I am so excited to share with you the ultimate reading tracker template! Actually, it’s a bundle of templates that you can customize to fit your needs. 

I went with a clean, minimalist design, and every template comes in color AND black-and-white versions to suit your preference. I even have a tracker for kids and students in school.

In this blog post, I’m going to show you exactly how to use each of the templates. So, click the image below to download your free printables right now. 

What is a reading tracker template?

It’s a form that helps you keep track of certain details about your reading life. What does it track? Well, it can track a few different things. As readers, we like to track…

• The titles of the books we’ve read over a period of time
• Basic details about the books we’ve read, such as author, genre, likes/dislikes
• The time we’ve spent reading or the number of days we’ve read in a row (a.k.a. a reading streak)
• Progress toward a reading challenge

Why track your reading?

• To form a reading habit
• To keep track of the numbers you’re most interested in (# of books, # of pages, # of minutes)
• To remember what you’ve read (so you don’t get halfway through a book and then realize you’ve already read it. Not that I’ve EVER done that before!)

The good news is that this bundle of reading tracker templates is simple, customizable, and printable.

Prefer a Reading Tracker Template for Google Sheets?

The Ultimate Digital Reading Tracker is for you! Effortlessly keep track of the books you’ve read and your reading stats in a clean, organized Google spreadsheet.

Here are the reading tracker templates

Now, I’m going to explain exactly HOW to use each one!

Reading Time Tracker (for adults)

Why use it? To keep track of how many days you’ve read in a row. But, you can also modify this template to ALSO track:

• How many minutes you’ve read
• How many pages you’ve read

How to use the Reading Time Tracker template

Below the title, you can jot down the date you started this tracker. 

In the top left-hand box, write the week you’re tracking. There are seven boxes to the right, one for each day of the week, Sunday through Saturday. Put a checkmark in today’s box if you read that day. Will you need to read for a minimum number of minutes per day in order to check the box?

Instead of a checkmark, you can write the actual number of minutes that you read for, such as 30 or 90 minutes. That way, you can tally up the minutes and see how much reading time you accumulated.

You can also do this with pages, if that’s more interesting to you. In the box, write the number of pages you read that day. Then, tally away!

My Reading Log (for kids and students)

Why use it? To keep track of your child’s reading progress and build strong reading habits. Teachers sometimes require this for summer reading or independent reading. If you homeschool, this is a handy tracker that you can print and use however you wish.

How to use the My Reading Log template

It’s as simple as filling in the blank areas that the teacher requires (or that matter to your student). It can be very motivating for a child to realize that they’ve read hundreds—or even thousands—of pages. If you’ve got a numbers-oriented kid (like I do) this can quite possibly take their love of reading to the next level—by adding numbers. 

Keeping track of book titles comes in handy when you say, “No, you haven’t read this one,” and your kid insists, “Yes I did!!”

My Year in Books

Why use it? To keep track of the total number of books you’ve read in a year. 

How to use the My Year in Books template

This simple, handy tracker is about as easy and minimalist as it gets. Read a book in January, and put a star, checkmark, or happy face in a box next to the month of January. 

At the end of the year, tally up how many books you’ve read. You can compare how many books you read this year to last year. Or, in the margins, you can jot down your reading goals, such as “50 books this year” or “a minimum of two books per month.”

There are enough boxes for 84 books. I know that some of you read way more than that, but you are magical unicorns of Booklandia and cannot be contained by minimalist reading tracker templates. Please, tell me all your secrets!

Starting in the middle of the year? No problem. In the left-hand box that says, “For the year of” write down the range, such as 2023–24. Start with the current month, and when you get to December, go back to the top and start with January (and make a note that it’s the new calendar year). 

Reading Challenge

Why use it? To keep track of your current reading challenge. Reading challenges are often designed to get people out of their comfort zones and introduce them to new books and authors. This tracker lets you list all the challenge categories, the book you picked for each category, and whether or not you’ve read it yet. 

How to use the Reading Challenge template

In the Category column, write the specific challenge. If you’re following a challenge for a book club, then chances are the categories are chosen for you. They usually look something like this:

• A book by a new-to-me author
• A classic I’ve been wanting to read
• Set in a different country than the one I live in
• Set at least 100 years in the past (or, hey, the future!)
• Book 1 in a YA series

In the Book/Author column, write the book (and its author) that you selected to fulfill that challenge item. In the checkmark box on the far right, put a check—or any symbol that you like—to indicate you’ve finished that book.

I don’t have a reading tracker template for an X-by-X reading challenge, but if you’re interested in that, let me know in the comments!

My Book Log (Simple)

Why use it? To keep track of the books you’ve read. Period! 

This is for avid readers who want to keep a spectacularly uncomplicated book list. It’s also a great place to start if this is your first time tracking your reading.

Why make it hard? This is as easy as it gets, and it’s a space-saving way to keep track of a lot of books.

How to use the My Book Log template

Just below the title, jot down the date you started this log. Then, it’s as simple as filling out the basic information about each book as you finish it. When you’ve filled the page, print a fresh tracker page, and keep going!

This is a fluff-free, no frills log. Just the book titles, author names, and date finished. What more do you want to know, anyway?

Well…some of us want to track a teensy bit more info than just that. If that’s you, then you’ll love the next template. 👇

My Book Log (With Summary)

Why use it? To keep track of the books you’ve read—with space to jot down a few notes about each one. One quick glance, and you can get a snapshot of your reading life. 

How to use the My Book Log (With Summary) template

Just below the title, write the date you started this log. Then, as you finish each book, fill out the basic information. Directly below is a box for notes. This is where you can write any tidbits that are important to you or that you don’t want to forget, such as:

• Your star rating
• Genre
• Basic plot/character notes to jog your memory later
• Format: Did you read a paper copy or listen on audio?
• Whether or not you own the book and where (hard copy or Kindle?)

This is still a highly streamlined book tracker template, and it’s super-easy to use. And (blessedly) it requires nearly no effort on your part. 

Which reading tracker template will you use first? 

Okay, book lovers. Leave me a comment and let me know if you nabbed this freebie and how it worked for you!

Didn’t grab the templates yet? You can get them right here. 👇

Upgrade to the digital version—search, filter, sort, and see your combined reading stats!

If you want to go for ultimate convenience, then try one of these reading tracker templates for Google Sheets.

Just imagine having your to-be-read list on hand at all times (on your phone).

You don’t have to stare at a blinking cursor when it comes time to write a book review because you’ve got a template loaded with prompts.

These are seriously fun and incredibly easy to use!