Book Fetish

Stamp It Out: 15 Fun and Functional Stamps for Reading Journals

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Isabelle Popp

Senior Contributor

Isabelle Popp has written all sorts of things, ranging from astrophysics research articles and math tests to crossword puzzles and poetry. These days she's writing romance. When she's not reading or writing, she's probably knitting or scouring used book stores for vintage gothic romance paperbacks. Originally from New York, she's as surprised as anyone that she lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Stamps for reading journals are the perfect tools for those of us who want to add some dazzle to our pages. They take a bit of investment at the outset, but you’ll be able to reuse them for many years. What’s fun about using stamps is they can work well for people who want a minimalist, regimented look to their bookish bullet journals. You can also get as creative as you want, by coloring them in or embellishing your journal with lots of decorative stamps. If you’re setting up a book journal for the first time, we’ve got reflections on how to think about journaling. We’ve also rounded up lots of sample spreads for inspiration.

Here I’ve curated some of the best stamps for reading journals from Etsy. These stamps can make bold headings for journal spreads. Beyond book journaling, many of these stamps are broadly useful for bullet journalers and other planners. Others are mostly cute and decorative, for those who want your book journal to reflect your aesthetics. I have a generally eclectic style, which I think you’ll see reflected in this collection. Plus, I’ve recommended even more supplies if you’re looking beyond stamps. I hope you find some stamps that will become staples for logging your reading.

stamp set for book journaling including stacks of books and sayings about reading

This reading stamp set has plenty of decorative stamps as well as the empty spine book stamp that’s perfect for stamping a bookshelf to fill in with the titles you read over the year. $5

stamp with five stars

One of the most practical stamps is this five-star option. Color in the rating of books you review in your journal, and don’t be afraid of those half stars. $14

stamp with five chili peppers

Maybe you like to track the heat level of the romances you read. If so, this chili pepper stamp will come in handy. $14

stamps of capital letters to look like illuminated manuscipt letters

I love the idea of using these decorative alphabet stamps to make my reading journal look a little more like an illuminated manuscript. $5 each

journal layout stamp set

These two sets of bullet journal stamps have lots of purposes beyond creating book trackers. $5 each

stamps of emojis including heart eyes, pop, and winky face

I am tickled by the idea of tossing some emojis into the book reviews in my journal. These emoji stamps would also be great for annotating books as you read them. $30

stamp that looks like an old school library card

Get creative with this retro library card stamp. It could be used to make a TBR list or to record attendees of a book club meeting, for example. $15

small stamp of an open book

Here’s fun way to use this minimalist book stamp: to make a color-coded spread to visually track the genres of the books you read. Or make a spread full of this stamp to see if you can read 365 days of the year. $3

stamps of capital letters that look like balloons

Get whimsical! These balloon stamps would make fantastic headings in your reading journal. $5

stamp of a bookshelf with books and plants

If your yearly reading goal is exactly 58 books, this shelf stamp is perfect to color in as you progress. Or just use it for decoration; I’m not the boss of you. $8

stamp with headphones around a row of book indicating audiobook

If you’re tracking formats of the books you read, this audiobook stamp can tag titles you’re listening to. $2

uppercase and lowercase alphabet stamps

Forget fancy hand lettering. Instead, choose a font set and stamp out your journal headings. $15

stamp of a stack of books with room to write on the spines

I am particularly fond of book journal spreads that actually look like books. Fill in your titles on this vertical stack stamp. $9

stamp for marking dates with brass dials

Date stamps are generally useful in a reading journal. Because of the design of this rotary dial stamp, it will never become obsolete like most date stamps do. $16

stamp that is a template for a book review

Lastly, for uniformity in your book review setup, use this handy template stamp. $8

If you’d like some inspiration for how to use your new stamps, check this video out for ideas.