Reading journal

A reading journal is a personal record of a book: not a review for strangers and not a study guide, but what this reader noticed, felt, and wants to keep. Readers have kept commonplace books of copied passages for centuries; the modern version adds a few prompts so that a year later the note still brings the book back.

The two things that matter most are the reader's own reactions, in their own words, and the passages they marked, with page numbers so they can be found again. Everything else is scaffolding.

When to use it

• Someone has finished a book and wants to record it before the details fade.
• They are partway through and want a running entry to add to.
• They have Kindle highlights or photos of marked pages and want them tidied.
• They are going to a book club and want talking points.
• They keep a yearly reading log and want each book in the same shape.