January Reading Journal Spreads 📚 & What I Read in December

[@chemvanderest-randolph7901]

I'm sorry you are not feeling well. Hopefully you will be feeling better soon, A tip for using using your old letter press stamps....try putting a sheet of foam or felt underneath the paper you are stamping onto. Still won't be perfect but should help.

[@ErinSmith]

That is very smart, thank you! I’m going to try it 😍

[@ceejayall]

Divine Rivals had my heart, what a sublime story. I'm still reading Iron Flame, boy it's long one. Loooooove the spreads in both journals!! ❤ It has me inspired for January. 🎉

[@ErinSmith]

You’re not wrong C! 💕 honestly it’s probably good that it’s been a long read for us both - less time spent waiting for the next one!

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

LOVE THIS! im adding in pages to the journal you sent me... Starting small so i can learn and ill incorporate all the goodies you sent with it! I gotta jump in and stop staring at it 😂 hope you had a wonderful Christmas and new year!!

[@vivianwakoff]

These spreads (both January and December) are giving me so much FOMO! They're all so pretty!

[@ErinSmith]

Ohh thank you Vivian! That means so much to me! 🥰

[@JadeReads_2019]

All your spreads look incredible. Honestly so much inspiration from you for me to take with me when I set up my reading journal.

[@valerietheron146]

Loved the setup. Just finished my 2024 reading journal setup, I got totally inspired by you. Your reads are going on my list, thanks for the recommendations. Hope you feel better soon & happy New Year 🎉 Valerie

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you so much Valerie! 🥰 I hope you have a wonderful new years!

[@samanthazembleporter3409]

Hope you’re feeling better. Happy new year. 😊

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you Samantha! Happy New Year to you too! 😊

[@RusKms]

I love your style. It’s so inspiring and creative! Every time I watch one of your reading journal videos I want to try all sorts of things. Also, I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season!!

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you lovely Leah! 🥰 I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season too!

[@marsibilbrak2806]

When I have stubborn stamps I put a sheet or two of those craft foam sheets behind the page to allow the stamp to sink into the paper more. I hope you understand what I'm talking about

[@ErinSmith]

That’s such a good idea! Thank you for this, I’m going to try it!

[@zlicko7735]

THE HOUSE WITCH!!!! my favorite series! its sooo goood and soo funny! I'm so happy you choose to read it!

[@ErinSmith]

I’m really looking forward to it!

[@MeowMyselfandI]

Beautiful setup, so many books! It's funny, I actually just used those same stickii gothic-y picture frame stickers in my reading journal a few days ago 🤣 Not for a monthly but for a specific book spread that was my last finished one in 2023 (Fifth Elephant)

[@artbykedy]

I just watched 2024 reading journal set up this is perfect for inspiration❤❤

[@ErinSmith]

I’m so glad you think so!

[@ChantelleArts]

Such a stunning journal, I love the aesthetic 😊😊

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you so much! 🥰

[@juliangelus]

Such beautiful spreads Erin, I'm so excited for your full flip through of your reading journal. :)

[@ErinSmith]

I can’t wait for you to see it too! 🥰

[@hillarybigham5872]

I love this so much! Maybe one year I’ll start a reading specific journal. This new year will still be in each month layout. Maybe when I have the time to read and decorate!

[@ErinSmith]

I absolutely love that you’re doing it in a way that works for you though Hillary 💕 it’s so lovely that you get that book representation in your monthly bujo pages - it gives them context!

[@teddybeeandme]

Firstly... hope you feel better soon ❤. I love both journals and I'm hoping to steal some of your ideas if I finally start my book journal in 2024! Wishing you a very happy new year

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you lovely Sarah Beth! 🥰 your support is everything to me. Thanks for spending this year in journaling with me!

[@UFOCrochet]

❤ I really like Maybe Next vs TBR as well. TBR is to much pressure.

[@ErinSmith]

Yes to not putting pressure on ourselves in 2024! 🙌

[@CoffeeJournalNaps]

Love watching your videos and this reading journal is blooming with your creativity everyday🌸. I'm sorry to hear you not keeping well but I hope you will recover fast. Enjoy the holidays ✨

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you 💕 I hope you have a wonderful New Years!

