Reading Log and Book Tracker

Who this is for

Every book, and what you thought of it. One row per book records who wrote it, when you started and finished, how long it was and how it rated, and the sheet counts the books finished, the pages read and the days each one took.

Readers who want a record of the year — for a reading challenge, a book group, a child's reading at home, or simply to remember what was read and whether it was any good.

What this helps you track

• What was read, in order, with author and format
• How long each book took, from the two dates
• Books finished and pages read for the period on the sheet
• Your own rating, so the good ones can be found again and recommended

How to use it

1. Write whose log it is and the period it covers — a year is usual.
2. Add a row when you start a book: title, author, format and the date. Fill in the page count if you know it.
3. When you finish, add the date and a rating. Days taken is worked out in the browser and the workbook.
4. Books you abandon keep their row: leave the finished date blank and say why in the notes.
5. At the end of the period, read the summary — books finished, pages read, average days — and start a fresh sheet.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What does the rating mean?

Whatever you decide. The options run from 'loved it' to 'gave up', and they are your opinion on the day you finished, not a review for anyone else.

Do audiobooks count?

If you want them to. There is a format column so you can tell them apart, and the page count can be left blank or filled in from the print edition.

How is days taken worked out?

The finished date minus the started date. A book started and finished on the same day shows zero; a book with no finished date shows nothing.

Does it set a reading target?

No. The summary counts what you read. If you are following a challenge, write the number you are aiming for in the reading aim field at the top and compare.