One Line a Day: Chronicle's 5-Year Memory Book Explained
One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book is Chronicle Books' undated five-year diary: each of 365 date pages holds five short entries, one per year. Chronicle lists 372 pages at a 3.75 × 6.125 in trim; Hardie Grant gives 102 × 165 × 34 mm overall. First published in 2009, the series has sold over 3 million copies.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book (Chronicle Books)
- Brand
- Chronicle Books
- Brand origin
- United States
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- Hardcover with gold foil; gilded page edges; ribbon marker; 372 pages
- Released
- September 2009*
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per notebook
Notes on these facts
- Country of manufacture not stated: Chronicle Books' product page and the Hardie Grant and Amazon listings we read don't state where the book is printed. Check the copyright page or the back of your copy. Price: example listing. Released: Publication date of the original edition (ISBN 9780811870191), per Chronicle Books' product page and Amazon.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Chronicle Books lists 372 pages and a 3.75 × 6.125 in (95 × 156 mm) trim; Hardie Grant gives the finished book as 102 × 165 × 34 mm.
- Each page is one calendar date split into five entries, one for each of five successive years, so the book covers 365 days.
- Amazon lists the hardcover at 12 oz (340 g) and 4 × 1.33 × 6.4 in, with 4.7 stars from 10,809 ratings in October 2026.
- Chronicle published the original edition (ISBN 9780811870191) on September 2, 2009, and says the series has sold over 3 million copies.
- Chronicle sells it at a price in our $$ band ($5–20 per notebook).
What is One Line a Day?
One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book is a small hardcover diary from Chronicle Books with one page per calendar date and room on each page for five short entries, one per year. You write a line today, then return to the same page a year later and see what you wrote.
Chronicle published the original on September 2, 2009, and the format became a series: Chronicle’s product page says One Line a Day books have sold over 3 million copies. It pitches the book at people who find a full diary page daunting.
One Line a Day specs
| Spec | One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardcover, ribbon marker |
| Pages | 372 (Chronicle); 370 print length (Amazon) |
| Date pages | 365, five entries each |
| Trim size (publisher) | 3.75 × 6.125 in (95 × 156 mm) |
| Size (retailers) | 102 × 165 × 34 mm (Hardie Grant); 4 × 6.4 × 1.33 in (Amazon) |
| Weight | 12 oz (340 g), per Amazon |
| Cover | Teal with a gold-foil title frame and gilded page edges, per Chronicle’s product photo |
| ISBN | 9780811870191 |
| First published | September 2, 2009 |
| Price band | $$ ($5–20) |
Chronicle’s trim is the page size; the Hardie Grant and Amazon figures include the hardcover boards, so we draw the 102 × 165 mm figure. Chronicle doesn’t give a paper weight. Amazon’s From the Publisher panel lists a ribbon marker and metallic foil or page edges across the series.
How does a One Line a Day page work?
Each page is one date, divided into five stacked sections; each year you write in the next section down. From the second year on, the entries from past years on that date sit right above today’s.
Amazon reviewers describe five or six thin lines per section, an If found page at the front and three Dates to Remember pages at the back. The pages carry no year, so you can start on any date.
How big is One Line a Day?
At about 102 × 165 mm (4 × 6.5 in) and 340 g, it is close to a 4 × 6 photo and fits a nightstand drawer or a handbag. It is narrower than an A5 book but thick, at 34 mm, because 372 pages are bound into a small trim.
That compact size is the trade-off: a few words per year rather than a paragraph.
How does One Line a Day compare to other five-year journals?
One Line a Day is the simplest and cheapest of the popular five-year books; others add prompts, bigger pages or fountain-pen paper.
| One Line a Day | Q&A a Day | Some Lines a Day | Midori 5-Year Diary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prompt | None | A question a day | None | None |
| Size | 102 × 165 mm | 110 × 161 mm | 145 × 210 mm (A5) | 117 × 185 mm |
| Pages | 372 | 368 | 365 | 366 + 3 |
| Paper | Not stated | Not stated | 80 g/m² | MD Paper |
| Price band | $$ | $$ | $$$ | $$$ |
If you want a prompt, Q&A a Day asks one question per date. For more room, the A5 Leuchtturm1917 Some Lines a Day gives each year about 4 cm of page. For fountain pens, the Midori 5-Year Diary uses MD Paper.
Our best 5-year journals roundup compares all of them.
Which One Line a Day edition should you choose?
Buy the original teal edition for the classic look; Chronicle sells the same five-year format in many cover designs.
- Chronicle’s product page names Modern, Floral and Celestial editions, and Amazon lists Canvas and Nouveau covers.
- Chronicle also makes a one-year Mini One Line a Day, so check the cover says Five-Year before you order.
- Covers, foil and page edges vary by edition, so compare the page count and size on each listing.
Is One Line a Day popular?
Yes. Chronicle says the series has sold over 3 million copies, and in October 2026 Amazon showed the original with 4.7 stars from 10,809 ratings, ranked #14 in Guided Journals. Ratings and ranks change daily.
Where is One Line a Day printed?
Chronicle Books, Hardie Grant and Amazon don’t say where it is printed. Chronicle Books is a US publisher; the printer is named on the copyright page of your copy.
Frequently asked questions
How does the One Line a Day journal work?
Turn to today's date and write a line or two in the first empty section. Next year you write in the section below, so after five years each page holds five entries for the same date.
How many pages are in One Line a Day?
Chronicle Books lists 372 pages; Amazon gives a print length of 370. That covers 365 date pages plus a few extra pages, which reviewers describe as an If found page and three Dates to Remember pages.
What size is One Line a Day?
Chronicle gives a 3.75 × 6.125 in trim. Hardie Grant lists the finished hardcover at 102 × 165 × 34 mm and Amazon at 4 × 6.4 × 1.33 in, so it is about the size of a 4 × 6 photo.
Can you start One Line a Day in the middle of the year?
Yes. The pages carry the day and month, not the year, and Amazon reviewers describe starting on the day the book arrived. Your five years then end on the day before your start date.
How much can you write in One Line a Day?
A sentence or two per year. Amazon reviewers count five or six thin lines per section, so people with large handwriting say they have to write smaller.
Is One Line a Day good for fountain pens?
Chronicle doesn't publish a paper weight, and we haven't tested it yet. If you use a fountain pen, try a fine nib on the last page first.
How much does One Line a Day cost?
Chronicle Books sells the original in our $$ band ($5–20 per notebook). Hardie Grant lists it at A$28.99 (about US$20) in Australia.
Where is One Line a Day printed?
The listings we read don't say. Chronicle Books is a US publisher; check the copyright page of your copy for the printer.
Sources
- Chronicle Books: One Line a Day, A Five-Year Memory Book (372 pages, 3.75 × 6.125 in, published September 2, 2009, ISBN 9780811870191, US list price; series over 3 million copies; ribbon)
- Hardie Grant Gift: One Line a Day (102 × 165 × 34 mm, A$28.99 RRP)
- Amazon.com: One Line A Day: A Five-Year Memory Book (370 pages, 12 oz, 4 × 1.33 × 6.4 in, 4.7 stars from 10,809 ratings, #14 in Guided Journals; reviews on page layout)
- Penguin Random House: Q&A a Day: 5-Year Journal (368 pages, for comparison)
- Leuchtturm1917 (US): Some Lines a Day (Medium A5, 365 pages, for comparison)
- MIDORI: Multi-Year Diary Gate (5-Year Diary Gate, 117 × 185 × 25 mm, 366 pages, for comparison)