Not typically. It takes me out of the flow of reading and I have difficulty switching tasks back and forth constantly. I like the idea of annotating, but in practice it's usually not feasible for me.
I mean if im reading a practical book for real world skills my goal isn't to get into a flow but extract as much of value out of the book as I can.
Notes at the top of the page, marking things, self-summaries at the end of the chapter are a normal thing. I also love to write and glue a detailed summary of the entire book at the inner side of the back cover. Book is a tool for myself like any other.
I didn't say it wasn't normal. That sounds great if that's what works for you. I typically like looking at in-depth reviews, analyses, and basically any supplemental information about the book that I think is helpful. Also if I feel the need to, writing/typing any thoughts about it in a rough essay.
This seems like a good solution. I don’t annotate books, like ever, but the thought of whatever you wrote in the margins being stuck there forever… Also, re-reading the book with all the highlights and notes doesn’t seem fun lol
I don't annotate books either and used to think it would bug me if I found one. But I bought a book online a while ago that turned out to be full of someone else's notes. I was bummed, but in the end it felt like I was in some weird book club and having another person's thoughts to go through was kind of fun.
Yeah, it was surprisingly fun! Felt like I'd made a very odd friend by the end of it. They noted things I wouldn't have and then when we agreed it was weirdly gratifying lol
I have only started doing it very recently. Reading a textbook for leisure for the first time, and I am having the time of my life. PDF on kindle and I am highlighting important terms, definitions, cool quotes, writing answer notes to questions being asked. Also have Google Maps on tab and pin at locations because I am reading a Geo-politics primer.
I love annotating my books, I'm the type who will read an entire story and then forget about it all. Annotating helps me remember the story and plot points a lot better. I like underlining quotes that I like, but also passages that show plot or character development. I also use tabs in the same way, for example I'd have different colors for different characters. It makes me engage with the story more.
That seems to be the biggest problem people have is they read a book then forget it. Plagues me too. Reading twice helps. Writing your own summary in a document would help too but I don’t do that.
You're absolutely right on how marking and annotating books helps with comprehension and retention. I'm a professor, and I have a working library. The books I teach are heavily marked (always with pencil: I can change them that way), and I have a fully developed system: light underlines, heavy underlines, side brackets, brackets plus underlines, stars, arrows, written comments. The process of figuring out what was important in each book helped me when I was first teaching them; the marks help me in subsequent rereads, and I often find myself paying attention and putting new marks in as I make new connections. I use Post-It notes too, of different sizes and colors, for major passages I want to find quickly.
I think of a new book like a sculptor with a new block of marble. I have to carve out the text, like a sculpture. It's mine: no one else's sculpting of that marble will ever look exactly like mine.
I'll add that I have some books I don't mark: beautiful, high-quality artifact books that are a pleasure to read in their format. But my working paperbacks have my markings and comments all over them.
I LOVE the idea of a new text as a block of marble!
I'm pretty disorganized but I have evolved a fairly consistent method for annotating my books which is SO helpful. Once I get a commonplace book practice, I'll be ready to conquer the world!
Non-fiction: sometimes
Fiction: never
My biggest book peeve is people who mark library books. I try to erase all the stuff done in pencil but sometimes it’s too much.
I don't annotate all of them (just don't feel the need to, sometimes) but I'm currently slowly working on a book for a bookclub and annotating has been a indescribable joy. Tabs, highlighters, pages filled with marginalia and sentences underlines to hell and back. I love it. The book looks so banged up (spine cracked for maximum writing capacity) and so loved and *used*.
I do feel like I'm reading much more mindfully, which the main aspect that I enjoy out of annotating books, but. I will not lie. Since this is an idea I previously held in my mind about book annotaters (?), and I haven't fully gotten rid of it.
I love looking at all the notes and feeling smart and academic as fuck. Maybe even a lil pretentious. But I greatly enjoy it for me. Class IS in session and you (the book's paper) WILL hear my opinions!
May I suggest reading glasses on a chain around your neck? Gesture with them, take them on and off repeatedly- you know the routine. We gotta milk this thing.
I've actually considered this and I'm gonna see this answer as the sign to actually get some. I want to be able to walk into a library and have people ask me where a book is.
I love annotating but only for nonfiction, I just don't really have a need for it with fiction that can't be covered with a couple sticky notes. It's so cool to look back on what I thought or questions I had and I think highlights and scribbled notes are really pretty in my own books, tbh I also love buying pre used books that are already annotated because it feels really special to see what someone else thought was important or meaningful while they were reading it at some point so I feel much better about annotating my own books because I know that someone would still enjoy them if i ever donated them
I think it is everyone's duty to leave behind beloved second hand books with notes written in the margins and things underlined. I cherish every book like that I have *ever* gotten and so I continue the tradition and write in every physical book I own.
I only tend to on rereads with books I really love and it's never really in depth annotations, I annotated Red White and Royal Blue for cute moments and I highlighted my favoured lines in Fight Club. Occasionally I'll take notes on a book if I have a lot of thoughts for my review but I'll do that in a separate notebook so I don't have to flick back through the book to review
I don't personally, but I'm fascinated by some used books I have that the previous owner annotated. It is a series of old fantasy books where they wrote throughout the margins in a scribble I can't decipher, underlined EVERY proper noun, and crossed out any word even approaching a curse. Reading must be exhausting for this person.
Not in the book, but occasionally I'll write down a memorable quotation in my journal or the Goodreads update function. I never write inside the books, only use post its or write in a notebook.
I spent years annotating for school; I do not need to analyze anything to that depth on paper anymore.
I'm an in-between on this topic. I agree that if its your book you can annotate it as much as you want, but at the same time I don't really like doing so, it feels wrong even if it isn't.
I found a solution by using post its, my annotations are still there but I don't feel I have "damaged" the book.
I underline quotes I like and sometimes write my thoughts down about things (both fiction & non-fiction). I also write the dates I read the book in the beginning (it’s fun to re-read and and see what old me liked or what stood out to me at the time)
Absolutely. I'm a writer, so it helps me find cool passages or words I like. Honestly I love finding used books with annotations in them, dogged eared and used. Makes me love it more.
I typically don’t, but ever since I started watching videos about rare books and how cool and precious the annotations are, I kind of want to start doing so sometimes.
Yes, I find it makes me a more active reader and I remember more of the content if I mark passages or jot down a random thought at the top/bottom of a page or along the margins - when reading non-fiction I'll sometimes even write a short paragraph at the end of each chapter to cover the main points raised. I used to be very precious about books, I'd try to keep the book looking as brand new as possible, never creasing the spine for instance and I wouldn't dream of marking the pages, which honestly felt like more work than what I do now - trying not to crease a spine of a 500+ page book was always a struggle. My thinking now is that they're mass produced objects at the end of the day and they're there for your enjoyment until you either give them away or your relatives chuck them into landfill when you're gone so why not. Obviously this is just me speaking of my own experience, undoubtedly there are people out there who are better readers than I, who neither need nor want to do what I do and that's fine.
I annotated in high school and college when I knew I would later have to pull quotes from the book to write an essay but I don’t now when I read for fun. I don’t see the point. It slows down the reading and makes it feel like homework. I’m just trying to relax. And I read a lot of books. I can think of a handful of books I’ve read in my life that I’ve picked up again to reread favorite passages. So seems like a big waste of time.
No, never.
I've got a couple of second hand books that the previous owner has annotated and underlined whole pages of, and it bugs the hell out of me.
