I’m a paper addict, so as much as I love tracking my GoodReads Reading Challenge progress via the app on my phone, I also love to have a physical reading journal. I guess it’s for the same reason that I have years worth of cinema tickets in photo albums! No, not just because I’m a hoarder, but because I treasure memories and the books and films that have helped shape my life.
When there are so many book journals to choose from, as well as the option of creating your own (bujo, anyone?), it’s easy to get lost in a sea of pretty stationery. But if you’re a hardcore bookworm and you’re looking to track your reading progress and TBR, record short reviews and set yourself a little challenge, look no further than Read Harder (A Reading Log): Track Books, Chart Progress* by Book Riot.
Here you’ll find typical review template pages, prompting you to note title, author, date published and read, genre, summary, rating, review and additional notes, plus a challenge to encourage you to expand your reading.
When I first looked through this journal I was torn between immediately wanting to fill it out and also wanting to wait until January so I could use it for a full calendar year.
While at first glance the challenge checklist can seem quite daunting, I realised that I only need to finally read The Loneliest Girl in the Universe to tick them all off! It seems I’ve been quite diverse with my reading this year. Here’s hoping I can manage the same next year, as I have decided not to complete the journal retroactively but wait for January 2019. Check out my Stories later today to see which books have met the requirements.
Throughout the journal, each challenge is highlighted in turn, including an inspiring quote, an explanation about why the challenge will be rewarding plus some recommendations in case you’re feeling stumped. There’s also an alternative review template for these titles, prompting you to note how the challenge influenced your reading experience and what insights you gained from the challenge.
At the back of the journal is a year at a glance, allowing you to note how many books you’ve read throughout the year, plus a cute spread for your ever-growing TBR.
I genuinely can’t think of anything it’s missing. Great job, Book Riot!
*I was sent a copy of this journal for review purposes and all thoughts are my own
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That reading journal looks excellent!
I used a physical one last year and loved it, but couldn’t find one this year. May give that a go for next year!
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
I love the look of this! I’ve always preferred having a physical place to record what I’ve read and what’s still on my tbr pile, and this journal looks ideal. I’ll be adding this to my wish list.
Oh, and you’re not alone with the cinema tickets; I’ve got a memory box full of ticket stubs under my bed from all the films, gigs, shows, and other fun stuff I’ve seen and done in my life going back at least 22 years! I’m glad I’m not the only one who does this! 🙂