Journals
The best reading journals for book lovers
Capacity, paper weight and binding decide whether a reading journal gets filled or abandoned. All three are published by most sellers in this category, which makes it unusually easy to choose well.
By Scooter M. · Published · Last updated
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| # | Gift | Books tracked | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Comkiso Reading Journal Two review pages per book, an index, a TBR tracker and a back pocket — the fullest structure of any journal here. | 75 books | The most complete package | 8.3 | Check price |
| 2 |  SIMVIA Reading Journal One hundred and ten review slots on 120 gsm FSC-certified paper — the most capacity and the heaviest stock of any journal here. | 110 books | Someone who reads a lot | 8.1 | Check price |
| 3 |  JUBTIC Reading Journal 5.2 by 7.7 inches — noticeably smaller than the A5 standard — in linen hardcover, with three ribbons and a pen loop. | 75 books | The compact one | 8.2 | Check price |
| 4 |  Getvow Reading Journal A flexible cover instead of a hardback, on 100 gsm acid-free paper — the one that survives being shoved in a bag. | 75 books | A softcover that bends | 7.8 | Check price |
| 5 |  Hadley Designs Spiral Reading Journal The only spiral-bound journal here, and the largest at 7 by 10 inches — it opens flat, which a hardback does not. | 150 pages | Lying flat while you write | 6.9 | Check price |
A reading journal is a book you write in about the books you read: title, author, dates, a rating, and as much or as little reflection as you want. It is one of the few gifts on this site that changes the recipient's behavior rather than just their equipment, and that is either the appeal or the reason it ends up in a drawer.
The good news for a gift buyer is that this is the best-documented category we cover. Stationery sellers publish paper weight, trim size and cover material as a matter of course, because stationery buyers ask. So unlike almost everything else here, you can choose on specification rather than on photograph.
The four specs that decide it
Notice the column that is almost entirely empty. Binding is the spec that decides whether a journal lies flat while you write in it, and four of five sellers do not mention it at all. On a book whose entire purpose is being written in, that is the most consequential omission in the category.
Paper weight, and why 120 gsm is worth paying for
Grams per square meter is the standard measure of paper thickness. Ordinary printer paper is 80 gsm. Most journals here are 100. The SIMVIA is 120.
The practical difference is ghosting: at 80 to 100 gsm, a fountain pen or a fine liner shows through to the reverse of the page, so half the book becomes unusable. At 120 it generally does not. If the person you are buying for owns a nice pen, that single number is the most important one in the table.
Capacity, in years rather than in books
Seventy-five entries sounds like a lot until you convert it into time.
- A book a week fills a 75-entry journal in about 18 months.
- Two books a month fills it in just over three years.
- A book a month makes it a six-year object.
The SIMVIA's 110 entries add roughly half again to each of those. For a heavy reader that is the difference between one journal and two, and a reading journal that runs out mid-year is a mildly dispiriting object.
The index nobody else includes
Only the Comkiso publishes an index. It sounds like a small thing and it is the feature that decides whether a journal is still useful in year three: without one, finding what you thought about a book you read two years ago means leafing through seventy entries.
It is also the only one giving two full pages per book, which changes what the journal is. One page is a form to fill in. Two is somewhere to write.
Then there is the format question
A hardback journal is the better object to unwrap and the worse one to write in, because it has to be held open. A spiral one lies flat and looks less like a present. A softcover survives a bag.
There is no right answer, only a right answer for the person. If they will write at a desk with a proper pen, the Hadley spiral is the one they will actually use. If it is going under a tree, the linen JUBTIC or the vegan-leather SIMVIA are objects worth unwrapping.
Once they have one, how to start a reading journal and what to actually track in it are the two things that decide whether it gets past March.
Every pick
All of them, in full
Each write-up shows the gift-fit score broken into its five parts, the specs the seller actually publishes, and who should give it a miss.
No. 1 — The most complete package
Comkiso Reading Journal
Two review pages per book, an index, a TBR tracker and a back pocket — the fullest structure of any journal here.
| Spec disclosurecomputed | 14 / 20 |
|---|---|
| Gift readinessour call | 18 / 20 |
| Works for any readerour call | 17 / 20 |
| Materials and buildour call | 16 / 20 |
| Everyday useour call | 18 / 20 |
| Total | 83 / 100 |
| Page count or review count | 75 book reviews, two pages each Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
|---|---|
| Trim size | A5 Seller’s product title, read 2026-09-07 |
| Cover material | Linen Seller’s product title, read 2026-09-07 |
| Binding | Not published Not published |
| Paper weight | Not published Not published |
| Prompted or blank | Prompted — title, author, start and finish dates, star rating, plus an index, daily reading pages, challenges and a TBR list Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Extras included | Pen loop, ribbon bookmark, elastic band, back pocket Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
Two review pages per book instead of one is the structural decision that separates this from the rest of the category. Seventy-five books at two pages each is a book you write paragraphs in, not one you fill in like a form — and for a reader who actually has thoughts about what they read, that is the whole point of owning one.
