Book review template: what to write after you finish a book

A good book review template is short enough that you'll actually use it, and detailed enough that you'll remember the book a year later. Here is the one we suggest for a reading journal.

The basics

Title, author, the dates you started and finished, and the format (paper, ebook or audiobook). If it's part of a series, write the series name and number too.

Your rating

Give it stars out of five, but also rate a few parts on their own: story, characters, writing and ending. A book can have a weak ending and still be a favorite, and this helps you see why.

Five questions to answer

What was it about, in one sentence? Who was your favorite character, and why? Which moment surprised you? Which line or quote do you want to keep? Who would you recommend it to?

Keep it in one place

Reviews are most useful when they live together. A book review journal lets you flip back through your reading year, see patterns in what you love, and pick better books next time.

Fantasy Reading JournalBook tracker and review pages in a fantasy design.

Fantasy Bookmarks, Set of 8Includes a reading tracker bookmark.