The Idea for This Notebook Came from Necessity — or Pure Desperation

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

How many ways does it suck to be blind?

While I still have enough sight to see my little grandson’s face, I don’t have enough for a whole list of other things. Like walking to the mailbox, driving, or jogging alone, but one of the biggest inconveniences is not being able to read books.

But you’re writing this article, Pat! What do you mean you can’t read books?

I’ll describe it like this: look at the texting screen on your phone, at the same distance from your face as you would hold a book.

When I’m typing a text message, what I see is the little keyboard; I don’t see the top half of the screen. When I proofread my text, I don’t see the little keyboard. Everything outside of that 2–3 inches of space is simply not there.

If I’m reading a book larger than the size of my iPhone, by the time I reach the end of a line, jumping to the beginning of the next line is a bit of a pain, unless I move a small ruler down the page as I read.

This is where audiobooks come in handy.

They are a gift for people with my eye condition¹. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss reading paper books and being able to flip back to earlier pages quickly if I’ve forgotten a character, location, or some such thing.

I can still go back to earlier sections with an audiobook, too, but I usually trust the author will remind me of who’s who. Otherwise, I have to rewind, try to find whatever it was I had forgotten, and then return to where I left off before I started searching.

Now, imagine the frustration while reading a series. Being three books into a series, as I am now, and forgetting something from an earlier book is even more exasperating.

So, that’s when the idea struck me: I should be making notes.

I had a stack of notebooks waiting to be used. All I had to do was divide a notebook into sections: one for the characters and their relationships, another for settings and locations, and one for plot twists and quotes.

I changed my mind. Why?

I would forget where I'd written things in my blank notebook; I’d fizzle out with making notes, and end up no further ahead than when I just trusted authors to remind readers of who’s who.

In the midst of all of this, an even better idea struck me.

I’ll make a notebook myself.

The possibilities of what I could include in my book were endless. And with a table of contents and a book list at the beginning, I would never get lost in an audiobook again. Or a paper book, when I remember my ruler.

Fast forward to today

What’s in my notebook?

A table of contents and a book list so that I can use the notebook for multiple books, 52 to be exact.

I included spaces for a synopsis, a star rating, date published, character notes, and storylines. I added pages for a top 10 list, reading goals, a TBR list, a wishlist, and plans for next year.

TOC page and index of completed books for reference

Besides being useful while I’m reading my book, these notes will jog my memory later, when I’m writing a book review or need a reminder of what I've read this year.

I created this notebook purely out of necessity, or more accurately, desperation.

I still have a stack of new notebooks, but I’m a bit of a stationery store fanatic with an addiction to notebooks. My little grandson shuffles through them for stickers, but soon he may pick up a fountain pen and write to keep cursive alive. Sorry, another subject completely.

The bottom line

I love my new notebook. It was a labour of love and desperation, and though it will work well for audiobook lovers, it will also be a nice companion for paper book lovers.

I called it the Reader’s Companion Notebook, and I’m happy to have published it on Amazon. I hope it will be found and appreciated by anyone who, like me, wants to keep track of characters, places, and things we might miss, without having to rely on the author for reminders.

A proof copy of my notebook

Inside pages: Space for book notes, like book details, my character, and storyline notes, and useful reminders for writing a book review.

¹ RP Retinitis Pigmentosa is a condition of the retina where the peripheral gradually becomes smaller, leading to a very small circle of central vision, and in some cases, leading to total blindness.

---

Link on Amazon

Also published in the DIY Diaries on Medium in June 2025

My stories are free to read. If you enjoy my work and would like to support it, please consider subscribing or buying me a coffee—either way, your support means the world to me.