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These popular book reading trackers help you retain information about your reading life. I’ve been tracking my books for about ten years through various formats, and as a full-time book blogger, I also have a pulse on what’s hot and helpful with readers.

First, I’ll help you choose the right type of reading tracker for you. Then, I’ll share details about the best option for each type. You’ll be able to record your reading goals, reading habits, and/or reading challenges in ways that best suit you, from digital to printable and storebought. Pick one of these tracking essentials for book lovers to make the most of your reading life today!

Why You Should Use Reading Trackers

BENEFITS OF READING TRACKERS

There are a few different reasons readers like me use trackers for our books. They help you:

  • Reach your reading goals by actively following them.
  • Improve your memory of books you previously read.
  • Become a good book resource for others.
  • Boost your reading concentration and comprehension skills by analyzing what you have read.
  • Have a creative outlet.

How to Choose the Right Reading Tracker

Over the years, I have learned that tracking your reading is very personal.

For example, the popular GoodReads app has worked well for me since 2015 because I have my phone on me nearly always. But, I have since also incorporated the use of my own printable PDF Reading Journal, too.

In choosing the best reading tracker for you, it helps to think about:

  • What format are you most likely to use over time (paper vs. digital)?
  • What exactly do you want to track (anything from wish lists to books read and book reports)?
  • How creative do you want to be?

Best Book Reading Trackers For Kids, Students, and Adults

Below are several examples of reading journals to help you track books how YOU want to.

  1. Printable Reading Journal: best semi-custom physical option
  2. Printable PDFs: best for specific purposes
  3. GoodReads: most popular digital option
  4. The StoryGraph: best for book data nerds
  5. Fable App: best for bookworms who like to binge-watch
  6. Social media: best for community
  7. Spreadsheet: best for custom digital options
  8. Notes App: best for minimalists
  9. Bullet Journal: best for creatives
  10. Storebought: best physical, low-customization option

Printable Reading Journal: best semi-custom physical option

collage of reading journal pages

First, I have created a Reading Journal of printable PDF book reading trackers you can print at home. I aimed to have a semi-custom option to track books in the most popular ways.

You can print what you want and set it up how you want. For example, I use one “To Be Read” list each month. The design is also minimal so you can get as creative (or not) as you want.

Exclusive Offer: When you subscribe to my email newsletter for free below, you will instantly get a one-time exclusive offer to buy it for 50% off!


Free Printable PDF Templates: best for specific purposes

collection of christmas books with printable advent calendar for the christmas reading challenge.

Sometimes, you just want (or need) to track something really specific, like a reading challenge. Printable PDFs are great for that. I have several free ones that can help you:


GoodReads: most popular digital option

Goodreads app on a cell phone.

GoodReads is the most widely used free internet-based platform since 2006, owned by Amazon. I’ve used it from 2015 to the present.

It can be used on a desktop or mobile app. It’s also a social platform, so you can add friends, follow them, and read book reviews written by users. You can also enter book giveaways, create or join groups, and more.

GoodReads is the primary digital tool I use to track my reading. I like that it allows you to create lists of what you currently read, want to read, and have read. You can give star ratings and reviews and separate books into more specific lists.

One of my favorite tracking features of GoodReads is that each year, you can set a numerical reading goal, and the platform shows you a little bar to track your goal. At the end of the year, the platform gives you a summary of your year of reading data, too.


The StoryGraph: best for book data nerds

The story graph app on a cell phone.

The StoryGraph is a newer digital platform for tracking books on desktop and mobile app. It was released as an updated, more modern alternative to GoodReads.

What helped it to catch on with readers is its attention to data. Beyond rating and reviewing books, you can add details about mood, genre, pace, tags, content warnings, and more. The platform also compiles this data so you can research books in more detail. As the name suggests, The StoryGraph displays your data in visual charts. This helps the reader track the information more precisely.

The StoryGraph also has a reading challenges feature. You can join, create, and/or track specific reading challenges.


Fable App: best for bookworms who like to binge-watch

Fable app on a cell phone.

Fable is a social app that’s been growing in popularity. It hosts clubs for both reading and binge-watching.

It’s a digital platform that allows users to join book clubs, track reading progress, and share insights with others. It offers personalized book recommendations, lets users highlight passages and take notes, and fosters a social, interactive environment for readers to engage with one another through features like quizzes.


Social Media: best for community

Instagram app on a cell phone.

If you love platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, you can track your books there. These social media platforms have become popular for inspiring communities of like-minded people.

I’ve been a member of “Bookstagram” since 2019, and it’s not only helped me track my books; it’s helped me make friends, too! For example, I use the app through my book club, The Rory Gilmore Book Club, where we use Bookstagram story templates to track our reading.

Need help getting started? Check out my Bookstagram ideas.


Spreadsheet Reading Log: best for custom digital options

Spreadsheet reading journal on a computer screen.

A spreadsheet is a great reading tracker for all the “numbers” people out there. Those who are savvy with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets can organize and sort your data however you want!

In particular, Google Sheets would also be great for collaborative reading trackers, like for a book club.

If you want a spreadsheet already set up for you, my friend Rachel at the blog Never Enough Novels has a background in accounting and created a great reading tracker spreadsheet.


Notes App: best for minimalists

Woman using the notes app on a phone to track Pages.

Minimalists can track your books via the Notes app on your mobile phone. Make as many notes as you want in however many categories you want, then hop right on and edit them on the go.

In my early reading days, before social media and blogging, this was how I tracked books.


Bullet Journal: Best Tool For Creatives

Reading bullet Journal.

Bullet journals are completely personalized journals you can create to track various things in your life, usually in a very visual format with colorful markers and stickers. It’s kind of like a scrapbook!

They are great for the most artistic of book lovers. You can get creative with what you want to track and how you track it, from the number of pages you read each month to what coffee you are drinking with each book!

Pinterest and Instagram are great places to find inspiration for your reading bullet journal.


Storebought Reading Journal: best physical, low-customization option

There are also many pre-made reading journals for those who want something physical that doesn’t require much creative effort.

I’m linking a few here for you to check out and find the best one for you:

Bibliophile Reader’s Journal: (I own this one.) It’s filled with bookish art by bestselling author and illustrator Jane Mount of the popular Bibliophile brand. It has pages with prompts to rate each book you finish and take notes, and themed book recommendations to build your reading list.

The Reading Journal: A stunning 52-book journal that’s popular with readers.

I’m Booked All Week: Target’s cute new take on a reading journal.

For the Love of Books: I’ve heard this reading journal is a huge hit with kids.

Recap: Exclusive Offer

The best reading trackers help you track your books in various forms and ways that are most helpful to you. As a reminder, when you subscribe to my email newsletter for free, you will instantly get an exclusive offer to buy my Reading Journal for 50% off! SUBSCRIBE BELOW:

reading journal mockup
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