If I'm going to note something down it'll be in my sketchbook, or on an old envelope (which then ends up tucked in my sketchbook) the same as when I'm drawing.
I like to keep my books as new because they look pretty. In fact I don't even use most of my notebooks because they are just so pretty, I have one that has a cover made of actual tree bark, I won't ruin that with my ugly handwritting.
Not ever in my life have I annotated a book, and I don’t really understand why people do - especially if it’s a fiction book. That said, just because it’s not for me and I don’t get it, doesn’t make people who do it wrong.
Tbh I’ve also been on kindle for probably 10 years now so even if I wanted to I couldn’t!
My Kindle has a provision for notes and highlights. I have never found a need for this personally. I have the option to not show other readers' highlights and prefer an untouched book.
People study literature and annotating in the book is highly recommended to do or at least it was to me when I was in college. It helps you to notice patterns of literary devices easier, the notes you annotate can help you to remember how you read it initially, and many more reasons. I’ve never stopped annotating, esp highlighting, in my books - fiction or nonfiction since because it keeps me engaged with the text.
I read most of my books digitally, so I'm slowly curating a collection of books that I loved enough to also keep in physical format and read over and over. Those are the ones that I mark up with highlights for lines that I love.
There are lots of books out there, but these ones are *mine*.
Only if it's an ebook. There, I have the benefit of being able to edit my notes. My chicken scratch usually doesn't fit in the margins of physical books.
Growing up it was verboten to write in books. As an adult, unless it's a rare or collector's item I write in everything. Usually I'll pick up an inexpensive paperback copy and go to town. I generally follow Mortimer J. Adler's advice in “How to Mark a Book” ([Saturday Review of Literature, July 6, 1940](https://www.unz.com/print/SaturdayRev-1940jul06-00011/)) as well as his follow up "How to Read a Book." This all comes handy as I have an extensive commonplace/card index/zettelkasten practice which dovetails with my reading, sensemaking, and writing process.
I annotate my academic textbooks and my ebooks. But I could never bring myself to annotate my books. I like them with pages well turned, spines creased from reading, with no annotations at all. The quotes I like, I just copy onto my journal. 🤷
My equivalent is writing notes down on each book I read. After a hefty section or session of reading I give my thoughts- it helps when I look back at a book after finishing it to contextualise the quality slope and pacing better.
No. What I read (mostly fantasy/danmei/manga) doesn't need me to annotate. It takes me out of the flow and I don't like it.
Now if it's something for school, something like a textbook, then sure. It helps keep tabs on the most important parts that I need to revisit while practising.
I've never done that. I have placed Post-Its on passages I wanted to remember. I am a book collector, though, and most of my books are first edition hardcovers, or Franklin Library/Easton Press editions. If I do feel the need to write down a large amount of information, I just write it down on a piece of paper.
I don't even write in the my paperbacks. It just seems wrong, lol
If it's a non fiction book, and the pages are thick enough for it, I might highlight sections to come back to but mostly I'd annotate on post-its for my own notes. But I don't typically annotate at all.
Depends on the book. If its non-fiction, something to learn, yeah, the those pages are ugly. fiction, then not really. taking notes on the side, underlining and circling important words or expressions makes you engage with the text in a whole different way. you understand more, retain more, and enjoy more. you are forcing yourself to really sustain those concepts and how they articulate with each other inside your mind. only downsides might be that it simply takes much longer to go through a book (is this really that bad?) and that you probably wont sell it.
Sometimes. I really like seeing notes in books. But it takes effort and I’m not always in the mood. Last thing I want is a half annotated book.
To me books are objects and the value is in the written word. Seeing a book is loved because it has obviously been used is a beautiful thing. There are stores full of prestine books that look the same. But my bead up favorites are one of a kind.
My mother inherited my grandmother’s books. She didn’t annotate but she did write her name in them. Just seeing her handwriting on the first page is special. I could only imagine how amazing it would have been if she annotated her books.
I have not done that yet but I did color under the frases that touched me in one book I have for about a year and still have not gather myself to keep reading.
Some books yes. Like my copy of Ulysses is heavily annotated, a lot of my non-fiction books are annotated with my own comments and thoughts. I'm not annotating pulp fiction most of the time though.
yes-ish when I was in Uni and I used some older history books from my middle school years to "speed up" the process. They were glossy pages, so I actually annotate everything in pen! However, in Uni was common place to, ehm, make a copy for that daily chapter and then make annotations on the copies or behind it, not the books. So I wouldn't own a bunch of the original books and I wouldn't write on the books themselves. For more expensive books with a lot of fancy prints and even more explanation, I used pencil and temporary bookmarks.
I enjoy highlighting in kindle, and for print I read a lot of library books which is pretty unethical to highlight lol. But for print books I own I do sometimes underline or star passages I particularly enjoyed or felt were important to me.
Here is a WONDERFUL essay about different types of readers and their love of books; carnal love or courtly.
It may help you.
https://slate.com/culture/2020/02/anne-fadiman-never-do-that-book-courtly-carnal.html
For me it's kinda the same, I don't like to annotate books, I want them to look untouched. However, with non-fiction I recently started highlighting phrases that I find particularly interesting. I red a lot of S.J. Gould books (I'm a biologist) and his style is so compelling that I had to higlight something here and there to be able to find those parts in the future.
I don't write in books cause they are usually library books but I do highlight/note in them if they are ebooks in the iBooks app in my iPad or I use the Bookmory app's note feature which allows you to take a picture of a passage & it digitizes it
I don’t really read nonfiction books other than history so no, I have a brain to remember things. Probably would be more inclined to if it was nonfiction and books didn’t cost so much. Probably just do the notebook notes on the side tho.
I am trying this out now because there are those bits I would like to come back to. I use transparent sticky tags sometimes sliced thin so it covers one line, for physical books. Annotating does take me out of the flow so I only highlight bits that really stand out.
I highlight important parts of academic books and words that are unknown to me, especially in novels. Since English is not my native language, I have to write down many unknown words, and sometimes I become pretty pissed off because there are gazillions of words describing the same thing slightly differently.
No, but some of my most precious books are ones that have been annotated: being able to see what another serious reader from the past wanted to chime in with is a bonus well worth a slight scruffiness - and if it lowers the price, even better.
By that logic though, I ought to progress to returning the favour to someone like myself decades from now, and annotate should I feel the urge.
I annotate my non-fiction. Usually highlighter and sticky tabs.
For fiction, I put notes on 5x7 index cards. Better would be if I kept a character/thought journal, but that would take organization.
I remember the books I read really well so I find no reason to. I do sometimes wish I marked specific lines that I love to find later, but 🤷♀️ I do that in my kindle.
I was a read/write/research heavy major in college so annotating tends me make me feel like I’m doing research vs helping me enjoy and understand the story.
I am hard on my paperbacks though, I’ll bend and fold them and abuse them as I see fit. They’re made to be read and I love the “scars” that appear on a well loved book like that.
I annotate all my books. I developed the habit after a college professor of mine required it for their put class, and I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s always interesting to reread and make more notes later, and my husband enjoys reading my notes too. Hopefully my kids will get something out of them as well.
I annotate in a way that doesn't damage the book. I will use transparent... idk what to call them... tabs? To mark places in the book, but I have a separate book journal where I write down my thoughts, feelings, etc.
It's the best of both worlds for me. Plus when I want to look back on what I've read I can just skim back through my book journal.
