What should you write down when you stop reading a book?
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 3 November 2026 · Editorial assessment
Bottom line.Write five short lines the day you stop: exactly where you stopped, what had just happened, who matters right now, why you stopped, and what to do when you come back. It takes two minutes, fits in any tracker's notes or journal field, and is the difference between a skim and a reread when you return weeks later.
Facts checked 29 October 2026
What goes in a pick-up note?
| Line | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Where I stopped | Page, chapter, or for an audiobook the time stamp and the last phrase you heard. | Page 212, start of chapter 18. |
| What just happened | One sentence about the scene you finished, nothing about what you expect next. | The two sisters argued and one left for the city. |
| Who matters right now | Three to five names, with a few words each. | Ana, the older sister; Tomas, her friend at the newspaper. |
| Why I stopped | Busy week, lost interest, slow middle, or something else. | Busy week, not the book. |
| Next step | What you will do when you come back. | Skim chapter 17, then read on. |
Download the template as CSV to keep one row per book in a spreadsheet, or copy the five headings into your tracker's notes field.
Where should you keep the note?
- In your tracker, next to the book. The StoryGraph's progress updates include a built-in reading journal, and Goodreads keeps your progress updates with the book even when you move it between shelves.
- On paper, on a slip that stays in the book.
- In a spreadsheet, using the CSV above, if you keep a printable reading log.
When is a note worth writing?
Any time you expect to be away from a book for more than a few days, and every time you mark a book did not finish. The note on why you stopped is what tells you later whether to come back at all; our guide to deciding when to DNF a book covers that choice, and restarting a DNF book covers the return.
What if you forgot to write one?
Find your last page in your tracker's progress history, skim the last chapter you finished, and if names are the problem, use a recap that stops at your page rather than a search. In supported Kindle ebooks in the U.S., Story So Far does this. For print, ebook and audiobook copies of its supported titles, Magic Bookmark syncs to the page you photograph or type, or to the last phrase you heard, and its recap and cast list stop there, on iPhone, with the first book free.
Questions
Q1What should I write when I stop reading a book?
Where you stopped, what had just happened, who matters right now, why you stopped and what you will do when you come back. Five short lines are enough.
Q2Where can I keep reading notes in a tracker app?
Most trackers have a notes or journal field. The StoryGraph's progress updates include a built-in reading journal, and Goodreads keeps progress updates with each book.
Q3How do I note my place in an audiobook?
Write the time stamp and the last phrase you heard. The phrase is what you will recognise when you press play again, and it is also what Magic Bookmark uses to find your place in a supported title.