The hardest part of starting a reading journal isn't the writing. It's not knowing what to write. How detailed should entries be? What does a filled-in page actually look like?
Here's a year of entries. 12 books across different genres and formats. Some entries are detailed with quotes and lengthy reviews. Others are minimal: basics, ratings, done. Both approaches work. The March entry has a coffee ring stain on the corner. The July audiobook entry was filled in from the car after a road trip. Not every page is pristine, and that's the point.
What You'll Notice
Across these 12 entries, patterns emerge:
- Not every entry is detailed. Some books get full reviews; others get three lines.
- Ratings vary across categories. A 4-star overall can have 5-star writing and 2-star plot.
- The "Recommended By" field gets used. And you can see whose recommendations landed.
- The quotes section carries weight. Those lines matter years later.
The journal used here is the Books Remembered reading journal, which has two pages per book with fields for ratings, quotes, source, format, and more. But the principles apply to any consistent format.
January: The Midnight Library (Fiction)
Title: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Genre: Fiction
Page Count: 304
Started: January 3 | Finished: January 8
Recommended By: Sarah (book club)
Source: Borrowed | Format: Paper
Summary: A woman gets to experience alternate versions of her life through a library that exists between life and death. Each book is a different path she could have taken.
Quotes: "Never underestimate the big importance of small things."
Review: Premise hooked me immediately. The middle felt repetitive. how many alternate lives can you explore before the structure wears thin? But the ending earned its emotion. Quick read, good for anyone in a rut.
Ratings: Overall: 4 | Enjoyment: 4 | Characters: 3 | Writing: 4 | Readability: 5 | Plot: 3
Recommend To: Mom, anyone going through a transition
Read Again? Maybe
[PHOTO: Full two-page spread showing January entry with neat handwriting, all fields filled in, the multi-category ratings circled]
February: Atomic Habits (Nonfiction)
Title: Atomic Habits
Author: James Clear
Genre: Self-Help / Productivity
Page Count: 320
Started: January 20 | Finished: February 14
Recommended By: Podcast (Huberman Lab)
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: Small habits compound. Make the behavior obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Identity-based habits stick better than goal-based ones.
Quotes: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Review: Finally read the book everyone talks about. The 1% improvement framing is overused but the implementation tactics are solid. The habit stacking concept changed how I structure mornings. Will reference this again.
Ratings: Overall: 4 | Enjoyment: 3 | Characters: N/A | Writing: 4 | Readability: 5 | Plot: N/A
Recommend To: Jake (keeps talking about building routines)
Read Again? Yes (for reference)
[PHOTO: Entry showing nonfiction treatment with N/A marked for Characters and Plot ratings]
March: Project Hail Mary (Fiction)
Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Sci-Fi
Page Count: 496
Started: February 28 | Finished: March 12
Recommended By: Reddit (r/books)
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: An astronaut wakes up with no memory on a spaceship. The fate of Earth depends on him solving a problem he can't remember. Features the best alien character in recent sci-fi.
Quotes: "I penetrated the outer cell membrane with a nanotube."
Review: Could not put this down. Rocky is the highlight. genuinely moving alien friendship built through science and problem-solving. The memory-reveal structure worked perfectly. Andy Weir does competence-porn better than anyone. Already want to re-read.
Ratings: Overall: 5 | Enjoyment: 5 | Characters: 5 | Writing: 4 | Readability: 5 | Plot: 5
Recommend To: Dad, anyone who liked The Martian
Read Again? Yes
[PHOTO: Enthusiastic entry with all 5-star ratings visible, quote underlined, coffee ring stain on corner of page]
April: The Silent Patient (Thriller)
Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Thriller
Page Count: 336
Started: April 2 | Finished: April 5
Recommended By: Airport bookstore display
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: A woman shoots her husband and never speaks again. A therapist becomes obsessed with getting her to talk.
Review: The twist landed. I didn't see it coming. But looking back, some of the misdirection feels cheap. Fast read, good for a plane. Wouldn't hold up on re-read now that I know the ending.
