Planners
Reading Log Template
Printable reading log — track titles, authors, dates, ratings, and reviews.
Last updated:
What this tool does
Keep a handy paper reading log of the books you are working through. Each row has space for the title and author, the dates you started and finished, a five-star rating, and a few ruled lines for a short review.
Settings
Configure your reading log
8 book cards per page with title, author, dates, rating, and review lines.
Paper size
Preview
Sample sheet
On-screen mock of the layout. The PDF prints at exact millimetre spacing.
People also used
Print a Reading Log You Will Actually Keep Up
Most reading apps turn a quiet habit into a points game. A printable reading log does the opposite — it is a calm one-page record of what you have read, when, and what you thought of it. This free generator prints a clean reading log in A4 or US Letter with six to twelve book cards per page, each holding space for the title, author, start and finish dates, a five-star rating, and a few ruled lines for a short review.
Print one sheet a year, or one per season, and tuck it inside the cover of whatever you are reading. At year-end, you have a paper trail of your reading life — far lovelier to flip through than a spreadsheet.
Why paper beats a reading app
Paper wins the long game. No logins, no algorithm, no "people who read this also read" prompts nudging you toward bestsellers. A handwritten log captures what you actually thought of a book in the moment. Use it for:
- tracking the books you finish each year
- recording start and finish dates so you can spot reading droughts
- writing a short review that will remind you of the book in ten years
- school summer reading challenges and book clubs
- children's reading practice and bedtime routines
- homeschool reading portfolios
- book club prep and discussion notes
Because the rows are blank, the same sheet works for novels, non-fiction, audiobooks, graphic novels, and the picture books you read to a toddler.
What you can customise
- Cards per page: 6, 8, 10 or 12. More cards means less review space per book; fewer cards means room for a proper paragraph.
- Page title: free-text, so "2026 Reading" and "Summer Holiday Books" both work.
- Paper size: A4 or US Letter.
The card layout itself is fixed — Title, Author, Started, Finished, five empty star outlines, and a small ruled review block. Consistency makes the log feel like a proper record rather than a random jotting.
Worked example
Anna likes to keep a handwritten record of her year's reading. She sets the log to eight cards per page and titles it "2026 Reading". The first book she finishes in January is a novel — she writes the title and author, notes the start date ("2 Jan"), the finish date ("9 Jan"), shades four of the five stars, and jots a two-line review ("Moved quickly, loved the ending, will lend to Sam"). Card two is a non-fiction audiobook; card three is a re-read of an old favourite.
By July she has filled the first page and prints a second. At the end of the year she binds both pages into her commonplace book. Ten years later, she can still tell you which book she read in the cottage that rainy weekend in April.
Who the reading log is for
Readers who want a proper record
A paper log quietly records the year's reading without turning it into a leaderboard.
Children and families
Great for summer reading challenges and bedtime logs. Kids love colouring in the stars.
Teachers and librarians
Print a stack for the classroom. Each child keeps their own log over the term.
Book club members
Bring the card to the next meeting — your rating and review are already there, ready for the discussion.
How to use the generator
- Pick the number of cards per page (6 to 12).
- Type a title for the page.
- Select A4 or US Letter.
- Click Generate to preview the layout.
- Download the PDF and print.
- Fill in a new card every time you finish a book.
- Shade stars to match your rating.
- Write a short review while it is still fresh.
Methodology — what the template looks like
Each page opens with a branded title strip carrying your chosen page title. Below it sits a tidy grid of book cards — two cards per row, with the row count dictated by how many cards per page you picked. Every card is laid out identically: a Title line, an Author line, a Started/Finished date pair, a row of five outline stars, and a few ruled review lines. Cards are sized so biro or fine pen writing fills each block comfortably.
The page is produced through the shared branded PDF template, so margins, fonts and footer line up with the other printables in the library. A reading log and a monthly planner printed together look like pages from the same notebook.
Tips for keeping the log going
- Fill in the card the moment you finish the book — the review is much better while the story is still fresh.
- Keep the log inside the cover of whatever you are reading now.
- Use pencil if you suspect you will revise a rating later.
- Leave a card blank between books as a breathing room.
- At year end, bind the sheets together or paste them into a commonplace book.
Designed for A4 and US Letter printing
The reading log prints in clean black-and-white on both A4 and US Letter. Cards reflow so the row heights stay comfortable on either paper. Print at 100% scale so the star outlines stay crisp.
Related printable planners
Pair the reading log with other calm, ongoing printables:
FAQs
Quick answers
How many books fit on a page?
You can choose anywhere from 6 to 12 book cards per page. More cards means smaller review space.
Can I use it for any book format?
Yes — it works for novels, non-fiction, audiobooks, or children's books. The rating and review fields stay the same.
Is there a place to rate a book?
Yes. Each card includes five empty stars you can fill in with pen or pencil.
Does it print in colour?
No. The log is intentionally black and white so it prints cleanly on any printer and is easy to photocopy.
Related tools