Hello fellow bookworms!

Icy of Eye Sea Studio here, one of the Design Team members of Archer & Olive!

The bullet journal community has an abundance of bookworms who have reading journals. As an avid reader and bullet journal keeper myself, I find it very useful to keep track on the books I read. 

Because there are so many people in the bullet journal community who keep reading journals, there is a plethora of reading journal spreads! There are so many ways to track your reading progress and also there are infinite ways to design your book journal layouts. 

And if keeping track on your books is something you would like to include in your bullet journal, this blog can give you a headstart on your reading journal!

WHAT ARE READING JOURNAL SPREADS?

A reading journal is a notebook that you make from scratch to track reading related progress such as the books you’ve read, want to read, reviews, and the list goes on! This blog also lists ideas, so make sure to read on!

Personally, what I love about keeping a reading journal is that I can look back on the books I have read in the past. And because I love making my bullet journals as creative as I can, I try out different ways to decorate my reading journal by adding book doodles and using book inspired hand lettering font faces.

WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED?

Because bullet journaling is about creativity and individuality, it is completely up to you as to what kind of notebook to use. In the past I’ve used a lot of A5 notebooks but because I like annotating, I have selected a B6 size notebook as it is compact enough to carry around.

And also, feel free to use just a black pen or colored pens/pencils, or even paint! I like experimenting with the Archer & Olive Acrylograph pens in my bullet journal. I will be using the black Acrylograph from the Primary Selection (or you can purchase it by itself!). In addition to that, I will also be using the gold Acrylograph from the Metallic Selection. Again, this is your reading journal, feel free to use whatever colors you prefer!

WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO INCLUDE IN MY READING JOURNAL SPREADS?

There are so many things related to reading that you can track! Here are some examples that are popular in the book bullet journal community:

• Bookish Quotes
• Reading Goals
• Reading Progress
• Reading Log
• Reading Tracker
• Book Reviews
• TBR (To Be Read) List/Books To Read
• Books I’ve Read
• Best Books of the Month/Year
• Book/Reading Doodles

These are just some ideas of the many other things you might want to include in your reading journal spreads. I highly encourage you to be as creative and as individual as you can because this is your reading bullet journal after all!

Also, please do not confine your ideas to what you see in the reading bullet journal community. You can also come up with your own unique ideas to include in your reading journal!

WHAT KIND OF READING JOURNAL SPREADS CAN I USE?

Here are some examples of spreads that I personally use and also commonly see:

BOOKISH QUOTE

Generally, quotes are a must have for my bullet journals. I usually get my quotes from Pinterest and I have a list of book or reading related quotes for my reading journal. Please feel free to select one of your choosing and play around with the placement of words, and add other creative elements like doodles, calligraphy or hand lettering. This blog post includes a printable of the typewriter style hand lettering font that I used. You can incorporate that into your reading journal too if you like!

READING GOAL

I like setting goals in order for me to be accountable for the things I want to achieve. This year, my aim is to read 30 books. As with other goals, make sure your reading goal is realistic and suited to how busy you will generally be. Reading should be fun and it shouldn’t burn you out! 

READING LOG

Keep track on the books you’ve read with this simple spread that looks like a library card. I like including the start and finish dates to see how long it takes me to read a book. Feel free to use as many pages as you like, or you can always do another reading log page as you go with your reading journal.

READING PROGRESS

This is actually a remix of social media goals I commonly see in the bullet journal community but for your reading goals. Because my reading goal is 30 books this year, I’ve divided that goal by five. I will be writing down the dates I have finally completed five, then 10, then 15 and so on books.

READING TRACKER

I’ve used a yearly tracker for my reading journal so that way it’s easier for me to have a yearly overview on the days I have spent reading. Feel free to do a monthly reading tracker if that is more convenient for you.

BOOK REVIEWS

I personally like keeping a record of my book reviews, ratings, and favorite quotes.

Other factors you can include in your reading journal include: number of pages, year published, even a photo of the book, and the list goes on! I highly recommend adding anything that resonates with you in the books that you read.

BOOKISH DOODLES

Because I love doodling, I often add drawings to decorate my reading journal. These are also great for filling empty spaces and adding some creativity!

LET’S GET YOUR READING JOURNAL STARTED!

With all these ideas, and the many others in the reading journal community, you should be all set!

I have included a video below which you can follow along and start your reading journal:

This blog post also comes with a free printable on a typewriter font exemplar and bookish doodles you can use to get creative with your reading journal:

Lastly, don’t forget to tag us @archerandolive and @archerandolivecommunity! We’d love to see your reading journal! Happy reading!