I’ve searched online before for such reading journals as I was interested to get one for myself. Yeah, I’ve visited Amazon to check out the reading journals on sale and Read, Remember, Recommend was one of them. So imagine my ecstasy when Sourcebooks sent me this amazing journal for review.

There are six parts in the journal plus the introduction. You could read the intro section to help you get started with it. However, the bulk of the book would be Awards and Notable Lists where there are numerous lists of books that have won or were nominated in bookish awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Awards, the National Book Critics Circle Awards, the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, Salon Book Award for Fiction and the Richard & Judy Book of the Year Award. If you want to get familiar with award-winning books, this is the place to turn to. Some blank lists are also provided for you to fill in your own favourite lists of books.

Besides, with the To Read section, you can keep track of books that you want to read. Judging by the number of books out there, the five pages available will not be sufficient to write them all.

As it is a reading journal after all, the third section is Journal Pages. But I think you can only fill in around 67 books in the provided boxes and columns. Some of them have more lines for you to write in and I suggest you leave them for books where you have more opinions on.

The sections that follow are Recommendations, Loaner Lists and Resources. You can use the recommendations list to record books that you want to suggest to your family, friends and anyone else. If you always lend out your books, then keep track of them in the Loaner Lists. At least you will know and remember who you lent your favourite books to. A friend of mine lent one of her Harry Potter books and couldn’t figure out the borrower! Finally with the Resources section, check out the book-related websites and blogs. You may even find some of your favourite book blogs listed there! Who knows, maybe YOUR blog is there. Now how cool is that?

The journal is reader-friendly with an attractive cover that book lovers can identify with. Duh, the stacks of books! I also love the spiral-bound feature, which makes it easy to leave the book open without holding on to it. There are also coloured tabs at the sides so you can quickly flip to any section you want.

I will use the journal mainly for suggestions on what to read next since there are more than 2,500 cross-referenced great books recommended in there. Alright, I’m going to continue using this journal by checking off the books which I already own or have read. I am also going to familiarise myself with the best books on earth in the process of becoming a well-read person. Hopefully!

***Thanks to Carrie Gellin of Sourcebooks for sending me this book to review. You can visit Rachelle’s website for further details on this book.

Other reviews: Book Journey, Books Like Breathing, A Bookworm’s World

Now why didn’t I ever go to that section before? Whenever I enter a bookshop, I always head to the Fiction books section. Well, I used to visit the revision books section too but not anymore.

This book captured my interest right from the very first page. The instructions for each art project are simple and that’s why this book is suitable for kids who want to make fun stuff. Like greeting cards, for example. Instead of buying one card for around RM2.90, why not make one yourself? There’s the personal touch too and the receiver would be so happy to know that you made the card yourself!

In this book, there are interesting art tricks that you can use if you’re designing anything from cards to photo frames. You don’t need too many expensive materials to get you started on your art projects. You can even create a masterpiece from a piece of eraser!

Also, colourful pictures are included so you will know exactly what you are making. Pictures with instructions, everything is laid out for you. All you need to do is find the materials, which are easy to find and then you can embark on your project.

I’ll try one of the projects in this book later, then I’ll show you how it turned out!

Buy The Usborne Book of Art Projects (Miniature Editions)