[@KellyAK]

Hope you're feeling better! Love the strawberry spread in particular, so pretty ❤ I've started my first reading journal and I'm having such fun setting it up (it's still slightly a work in progress).

[@ErinSmith]

I LOVE this for you Kelly! I hope you have the best time using it this year! 😊

[@lkreinmiller-author]

Thank you for explaining one reason you do a reading journal. I've never understood the purpose.

[@ErinSmith]

Another part of why I do it is to avoid accidentally reading the same book twice, thinking I haven’t read it before 😉 even if I log it in Goodreads I’m likely to forget! But if I write it down I’ll probably remember!

[@darcyroseAU]

I'm currently reading the TOG series and I'm up to QoS as well.

[@ErinSmith]

Unintentional buddy read 😉 thank you so much Darcy! I hope you have a great new years too!

[@easilydistractedbystickers]

Such a pretty setup! I laughed at the Mates comment cause I just got done reading a fantasy with mates so I related. Love the idea of only doing big spreads for books you love

[@ErinSmith]

🥰😂 fated Goodreads mates! All my favourite fantasy characters would be very confused if suddenly dropped in Australia!

[@easilydistractedbystickers]

@@ErinSmith haha!

[@racheljoyfairy]

Killing the script handwriting, Erin! 💖

[@ErinSmith]

Thanks Rachel! I feel like I’ve improved it a lot this year 🥰

[@racheljoyfairy]

@@ErinSmith your gran would be proud

[@cheriselle]

so pretty 🤍🥰 may i ask where the butterfly stickers from your january’s “reading next” spread are from, if it’s not too much trouble? loving the spread you made for “mixed signals” with all the strawberries 🍓 x

[@ErinSmith]

I've been trying to find them to link them for you but I haven't had any luck sadly, I'm so sorry! Originally I got them with a Grabie scrapbook subscription box.

[@cheriselle]

@@ErinSmith no worries! 🤍 thanks for looking, x

[@layla.draw2352]

Love watching your videos 🥹🩷🫶🏻 and are you planning to make a flep through for your reading journal for 2023 because I'd love to see and i want to know more how to a reading journal used , because this is my first time using one 🫣🥹🩷

[@ErinSmith]

Thank you so much Layla! Yes I’ll definitely be making a reading journal flip through - just want to make sure I’ve read all the books I’m going to read first 😉 so it will be up in January 🥰

[@layla.draw2352]

@@ErinSmith that's great , I'm looking forward to it, thanks dear 😍🩷

[@Nuclear_Whirlwind]

Hi, i was thinking of starting a reading journal and your videos have been really helpful. I did have a question though. Are the bullet journals from Stationery Pal good quality? Pls let me know

[@ErinSmith]

I haven’t used them so I can’t say for sure - I just had a quick look on their website - are you referring to their bullet journal bundles? I personally wouldn’t recommend them - some of the journals have very thin paper (meaning your pens would bleed or ghost through - I have a video about what this means!) or don’t have dotted paper (which makes it easier to set up a layout). Love Stationery Pal for stickers, pens and washi but I don’t recommend getting your journals there!

[@Nuclear_Whirlwind]

@@ErinSmith thank you. This really helped 😊, but what about Journalsay journals. Are those good?

[@ErinSmith]

I haven't tried them haha - sorry! I've seen the PaperIdeas journals they sell around though, they would work well as a first journal while you get the hang of things! They do have dotted pages, which is good, but the paper is pretty thin, so you'd need to be careful using markers in the journal and will definitely see some ghosting.

[@Nuclear_Whirlwind]

@@ErinSmith thank you so much

[@mangosalsa69]

Have you read any books by Christine Feehan? I am 1/2 way through her Dark Series. It is a paranormal romance about shape shifters, mages, vampires etc in the Carpathian Mountains.

[@ErinSmith]

Ooh I haven’t but it sounds right up my alley, thank you! 🥰