Ratings: Overall: 3 | Enjoyment: 4 | Characters: 3 | Writing: 3 | Readability: 5 | Plot: 4
Recommend To: Anyone who needs a beach read
Read Again? No
May: Born a Crime (Memoir)
Title: Born a Crime
Author: Trevor Noah
Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 304
Started: May 10 | Finished: May 22
Recommended By: Coworker (Priya)
Source: Gifted | Format: Audio
Summary: Trevor Noah's childhood in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. His mother is the real star.
Quotes: "We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most."
Review: The audiobook is essential. Trevor narrates and does all the accents and languages. Funnier than expected, more moving than expected. The chapter about his mother getting shot is devastating. One of the best memoirs I've read.
Ratings: Overall: 5 | Enjoyment: 5 | Characters: 5 | Writing: 5 | Readability: 5 | Plot: N/A
Recommend To: Everyone
Read Again? Yes (will re-listen)
[PHOTO: Entry with Format: Audio circled, high ratings across all categories, note about audiobook being essential]
June: A Court of Thorns and Roses (Fantasy)
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Page Count: 416
Started: June 1 | Finished: June 18
Recommended By: TikTok / BookTok
Source: Borrowed | Format: Paper
Summary: Beauty and the Beast retelling with fae. Slow start, picks up significantly in the second half.
Review: I get why this is popular but it's not for me. The prose is serviceable, the romance predictable. The world-building is fine but not compelling enough to continue the series. Felt like I was reading it to understand the hype, not because I was hooked.
Ratings: Overall: 2 | Enjoyment: 2 | Characters: 3 | Writing: 2 | Readability: 3 | Plot: 3
Recommend To: Anyone who likes romantasy (not me)
Read Again? No
[PHOTO: Honest low-rating entry showing that not every book gets high marks]
July: The Psychology of Money (Nonfiction)
Title: The Psychology of Money
Author: Morgan Housel
Genre: Finance / Psychology
Page Count: 256
Started: July 8 | Finished: July 14
Recommended By: Multiple sources
Source: Bought | Format: Audio
Summary: 19 short stories about how people think about money. Behavior matters more than knowledge.
Review: Listened during a road trip. Perfect length and density for audio. The chapter on compounding clicked something for me. No formulas or stock tips. just mental models. Will buy the physical copy to reference.
Ratings: Overall: 4 | Enjoyment: 4 | Characters: N/A | Writing: 4 | Readability: 5 | Plot: N/A
Recommend To: Literally anyone
Read Again? Yes
[PHOTO: Quick entry filled in from the car, Format: Audio marked]
August: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Fiction)
Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Literary Fiction
Page Count: 416
Started: August 5 | Finished: August 19
Recommended By: Book club (September pick, read early)
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: A decades-long friendship/partnership/love story between two video game designers. Explores creativity, disability, collaboration, and what we owe each other.
Quotes: "To design a game is to imagine the person who will eventually play it."
Review: Wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. The video game framing could have been gimmicky but it works. The relationship is complicated in a way that feels true. Cried at the end. This will stick with me.
Ratings: Overall: 5 | Enjoyment: 5 | Characters: 5 | Writing: 5 | Readability: 4 | Plot: 4
Recommend To: Anyone who makes things with other people
Read Again? Yes
September: Educated (Memoir)
Title: Educated
Author: Tara Westover
Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 352
Started: September 3 | Finished: September 15
Recommended By: Mom
Source: Borrowed | Format: Paper
Summary: Growing up in a survivalist Mormon family in Idaho. No formal education until age 17. Eventually gets a PhD from Cambridge.
Review: Harrowing and somehow hopeful. The family dynamics are hard to read. you keep wanting someone to intervene. The education arc is inspiring without being preachy. Mom was right about this one.
Ratings: Overall: 5 | Enjoyment: 4 | Characters: 5 | Writing: 5 | Readability: 4 | Plot: N/A
Recommend To: Mom already read it; maybe dad?
