If you’ve come over from A Dreamer’s Library, you probably aware that I track a lot of my books and reading in a kind of book bullet journal. I did quite a few posts as my journal changed and I created updated spreads, and I want to carry that on over here.
What I thought I’d do is combine two posts into one – the general books spreads I have in my journal and my new ones for 2021.
They might look very familiar to some of you if you’ve seen them before, but this a new blog and it won’t make sense for me to talk about new, updated spreads on here if those primary spreads aren’t also up.
Getting the boring stuff out of the way, I use a squared Leuchtturm1917 notebook and Stabilo pens – both the felt and fine liner pens. Sometimes I do use other coloured fine liner pens (I’m not sure on the brand) but for the most part I prefer the Stabilo ones. I don’t do fancy. I don’t see the point in splashing out for super arty pens and notions when all I’m doing is logging books. And most of my main writing is done with a normal biro. It’s nothing special.
My main spreads:
My physical library:
I couldn’t see the photo properly when I uploaded it from my phone so I didn’t realise until now that I uploaded spread 3 rather than spread 1, but it is not the end of the world. It’s just a list of all my physical books on my shelves with check boxes at the side that I can tick off when I read them. Yes I am that kind of person. And this goes over five double page spreads. I own a lot of books and this is trying to make me accountable for those.
Classics Spread:
All my classics, and those I need to read when I’m in a classics mood which unfortunately doesn’t come around very often anymore.
Fairytale Retellings
Fairytale Retellings on my fairytale shelf!! It is actually the check list I’ve nearly finished as there are only a couple of books I still need to read from that shelf, and that is also including a couple of books I haven’t added to this list since I initially wrote it.
Kindle Library
This looks like it is my worst spread, with hardly any books checked off but all those checks are actually underneath the kindle!! I actually do need to read more from my kindle though as I’ve really neglected it recently.
Audible Library
Hmmm. All the audiobooks I need to get to, not including all the ones I haven’t added and not listened to yet either. Similarly to ebooks, I do neglect them slightly but I am trying to change that because when I do get fully invested in an audiobook, I do very much enjoy listening to them. It’s also a good way of reading whilst I’m crocheting.
Favourites Shelf:
Pretty self-explanatory. It’s a shelf for my favourite books. And since I first set it up it is a bit more filled in and I only have 7 blank spaces left.
Bookshelf Additions:
It’s not so much an empty spread anymore. All that first page is now full with 2020 book acquisitions.
Unhauled Books
Mainly used for when I unhaul a book and gift it to someone.
Library Books
Just a simple spread to write down when I issued a library book and its due date. I always end up losing the receipts I get whenever I pick up a library book so this is invaluable. Although I’ve not had the chance to use it much – thanks COVID-19.
2021 Spreads
My reading goal
My goal is officially set at 40 books again and I want to visualise that with coloured boxes. I do normally go over that though so I need more than enough boxes in the spread to account for that.
# Books Read Per Month
Last year’s version of this was a graph that didn’t work very well. I kept forgetting to update it and then I could never remember from the top of my head how many books I’d read a month. Colour boxes like this are easier and it just looks nicer too.
Books Read
Another fairly simple spread. It will just be a list of the books I read this year, just detailing the title, author, # of pages and star rating. I don’t need much more information than that.
And lastly…
A new favourites shelf.
No explanation is really needed. It was getting full so I did another one. And now I’ve done it, I actually prefer the simpler and cleaner look to this shelf.
And that is it. My book bullet journal in all its glory.
Do you keep a book or reading journal?
If not, what ways do you track your reading?
As always, thanks for reading and have a brazzle dazzle day!
xx
Turn Another Page 