Reading Log: How to Keep One (and Why You Should)

A reading log is a record of the books you've read — and, if you want, what you thought about them. It can be a notebook, a spreadsheet, or an app. The format matters less than the habit.

The purpose isn't to hit a number. A reading log isn't a challenge or a competition. It's a personal record — something you look back at to remember what you've read, spot patterns in your taste, and find the thread of your reading life over years.

Why keep one

You'll forget what you've read. This surprises people — how could you forget a book you spent a week reading? — but it happens to nearly everyone. Three years later, you can't remember whether you finished that novel, or what it was about, or whether you'd recommend it. A log gives you something to consult.

It shows you what you actually read. Most people have a mental image of themselves as a reader that doesn't quite match reality. You think of yourself as someone who reads widely. The log shows you've read 18 novels and one piece of nonfiction in the last year. Or that you've read almost exclusively British authors. Or that you've never finished an audiobook. The data is rarely what you'd predict.

It prevents accidental re-reads. "Did I read this?" is one of the most common questions readers have at bookshops and libraries. A log answers it immediately.

It captures what moved you. If you add even a single line of notes to each entry — "the ending was devastating" or "borrowed from Marcus, should return" — you'll be glad you did. Three years later those notes are more valuable than any review you could find online, because they're yours.

What to record

The minimum

• Title and author — non-negotiable
• Date finished — so you know when and can look back by year

That's it. A two-field log you maintain consistently beats a ten-field log you abandon in February.

The enriched version

• Date started — useful for knowing how long you take with different types of books
• Format — physical book, ebook, or audiobook; you'll find the experience of remembering differs by format
• Rating — even a simple 1–5 or stars helps you remember at a glance whether you'd recommend something
• Notes — a sentence or two about what struck you, what you'd tell a friend, whether you'd reread it
• Who recommended it — useful for knowing whose taste matches yours
• Genre or category — helpful if you want to track patterns in your reading

Don't feel obligated to fill in every field. Add what's useful to you. If ratings feel like performance pressure, skip them. If notes feel like homework, keep them to a sentence.

Reading log vs reading tracker

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they point to slightly different practices:

A reading log is retrospective and personal — you record what you've finished. It's a memory record, like a journal. The emphasis is on reflection: what did I read, what did I think.

A reading tracker is more active and goal-oriented — you log progress through a book, track pages-per-day, set a goal for the year, and monitor whether you're on pace. Apps like Goodreads and StoryGraph lean into the tracker mode with annual reading challenges, progress bars, and stats.

Both are valid. Many readers use both: a tracker for active reading and a log for the record of what they've finished. The key is knowing which you're building and why.

For a fuller guide to tracking active reading and choosing an app, see how to track your reading (without Goodreads).

Formats

Physical journal or notebook

A dedicated notebook where you write book entries by hand. Some people do this in a bullet journal spread; others use a blank notebook and create whatever structure feels right.

What it gives you: The permanence and tactility of a physical record. Something you can leave on the shelf alongside your books. A writing practice, if that's meaningful to you.

What it doesn't give you: Searchability. A list from 2019 requires flipping through pages to find. Portability — you can't check your log at a bookshop. Statistical analysis without doing the math yourself.

Spreadsheet

A Google Sheet or Excel file. One row per book, columns for whatever fields you want.

What it gives you: Searchability. Sortability — sort by year, by rating, by genre. Easy to build year-in-review stats. Shareable if you want a partner or book club to contribute.

What it doesn't give you: Cover images. An easy mobile interface. Any connection to your physical library or lending records.

App

The right app combines a reading log with a library catalog — so the record of what you've read is the same record as what you own. When you mark a book as read, it's marked in your catalog. You can browse your physical collection filtered by reading status.

Plumerie supports this: the library is the catalog and the reading record together. Mark books as read in one tap. See your full reading history alongside what you own but haven't read yet. The TBR list and the reading log are both part of the same catalog.

For a full comparison of reading-focused apps, see the best reading tracker apps for physical book lovers and the TBR list: what it is and how to actually use one.

Starting your log

The best time to start is now, with whatever book you're currently reading. Don't try to reconstruct your entire reading history — that's a project that will delay starting indefinitely. Begin with today.

If you want to add some history: do a rough list from memory for the last year or two. Title, author, approximate date. Don't stress about completeness. The log becomes more complete going forward; the past is already imperfect and that's fine.

Pick the simplest format you'll actually use. A note on your phone is better than an elaborate system you abandon. A physical notebook you'll write in every time you finish a book is better than an app you forget to open. Start simple and add complexity if you want it.

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Plumerie tracks your reading within your library catalog — mark books as read, add ratings and notes, and see your reading history alongside what you own and what you've lent out. Try it free →