Journal Prompts for Book Lovers - February 2024

Throughout 2024, I’ll be posting a monthly list of journal prompts for book lovers.

To kick off the year, I challenged my TikTok followers to bask in their books a little bit longer. With the rise of BookTok and constantly seeing creators “read” 200-300 books a year, sometimes over 20 books a month, it’s easy to feel defeated, like you don’t belong within the community because you don’t read nearly that many books. I sympathize. Some months, I only ready 2-3 books, and I still can’t remember character names, locations, or plot points. Which is why I started posting journal-like prompts for readers to stick with their books. Remember the characters, their best quotes, new topics or ideas the book introduced you want to get to know a little better. The world runs at a rapid pace, reading is the one time we get to slow down and be intentional with our thoughts.

The list below is a topic a day that you can use to bring substance to your reading. Answer these questions before you start reading a new book, halfway through or after. Use this list in your lesson plans for students to fully engage in your classroom. Start a book club with your friends and family, then pull from these questions as a guide. Use this list whenever and however you so choose! And if you decide to make content off of it, tag me (@emilyfrombookmarq) so that I can engage and help build your community! Here’s to deeper and more fulfilling reading!

“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
Diane Duane

Is there a mythical place you could see yourself living in?
What character breakup are you still recovering from?
What plot point have you used as a learning lesson you could apply to real life?
Who has the worst character development of anyone you’ve read?
Is there a topic you read about that you immediately started researching because you found it so fascinating?
Do you prefer BookTok or Bookstagram? Why?
What was your first impression of the protagonist? What was your last?
Have you ever bought a book purely for the cover art? If so, which one?
Where would you like to visit after reading about it and knowing nothing beforehand?
Would you rather read on the beach or in the mountains?
Is there a fantasy sub-genre that you prefer over others? Dragons? Vampires? Apocalypse? New magic?
Which celebrity has the best memoir? What did you learn about them that they hadn’t already shared with the world?
What destination have you visited after reading about it where the reality matched your literary expectation?
Is there a book from childhood that you still read as an adult?
Do you have someone from your past that introduced you to reading? A teacher or librarian or family friend that you credit for your love of reading?
What are your thoughts on comics? Do you consider them reading?
What cafe or coffee shop near you is your favorite place to read? What about it makes it so comfortable?
Which book character would make the perfect best friend? Which of their qualities do you admire the most?
What book do you want your future or current children to read?
When you set a reading goal for yourself, do you find it helpful or is it a stress-inducing burden?
What classic do you have zero intention of reading?
What literary character goes on the most epic adventure? Would you take the same journey or just watch from afar?
Which fictional family closest resemble your parent and sibling dynamic?
What does your home library look like? What improvements would you like to make if you had an infinite budget?
What book completely shifted your worldview? Did it make you reconsider having kids or bring you closer to religion or spirituality? Describe your mindset before and after reading.
How quickly do you finish a book? Are you someone who reads all at once until you finish? Do you try to pace yourself to savor it? Does it depend on the book?
Which god or goddess from Greek mythology is your favorite?
Are you an avid beach/poolside reader? Do you prefer cuddling up under a blanket near a fire? Which season is your favorite to read during?
Now that we’ve reached the end of February, what was your favorite read this month? How does it compare to what you read in January?

As 2024 progresses, here’s all the other months of journal prompts you can use to motivate your creative thinking!

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

If you’re looking to start journaling but want to do it in a fun and engaging way, check out my collection on my Amazon Storefront: My Favorite Journals. Something about writing in a cute journal motivates me even more!