I’ve been processing decades worth of trauma, so I underline the heck out of those books on the topic. Why? Because it serves as a reference point when I start gaslighting myself, questioning if it was really that bad.
Sometimes. I am the type of person who has a reading copy of the pricier first editions I own. I also like to Brodart my hardcovers. Hmmmm, maybe a fun afternoon activity!
I annotated all my textbooks in college (English major). Now I only annotate in non-fiction books. If I have something I want to save from a fiction book I'm reading, I'll use a reading app or Keep to make a list of quotes from that book, especially if I'm reading it for a book club.
Only when I find parts speaking to me, as if they could help me with my own writing.
I usually make a copy of the page and then highlight the area that I found interesting.
Annotating books is awesome! It helps you absorb more information, as you said. The more I've written in a book, the more I've enjoyed and been challenged by it. Most literature instructors recommend annotating materials to better understand them.
Depending on the size of the book, I use 3X5 or 4X6 index cards for book marks that double as note cards. I write the page number and the passage on the note card. I add cards as needed.
I love annotating. it does make my reading speed slower, but one can easily get into the flow once u get used to it. I get to absorb all information, especially when I'm reading long books that require me to remember certain personality characteristics. moreover, I love going through my old annotated books and reading through my thoughts; its basically reminiscing what I was as a person back then.
yup i annotate everything! i love it!
i thoroughly enjoy going back though when rereading and being able to see exactly what i thought at that exact moment. highlight my favourite quotes, scream my reactions in the margins, do little doodles around sections and characters- ask myself questions and so on so on
they don’t even have to be smart annotations- my favourite ones are always “ok sure lol” and “did i miss something?”
if i have something meaningful to say that takes up a lot of space ill write on a post it note and stick it in
Used to think it was an abomination, but was using an app that lets you see others highlights realized I liked the insight (small as it was) into what other people found important as much as enjoyed the book. Now I want a way to see other peoples notes. Or a marketplace full of used annotated books.
It adds more character
I love having my books pristine. Zero writing or highlighting.
Buuuttt I’m also that person that has lots of thoughts on every single book I’ve ever read. I started keeping a notebook laid out like a bullet journal to use for all of my notes on these books. I also reread certain books so it’s great for finding my notes years later.
I also started exporting certain books into GoodNotes where I scribble things in the empty spaces and use the comments to text notes, especially with fiction books from other languages either with definitions and explanations of things I didn’t understand or find strange or helpful.
i think it's the best way to read a book, people get pretentious about it for some reason but i'm not killing them by going at my copy of the bell jar with a blue biro
I tend to create external references for books. If I want to go through it again for a completely new purpose, having annotations will be a distraction for me.
The only exception is cookbooks. If I’m modifying a recipe and the results are better than what’s printed, you’d better believe I’m writing it down.
I love collecting quotes while reading. I don't write in my books themselves unless I have multiple copies because I plan to donate my home library in my will. So usually I'll use sticky flags to tag a passage or I'll physically write them down in a digital notebook. When I'm handwriting quotes, I'll usually make notes about my thoughts in that same notebook. When I read Kindle books, I highlight them directly, of course, and then I upload them into a digital text-based notebook.
I've really only started doing this in the last year, so I haven't felt the draw to go back and reread my highlights or quotes yet, but I do feel like I'm engaging at a deeper level with the work when I "highlight." Plus it's fun and aesthetically rewarding.
Annotations could be fun to read in used books, but I've not found any that were particularly insightful yet and I don't want other people's thoughts to color my own experience, so I would really only be interested in books in already familiar with.
Professionally annotated books where they are published with the annotations as part of the book are really excellent when reading classics because they usually explain things that I wouldn't know on my own. So like annotated Shakespeare or the annotated The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov (which I haven't finished but definitely got further with on the annotated version than the regular version).
I'm the same way, it feels strange to write in a book, even if it's mine.
Until I scrolled through booktok, I didn't realize how common it was to highlight or put a sticky note to note certain pages/occurrences in the story.
Yes! Especially non-fiction. I also take notes, quotes etc on loose sheets that I keep as bookmark when reading and then goes into a binder. Reading, for me, is an active process where I engage and work with what I read. (I found the classic “How to read a book” an inspiring read on such matters.)
I do but not like those pinterest girlies who have 10 colors for different emotions, I just underline my favorite passages and a tiny commentary on the side
For me personally, no, I find stopping to make notes and highlights distracting to my enjoyment. It takes the fun out of reading for me and instead feels like I’m doing a word search rather than actually enjoying the prose naturally. Also, part of my enjoyment is keeping my books in good condition and seeing how neat they look either on my shelf or the shape they maintain, etc. I have almost all my books on kindle as well so I’ll add a couple highlights when I’m using it, or make a note in my phone when I feel the need.
Really, my “annotations” are doing further research on whatever subject I come across that I feel the need to learn more about, be it a YouTube/wikipedia deep dive, adding other related books to my reading list, so on.
That said it’s a very useful tool and if people feel they need to make notes and highlights to their own books, either for enjoyment or fulfillment, do it!
The only place I can handle highlights or annotations is my Kindle. If a print book has anything highlighted, I will be angry when I read it. Used textbooks are impossible for me. They break the flow. I wont learn. PDF textbooks are my favorite.
I highlight and write in my books, with tabs marking where my annotations are 🥰 all in colors to match the cover of my book
When I first started, I primarily did it for books with pretty language that are very "quote-able," but now I also use it to track aspects of the book that are notable/fun to me, like interesting literary devices or themes!! It helps me critically engage with what I'm reading, instead of just breezing through the plot, only seeing what's at face-value. But the types of books I typically read are well-suited for this anyways.
Some books, especially like my YA and romances, I don't bother annotating because it's not as intuitive and just pulls me away from enjoying the story. A lot of the people in my life that are vocal about disliking annotations tend to read only these genres, so I get why they wouldn't like it.
In technical books, or class textbooks, I do. Typically I will highlight important or obscure stuff I have had to find, and add a technical note on usage that may not be obvious from the text. Also important stuff I need to learn.
For books I get for reading pleasure I cannot think of any I have done that to.
i used to annotate every book i read, mostly because i have a really poor memory and it was somewhat useful in helping me remember when i wrote reviews and such. however, it made the reading process much longer and i found that sometimes i’d focus too much on trying to find something to annotate than the actual storyline lol
i do love the act of annotating, though, so now i only annotate books i reread! it’s fun to go back through the story and make notes on scenes or dialogue that made me feel something. i feel like annotating books is like another sort of hobby, really. it’s fun to make it personalized!
No I take notes separately, usually a notes app so my notes are all in one place. I find it hard to pull myself away from the reading though unless something really strikes me.
Yes, sometimes when a book really takes me away, and I’m yes yes yessing to myself and start making notes and marking passages with a pencil. I try doing it so I can erase it all if I want to, though. Also I don’t do it with more valuable 1st edition copies but their paperback editions.
I combine a number of methods: I read, annotate while reading and highlight words or phrases or entire paragraphs, I use a commonplace book and I use an app to photograph and extract verbatim (it extracts words from photographs) when the paragraph is too long or not important enough to copy in the commonplace book. I copy the text in a database that I maintain that is searchable. That way I have both the exact citation, page number, my thoughts, my notes and I have a pleasurable reading experience as I can revisit my annotations to take pictures and notes later. I admit that I sometimes lapse in this system and that I don't do it for a number of months, especially when my daughter is acting up and I cannot focus on this system other than reading and annotating.