The index is the underrated feature. A journal with 75 entries and no index is a journal you cannot search, and after two years that is exactly what you want to do with it. Very few in this category include one.
Everything a stationery person checks for is here: pen loop, ribbon, elastic closure, back pocket for the loose things that accumulate. The two blanks are paper weight and binding, and paper weight is the one that would decide it against the SIMVIA for someone who writes in fountain pen.
Give it if
The reader who annotates, has opinions, and will use both pages. Also the best of these for a book club.
Skip it if
They want to record a title and a star rating and move on. Two pages a book is a lot of paper.
No. 2 — Someone who reads a lot
SIMVIA Reading Journal
One hundred and ten review slots on 120 gsm FSC-certified paper — the most capacity and the heaviest stock of any journal here.
| Spec disclosurecomputed | 14 / 20 |
|---|---|
| Gift readinessour call | 17 / 20 |
| Works for any readerour call | 16 / 20 |
| Materials and buildour call | 18 / 20 |
| Everyday useour call | 16 / 20 |
| Total | 81 / 100 |
| Page count or review count | 110 book reviews Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
|---|---|
| Trim size | 5.8 x 8.3 in (A5) Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Cover material | Vegan leather hardcover Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Binding | Not published Not published |
| Paper weight | 120 gsm, FSC certified Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Prompted or blank | Prompted, with reading-challenge sections Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Extras included | Not published Not published |
One hundred and ten review slots is the number to weigh against everything else in this category, where 75 is the standard. Someone reading two books a month fills a 75-slot journal in three years and this one in four and a half. Someone reading a book a week fills the 75 in eighteen months.
The 120 gsm paper is the other differentiator and it matters more than a stationery spec usually does. Most journals here are 100 gsm; at 120 a fountain pen or a fine-liner does not show through to the reverse, which is the failure people actually complain about in a book journal they write in for years.
It is A5 in a vegan leather hardcover, which is the format that survives being carried in a bag. The listing does not say how it is bound — sewn, glued or spiral — and on a book meant to lie flat while you write in it, that is the one blank worth minding.
Give it if
A heavy reader who will still be filling it in three years' time.
Skip it if
They want something to carry loose in a coat pocket. A5 hardcover is a bag-sized object, not a pocket-sized one.
No. 3 — The compact one
JUBTIC Reading Journal
5.2 by 7.7 inches — noticeably smaller than the A5 standard — in linen hardcover, with three ribbons and a pen loop.
| Spec disclosurecomputed | 17 / 20 |
|---|---|
| Gift readinessour call | 17 / 20 |
| Works for any readerour call | 16 / 20 |
| Materials and buildour call | 16 / 20 |
| Everyday useour call | 16 / 20 |
| Total | 82 / 100 |
| Page count or review count | 75 book reviews Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
|---|---|
| Trim size | 5.2 x 7.7 in Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Cover material | Linen hardcover Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Binding | Not published Not published |
| Paper weight | 100 gsm, FSC certified Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Prompted or blank | Prompted, with book-club discussion questions and reading challenges Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Extras included | 3 colored ribbon bookmarks, pen loop Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
Six of seven checklist items published, which is the best disclosure in this category and the reason it outranks journals with more capacity. The only blank is the binding.
It is the small one. At 5.2 by 7.7 inches it is a full inch shorter than the A5 journals here, which is the difference between something that lives in a handbag and something that lives on a desk. If the person you are buying for reads on a commute, that matters.
Three ribbon markers rather than one is a small, specific kindness: one for the current book, one for the index, one for the challenge page. Once you have used a journal with three you notice the ones with one.
Give it if
A reader who wants to carry it, and a book club that wants the discussion prompts.
Skip it if
They write large. Smaller trim means smaller boxes to write in.
