How to keep a reading log in Google Sheets

A reading log in Google Sheets is easy to keep on your phone and it does the counting for you.

Set up the columns

Put one book on each row:

• Title
• Author
• Genre
• Format (print, ebook, audiobook, library)
• Pages
• Date started
• Date finished
• Rating, 1 to 5

Add the numbers worth knowing

• Books finished: =COUNT(G2:G)
• Pages read: =SUMIF(G2:G,"<>",E2:E)
• Average rating: =AVERAGE(H2:H)
• Books finished in January 2027: =COUNTIFS(G2:G,">="&DATE(2027,1,1),G2:G,"<"&DATE(2027,2,1))

Change the month in both DATE parts to count any other month.

Track a yearly goal

Type your goal in a cell, say J1, then show your progress with =COUNT(G2:G)/J1 formatted as a percent. For a bar, use =SPARKLINE(COUNT(G2:G),{"charttype","bar";"max",J1}).

Keep a to-be-read list

Add a TBR tab with the title, author and where you heard about it. When you start a book, move it to the main log.

For kids

Young readers usually log minutes, not books. A simple calendar with one cell per day works well: type the minutes, and use conditional formatting to turn a day green when it meets the daily goal.

If you'd rather not build it

The 2027 Reading Log has a dashboard, charts by month, genre and format, and a calendar of the year that fills in as you read. The Kids Reading Log 2027 tracks daily minutes against a goal for one young reader.