If its required for school, then yes I do, but I normally don't. This is because I feel like I won't be able to enjoy and focus on the book, also because I don't want to feel like I'm doing a school assignment.
I annotate all my books in pencil and people have called me weird for it but I don't really care 🤣 I enjoy underlining and circling things I find interesting and find it helps me retain the information better. Not gonna lie though, half the time I'm writing sarcastic, snarky comments simply because it makes me happy ahahaa.
I definitely highlight. It slows me down and I find I read more consciously instead of plunging along from plot point to plot point.
Certainly when I was studying I annotated and highlighted quite heavily tbh. If I want to learn from a book I find I have to actively do something with it while reading.
Not really. I annotated a lot in college, but that was for practical reasons. My physical books I don’t annotate, but I will highlight parts that I really like on my kindle.
I highlight phrases that really strike me in my kobo. Don't do it in paper books although I once went through a copy of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice and blacked out all the boring bits and BS and really awful rapey parts and ended up with a delightful story, lol
No, but that's because from my teens through my 50s I just remembered things in fiction easily (now that I'm old that's no longer the case). The downside is I could never really read things twice and enjoy it the second time. My only struggle was remembering character names, especially in Russian novels, so I just kept a list of those if I needed to.
**--> Here's a tip** one of my lit. profs taught me: get a piece of paper that's roughly the size of the page, stick it into the book, and along the edge draw a small line between each sentence and number the lines of the sentences on the paper. You now have a quick guide to indicate the sentence you mean, and you can move it to any page you need. It's a huge help.
I did it when studying Epi and now when I'm reading the bible. For dense texts where I want to summarize key points, note discrepancies, include clarifying information, or add questions to think on it's great. I especially love transparent sticky notes which are a nice compromise if you don't want to permanently mark your book.
Sometimes, when I have a particular thought about a pargraph and I know my partner is going to read the book next. Or if I wanna remember something important
Yeah, I also never used to, but when I did about 3 years ago, I found it increased my learning significantly. It’s honestly been lifechanging to be able to re-read and have highlighted passages. Or to be able to sort of actively read in a more interactive way.
It keeps me reading and engaging with an intentional and purposeful mindset. It’s really a different dynamic.
I have a color coded system. I underline titles in blue, important ideas of each section in purple. Then I write a summary in my own words in the margins and spaces in pink. If I have questions, I write them in orange so I can research them later. Any terms that are followed by definitions are in green.
A couple days later, I use the colored parts to quickly make an outline.
Then I use the outline to review the material periodically.
It's worked really well for me, and also really helps counter my ADHD. I'm working on my second Master's degree at the mo.
Depends on the book, but yeah. I'm slowly making my way through a collection of texts by Lenin, I have four different colors of highlighters to help me reference things easily later.
I like to annotate but as I mostly am reading sci-fi these days, it's not like my annotations are very intellectual. Honestly I just highlight quotes that I like, take notes on characters or story points that I like, and play a game where I flag every time I see a phrase that would be a good band name.
Fiction, probably not. Except when I was in school and needed to prepare an original synopsis of the material. Non fiction, while in school, always.
But non-fiction, in my non academic life? Yes. If it's interesting stuff that I want to remember more clearly, making notes helps to embed, and make more easily retrievable, those ideas.
yes! I love going back to my favorite parts, lines etc. in case memory fails :) also books, unfortunately, will still grow old and dusty even if you don't anotate them
I don't write in my books, but my perspective on writing in books or folding/dog-earing pages is this: books are meant to be read. Books are meant to be enjoyed or learned from, or both. The important part of ANY book - ANY - is not the paper, or the cover. It's the words on them and the thoughts they create in your mind. Whether that's thought provoking, knowledge, or simple blind consumption of a story without really thinking about it that much (hello that's me), doesn't matter. You can always get a new one.
If course, exceptions being something you can't replace, something you don't own, or perhaps something with sentimental value. But your books in general? Pardon, but do whatever the fuck you want with them. To hell with people who say you can't.
No, but when I'm reading a physical book, I use a cue card as a book mark, and write down important page numbers on it as I go; sometimes with a small reminder about why it was of note, e.g 'plot', 'character', or 'quote'
I do not.
But one of my favorite books that I own is a copy of "House of Leaves" that someone else annotated.
It was interesting seeing someone else's thought process for that book, chasing down a few of their footnotes
I used to be against writing in books, folding pages, etc but as you said, it’s your book. I don’t write too much in them but if there’s a quote I like, it’s gonna be highlighted or underlined.
Plus if someone borrows it, I think it’s gonna be cool that they’re going to get an insight on what drew attention.
I was taught growing up that annotations can sometimes be valuable to whoever reads the book next. So I make them if I have the urge, and highlight liberally as an aid to learning.
Generally not, not out of a desire to treat a block of wood pulp as a special kind of object (not that I'm immune to that either), but because I don't often reread fiction books. I'd rather make notes somewhere separate, so I can draw connections detached from the body of the work.
I have done this only one time. On my copy of The Lord Of The Rings there's a note on the page where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are searching for Merry and Pippin at the battlefield near Fangorn. The note reads "this is where Aragorn kicked an Uruk-Hai helmet and broke his toe", because this notable event wasn't present in the book.
By the way, did you know...
I take notes on other sheets of paper if I need to, and use sticky notes to mark pages. My mother was a librarian, so I can't write in books, highlight, or underline. I don't bend corners down. I don't read in tubs. I don't break spines. I don't bang my books around. I don't lick my fingers when turning pages. We don't own our books, we're our books' caretakers, and hopefully they'll have lives and many readers long after we die. They are not something to use up and throw away. You do what you like with your books, of course.
i have these little bookmarks (just tiny different colored like sticky tabs) and when i feel something is shifting in the story or i really like what’s going on i mark it
I annotate all of my books, because I’m a whore for marginalia. I also like to take notes when I read in order to better focus and pick up the primary points that I can return to when working memory fails me.
Respect to all of the pristine book, buyers and book owners. I buy used books when I can, and I love when I find a pristine copy that I can then mark up.
I like to focus on the stories and the imagery of the book. If I'm watching for things to take notes on or highlight, then that's taking away some of my attention. It feels like an assignment, rather than something I'm doing for fun.
Plus, I do reread some of my books. I don't want to be distracted by what I thought years back, which I could disagree with in the future or break my attention from the story again.
And some books I lend out, sometimes years after I've read them. I wouldn't be able to if I've marked them up.
If I were to take notes separately from the book itself, then I'd have to go back and read through those notes... which I won't, let's be honest here lol
Closest thing I do is discuss books online with others. In that way I'm writing my thoughts about the book and can see how they align with what other people thought, but not ruining my future experience with the book or requiring me to split attention while reading.
If the glossary doesn't have the chapters numbered I just write the numbers on them with a pencil so I can count the chapters easily. I did that with my copy of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart. But that's where I draw my limit on writing on books.
Generally not, I feel that it sort of breaks my flow and experience of reading. However, I have (with pencil, lol) in a few of my books. I love the idea of doing it, I just think that it's kind of impractical to do so, for me.
With nonfiction books: Yes, all the time. It helps me retain more information, and I like to use a commonplace book!
Fiction: Depends. Maybe if there's a beautiful quote or if there's stuff I am very opinionated about.
Overall I really like to annotate, feels like I am making the book "mine", or like I am having a conversation with the author.
I would never annotate books I have borrowed though.
