the date you finish at the top.
2. Collect lines as you readKeep a bookmark or sticky note for page numbers of lines you love. Copy your favorite at the end.
3. Write a short summaryTwo or three sentences in your own words. This is the part that helps you remember the book years later.
4. Write what you thoughtDid you love it, hate it, or feel unsure? Why? Which character or moment stuck with you?
5. Rate it and recommend itGive it stars and name who would enjoy it. Ratings help you compare books later.
6. Print or savePress Print or save as PDF to keep a copy in a binder with your other book pages.

Reading journal example

Here is a filled reading journal page. It does not have to be long to be useful.

Reading journal ideas

Beyond a page per book, try adding some of these to your reading journal:

• Want to read list. A running list of books you hear about, with who recommended them.
• Bookshelf tracker. Draw a shelf and color in a spine for each book you finish. Ideas in bullet journal ideas.
• Yearly goals. Number of books, new genres, or authors from other countries.
• Quote collection. A few pages just for lines you love.
• Monthly wrap up. Books finished, favorite of the month, and one you gave up on.
• Character notes. For long books or series, a list of names and who is who.
• Book club page. Questions to ask, and what others said.
• Did not finish list. It is fine to stop a book. Note why, so you learn your taste.
• Aesthetic pages. Covers, colors and doodles. See journal ideas aesthetic.

Reading journal prompts

Use these reading journal prompts when you want to write more than a rating:

1. Which character would I most like to have dinner with, and what would I ask them?
2. What did I expect from this book, and how was it different?
3. Which moment made me stop reading and think?
4. Did the ending feel right? How would I have ended it?
5. What did this book teach me, about the world or about myself?
6. Which other book does this remind me of, and why?
7. What question would I ask the author?
8. How did I feel when I closed the book for the last time?
9. Would I read it again? What would I notice the second time?
10. If this book were a season, which one would it be?

For more writing questions, see reflective journal prompts and our big list of journal prompts.

Pages to add to a reading journal

Most printed reading journals have the same core pages. You can set these up in any notebook or print extra copies of the template above.

The commonplace book: an old idea

Readers have kept notebooks of quotes and thoughts for centuries. These were often called commonplace books. People copied lines they wanted to remember, then added their own thoughts underneath. In the 1800s, the British educator Charlotte Mason encouraged students to keep one.

You can borrow the idea. Keep a few pages at the back of your reading journal just for lines that made you stop. Under each, write one sentence about why it mattered to you. Over the years it becomes a book of ideas that shaped you.

Reading journal for students and kids

Teachers often ask students to keep a reading journal or reading log. A simple student entry can include:

• Title, author and pages read today.
• A two sentence summary of what happened.
• One new word and what it means.
• A prediction: what will happen next?
• A connection: does this remind me of my life, another book or something in the news?
• A question I still have.

For younger kids, drawing a favorite scene and writing one sentence is plenty. See journal prompts for kids and journal examples for students.

Tips for keeping a book journal

• Write within a day of finishing. Your feelings about the ending are clearest right then.
• Keep it short when you are busy. Title, rating and one sentence is still worth keeping.
• Be honest. It is your journal, not a public review.
• Avoid copying long passages. A line or two is enough to remember the feeling.
• Review at year end. Pick your top five books and write why.

Students can find sample entries in journal examples for students. For more layouts, see our journal template page.

Questions people ask