Reading List Template: Keep a List You'll Actually Use
A friend tells you about a book you'd love. You nod, say you'll remember it, and three weeks later you're standing in the library with no idea what it was called.
Most of us have a reading list. It's just spread across a notes app, a few screenshots, a sticky note on the fridge, and the back of a receipt in a coat pocket. So when you finally have time to read, you can't find a single title.
A reading list doesn't need to be fancy to work. It needs to be in one place, quick to add to, and short enough at the top that you can pick your next book in a minute. Here's a simple template and a few habits that keep it useful, whether you use paper, a spreadsheet, or an app.
Pick one place for your list
Choose a single home for your reading list, and put every title there.
This matters more than the format. A paper notebook works if it lives by your bed. A notes app works if you always use the same note. A list app works if it's already on your phone. What doesn't work is "a bit of everything," because then nothing is ever complete.
Once you pick a place, do a quick sweep:
- Gather titles from your old notes, screenshots, and browser bookmarks
- Add them to the new list, one line each
- Delete or archive the old scraps so you're not tempted to use them again
It takes about 15 minutes, and it's the last time you'll have to hunt for a book someone mentioned.
Write down just enough details
Keep each entry short: the title plus the two or three details you'll actually need later.
A long form for every book is how reading lists get abandoned. Here's a simple reading list template that covers most needs:
- Title
- Author (so you get the right book, not one with a similar name)
- Who recommended it (handy when you want to talk about it after)
- Where to get it (library, your shelf, borrow from a friend, buy)
- Notes (one line, like "audiobook is good" or "read before the movie")
That's it. Skip star ratings, genres, and page counts unless you enjoy tracking them. If a field doesn't help you choose or find the book, leave it off.
If you share a home with other readers, add one more detail: whose list it's on. That way kids can keep their own titles without losing them in yours.
Split it into next up and someday
Keep a short "next up" section of three to five books, and let everything else wait in "someday."
A list of 80 books is hard to choose from. You scroll for a while and end up rereading something old. A short shortlist fixes that.
- Next up: the three to five books you actually plan to read soon. When you finish one, pick the next from here.
- Someday: everything else. No pressure, no order.
- Done: books you've finished, with the date and one line about what you thought.
Once a month or so, move a few titles from someday to next up. The done section is worth keeping, too. It's nice to look back on, and it stops you from starting a book you already read two years ago.
Add books the moment you hear about them
Add a book to your list right away, while you still remember the title and who mentioned it.
Book recommendations show up at random times: a podcast in the car, a friend at dinner, a review you skim at lunch. If you wait until later, most of them are gone. A few habits help:
- Keep the list one tap away. Put it on your phone's home screen, or keep the notebook in your bag.
- Add the title even if you're unsure. A rough entry ("that mystery set in Maine, from Jen") is better than nothing. Fix it later.
- Use the library's catalog to check the details. Search the title at your local library's website to confirm the author and see if there's a wait.
If you're driving or busy, ask someone in the car to add it, or send yourself a quick message and move it to the list that night.
Track what you've lent and borrowed
Keep a short list of books you've lent out and borrowed, with a name and a date.
Every bookshelf has a gap where a favorite book used to be. Someone borrowed it, and nobody remembers who. A simple lent-and-borrowed list solves this:
- Lent: book title, who has it, and the date
- Borrowed: book title, whose it is, and when you should return it
- Library: title and due date, so you don't pay late fees
Check this list when you do your monthly review. A friendly "no rush, just checking you still have my copy of..." is a lot easier six weeks in than two years later.
This works for more than books. Board games, tools, and baking pans all wander off the same way. Our guide to keeping a home inventory covers lists like these for the rest of the house.
Review it once a month
Spend five minutes a month trimming your list so it stays short and useful.
Reading lists only grow unless you prune them. Once a month (the first weekend is easy to remember), run through it:
- Move finished books to done, with the date
- Pick the next few titles for next up
- Delete anything you've lost interest in. You're allowed to.
- Check the lent and borrowed list, and any library due dates
If your household reads together, make it a family habit. Each person picks one book for next up, and you put library holds in at the same time. It works a lot like a shared grocery list: one list, everyone can add to it, and nobody has to remember for everyone else.
Doing it with Domesio
If you'd like your reading list to live on your phone next to everything else at home, Domesio's custom lists can hold it. Make a list called "Books to read," add your own fields like Author or Recommended by, and use notes and dates for things like library due dates or who borrowed your copy. Check a book off when you finish it.
You can keep separate lists for next up, someday, and lent out, so each one stays short. If you share a household in Domesio, the people in your home can see your lists, so the family reading list lives in one place. Whoever creates a list can choose which household members have access, and change that anytime.
Domesio is free on iOS, Android, and the web. Start by adding the last three books someone told you about.