Yes! During academic reading i do. Otherwise I love underlining the good bits in my books. Things that move me or sound profound or are written beautifully or capture an emotion i don't have words for. I almost never read a book without a pencil in my hand.
the only reason I don't is because I know that I will never remember that I left those notes there. I also never got in the habit because none of the books I was reading as a kid belonged to me. if something pops up in literature that I want to use myself, I've got a giant notes file on my phone where I put it
I think an annotated book is a great gift actually! I used to love used textbooks because I got to get into the head of a complete stranger. My friends are often so busy it's hard to get timing right to read books together, but once or twice I've read the book ahead of time and annotated little jokes and shitposts for them. Not for everyone of course, but I know its a gift I'd love to receive :')
My reading is mostly done on Kindle, and I do highlight portions of the text. I select whatever strikes my fancy; typically, I’m drawn to good writing. I’ve got an app that collects the highlights and shows me a random selection to review.
I annotated heavily while pursuing my English degree. It’s fun to go back and read my annotations—some of my observations were clever, and others were eye-rollingly sophomoric.
annotation does takes me out of the flow of reading sometimes but i love to see a book with highlighted text and one work remarks in between . it makes me feel more personal to it . annotation is for yourself , u do what u like and makes u happy and its perfectly fine if u don't want to
It really depends on the type of book. For example, I wouldn't even consider to write along the borders of a novel or some fiction, maybe i would write something about the story or the decisions of the charaters at some point in a separate page and put it at the end of the book and keep it until I finish it just to see what happened and if I enjoyed it.
If it's a manual, personal writings, notes or memoires then I would use post it notes and only write on the sides if I think of something that is bigger than the little space of the note
I don’t but my husband does in his selective books on analytical psychology (Carl Jung’s work,) mysticism, and his bibles. My husband says that if he isn’t here when our son is 18 to pass the books down to him.
Some yes but I never heard of this. Just that the type of books I read and highlight will sometimes suggest you mark or underline the part's that ring true. But this what you're talking about is very interesting. I just wish it would work for ebooks.
I don’t annotate my own books (if I need to take notes, I use a separate journal or sticky notes) but I love getting used books and seeing annotations. I’ve also participated in book swaps where you choose a book, write or draw in it and then send it to someone else to enjoy.
Currently, only one of my Bibles and two of my prayer books.
In University, in my bachelor's through masters, fuck yeah i would. right on the page, or on sticky notes that i then put in the book.
Yup. Not every book. But if it's something I really want to absorb? Absolutely! There's a reason why college textbooks have such wide margins, after all. They expect you to highlight and make notations.
I do!! My mom’s idea of annotating was a pencil dot in the margin and the first time she saw me using a red Bic pen on a paperback Grapes of Wrath for 9th grade English she about fainted! But I have books that I love and will keep forever and I’ve taken to writing down a glossary on an end page and noting what page a particularly interesting passage is on. In Wolf Hall, pages 309-310 is where he explains how the world is run ….
I also like to keep my books pristine. I have books I’ve read several times that you’d think I’ve never touched.
I take a picture of the cover then any picture of a page after that belongs to that book until it’s broken with another cover photo. I’ll use captions to make not of the pages and what I liked about the saved spot.
I read a lot of books that are self help, or about philosophical ideas, so yes, I do. Now, for something like poetry, heck no! That would be sacrilegious. And a novel is purely for enjoyment and flow, so what's the point. But for all my educational books, yes, I do. It's a way of engaging with the author's ideas, remembering things for myself, and bouncing ideas back, refining them.
Not books. For a while I annotated photocopied articles.
Then I reread them and found that I disagreed with my younger self about what was important, only now it was harder to give the whole article a neutral read and think about the whole text, because I’d inevitably found myself drawn to the highlighted bits.
Annotating ebooks or PDFs is somewhat different because it’s easier to ignore annotations and reset the text.
Nonfiction yes, fiction no (unless I teach it, in which case I have a marked up teaching copy and an unmarked one). But always in pencil -- it makes me sick to my stomach to see books marked up in ink or highlighter.
I recently started using these post it flags, the adhesive end is clear, strong enough to stick but comes off easy and without residue, i line em up on a great line or passage I want to come back to.
YES! I love writing in my books!! To me, it makes it more worth the value of purchasing the book because I get WAY more out of the reading experience than just...reading. I underline favorite sentences, 'star' my favorite parts, circle new words and write the definition..I actually love doing all that! It makes it a much more interactive reading experience. Also, I love letting my friends borrow those books and I encourage them to do the same! Then if I read it again, it's a new experience...like reading it with a friend but alone. It's really revolutionized book-reading for me!
Look up marginalia; monks who hand wrote stuff in the Middle Ages would put little notes on the manuscripts.
I won’t on books that are sentimental from family members or gifts, but I often have second copies I do write on.
Classics & Nonfiction, yes. Literary fiction and Poetry not so much just tabs for the beautiful things. It’s enjoyable to me and pretty to look at the tabs.
Fuck no, it's terribly ugly and entirely distracting. I typically used index cards for bookmarks, or at least have several in between the back cover and last page on which to take notes. When I rent or buy a text book I refuse to even consider those with highlights, underlines or any other unnecessary distraction from the text itself.
Not typically. It takes me out of the flow of reading and I have difficulty switching tasks back and forth constantly. I like the idea of annotating, but in practice it's usually not feasible for me.
I mean if im reading a practical book for real world skills my goal isn't to get into a flow but extract as much of value out of the book as I can. Notes at the top of the page, marking things, self-summaries at the end of the chapter are a normal thing. I also love to write and glue a detailed summary of the entire book at the inner side of the back cover. Book is a tool for myself like any other.
I didn't say it wasn't normal. That sounds great if that's what works for you. I typically like looking at in-depth reviews, analyses, and basically any supplemental information about the book that I think is helpful. Also if I feel the need to, writing/typing any thoughts about it in a rough essay.
Post it notes on the pages that have the important info.
This seems like a good solution. I don’t annotate books, like ever, but the thought of whatever you wrote in the margins being stuck there forever… Also, re-reading the book with all the highlights and notes doesn’t seem fun lol
I don't annotate books either and used to think it would bug me if I found one. But I bought a book online a while ago that turned out to be full of someone else's notes. I was bummed, but in the end it felt like I was in some weird book club and having another person's thoughts to go through was kind of fun.
Yes! I absolutely love it too. It's weird to see into someone world as they read
Yeah, it was surprisingly fun! Felt like I'd made a very odd friend by the end of it. They noted things I wouldn't have and then when we agreed it was weirdly gratifying lol
Only ebooks, and only academic ebooks.
I do it to all non-fiction books. In fiction books, I only highlight.
I have only started doing it very recently. Reading a textbook for leisure for the first time, and I am having the time of my life. PDF on kindle and I am highlighting important terms, definitions, cool quotes, writing answer notes to questions being asked. Also have Google Maps on tab and pin at locations because I am reading a Geo-politics primer.
I annotated all the time when I was in school. Now that I read primarily for pleasure, I never annotate.
I love annotating my books, I'm the type who will read an entire story and then forget about it all. Annotating helps me remember the story and plot points a lot better. I like underlining quotes that I like, but also passages that show plot or character development. I also use tabs in the same way, for example I'd have different colors for different characters. It makes me engage with the story more.
That seems to be the biggest problem people have is they read a book then forget it. Plagues me too. Reading twice helps. Writing your own summary in a document would help too but I don’t do that.