No. 4 — A softcover that bends
Getvow Reading Journal
A flexible cover instead of a hardback, on 100 gsm acid-free paper — the one that survives being shoved in a bag.
| Spec disclosurecomputed | 17 / 20 |
|---|---|
| Gift readinessour call | 15 / 20 |
| Works for any readerour call | 16 / 20 |
| Materials and buildour call | 14 / 20 |
| Everyday useour call | 16 / 20 |
| Total | 78 / 100 |
| Page count or review count | 75 book reviews Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
|---|---|
| Trim size | 5.8 x 8.3 in (A5) Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Cover material | Flexible (soft) cover Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Binding | Not published Not published |
| Paper weight | 100 gsm, acid-free Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Prompted or blank | Prompted, with book-club questions and a reading wish list Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Extras included | Back pocket Seller’s product title, read 2026-09-07 |
A flexible cover is the deliberate difference here. A hardback journal is the nicer object to unwrap and the worse one to carry — it does not bend to the shape of a bag, and the corners go first. This one is built the other way round.
Acid-free stock is worth noticing on a book somebody intends to keep for a decade. It is the difference between pages that yellow and pages that do not, and almost nobody in this category mentions it.
There is one small inconsistency on the listing itself, and it is the sort of thing worth knowing about: the product title says 72 book reviews and the feature bullet says 75. We have quoted the bullet in the table and flagged the discrepancy here rather than picking whichever number flattered the score.
Give it if
Someone who will carry it, drop it, and keep using it.
Skip it if
It is going under a tree. A softcover is a less impressive object to unwrap than a linen hardback.
No. 5 — Lying flat while you write
Hadley Designs Spiral Reading Journal
The only spiral-bound journal here, and the largest at 7 by 10 inches — it opens flat, which a hardback does not.
| Spec disclosurecomputed | 11 / 20 |
|---|---|
| Gift readinessour call | 13 / 20 |
| Works for any readerour call | 15 / 20 |
| Materials and buildour call | 13 / 20 |
| Everyday useour call | 17 / 20 |
| Total | 69 / 100 |
| Page count or review count | 150 pages Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
|---|---|
| Trim size | 7 x 10 in Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Cover material | Not published Not published |
| Binding | Spiral Seller’s product title, read 2026-09-07 |
| Paper weight | Not published Not published |
| Prompted or blank | Prompted — titles, ratings, reviews and personal notes Seller’s listing, read 2026-09-07 |
| Extras included | Not published Not published |
Spiral binding is the reason to choose this one and it is a better reason than it sounds. A hardback journal has to be held open with one hand while you write with the other; a spiral one lies flat on a table and stays there. If the person you are buying for writes proper notes rather than a star rating, that is the difference between using it and meaning to.
Seven by ten inches is genuinely large — half again the writing area of the A5 journals here. Whether that is generous or unwieldy depends entirely on where they will use it.
The listing publishes a page count rather than a review count, which is not the same thing and cannot be converted into one without knowing the layout. Cover material and paper weight are both blank, and on a spiral book that will be opened flat repeatedly, cover material is the one you would want.
Give it if
Someone who writes real notes, at a table, with a proper pen.
Skip it if
It is going in a bag. Spiral bindings catch on everything and bend out of shape faster than a sewn spine.
Answers
Questions people actually ask
What should I look for in a reading journal?
Four things, in this order: how many books it holds, the paper weight in gsm, the trim size, and how it is bound. Capacity decides how many years it lasts — 75 entries is about three years at two books a month. Paper at 120 gsm stops a fountain pen showing through where 100 gsm does not. And binding decides whether it lies flat while you write, which four of the five sellers in this guide do not state at all.
How many books does a reading journal hold?
The standard in this category is 75 book entries, with one journal in our guide holding 110. At a book a week, 75 entries lasts about eighteen months; at two books a month, a little over three years. If you are buying for someone who reads heavily, the extra capacity is the difference between one journal and two.
Is a reading journal worth it?
It is worth it if the person already wants to remember what they read and currently does not. The common failure is a journal bought for someone who has never expressed that wish, which becomes a form to fill in and then an abandoned book. If they have ever said they cannot remember whether they have read something, or looked up their own old reviews, it will get used.
What is the best paper weight for a reading journal?
120 gsm if they use a fountain pen or a fine liner, 100 gsm is fine for a ballpoint or a gel pen. Below 100, ink shows through to the reverse of the page and effectively halves the journal's capacity. Ordinary printer paper is 80 gsm for reference, so even the 100 gsm journals here are noticeably heavier stock than a notebook.
Hardcover or spiral-bound reading journal?
Spiral if they will write real notes at a table, because it lies flat and stays open with no hands. Hardcover if it is a gift to be unwrapped, because it is the better object. Softcover if it will live in a bag. Only one journal in this guide publishes its binding at all, which is why the spiral one stands out — you know what you are getting.