Typically I flip through a new deck, check out the cards, see if there are any that stand out to me as very different from what I'm used to, check the book or booklet for those, and then sort of start doing readings with them and check the book a bit. I don't journal for every new deck because frankly I'm a bit of a collector and so... well yeah.
I do journal a bit on sort of "general" meanings for each card. I feel so much less organized than other readers with my scattershot approach. I can't be the only one though.
Very much like you, MaderiaDarling. I go through the deck, card by card and look at it. First to make sure each card is there and none are missing, but also to look at the cards and really get to know them. Admiring the artwork, etc. Then, I go through the book that accompanies the deck too. I don't really read it word by word cover to cover--I skim through it. After that, I shuffle it a bit to see how well it shuffles and then I begin playing with it and I do reading after reading after reading. I will spend much time with a new deck doing this over and over again and in between reading with it and admiring the artwork, I'll put it back into order again.
I really don't journal. I'm just not good at journaling. However, I did just go through a box that was moved here from 2006 and stuck in the attic for the last 11 yrs. Going through it, I found 3 large notebooks where I apparently did journal about all the readings I did for myself and family and friends--and then noted any fb I rec'd from them on it. I forgot I did that--and I did skim through them, but decided to throw them out. No room in the new house for them....