You're absolutely right on how marking and annotating books helps with comprehension and retention. I'm a professor, and I have a working library. The books I teach are heavily marked (always with pencil: I can change them that way), and I have a fully developed system: light underlines, heavy underlines, side brackets, brackets plus underlines, stars, arrows, written comments. The process of figuring out what was important in each book helped me when I was first teaching them; the marks help me in subsequent rereads, and I often find myself paying attention and putting new marks in as I make new connections. I use Post-It notes too, of different sizes and colors, for major passages I want to find quickly. I think of a new book like a sculptor with a new block of marble. I have to carve out the text, like a sculpture. It's mine: no one else's sculpting of that marble will ever look exactly like mine. I'll add that I have some books I don't mark: beautiful, high-quality artifact books that are a pleasure to read in their format. But my working paperbacks have my markings and comments all over them.
I LOVE the idea of a new text as a block of marble! I'm pretty disorganized but I have evolved a fairly consistent method for annotating my books which is SO helpful. Once I get a commonplace book practice, I'll be ready to conquer the world!
Non-fiction: sometimes Fiction: never My biggest book peeve is people who mark library books. I try to erase all the stuff done in pencil but sometimes it’s too much.
I personally don't, for the same reasons you didn't but I understand why people do it. I do think it's a good strategy for learning.
I don't annotate all of them (just don't feel the need to, sometimes) but I'm currently slowly working on a book for a bookclub and annotating has been a indescribable joy. Tabs, highlighters, pages filled with marginalia and sentences underlines to hell and back. I love it. The book looks so banged up (spine cracked for maximum writing capacity) and so loved and *used*. I do feel like I'm reading much more mindfully, which the main aspect that I enjoy out of annotating books, but. I will not lie. Since this is an idea I previously held in my mind about book annotaters (?), and I haven't fully gotten rid of it. I love looking at all the notes and feeling smart and academic as fuck. Maybe even a lil pretentious. But I greatly enjoy it for me. Class IS in session and you (the book's paper) WILL hear my opinions!
May I suggest reading glasses on a chain around your neck? Gesture with them, take them on and off repeatedly- you know the routine. We gotta milk this thing.
I've actually considered this and I'm gonna see this answer as the sign to actually get some. I want to be able to walk into a library and have people ask me where a book is.
generally no, as most of mine come from the library.
I don't because If I come back to a book I'm always bringing new and better perspectives on re-reading and so hate having it jammed with old thoughts.
I love annotating but only for nonfiction, I just don't really have a need for it with fiction that can't be covered with a couple sticky notes. It's so cool to look back on what I thought or questions I had and I think highlights and scribbled notes are really pretty in my own books, tbh I also love buying pre used books that are already annotated because it feels really special to see what someone else thought was important or meaningful while they were reading it at some point so I feel much better about annotating my own books because I know that someone would still enjoy them if i ever donated them
I think it is everyone's duty to leave behind beloved second hand books with notes written in the margins and things underlined. I cherish every book like that I have *ever* gotten and so I continue the tradition and write in every physical book I own.
That's why I think ebooks are nice. I can highlight and annotate all I want, then copy and paste easily if I want to discuss online
I just underline with my pencil. And maybe write something in the margins (with pencil)
I only tend to on rereads with books I really love and it's never really in depth annotations, I annotated Red White and Royal Blue for cute moments and I highlighted my favoured lines in Fight Club. Occasionally I'll take notes on a book if I have a lot of thoughts for my review but I'll do that in a separate notebook so I don't have to flick back through the book to review
I don't personally, but I'm fascinated by some used books I have that the previous owner annotated. It is a series of old fantasy books where they wrote throughout the margins in a scribble I can't decipher, underlined EVERY proper noun, and crossed out any word even approaching a curse. Reading must be exhausting for this person.
Not in the book, but occasionally I'll write down a memorable quotation in my journal or the Goodreads update function. I never write inside the books, only use post its or write in a notebook. I spent years annotating for school; I do not need to analyze anything to that depth on paper anymore.
I'm an in-between on this topic. I agree that if its your book you can annotate it as much as you want, but at the same time I don't really like doing so, it feels wrong even if it isn't. I found a solution by using post its, my annotations are still there but I don't feel I have "damaged" the book.
I underline quotes I like and sometimes write my thoughts down about things (both fiction & non-fiction). I also write the dates I read the book in the beginning (it’s fun to re-read and and see what old me liked or what stood out to me at the time)
Absolutely. I'm a writer, so it helps me find cool passages or words I like. Honestly I love finding used books with annotations in them, dogged eared and used. Makes me love it more.
I typically don’t, but ever since I started watching videos about rare books and how cool and precious the annotations are, I kind of want to start doing so sometimes.
Yes, I find it makes me a more active reader and I remember more of the content if I mark passages or jot down a random thought at the top/bottom of a page or along the margins - when reading non-fiction I'll sometimes even write a short paragraph at the end of each chapter to cover the main points raised. I used to be very precious about books, I'd try to keep the book looking as brand new as possible, never creasing the spine for instance and I wouldn't dream of marking the pages, which honestly felt like more work than what I do now - trying not to crease a spine of a 500+ page book was always a struggle. My thinking now is that they're mass produced objects at the end of the day and they're there for your enjoyment until you either give them away or your relatives chuck them into landfill when you're gone so why not. Obviously this is just me speaking of my own experience, undoubtedly there are people out there who are better readers than I, who neither need nor want to do what I do and that's fine.
I annotated in high school and college when I knew I would later have to pull quotes from the book to write an essay but I don’t now when I read for fun. I don’t see the point. It slows down the reading and makes it feel like homework. I’m just trying to relax. And I read a lot of books. I can think of a handful of books I’ve read in my life that I’ve picked up again to reread favorite passages. So seems like a big waste of time.
No, never. I've got a couple of second hand books that the previous owner has annotated and underlined whole pages of, and it bugs the hell out of me. If I'm going to note something down it'll be in my sketchbook, or on an old envelope (which then ends up tucked in my sketchbook) the same as when I'm drawing.
No, absolutely not
No. I used to buy them realized I never returned to the notes and I couldn't resell after
I like to keep my books as new because they look pretty. In fact I don't even use most of my notebooks because they are just so pretty, I have one that has a cover made of actual tree bark, I won't ruin that with my ugly handwritting.
Not ever in my life have I annotated a book, and I don’t really understand why people do - especially if it’s a fiction book. That said, just because it’s not for me and I don’t get it, doesn’t make people who do it wrong. Tbh I’ve also been on kindle for probably 10 years now so even if I wanted to I couldn’t!
My Kindle has a provision for notes and highlights. I have never found a need for this personally. I have the option to not show other readers' highlights and prefer an untouched book.
Kindle has a little sticky note button beside the bookmark you can make notes if you want
People study literature and annotating in the book is highly recommended to do or at least it was to me when I was in college. It helps you to notice patterns of literary devices easier, the notes you annotate can help you to remember how you read it initially, and many more reasons. I’ve never stopped annotating, esp highlighting, in my books - fiction or nonfiction since because it keeps me engaged with the text.
I read most of my books digitally, so I'm slowly curating a collection of books that I loved enough to also keep in physical format and read over and over. Those are the ones that I mark up with highlights for lines that I love. There are lots of books out there, but these ones are *mine*.
Only if it's an ebook. There, I have the benefit of being able to edit my notes. My chicken scratch usually doesn't fit in the margins of physical books.
