A Book Lover's Diary (Hardcover)

~ Shelagh Wallace (Editor), Scott McKowen (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This permanent record for readers provides pages for recording significant book records; from records of books read by subject and title to want lists, quotes from important passages, and books shared as gifts. This will make an excellent record-keeper and gift for any involved in the book world. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." -- Oscar Wilde

A Book Lover's Diary is a journal for noting personal discoveries from the books read and recording the books on a wish list. A Book Lover's Diary is a welcome companion during forays to libraries and bookstores when the titles of books wanted can vanish from memory.

Well-organized and practical, this book features separate sections for: - Books to read - Books read and a personal review - Books to buy - Books loaned out or borrowed - Favorite books - Memorable passages - Addresses of libraries and book stores

Beautifully detailed woodcuts illustrate the pages and quotations describe the joy of books and reading. By keeping track of the books read and noting their effect, this journal becomes a valuable personal history.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (September 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552090159
• ISBN-13: 978-1552090152
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,403 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice, but not for everyone, March 5, 2005

By	Stephanie L. Wilde (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This "book diary" was recently gifted to me & I find myself very pleased to have it. I have found four sections particularily useful:

Book Lists - Books to Read
Record Book - Of Books Read
Book Keeping - Books I Want to Own
Books to Remember - I Must Remember to Read These Books Again

Most of the others I could do without; but it is very helpful to gather in one place all the books that catch my eye (though I certainly have not the time to read them all!) and everything I have finished. It certainly beats a collection of loose notes! The paper is of decent quality, the quotes and illustrations scattered throughout are pleasant, and the book is an appropriate size.

What I dislike about the book is that it is not very flexible: within, for example, "record book", are sections to record by title (expansive) and by author or subject (very simple). Does one record everything thrice? If only once, which format is to be preferred? How will you tell the order of reading, if you spread them out between the three? There are 34 complete records here, which would only last me 3-4 months, so I've gone with just using the simple form. Likewise, there are whole sections of the book that are a waste to me, spaces dedicated to books borrowed or lent, book clubs, and address space for bookstores & libraries.

Nonetheless, I'm glad to have it. But I would recommend thoroughly browsing it before you buy & deciding whether it really fits your needs.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful gift for book lovers! I love it !, May 6, 2000

By	"iloveprovence" (Columbia, S.C. United States) - See all my reviews

My sister ordered this book for me for my birthday. I was so excited when I opened the package and found the wonderful pages to document my reading, copy favorite quotes, list books I loved as a child (and still do), keep track of books I want to read, and more. This simple organizer is lovely! It has numerous wonderful quotes about books and reading from various sources. I took several evenings to browse through it thoroughly. I still enjoy just looking at it. The paper is of a very high quality. The colors are minimal to prevent competition with the reader's entries. If you love reading, get your hands on this little gem to store all your favorite memories of books!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best looking, and also very useful, November 14, 2001

By	bookjunkiereviews (India) - See all my reviews

For my purposes (described in an earlier review) this is probably the most satisfactory book journal. The other book diary BookNotes was the best as a gift to a young child, in my opinion, even though it was not quite what I wanted.

I wanted a place to record all the books I read by subject, by title and by author. This has that. I wanted a journal where I could jot brief notes about books. This has that as well.
This is not however the place to go if you want to write long detailed notes about each book (for that, I would recommend a separate blank journal). Rather, use this journal as a way to record what you read and when you read. If you have highly specialized reading tastes, some of the sections might seem extraneous, but the beauty of this journal (apart from its looks) is that it allows you to customize as you please.

I think I am keeping this one for myself. One caveat - I wish that this book had a bookmark (marker) included. But I can easily stick one in myself.