Hello!
I’m writing this with an ice lolly in one hand, attempting to cool off as summer throws its last hurrah here in Somerset, England. Despite the blazing weather, I’m getting distinct ‘back to school’ feelings even though my son isn’t quite at that stage yet and it’s been years since I was at school myself. There’s just something about September that makes me want to sharpen pencils, buy new notebooks and hunker down with an armful of books.
I’m currently awaiting feedback from my editor on the latest version of my next book, The Lifeline. I’m using the time to catch up on the admin that always gets completely abandoned when I’m working to meet a deadline. I think my writing room is in need of a big tidy! I’m also enjoying having lots of coaching calls with writers who are working on their own novels, through my role with The Novelry. I just love being a writing coach - there’s something wonderful about hearing someone excitedly chat about their idea for a novel and offer up thoughts, suggestions and motivation to help them on their way.
Another thing I’m enjoying doing at the moment is catching up on my reading journal. I mentioned in a previous newsletter that I was thinking of starting one. Well, I did and it’s been one of the best things I’ve done this year. I only wish I’d started one sooner!
If you’re interested in starting a reading journal, here are some tips to get you started…
How to start a reading journal
Before I get into the how, here are some reasons why you should consider starting a reading journal:
Why I love having a reading journal
It’s an excuse to buy a new notebook (and stickers and colourful pens…)
It acts as a record of what I’ve read and helps me remember the titles of the books I’ve enjoyed (something I’m terrible at unless I have a prompt!). Now, if a friend asks for a book recommendation I just have to flick through my reading journal.
It’s really interesting to see what genres I actually read most frequently. I categorise each book by genre and at the end of the year plan to make a chart showing which genres I’ve read. So far, it’s rom-coms for the win!
I find the act of writing in it very therapeutic. It’s a lovely gentle activity that doesn’t require too much effort but still feels creative.
What you’ll need for your reading journal
If I’ve convinced you to start your own reading journal then the first step is to choose a suitable notebook. I went for one with a square grid instead of lines as I thought it would help me keep it more organised. But you could equally go for lined or blank pages. It’s up to you!
I got a bunch of colourful felt-tip pens to help decorate and categorise my journal (I use a different colour for different genres). I also had great fun choosing book-themed stickers on Etsy.
I started out drawing the covers of the books I’d read, which was a fun exercise but ultimately too time-consuming for me to keep up. Now I print out the covers of the books I read on my printer and stick them in with Pritt stick. I think it looks neater this way too! Some other things that might help with your reading journal: washi tape for decoration, a ruler if you want to be really neat, alphabet stickers or stencils for spelling out the titles of the books, star stickers to do ratings.
How to organise your reading journal
I left a couple of pages blank at the very start of the notebook where I plan to go back at the end of the year and fill out highlights of 2023, looking at my most-read authors, genres and my top picks of the year. I’m thinking of it as Spotify Unwrapped, but for books.
In an ideal world, I would have started my reading journal in January. Instead, I began it in April, so I did a reading round-up where I listed every book I’d read between January and April (that I could remember!).
From April onward I have dedicated a page at the start of each month for a monthly summary. On this page, I list how many books I started, how many books I finished, my top book of the month plus sometimes a favourite quote or my favourite reading spot that month.
I then typically allow a page or two per book, listing the genre, a synopsis, things I loved, a star rating and maybe a favourite quote. Other things you could list include: number of pages, how you felt when you finished reading, whether you would recommend it to a friend, where and when you bought the book, when you started it and when you finished it, if the author has other books that you will read next.
There are no rules when it comes to reading journals and that’s one of the things I love so much about having mine. I may well change up how I organise mine in future. I think of mine as a fun, creative project that celebrates my love of reading and comes with no pressure.
A few prompts for your reading journal…
Write a list of your all-time favourite books
Write a list of your ‘bucket-list’ books
Draw a picture of your favourite character from your favourite book
Write a poem or short story inspired by one of your favourite books or a book you’ve recently finished
Ask your friends and family to contribute to your journal by giving you their five favourite novels and writing them down in your journal
Add in pictures that make you think of the book - they could be photos, drawings or torn from magazines.
Go back through some of your favourite books and write down your favourite quotes
Write a list of all the books in your house that you haven’t read yet. And then tick them off!
Create a page that’s dedicated to you: your favourite book, your favourite childhood book, your favourite place to read, your favourite reading snack, the characters from books that you’d most like to meet in real life.
And a few facts from my reading journal so far this year…
Books read: 38
Top genres: Up Lit, Romance (especially Romantic Comedies), Womens Literary Fiction
Five-star reads:
Me Before You, Jojo Moyes
Someone Else’s Shoes, Jojo Moyes
You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty, Akwaeke Emezi
Happy Place, Emily Henry
The Collected Regrets of Clover, Mikki Brammer
The Shell House Detectives, Emylia Hall
A Winter in New York, Josie Silver
You and Me on Vacation, Emily Henry
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame, Olivia Ford (out next year)
The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston
The Storied Life of A.J Fikbry, Gabrielle Zevin
Do you have a reading journal? How do you organise yours? I’d love to know!
Don’t miss out on this deal…
For the month of September, The Island Home is on sale as an ebook for just 99p. If you haven’t read it yet, now’s your chance! It’s a story set on a Scottish island and is full of family secrets, friendship and beautiful scenery.
Upcoming events
I’m going on tour and I’d love to meet some of you at an upcoming event!
13th September, Goring Library, Goring (Oxfordshire): Tickets available through the library
19th September, Hunting Raven Books, Frome: I’ll be in conversation with fellow local authors Winnie M Li and Frances Liardet as we discuss our writing lives. If you’re looking for tips on how to get published or want to hear more about juggling writing with family, work and life, then this is the event for you!
24th September, Appledore Book Festival: Come along to a lively book brunch with the authors where you’ll get the chance to hear myself and authors Veronica Henry, Georgina Moore and Deborah Moggach discuss our books.
27th September, Waterstones, Bath: I’ll be joined by my mum Sally Page whose second novel The Book of Beginnings comes out this month.
2nd October, Waterstones, Swindon: A joint event with my mum, fellow author Sally Page.
3rd October, Waterstones, Dorchester: A joint event with my mum, fellow author Sally Page.
4th October, Waterstones, Taunton: A joint event with my mum, fellow author Sally Page.
12th October, Mere Literary Festival: Come along to hear me chat about my latest novel The Vintage Shop.
What I’ve been reading…
Here are some books I’ve read and loved recently:
Red, White and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston - a gloriously upbeat LGBTQ+ novel with a great set-up (America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales) and brilliant characterisation. There’s plenty of fun and spice but I loved that there’s still great emotional depth and vulnerability between the two main characters.
Talking at Night, Claire Daverley - a sweeping love story telling the tale of a couple who meet as teenagers but are kept apart by a serious of events throughout their lives. It reminded me of One Day.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin - my current read and one I’m absolutely loving. It’s a totally immersive tale of friendship and life that is hard to describe but is a brilliant read.
Some books that are on my reading list to read next:
Arthur and Teddy are Coming out, Ryan Love
Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments, Hema Sukumar
What you are looking for is in the library, Michiko Aoyama
Meet me at the Lake, Carley Fortune
In Bloom, Eva Verde
Good Taste, Caroline Scott
As ever, thanks so much for subscribing and for your interest in my books!
Libby x