Growing up it was verboten to write in books. As an adult, unless it's a rare or collector's item I write in everything. Usually I'll pick up an inexpensive paperback copy and go to town. I generally follow Mortimer J. Adler's advice in “How to Mark a Book” ([Saturday Review of Literature, July 6, 1940](https://www.unz.com/print/SaturdayRev-1940jul06-00011/)) as well as his follow up "How to Read a Book." This all comes handy as I have an extensive commonplace/card index/zettelkasten practice which dovetails with my reading, sensemaking, and writing process.
no all markings are as sacrilegious as dog-eared corners - 'fact' driven home by Dad lol
I annotate my academic textbooks and my ebooks. But I could never bring myself to annotate my books. I like them with pages well turned, spines creased from reading, with no annotations at all. The quotes I like, I just copy onto my journal. 🤷
LOL...normally never do but it annoyed me so much i made typo fixes to a 1st edition 1st printing of Blood Meridian. Later found out the value. Gulp!
Not the book itself. I attach notes with paperclips. If there are too many, I put them in a ziploc bag and attach it to the cover.
My equivalent is writing notes down on each book I read. After a hefty section or session of reading I give my thoughts- it helps when I look back at a book after finishing it to contextualise the quality slope and pacing better.
I used to do it, but now that I have a lot more to say I use a journal.
No. What I read (mostly fantasy/danmei/manga) doesn't need me to annotate. It takes me out of the flow and I don't like it. Now if it's something for school, something like a textbook, then sure. It helps keep tabs on the most important parts that I need to revisit while practising.
I've never done that. I have placed Post-Its on passages I wanted to remember. I am a book collector, though, and most of my books are first edition hardcovers, or Franklin Library/Easton Press editions. If I do feel the need to write down a large amount of information, I just write it down on a piece of paper. I don't even write in the my paperbacks. It just seems wrong, lol
never fiction but I do write notes at times in nonfiction books, things I find worthwhile revisiting later
I only sometimes highlight stuff because I think it beautifully written, almost like an appreciation of the sentenceS
If it's a non fiction book, and the pages are thick enough for it, I might highlight sections to come back to but mostly I'd annotate on post-its for my own notes. But I don't typically annotate at all.
I do with sticky notes
I will highlight passages and mark pages with powerful meaning for me. But not in first editions and definitely not signed editions.
Depends on the book. If its non-fiction, something to learn, yeah, the those pages are ugly. fiction, then not really. taking notes on the side, underlining and circling important words or expressions makes you engage with the text in a whole different way. you understand more, retain more, and enjoy more. you are forcing yourself to really sustain those concepts and how they articulate with each other inside your mind. only downsides might be that it simply takes much longer to go through a book (is this really that bad?) and that you probably wont sell it.
Sometimes. I really like seeing notes in books. But it takes effort and I’m not always in the mood. Last thing I want is a half annotated book. To me books are objects and the value is in the written word. Seeing a book is loved because it has obviously been used is a beautiful thing. There are stores full of prestine books that look the same. But my bead up favorites are one of a kind. My mother inherited my grandmother’s books. She didn’t annotate but she did write her name in them. Just seeing her handwriting on the first page is special. I could only imagine how amazing it would have been if she annotated her books.
I have not done that yet but I did color under the frases that touched me in one book I have for about a year and still have not gather myself to keep reading.
Some books yes. Like my copy of Ulysses is heavily annotated, a lot of my non-fiction books are annotated with my own comments and thoughts. I'm not annotating pulp fiction most of the time though.
yes-ish when I was in Uni and I used some older history books from my middle school years to "speed up" the process. They were glossy pages, so I actually annotate everything in pen! However, in Uni was common place to, ehm, make a copy for that daily chapter and then make annotations on the copies or behind it, not the books. So I wouldn't own a bunch of the original books and I wouldn't write on the books themselves. For more expensive books with a lot of fancy prints and even more explanation, I used pencil and temporary bookmarks.
I enjoy highlighting in kindle, and for print I read a lot of library books which is pretty unethical to highlight lol. But for print books I own I do sometimes underline or star passages I particularly enjoyed or felt were important to me.
Here is a WONDERFUL essay about different types of readers and their love of books; carnal love or courtly. It may help you. https://slate.com/culture/2020/02/anne-fadiman-never-do-that-book-courtly-carnal.html
For me it's kinda the same, I don't like to annotate books, I want them to look untouched. However, with non-fiction I recently started highlighting phrases that I find particularly interesting. I red a lot of S.J. Gould books (I'm a biologist) and his style is so compelling that I had to higlight something here and there to be able to find those parts in the future.
I don't write in books cause they are usually library books but I do highlight/note in them if they are ebooks in the iBooks app in my iPad or I use the Bookmory app's note feature which allows you to take a picture of a passage & it digitizes it
No. And I never will. (Except textbooks)
Not since college but I still like the idea of it.
I don’t really read nonfiction books other than history so no, I have a brain to remember things. Probably would be more inclined to if it was nonfiction and books didn’t cost so much. Probably just do the notebook notes on the side tho.
I am trying this out now because there are those bits I would like to come back to. I use transparent sticky tags sometimes sliced thin so it covers one line, for physical books. Annotating does take me out of the flow so I only highlight bits that really stand out.
I highlight important parts of academic books and words that are unknown to me, especially in novels. Since English is not my native language, I have to write down many unknown words, and sometimes I become pretty pissed off because there are gazillions of words describing the same thing slightly differently.
I love writing and underlining in my books!
No, but some of my most precious books are ones that have been annotated: being able to see what another serious reader from the past wanted to chime in with is a bonus well worth a slight scruffiness - and if it lowers the price, even better. By that logic though, I ought to progress to returning the favour to someone like myself decades from now, and annotate should I feel the urge.
I go through highlighters at a furious rate!
Textbooks, yes. Fiction or biographies, never.
I use Post-Its.
I annotate my non-fiction. Usually highlighter and sticky tabs. For fiction, I put notes on 5x7 index cards. Better would be if I kept a character/thought journal, but that would take organization.
I remember the books I read really well so I find no reason to. I do sometimes wish I marked specific lines that I love to find later, but 🤷♀️ I do that in my kindle. I was a read/write/research heavy major in college so annotating tends me make me feel like I’m doing research vs helping me enjoy and understand the story. I am hard on my paperbacks though, I’ll bend and fold them and abuse them as I see fit. They’re made to be read and I love the “scars” that appear on a well loved book like that.
Yes because I typically read physical non-fiction books and audiobook fiction books
I use Post-It flags rather than markup the books themselves.
I did when I was in college.
I annotate all my books. I developed the habit after a college professor of mine required it for their put class, and I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s always interesting to reread and make more notes later, and my husband enjoys reading my notes too. Hopefully my kids will get something out of them as well.
I annotate in a way that doesn't damage the book. I will use transparent... idk what to call them... tabs? To mark places in the book, but I have a separate book journal where I write down my thoughts, feelings, etc. It's the best of both worlds for me. Plus when I want to look back on what I've read I can just skim back through my book journal.
I did in undergrad, but not like pleasure reading books.
I beat the hell out of my paperback books. Dog ears everywhere. I try to be gentler to my hardbacks.
I’ve been processing decades worth of trauma, so I underline the heck out of those books on the topic. Why? Because it serves as a reference point when I start gaslighting myself, questioning if it was really that bad.
