**I keep my page of parchment close, my wrist aching from writing so much. Ink drips on the page but I ignore it and keep writing. I like to keep a page of parchment every year for all the books I read and my thoughts on them. It is nice to keep track so that, in a few years, I can remember everything I read. The ink smears on the parchment, coating my wrist in black. I sigh, but dip my quill back in the pot.**

I started my reading journal in 2020. I kept a list of the books I read with a star rating, a list of my top five reads of the year, and the number of books I read. This has slightly evolved over the years. In 2024, I made a spread for 2024 and had a list of reading goals I wanted to complete. Then I kept track of the books I read but stopped rating about halfway through the year. Then I have my Vampathon spread, my favorite quotes of the year, and all the books I acquired throughout the year.

For 2025 so far, I did my 2025 spread and I decided to turn my goals into a bingo board. I added some different goals this year, such as “read a book with a blue cover” as well as my normal goals like reading a middle grade and a certain number of books (50 for next year). I don’t need to do these goals, but I wanted to make a bingo board since I thought it would be fun. I want to keep the rest the same, with my list of books, top ten, favorite quotes, and books acquired. I am, however, also going to keep a second reading journal. It is a bit much to keep two, but I received one for my birthday this year and want to use it. My current reading journal has been in use since 2020 since I don’t use up many pages, so I want to be able to use the new journal as well. If I don’t use it until my current one is filled up, it will probably take years to get to it.

The new journal has a bookshelf illustration to fill out, pages for reviews for five books a month and a monthly wrap-up, and an end of the year reflection. I can’t wait to try this one out.

I’m looking forward to all of my 2025 reads and filling out my reading journals. Let me know if you keep one too.

xoxo,

Just another reader