Why I Keep A Reading Journal And What I Track

Have you ever remembered reading a book—but couldn't remember the title, the author, what you thought about it, or even exactly what happened? 📚 That's one reason I've tracked the books I read for years. I grew up watching my mother keep a record of her reading, and it's a habit I've carried into my own life. Today I'm giving you an over-the-shoulder look at the Cultivated Reading Journal from Cultivate What Matters and showing you how I use it to keep track of my reading. The journal gives me a place to record things like the book title and author, number of pages, my thoughts about the book, and my rating. It also includes pages for keeping a TBR list and tracking books you've loaned or borrowed. I can look back later and remember not only WHAT I read, but what I thought about it. For fiction, that might mean remembering characters, storylines, or whether I'd like to read more from that author. For nonfiction, it gives me another way to capture and remember ideas, information, and lessons I don't want to lose. I don't track my reading just to count how many books I've finished. I want to create a record of a reading life I've enjoyed for years—and one I can return to whenever I need it. Do you keep track of the books you read? I'd love to hear how you do it! 📚 A note about this particular journal: Cultivate What Matters has announced that the company will be closing, so I'm not sure how long the Cultivated Reading Journal will continue to be available. If you like this particular journal after seeing my walkthrough, you may want to pick one up while it's still available.