January. The start of a new year. And the season of planning for the next year. I am fascinated with seeing what people aspire to and challenge themselves with for a new season of life. Predominately I hear two basic categories of goals: physical fitness and reading. I’m not going to count my few runs a week as anything worth talking about, but I would like to speak to one of the best ways to tackle your reading goals for 2019… book journaling.
The best advice I can give anyone who wants to read more (or wants to just read, period!) is to keep a book journal. I have kept a list of the books I read each year since 2010, but they were always on looseleaf notebook paper one year and then inside my personal journal the next. I had a list, but they were not in easy to access, easy to reference formats. So in 2017 I started my book journal.
scrapbook of reading
It is the simplest little journal. It was a gift for Christmas one year, and I already had a journal going, so it was literally just sitting in my closet. Now it is filling up with book lists and notes and goes with me everywhere. Think of this book like a scrapbook of your reading. You may end up sharing this “scrapbook,” with others, or you may never show anyone what is inside. But you never know. Label, organize, include all the details – set this up to be an awesome record of what you have read, what you thought, what you want to read, all the book details.
record of authors
I love finding an author who has written extensively, but it can be confusing keeping up with all their writing and remembering which books I have read and which I have not. I have author pages for specific authors that I love and I can create columns for their series and organize which of their books I have read. I do not have a page for every single beloved author (that would fill many books!), but some particularly wonderful authors (especially those with several series) get a special page. Those books go on my yearly read list AND their author’s page with my rating beside each entry.
never again
Another important page is rooted in an idea I got from C. S. Lewis. As Lewis read he jotted the date that he finished each title in the back of the book. Occasionally he noted beside the date, “n.a.” for “never again.” I keep an “n.a.” page in my book journal. These are books that I know I will “never again” read (and probably will never recommend).
a running chronicle of the year
I also keep a running list of “Children’s Books” (for when moms stop me at church for recommendations), a list of “Books to Buy” and “Books to Read.”
I have alluded to this above, but keep details with each entry. On my yearly book list I have the complete title, the author’s last name, and my rating (based 1-5). As I go I mark any books I am rereading and any I think make it to the “Best Books of the Year” list.
It is a delightful thing to look back years later and to be reminded of books you were reading. I highly recommend starting to keep a book journal and I hope these thoughts help you get started in yours.
Jessica,
It is good to revisit this blog and read your recent posts! I remember your posts back when I was studying with CP. I am happy to hear you earned your bachelor’s and went on to graduate school.
Keep this up. There are readers who are encouraged by your blog, even if they don’t always post comments! 🙂
Joanna
Jessica,
It is good to revisit this blog and read your recent posts! I remember your posts back when I was studying with CP. I am happy to hear you earned your bachelor’s and are working on graduate school.
Keep this up. There are readers who are encouraged by your blog, even if they don’t always post comments! 🙂
Joanna
Thank you, Joanna! It was so encouraging to get your comment!!!