Read Again? Maybe
October: The Last Thing He Told Me (Thriller)
Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Genre: Thriller
Page Count: 320
Started: October 1 | Finished: October 4
Recommended By: None (picked up randomly )
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: A woman's husband disappears, leaving a note: "Protect her." Her being his teenage daughter from a previous marriage.
Review: Quick read, decent mystery. The stepmother-stepdaughter relationship is the interesting part. The thriller plot itself is predictable. Fine for what it is (not memorable.)
Ratings: Overall: 3 | Enjoyment: 3 | Characters: 3 | Writing: 3 | Readability: 5 | Plot: 3
Recommend To: Someone looking for a light mystery
Read Again? No
November: Klara and the Sun (Fiction)
Title: Klara and the Sun
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Genre: Literary Fiction / Sci-Fi
Page Count: 320
Started: November 10 | Finished: November 24
Recommended By: Returned to author after Never Let Me Go
Source: Bought | Format: Paper
Summary: An "Artificial Friend" robot observes the human family she serves. Raises questions about consciousness, love, and what makes someone irreplaceable.
Quotes: "There was something very special, but it wasn't inside Josie. It was inside those who loved her."
Review: Ishiguro's restraint is remarkable. Klara's perspective is limited but not naive. she notices everything, understands some of it. The ending is quietly devastating. This one stays with you. Re-read eventually.
Ratings: Overall: 5 | Enjoyment: 4 | Characters: 5 | Writing: 5 | Readability: 4 | Plot: 4
Recommend To: Anyone who likes literary sci-fi, Black Mirror fans
Read Again? Yes
December: Greenlights (Memoir)
Title: Greenlights
Author: Matthew McConaughey
Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 304
Started: December 15 | Finished: December 28
Recommended By: Holiday gift from sister
Source: Gifted | Format: Paper
Summary: Life advice and stories from McConaughey's journals. Part memoir, part self-help, part ramble.
Review: Weird book. Some genuinely good insights buried in self-indulgent storytelling. The format (journal entries, poems, bumper sticker wisdom) is disjointed. Worth reading once but not transformative. Sister meant well.
Ratings: Overall: 3 | Enjoyment: 3 | Characters: 3 | Writing: 3 | Readability: 4 | Plot: N/A
Recommend To: McConaughey fans
Read Again? No
[PHOTO: Entry showing Source: Gifted circled, honest mixed review of a gift]
What a Year Reveals
After 12 books, patterns are clear:
Format distribution: 9 paper, 3 audio. Audiobooks worked best for memoirs and nonfiction. the author narration on Born a Crime was worth it.
Whose recommendations landed: Mom: 2/2. Book club: 1/2. BookTok: 0/1. Reddit: 1/1. The data is building.
Favorites: Project Hail Mary, Born a Crime, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Klara and the Sun. Four 5-star books in a year is a good year.
Honest low ratings: A Court of Thorns and Roses got a 2. The journal works because you can be honest without worrying who sees it.
For the prompts to guide your own entries, see our 50 reading journal prompts. For the complete approach, start with our reading journal guide.
The Books Remembered journal holds 60+ entries. five years at this pace. The two-page format handles everything from quick entries to detailed reviews with quotes.
[PHOTO: Final spread showing multiple entries across pages, demonstrating variety in entry length and the two-page format]
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to write each entry?
Most entries take 3-5 minutes. Basics and ratings: 2 minutes. Add a quick review and you're done. Books you loved might get 10 minutes with longer quotes and reflections.
Should every entry be this detailed?
No. The April and October entries above are minimal. basics, short review, ratings. That's enough for books that didn't leave a lasting impression. Save the detail for books that mattered.
What if I don't have quotes to save?
Skip that field. Not every book has quotable lines. The review and ratings are the core of most entries.
How do I handle books I didn't finish?
You can log them with a note about where you stopped and why. Some people only log finished books. Either approach works.
Is this what actual filled-in pages look like?
Yes. Some neat, some messy. Some detailed, some sparse. Coffee stains included. The journal is for you (it doesn't need to be perfect.)
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