Reference
Printable reading log
What should a reading log for ADHD readers track?
Three things per session: the date, the page or timestamp where you stopped, and one line on what was happening. That last line is the one most logs skip, and it is the one that gets you back into the book after a gap. Print the sheet below, keep it inside the book's back cover, and fill one row each time you stop.
Checked 2026-10-27
Why this log is different
Most reading logs are built for counting: books per year, pages per day, streaks. Counting can be motivating, but it does not help with the most common way a book dies, which is a gap. You stop on page 140, two weeks pass, and by the time you pick it up again you no longer know who anyone is or why it mattered.
This log is built for coming back. Every row ends with a short note about what was happening when you stopped. When you return, you read the last two notes and you are back in the story in under a minute, without a spoiler, because you wrote it yourself.
How to use it
- Print the sheet and fold it into the back cover of the book. For an audiobook, keep it with your headphones or as a photo on your phone.
- Each time you stop, write the date, the page (or chapter and timestamp for audio), and one line: who was doing what.
- Keep the line short. "Mara left the city, the letter is still unopened" is enough.
- When you come back, read the last two rows before you read the book.
- If you have been away too long for your notes to help, use a recap that stops at your page; see the book recap apps shortlist.
Digital versions
If paper gets lost, The StoryGraph's free tier logs books and progress across devices, and our card notes buddy reads with comments locked until each reader reaches that point. Its catch is the reason this paper log exists: tracking is not remembering, because the app logs your page but will not tell you what happened on it. Some readers use both: the app for the count, the paper for the story.
Pair it with
- A printable cast list for books with many characters.
- A series tracker for long series.
- A visual timer for short sessions; see how to choose a visual timer.
Printing tips
The sheet below prints on one letter or A4 page. Print a few at once and keep spares in the drawer with your bookmarks, so starting a new book never waits on the printer.
What a good row looks like
Good rows are specific and short. "p. 212, the trial starts tomorrow, Ren still has the key" is better than "p. 212, exciting part". Name a person and a thing. If you only have ten seconds, write the page and one noun; even that beats nothing when you come back.
For audiobooks, write the chapter and the time stamp shown in your player, plus the last line you remember. That last line is also what a recap app asks for: Magic Bookmark's audiobook flow uses the last phrase you heard to find your place.
When to stop logging
If the log starts to feel like homework, cut it to the page number only. The goal is to make coming back easy, not to keep a perfect record. Plenty of readers use the log only for long or complicated books and skip it for light ones.
Reading log
Book:
Started:
| Date | Page or time | What was happening when I stopped |
|---|---|---|
Questions
- Q. What should I write in a reading log?
- A. The date, where you stopped, and one line about what was happening. The last part is what helps you restart.
- Q. Is a paper or app reading log better?
- A. Use whichever you will keep. Apps are good for counting books; a paper note about the story is better for getting back into a book.
- Q. How do I print this log?
- A. Use your browser's print command. The page prints as a single sheet with the header and empty rows.