** attention: some of the images that I included could contain pages with spoilers. if you want to read my annotations, i suggest you only read my notes and not the actual pages of the book! Proceed with caution, readers!**
I’m finally sharing why and how I annotate my books, and you guys have greatly enriched my reading. I’ve been annotating books for two or three months and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I’ll admit, I used to be one of those people who practically hyperventilated when I thought about writing books, but that “stage” of my reading life only lasted about two years.
You are reading: Why do people annotate books
why do I annotate
As a child, teenager, and young adult, my reading life has largely consisted of writing in my books, taking notes, reading pages, and so on. When I started buying more new releases (largely thanks to the booktube community), the books were so beautiful that I felt bad about “damaging” them in their original state.
but I couldn’t help the desire to write in books. every time I stumble upon a used book with notes or a letter on the first pages, I feel as if I have accessed the innermost thoughts or secret letters. . . .
See Also: Anita Stansfield – Book Series In Order
It is a wonderful gift to be able to read a book that has been annotated by someone else; it’s one of the reasons I’m such a fan of how quarterly he used to do his literary subscription boxes. the author would select the frame and include a variety of sticky notes with their thoughts inserted: what the author was doing while writing that scene, what inspired that scene, what seemingly random memory helped create the character on the page.
But annotating books isn’t just about leaving a legacy of your reading experience on the page for other readers; it’s about preserving that feeling you had for yourself when you finally read that crazy plot twist, or remembering which parts of the story stood out to you and why. when you read more than 4 books a month, it’s easy to forget why you loved the books you loved. taking notes in my books helps me organize my thoughts for book clubs or interviews with podcast authors. it helps me convey how important a book was to me at a particular time in my life. it’s like a little time capsule of who I am as a reader.
how do I annotate
I keep it simple. I don’t have a different highlighter for different reasons (pink for funny quotes, blue for character development, orange for plot). I admire people who are so organized with their writing, but I like to have a pen and highlighter. if I have sticky notes handy and I have a lot to say and not much space to write it, I will write it on a sticky note. sometimes I write the topic in question on a sticky note as a bookmark, so I can easily come back to it.
If I don’t have any pens, I’ll fold the pages. I tap the bottom of the page for quotes I loved, and I tap the top as a bookmark (although I usually keep bookmarks handy).
It’s really pretty. simple, but I’ve found what works for me, and I love it.
writing your heart
See Also: Jon Del Arroz – Book Series In Order
Writing notes in a book is like keeping a diary, writing my heart on the page. Instead of consuming the words and starting another book, I am responding to what is in front of me. feel more active. I’ve also found that it helps me stay up late if I try to read at night (which, many of you know, is hard for this grandma to do).
I can go back to my favorite quotes. I can have conversations with the characters. It’s not that my notes are full of deep insight; sometimes it’s five exclamation points because the girl you didn’t think was going to be the killer was the killer, and wtf?!
sometimes I edit my books. sometimes I write my characters on the enneagram (I’m not kidding). sometimes I scribble my words. Being less picky about my books has made me a more engaged reader. I care more. I’m more immersed in world building.
and you know what? dog ear pages or highlighting or writing words in the margins – those changes don’t ruin a beautiful piece of art. they make a beautiful work of art more beautiful. I can leave my mark, even if my handwriting scratches. although sometimes the pages break.
This post was about annotating books for fun and what it means to annotate books and enrich your reading! how do you annotate your books? Do you think it’s bad to annotate books or do you like doing it?
See Also: Douglas Adams – Book Series In Order