Last December as I browsed through YouTube, I came across people doing their 2023 journal setups. I was mesmerised. I watched several and decided to make my own.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed keeping it this year. As it’s for my personal use it didn’t matter that some of the pages I’d created, I didn’t use.
Neither does it matter that my book list is scruffy. It has too many columns to fill, and one long list is not great on the eye. I also include a date started and finished, which I thought would be a good idea but turned out to be a pain. It’s the first journal I’ve done and it’s been a learning curve.
This year, in readiness for next, I’ve loved watching more set-ups on YouTube. Many were neat, pretty, and in a smaller book, (I chose an A6 large book last year) Smaller feels better and less cumbersome.
The one I’m using is for scrapbooking or album-keeping. It has thick brown pages, and I like it. It also has a strip of elastic attached to the back which wraps around the front to keep it closed.
I’ve already begun, and I’m taking my time to think exactly what I want. This time I want it to be neat. I’ve even bought a digital mini printer so I can print off book covers. That will make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Many journal keepers add their reviews too, but mine are all on here as its better to share. There are plenty of other things that I can fill the pages with, plus I have been giving book talks in my local area. I’m pleased to say that I seem to have inspired others, just as I was inspired.
If you think you would like to start one, remember that it can be just a list of books you’ve read. You don’t need to do a complicated setup. I suggest you list them monthly, rather than a long list as I have done. It will make it easier to read and to look through. Even so, I still get a warm feeling as titles jump out at me and I remember how much I loved them.
I can’t wait to start using mine, but still enjoy using this year’s journal.
This is what I’ve done so far.
World of Stories 