“What’s the name of that one character?”
“Where does that book take place?”
“Did I even like it?”

These are all questions I sometimes ask myself about books I’ve already read. Although it seems like I should retain this basic information after spending 300 pages with a book, I read a lot of books, and sometimes these little facts can escape me.

So I decided to start a book journal, a diary of book entries and snippets of information about each body of work I read. And because I’m a crafty kind of gal, I thought I’d make it a scrapbooking endeavor!

This past week, I put together the first five pages in this book journal. I used a large sketchbook that I already had in my desk and began scouring magazines and other paper resources for images I could use.

Page One: Frankenstein

This was my first attempt, which allowed me to better understand the process, the materials, and the spacing of the page. I found the lightning image as well as the beaker from a magazine, and cut the Frankenstein’s monster from a Halloween card.

Page Two: The Vanishing Half

I find this page to be absolutely lovely. I used scrapbooking paper and washi tape to frame the text areas, and I cut the image of the girl from a magazine, which I mounted so she would “pop” more on the page.

Page Three: The Secret History

Because this book is quite long, I had more information to write and used less imagery. I framed the text area with strips of paper and different washi tape, and I stamped the title at the bottom. There was a lot of writing involved on this page!

Page Four: Here for It

Although I like this page, there were a few changes I wish I’d made. I should have torn the paper around the book cover to match the torn-paper look, but I use far too much adhesive, rendering it impossible to unstick anything I’ve already laid down. Nevertheless, I think this is a cute page and I was happy to find that pink flower at the bottom right in a magazine.

Page Five: With the Fire on High

Undoubtedly, this is my favorite page from my book journal so far. Thank goodness we receive Bon Appetit magazines! I knew right away when I saw the image of the spoons that I wanted to use it for a very bold, colorful entry, and because the book cover is so beautiful, I really wanted it to stand out. Add a couple torn pieces of paper to help frame the text area, and voila! An entry which looks like a page from a cookbook! Perfect for this book.

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As I continue to add to my book journal, I’ll post more updates! I’m not necessarily adding books in any particular order, just whichever texts inspire me. So far, it’s been a really lovely pastime and I enjoy listening to audiobooks while working on this. Leave me a comment and let me know if you have a book journal!

Check out my Book Journal video on YouTube as well!

For book reviews by Slanted Spines, check out this page.