Roni Loren | The Beauty of a Paper Reading Journal

GIVEAWAY: win a copy of THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY

January 11, 2018

1. No one but me sees it so I can write whatever I want without having to sound eloquent.
2. I get to play with colored pens and who doesn't want to do that?
3. There's a sense of accomplishment when you flip through the pages and see all that you've read that year.
4. Because I record the books in the order I read them, it's almost like a diary in the sense that I can track what moods and topics I was into throughout the year.
5. It's a keepsake when the journal is done.

*I have a free download at the bottom if you want a super simple way to get started with one now.

1. Choose a notebook

My journal is a Leuchtturm1917 medium dot grid hardback journal. You don't need something as fancy as this, but I wanted it to be special and to last. Plus, we've already established I'm a paper nerd. All I did to dress it up was put a few stickers. And based on reading 50-70 books a year, I've made it two years in this one (with two book reviews per page and only writing on one side). I still have a lot of room for 2018, so it's a good investment.

2. Consider making an easy to reference list at the front.

I like keeping a running list at the beginning for a snapshot glimpse. I write the title, author, and genre. I also keep a list called The DNF Graveyard for those books I didn't finish. If you plan on doing lists, make sure you leave a few pages upfront blank so that you have space for the lists to get long. (Bonus: I also add lists for the movies I watch that year and the TV series I complete, though I don't do review pages on them like the books.)

3. Choose your review style.

I like to do two reviews per page. However, if I have a lot to say about a book, I'll give it its own page. I'll post a pic below but here are the things I record on the review page: title, author, book format (ebook, hardcover, audiobook, etc.), number of pages, the date I finished it, the star rating, and then a note of why I picked up the book. Then beneath all that, I write my review.

4. Do not stress out about making it a showpiece.

And finally, if you don't want to go through the trouble of creating your own, I offer a free reading journal download on my website. You can print the pages on nice paper, hole punch them, and put them in a decorative binder. Voila! To get your Free Reading Journal, just click here and sign up for my newsletter (which has articles like this post and very little book promo.)

So, I'm curious, how do you keep track of your reading? Anyone keep a reading journal?

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY by Roni Loren

Ones Who Got Away #1

Twelve years ago, Long Acre High School was struck by a tragedy that still haunts the small Texas town today. On a cool spring night, two gunmen walked into prom and ended the lives of many of the senior class. Only a small number of students survived—a group the media dubbed as The Ones Who Got Away…

Web designer (and former Goth chick) Liv Arias is ready to end the decade-long riff with her old flame and move on. Even though he almost got her killed, she knows it was every kid for themselves that night. But when her attempt at closure with former star-athlete Finn Dorsey turns into a steamy kiss, moving on proves much more difficult than either of them thought…

Romance Contemporary [Sourcebooks, On Sale: January 2, 2018, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781492651406 / eISBN: 9781492651413]

To the ones who choose living instead of surviving

Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell's Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR

About Roni Loren

Roni Loren wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.

If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it.

Loving on the Edge | Not Until You | Pleasure Principle | Ones Who Got Away

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | BLOG

Comments

15 comments posted.

Re: Roni Loren | The Beauty of a Paper Reading Journal

I haven't kept a reading journal but having read your post,
I am intrigued. Have been leaning on my memory in keeping
track of books I have read but as the years have passed, I
have come to realize that to be a faulty method.
(G. Bisbjerg 2:18pm January 11, 2018)

heeloo
(Mohan Kumar 5:59am January 12, 2018)

I don't keep a reading journel.No time for
that.
(Debby Creager 1:06pm January 12, 2018)

I don't really keep a reading journal. Unless you want to
count Goodreads and my book blog!
(Tiffany Engler 5:44pm January 13, 2018)

I keep books I've read in a special area and the ones TBR
(To Be Read) in more places. A book is always with me just
in case there's a few minutes to spare.
(Alyson Widen 9:26pm January 13, 2018)

No, but I do keep a card catalog with how many stars I give
those stories I read for each author. Unfortunately, some
just say no more, mostly because I don't like to read in the
genre they write in.
(Nancy Luebke 4:28pm January 14, 2018)

I don't keep a reading journal, but I do write down all the books I read. I write down the author's name and title of the book. I keep this list on my computer and also in dropbox.
(Martha Lawson 7:01pm January 14, 2018)

No, I don't really keep a reading journal. It sounds like it might be a good idea though. Maybe when I retire next year and double my reading I'll start one.
(Nancy Marcho 7:15pm January 14, 2018)

I don't keep a physical reading journal, but I think that
would be a wonderful idea! In the past I've written down
favorite quotes and written my impressions in a computer
document to recall for later. Having an actual journal
for this sounds much more appealing though. I definitely
need to try it!
(Amy Sheets 6:06am January 15, 2018)

I don't use a journal. I keep track on Goodreads.
(Kv H 8:55pm January 15, 2018)

I keep a journal and write down the plot, so I can remember
later what I read. Nothing drives me more crazy than
forgetting a book.
(Carrie Edmunds 5:17am January 16, 2018)

I wish I had time to do a journal. I think I'll just try to make some time this year.
At least one to leave to my Grandson
(Shirley Johnson 9:54am January 16, 2018)

I've never kept a journal, but I do keep an alphabetical list of my books on the computer with the name of the author and title of each book.
(Anna Speed 12:16pm January 16, 2018)

I never have kept a reading journal. Sounds interesting...
(Maria Proctor 2:04pm January 16, 2018)

I don't keep a reading journal but I do keep the books i
read in a an order via my laptop so I can update my
goodreads. I normally read between 5 to 10 books a week
depending on my work schedule as I read to relax. I like
your set up though so I might try that this year. Thanks
for sharing.
(Jeannie Platt 5:07pm January 16, 2018)

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