Posts filed under Notebooks

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Review

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The stenographers' pad or steno book has long been a favorite of mine. It's a ubiquitous format that you can find in almost any store in the US that sells any sort of stationery or office supplies. Quality varies greatly, and most of these notebooks use cheap, thin paper that is unpleasant to use. But there a few brands that provide an excellent steno book, and I love them for it. A new option that quickly skyrocketed to the top of my "great steno books" list is the Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook.

The Life Stationery take on the steno book is similar to all the other variants, but it excels in the area of paper quality. Most steno books are sized roughly in the realm of 8x6 inches, and the Life version sticks to the tried-and-true A5 spec at 8.2" x 5.8". According to Wikipedia, Gregg ruling is normally found in North America, and it is described as such: "Paper should be smooth and lined, dull in finish, with three lines to the inch and a line down the center." Life's version of the steno book stays true to this definition, with wide line ruling and a line down the middle of the page. The ruling and center line are repeated on both sides of the page.

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook

Steno books normally aren't very thick, and this variant is no different. With just 50 pages, it won't last long unless you're using both sides of the pages. With cheap steno books, I've only used the front side of the page for convenience (going to the next page is a simple page turn away, as opposed to turning the page and flipping the notebook around), but I'll be using both sides of the pages in this steno book for two reasons: it isn't exactly cheap, and the paper can actually handle writing on both sides.

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Paper

It feels a little odd to use a steno book that has such nice paper since these types of books usually resort to pretty cheap paper that you use and throw away. With Life's notebook, the paper is really good. It's thick, smooth, and you can hardly see any show-through on the back side of the page. It's so good — just like the paper in their other notebooks. Using the back side of the page is easy in this case. It feels smooth when writing, but isn't slippery. All the inks and pen combos I've tried have done remarkably well. I can't see any feathering or bleeding anywhere. The only ink that I've found to somewhat show through to the back side of the page is the Schmidt P812x rollerball ink, and even then it's minimal. In short, the paper is phenomenal.

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Binding

When it comes to ruling, I'm a fan of dot grid, then grid, then either lined (narrow or college rule) or blank depending on my mood or what I'm using the paper for. Wide rule is one of my least favorite rulings, but I don't mind it in this case because it's part of the specification for a stenographer notebook. Something about the line going down the middle of the page makes a little easier for me to use. I don't feel bad splitting my notes or scribbles into two sections across the page. It doesn't really make sense, but it's how my brain works in this case.

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Writing

I didn't realize this at the time, but Life also offers a grid ruling version of their Stenographers' Notebook. Where the Gregg Ruled version has a green cover, the grid version has a beige cover and also costs $2 more.

The green cover on the notebook I have is a very close shade to light brown in the right light, but does a great job of looking retro and clean. It's thick enough to provide plenty of protection for the paper inside, and is thicker than most steno books. The back cover is completely blank, a lighter color, and equal in thickness and rigidity. The top-bound spiral ring is robust and just the right size for easy page turning. The wire is coated in a nice off-white finish that goes well with the cream paper and green/brown covers. Aside from the front, there is zero markings on the inside front and back covers. The corners are square, and I've noticed that the beginning and ending pages have already started curling a little bit from use. Not a big deal, but something that could easily be avoided by rounding off the corners.

Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Ink

For me, the steno book is equal parts utilitarian and nostalgic. It's fun to see a product from Life that nails both of these traits while also delivering a vastly superior product. Sure, you pay for that quality, but it's amazing. The Gregg ruled version of this notebook is $13, while the grid ruled version is $15. Not the cheapest options, but I'd argue it's correct pricing due to the quality of the materials used. If you just want a cheap steno book that you can use as a scratchpad, this isn't the product for you. But, if you like the aesthetic and form factor of a top-bound A5 notebook with creamy, excellent paper, and retro-branded covers, then this is a great notebook for the money.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Life Stationery Stenographers' Notebook Page
Posted on June 18, 2025 and filed under Life Notebooks, Notebooks, Notebook Reviews.

Midori Knitted Book Band Review

Midori Knitted Book Band Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

The Midori Knitted Book Band takes the concept of a notebook cozy to the next level. The books have never been cozier! It looks cute and serves several functions, an achievement I can only aspire to on my best days.

The stretchy sleeve is made from a soft knitted elastic fabric that slides over your notebook like a leg warmer. Both the top and bottom edge are cuffed, creating a capped pocket where you can stash pens, stickers, or even more notebooks. Because the sleeve spans the width of the notebook, and because the fabric is so stretchy, you can fit all kinds of tools in the pocket. On one side, a pen sleeve pocket is stitched into the fabric. Which did not stop me from putting more pens into the rest of the space as well.

The sleeve also serves to hold the notebook shut with the contents safely inside. It's a beefed-up version of the elastic closure bands so many notebooks use, but with much added security. It would be perfect for keeping a writing kit assembled for travel, where the notebook and its pens and accessories are all secure in its cute little sleeping bag.

Midori Knitted Book Band PLOTTER

On the downside, it's secure enough that it's not very convenient to get into the notebook quickly. I wouldn't recommend it for a planner or commonplace book, where you might want to quickly look something up or jot something down. It's much better suited to a project notebook where you'd settle in, unpack your cute little bundle, and work for a while before packing it all back up again. I can see it working well for a reading or gardening journal, or something similar. For me, I've found that adding barriers to using my notebooks often results in me not using the notebook, so it may not be the right tool for me.

