A reading or movie list turns "I'll get to it someday" into a real, growing record of what you loved. Below are ideas to build your own — and a simple way to keep a list you'll actually maintain.

Why keep a list at all

Reading for pleasure is linked to lower stress and better sleep, and a list helps you follow through instead of forgetting [1]. Keeping a written record also preserves what each book or film meant to you, since memory fades within months .

Reading list ideas

  • By genre — a shelf each for fiction, history, sci-fi, and poetry.
  • By mood — "comfort rereads," "something challenging," "short and fast."
  • By season — summer light reads, dark winter novels, holiday classics.
  • A yearly challenge — 12 books, one per month, or a set number for the year.
  • A theme — travel writing, cookbooks, or books from a region you'll visit.

Keep the challenge realistic: a 12-book year beats a 50-book goal you abandon by March.

Movie list ideas

  • By occasion — date night, family movie, solo Sunday.
  • By mood — "makes me cry," "won't need subtitles," "falls-asleep friendly."
  • A director or series — work through one filmmaker's catalog.
  • A "watch before the sequel" list — so you're never lost.

How to track your list

You can keep the list three ways, and the best is the one you'll actually open:

  • Notebook or bullet journal — a paper spread you decorate, but it stays at home.
  • Spreadsheet — easy to sort and filter by rating or genre, but clunky on a phone.
  • A notes app — fast to update on the spot, searchable, and always with you.

Pick one and stick with it; a list you can't reach is a list you won't keep .

The "done" log

For each finished book or film, note the date, a one-line takeaway, the genre, and a 1–10 rating . For movies, add where you watched it and the runtime so future "what should we put on?" nights are instant. Over a year this becomes a map of your taste you can flip through and laugh at.

A simple notes app like EasyNotes is enough to keep a running watch-list or reading log you can add to from your phone.

FAQ

List titles you want to read, then add the date you finish each and a one-line note on what stayed with you . A notes app lets you add titles the moment you hear about them.

Like a reading log, it captures what you watched and liked, making future recommendations and recaps easier. Note where you watched and the runtime so movie nights are quicker to plan.

Yes — pleasure reading is tied to lower stress and better sleep, and a list keeps you accountable [1]. It also stops the same five books circling your "someday" pile.

Either works; a phone list travels with you and is faster to update on the spot, while a notebook is nicer to decorate. The right one is the one you'll keep opening .

Conclusion

A reading or movie list is low effort and high payoff: it keeps your "someday" pile real and reminds you of what you enjoyed. Pick one framing above, choose a tracking method you'll actually open, and start a list you'll keep adding to.

References

  1. Her Campus. "The Benefits of Adding More Books to Your Reading List"