Hello, this is Clémence from @planninginfrench! Today I will introduce you to my reading journal and especially to my favorite quotes from all the books I have read. 

Supplies For A Reading Journal

• Journal: A5 Archer and Olive Notebook
• Pens: Acrylograph Pens or Calliographs
• Decorative touch: Stickers and washi tape

Why Keep A Reading Bullet Journal?

A few months ago I got back into reading. I realized that this hobby is really good for me because it really is therapeutic. Reading helps me to manage my anxiety and my sadness phases, plus it allows me to spend more time away from screens. All positive things! 

I wanted to have a reading journal to keep track of all my reading and especially to remember the books I read and why I liked them. I needed a lot of flexibility for this journal because sometimes I have a lot to write about a book... and sometimes a few sentences are enough. That's why I decided to create my own reading journal, I wanted it to fit my needs. 

What To Include In A Reading Journal

For each book, I put a picture of the book cover and I write some basic information: the start and end dates, the number of pages, the ratings, ... For some books I also write down what the book taught me and why I enjoyed it. Indeed, I often learn a lot from reading! The funny thing is that sometimes the lesson learned has nothing to do with the story but for example the personality of a character or their development inspires me and I want to remember it.

I also wanted to write down some quotes that had strongly inspired and helped me. Let's be honest, I mostly read romance, so you'd think they wouldn't have much to learn because they are mostly readings for entertainment. But this is not true! All of these books are filled with quotes that are true life lessons. The thing is I read so many books that I was afraid I would forget all the inspiring things I learned, so I wanted to put them all together in one place. 

Some of the quotes motivate me to accomplish my goals, I try to draw on the strength of the character to get there too. For example: ‘Goals are achieved through discomfort and hard work. They aren’t achieved when you hide out in a place where you’re nice and cozy’. This quote means so much to me and gives me so much strength that it had to be written in my reading journal. 

Other quotes remind me that it's ok to have phases of sadness, they are part of life and it will get better afterwards. When I feel sad phases, I feel alone and misunderstood and realizing that heroes in books go through the same phases helps me realize that I have the right to feel that way. For example: ‘Sadness is intrinsically part of happiness. There is no life where you can be in a state of just happiness forever’. It really brings me comfort to see this reminder written in my journal. 

Other quotes help me appreciate every little happiness in life and make me realize that finally that's what I need to focus on to get better. For example: ‘I had predicated my life on the idea that I wanted to see everywhere extraordinary but I’d come to realize that extraordinary is everywhere’. Aren't we all so in pursuit of the extraordinary that we forget to see that it is everywhere in our daily lives if we take the time to pay attention?  

Taking the time to write these quotes in my journal allowed me to understand their real meaning and to question myself. Moreover, when this journal will be filled with all my readings, it will be a real collection of motivations to help me through all the little difficulties of everyday life. Reading them again in my journal will give me strength, courage, motivation or comfort when I need it. And that's why I love my reading journal so much <3 

I hope you found these tips useful! If you start a reading journal, you would love to see! Tag us @archerandolive, @archerandolive.community and use the hashtags #AOShare and #archerandolive. Happy journaling!