Rec
I have tried many a notebook, and what drives me crazy is the mish mash of daily lists, journal entries, and random plans/quotes/poem drafts.
The separation gives me a peace of mind. The accesories are, unfortunately, very fun.
Huge tip, use large, bendy paper clips to make this or, frankly, any notebook lay flat.
The separation gives me a peace of mind. The accesories are, unfortunately, very fun.
Huge tip, use large, bendy paper clips to make this or, frankly, any notebook lay flat.
Oct 9, 2024
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second rec for this ā also got props from sloane_shark
may have to revisit
thanks!
Oct 9, 2024
Related Recs
Rec
šiām still in my evaluation phase of a handful of different journals and paper typesā¦ in general, i think iām a fan of most notebooks that have tomoe river paper, because it works so nicely with my fountain pens, but some specifics:
- maruman mnemosyne spiral bound: i am using these in lined a4 or a5 format for my morning journals. good daily driver, bleeds a little if youāre overly aggressive.
- apica premium CD: i am currently using one in memo size to jot down notes, ideas, and first drafts for a writing project iām working on. i have a larger format that iām planning to use for practicing drawing with fineliner pens, but i havenāt actually done that yet, so iām not sure how well they go together. paper is SUPER silky and smooth, resistant to bleeding, but the smoothness makes it feels quite a bit different from most other kinds of paper.
(ed. note: the above two were taken from Wirecutterās article on the best notebooks and notepads)
- travelerās company: these are not really notebooks themselves, but sort of a system for customizing and evolving your own little custom notebook. you buy a leather cover, which comes with one notebook ārefill,ā and then you typically will either buy more to stuff in all at once, or to replace your refills as they fill up. itās a very neat little way to have a nice notebook with some flexible paper choices and cute accessories! these use Midori MD paper, which is very solid, but there are a lot of different varieties you can get, so itās worth exploring. i would argue the neatest thing about this choice is its modularity, which lets you e.g. explore Etsy listings for custom refills and accessories!
- maruman mnemosyne spiral bound: i am using these in lined a4 or a5 format for my morning journals. good daily driver, bleeds a little if youāre overly aggressive.
- apica premium CD: i am currently using one in memo size to jot down notes, ideas, and first drafts for a writing project iām working on. i have a larger format that iām planning to use for practicing drawing with fineliner pens, but i havenāt actually done that yet, so iām not sure how well they go together. paper is SUPER silky and smooth, resistant to bleeding, but the smoothness makes it feels quite a bit different from most other kinds of paper.
(ed. note: the above two were taken from Wirecutterās article on the best notebooks and notepads)
- travelerās company: these are not really notebooks themselves, but sort of a system for customizing and evolving your own little custom notebook. you buy a leather cover, which comes with one notebook ārefill,ā and then you typically will either buy more to stuff in all at once, or to replace your refills as they fill up. itās a very neat little way to have a nice notebook with some flexible paper choices and cute accessories! these use Midori MD paper, which is very solid, but there are a lot of different varieties you can get, so itās worth exploring. i would argue the neatest thing about this choice is its modularity, which lets you e.g. explore Etsy listings for custom refills and accessories!
Oct 9, 2024
Feb 6, 2024
Rec
I picked this one up at Itoya in Tokyo last year and I always have it on me. The exterior is soft leather and the interior is made up of small passport-sized refillable notebooks. I also added a little pocket for business cards, notes, stickers, etc. The magnetic pen-holder I added on, purchased at Top Drawer in Chicago which is owned by Itoya. Itās one of my favorite spots for stationary and little home gifts. The calendar was hand drawn by me, fun little DIY project.
Apr 8, 2025
Top Recs from @jonjonkim
Rec
šI was in third grade. Our teacher had a bob and she was kind. She gave each of us a journal, sheets of computer paper bound together by staples. She taught us that writing could as simple as writing down what happened to you that day to big, bombastic stories ā real epics.
She carved out time throughout the week for us to write. This continued on for maybe a month. I loved it. Stories about monkeys fighting airplanes were interspersed with details about the bugs I collected at recess. Any bit of free time I had was dedicated to writing, both in school and out.
Within a couple weeks, the journal was filled. Probably bad writing, yeah, but it was mine nonetheless.
Fast forward a couple months. Third grade ends. Summer begins. I look for my journal. I canāt find it. I ask my mother where it is. She said she threw it away. I cry. She feels guilty. We never talk about it.
Itās maybe my first experience with grief. I felt legitimately connected to the experience of writing, and to experience actual loss, especially at that young of an age, changed my brain forever. Twenty years later, I write editorial articles at work and poetry at home. I still have a very tenuous relationship with the void lol.
She carved out time throughout the week for us to write. This continued on for maybe a month. I loved it. Stories about monkeys fighting airplanes were interspersed with details about the bugs I collected at recess. Any bit of free time I had was dedicated to writing, both in school and out.
Within a couple weeks, the journal was filled. Probably bad writing, yeah, but it was mine nonetheless.
Fast forward a couple months. Third grade ends. Summer begins. I look for my journal. I canāt find it. I ask my mother where it is. She said she threw it away. I cry. She feels guilty. We never talk about it.
Itās maybe my first experience with grief. I felt legitimately connected to the experience of writing, and to experience actual loss, especially at that young of an age, changed my brain forever. Twenty years later, I write editorial articles at work and poetry at home. I still have a very tenuous relationship with the void lol.
Jul 7, 2025
Rec
Things that change are interesting to me. Light, humans, all plants, etc.
My favorite images were ones where the subject had some degree of mutability.
My favorite images were ones where the subject had some degree of mutability.
May 1, 2025
Rec
I met with a friend at Ernest E Debs park. As the sun sank, people congregated around the center lawn ā lounging, hanging, mostly lying down on picnic blankets.
Soft, synthy beats emanated from a pair of speakers. The air cooled down from earlier. Trees swayed.
The world we inhabit is simultaneously terrifying yet gentle. Be open to it all; work to expand the latter.
Soft, synthy beats emanated from a pair of speakers. The air cooled down from earlier. Trees swayed.
The world we inhabit is simultaneously terrifying yet gentle. Be open to it all; work to expand the latter.
Jun 22, 2025