Midori Knitted Book Band A5

The stretchy band is designed to fit A6 to B6 notebooks. I was able to get mine onto an A5 notebook, too, though this would likely permanently stretch out the fabric and it does limit the amount of items that can fit into the pocket when it's at its maximum expansion.

Midori Knitted Book Band Pens

The Midori Knitted Book Band comes in a variety of colors, each with a different ribbed pattern to the fabric, and costs $36.50. I do think that's a little expensive for what you get. It's a very simple design made with fairly basic materials. But it is very cute, and it carries the hallowed Midori brand name, which explains some of the extra cost. In any case, it's still an accessible price and a versatile product.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Posted on March 27, 2025 and filed under Midori, Notebooks, Accessories Review.

2024 Notebook Maximalism

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

Last year, overwhelmed with work, school, travel, and writing, I aimed to simplify my life by trying to use stationery with multiple uses. Less to carry, more versatility, everything I needed at hand. It got me through a tough year. But I missed using some of the things I love. Did the purely utilitarian approach work? Yes. Is it for me? No. I want to indulge in the endless variety of stationery glee.

This year, overwhelmed with work and more work, and writing and more writing (but no school and much less travel), I'm reverting to the more playful approach to my notebooks. Which means lots and lots of notebooks.

In this post, I'll focus on my daily carry notebooks. Because if we talk about all of them, we'll be here all day.

First up, the planner. The nerve center. The external hard drive of my brain. I'm using a Hobonichi Techo Weeks this year, which I know from extensive field testing, is the best layout for me. Seeing a month at a glance is essential, as is the week-at-a-glance page, and room on the right page to make my to-do list is the perfect time management setup for me. One adaptation I make is that I add the Weeks Memo Book tucked inside the cover for some extra blank note taking pages. In that, I do time-blocking for busier weeks and make important long-term notes that I don't need in the back of the book itself. A Weeks Mega would eliminate the need for the extra memo book, but the Mega only comes in plain, boring covers and I need the fun, pretty covers. Notably (for me), I'm not using the zippered cover for my weeks this year. I always have in the past, but I've found I'm much more likely to use my planner if it's not in a case. I've also come to realize that having my planner and wallet in one system doesn't work for me, as I need to take my planner a lot of places where I do not want to bring my wallet. I also hate how the ribbon bookmark gets shredded by the zipper. And why would I want to cover up the pretty design on this one? So far, after December and January use, it's working great.

My writing notebook right now is the Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light A5 notebook with a fresh sheet of blotting paper. That's where new drafts are written after they're planned. I reviewed this in the past, and I love it, but it's filling up fast, so it will be switched out in the next few weeks. The planning for these stories happens in my commonplace book.

My commonplace book for this year (and a good part of last year) is my Plotter Bible Size. I got the Plotter Mini 5 at the Chicago Pen Show last May to try them out and see if I liked the setup. I did, alas. So I went all-in on the black leather Bible Size version, and I have no regrets. I have different sections separated out with their project manager inserts, so I can keep adulting stuff apart from writing stuff apart from hobby stuff. No work things go in this notebook--I have a separate notebook just for work, currently a Leuchtturm 1917 softcover (not shown, because work stays at work!). When I do travel this year, this will be the only notebook I bring.

Lastly, and a recent addition to my lineup, is a separate reading journal. Normally, reading journaling goes in my commonplace book, but this year I wanted to give it more space, and its own space. I also found myself missing my Traveler's Notebook that was my steadfast companion last year. Last year's was the passport size, but I still have my treasured early edition regular size, from back when Traveler's Company was still Midori. I got some fresh inserts and bands from Etsy and JetPens (indulging in a few older book-related ephemera), and that's where I'll track my reading and book reviews for this year. There's a blank insert; a monthly planner page where I can track start and end dates, book club meetings, literary award jury deadlines, etc.; and a grid insert for making lists. I also picked up the zipper and pocket cloth insert for holding stickers, bookmarks, a pencil, and page flags. So far, I love the setup, but only time will tell if I'll actually reach for it. I hope I do.

Other things not shown, notebook-wise, are the three notebooks in which four different books are being written. No, that is not logical or efficient, but that's how deadlines work, sometimes. I don't carry those every day--just when I'm working on that particular project. If I have inspiration related to one of them while I'm away from my home desk, it goes in the commonplace book. The Plotter works perfectly for that, because I can remove the Plotter page with those notes and tuck it into its relevant book. I also still have my old short story notebook, because I'm still working on edits to drafts that are in that book. And then there's a notebook on my nightstand where sleepy Sarah writes things down for future Sarah (often nonsense).

I like this, enjoying a variety of tools and letting each one do just the one thing it's best suited for, rather than picking one thing that does a bit of everything but none of it perfectly. The simplicity of one tool is still appealing, but I also like that I can take just my reading journal with me somewhere, and leave the rest of the world behind. There's a simplicity in compartmentalizing, too. Even if it looks like I'm living in a fort made out of notebooks. I'm happy in my fort.


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Posted on January 11, 2024 and filed under Notebooks, Writing.