I should probably change the title of this, I was going to, but I thought, "no, this is how I got to my journal, so it is my story." As in life, my story may not work for you and that is fine. Whatever system (that is if you even want a system) you choose is what is best for you. I just want to give you advice....you don't have to stick with the system you choose. I started my book journal in 1996, and it has evolved drastically. As a matter of a fact, I am about to have a new stamp made because I have decided to change it up one more time.
In 1995, I bought a book at the US Post Office store in Little Rock, Arkansas. I paid way too much for the book, especially since I didn't journal, but it was adorable and I wanted to do something with this adorable book. I needed to do something special because I am telling you, it was not a cheap book.
I used this book for a few years until I decided to keep more stats and then I added more information. I found a book stat chart on the internet and made a similar one in Excel. I realized quickly that you can do lots with Excel and I started a journal there, I still kept up my paper one, but this one had numbers. I don't even like numbers, but I loved this part.
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My Excel sheet
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After adding formulas to count my books for me and a few other columns of stats, I edited my paper journal chart once more and decided that I couldn't print off my Excel journal anymore. I wanted a journal similar to where I started, a journal in an already bound book. This is when I developed my stamp. I ordered it from rubberstamps.net (they have made a lot of custom stamps for me, they are quick and very good).
This last one is the new stamp that I just created. I was hoping for a simple layout that tracked the DNF books and was in the order of Goodreads as far as the information. The empty box next to Borrowed is where I will write the library or person's name that loaned me the book, I did add a heading because it was too cluttered. I was going to put "source", but I had little room to write.
I would love to see what you fellow readers do to track your books, please share.
Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office by Brian Baumgartner