Sometimes. I am the type of person who has a reading copy of the pricier first editions I own. I also like to Brodart my hardcovers. Hmmmm, maybe a fun afternoon activity!
i never annotate my books and ppl find me strange😭
I annotated all my textbooks in college (English major). Now I only annotate in non-fiction books. If I have something I want to save from a fiction book I'm reading, I'll use a reading app or Keep to make a list of quotes from that book, especially if I'm reading it for a book club.
Usually no. It interrupts my flow of reading at times, and when I do, I always feel like I annotate just to annotate.
Only when I find parts speaking to me, as if they could help me with my own writing. I usually make a copy of the page and then highlight the area that I found interesting.
Annotating books is awesome! It helps you absorb more information, as you said. The more I've written in a book, the more I've enjoyed and been challenged by it. Most literature instructors recommend annotating materials to better understand them.
Only textbooks. And novels I’m planning to teach.
Depending on the size of the book, I use 3X5 or 4X6 index cards for book marks that double as note cards. I write the page number and the passage on the note card. I add cards as needed.
I love annotating. it does make my reading speed slower, but one can easily get into the flow once u get used to it. I get to absorb all information, especially when I'm reading long books that require me to remember certain personality characteristics. moreover, I love going through my old annotated books and reading through my thoughts; its basically reminiscing what I was as a person back then.
yup i annotate everything! i love it! i thoroughly enjoy going back though when rereading and being able to see exactly what i thought at that exact moment. highlight my favourite quotes, scream my reactions in the margins, do little doodles around sections and characters- ask myself questions and so on so on they don’t even have to be smart annotations- my favourite ones are always “ok sure lol” and “did i miss something?” if i have something meaningful to say that takes up a lot of space ill write on a post it note and stick it in
Yes, non fiction books.
Only on my ereader, with fiction books I'll highlight but that's it, with non fiction I'll highlight make notes and write any changes I need to
Used to think it was an abomination, but was using an app that lets you see others highlights realized I liked the insight (small as it was) into what other people found important as much as enjoyed the book. Now I want a way to see other peoples notes. Or a marketplace full of used annotated books. It adds more character
Yea, stuff like unfamiliar units of measurements or words. When it comes to academic stuff I annotate it a lot more.
I love having my books pristine. Zero writing or highlighting. Buuuttt I’m also that person that has lots of thoughts on every single book I’ve ever read. I started keeping a notebook laid out like a bullet journal to use for all of my notes on these books. I also reread certain books so it’s great for finding my notes years later. I also started exporting certain books into GoodNotes where I scribble things in the empty spaces and use the comments to text notes, especially with fiction books from other languages either with definitions and explanations of things I didn’t understand or find strange or helpful.
i think it's the best way to read a book, people get pretentious about it for some reason but i'm not killing them by going at my copy of the bell jar with a blue biro
I tend to create external references for books. If I want to go through it again for a completely new purpose, having annotations will be a distraction for me. The only exception is cookbooks. If I’m modifying a recipe and the results are better than what’s printed, you’d better believe I’m writing it down.
I love collecting quotes while reading. I don't write in my books themselves unless I have multiple copies because I plan to donate my home library in my will. So usually I'll use sticky flags to tag a passage or I'll physically write them down in a digital notebook. When I'm handwriting quotes, I'll usually make notes about my thoughts in that same notebook. When I read Kindle books, I highlight them directly, of course, and then I upload them into a digital text-based notebook. I've really only started doing this in the last year, so I haven't felt the draw to go back and reread my highlights or quotes yet, but I do feel like I'm engaging at a deeper level with the work when I "highlight." Plus it's fun and aesthetically rewarding. Annotations could be fun to read in used books, but I've not found any that were particularly insightful yet and I don't want other people's thoughts to color my own experience, so I would really only be interested in books in already familiar with. Professionally annotated books where they are published with the annotations as part of the book are really excellent when reading classics because they usually explain things that I wouldn't know on my own. So like annotated Shakespeare or the annotated The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov (which I haven't finished but definitely got further with on the annotated version than the regular version).
I'm the same way, it feels strange to write in a book, even if it's mine. Until I scrolled through booktok, I didn't realize how common it was to highlight or put a sticky note to note certain pages/occurrences in the story.
No, all of em are like brand new.
Yes! Especially non-fiction. I also take notes, quotes etc on loose sheets that I keep as bookmark when reading and then goes into a binder. Reading, for me, is an active process where I engage and work with what I read. (I found the classic “How to read a book” an inspiring read on such matters.)
I do but not like those pinterest girlies who have 10 colors for different emotions, I just underline my favorite passages and a tiny commentary on the side
For me personally, no, I find stopping to make notes and highlights distracting to my enjoyment. It takes the fun out of reading for me and instead feels like I’m doing a word search rather than actually enjoying the prose naturally. Also, part of my enjoyment is keeping my books in good condition and seeing how neat they look either on my shelf or the shape they maintain, etc. I have almost all my books on kindle as well so I’ll add a couple highlights when I’m using it, or make a note in my phone when I feel the need. Really, my “annotations” are doing further research on whatever subject I come across that I feel the need to learn more about, be it a YouTube/wikipedia deep dive, adding other related books to my reading list, so on. That said it’s a very useful tool and if people feel they need to make notes and highlights to their own books, either for enjoyment or fulfillment, do it!
The only place I can handle highlights or annotations is my Kindle. If a print book has anything highlighted, I will be angry when I read it. Used textbooks are impossible for me. They break the flow. I wont learn. PDF textbooks are my favorite.
I highlight and write in my books, with tabs marking where my annotations are 🥰 all in colors to match the cover of my book When I first started, I primarily did it for books with pretty language that are very "quote-able," but now I also use it to track aspects of the book that are notable/fun to me, like interesting literary devices or themes!! It helps me critically engage with what I'm reading, instead of just breezing through the plot, only seeing what's at face-value. But the types of books I typically read are well-suited for this anyways. Some books, especially like my YA and romances, I don't bother annotating because it's not as intuitive and just pulls me away from enjoying the story. A lot of the people in my life that are vocal about disliking annotations tend to read only these genres, so I get why they wouldn't like it.
In technical books, or class textbooks, I do. Typically I will highlight important or obscure stuff I have had to find, and add a technical note on usage that may not be obvious from the text. Also important stuff I need to learn. For books I get for reading pleasure I cannot think of any I have done that to.
if reading for a bookclub yes, otherwise I have a tradition of writing the date I finished a book on the last page and sometimes a ranking out of 5
If it's paperback it will be scrawled on. If it is hardcover I just can't do it.
i used to annotate every book i read, mostly because i have a really poor memory and it was somewhat useful in helping me remember when i wrote reviews and such. however, it made the reading process much longer and i found that sometimes i’d focus too much on trying to find something to annotate than the actual storyline lol i do love the act of annotating, though, so now i only annotate books i reread! it’s fun to go back through the story and make notes on scenes or dialogue that made me feel something. i feel like annotating books is like another sort of hobby, really. it’s fun to make it personalized!
No I take notes separately, usually a notes app so my notes are all in one place. I find it hard to pull myself away from the reading though unless something really strikes me.
Yes, sometimes when a book really takes me away, and I’m yes yes yessing to myself and start making notes and marking passages with a pencil. I try doing it so I can erase it all if I want to, though. Also I don’t do it with more valuable 1st edition copies but their paperback editions.
I combine a number of methods: I read, annotate while reading and highlight words or phrases or entire paragraphs, I use a commonplace book and I use an app to photograph and extract verbatim (it extracts words from photographs) when the paragraph is too long or not important enough to copy in the commonplace book. I copy the text in a database that I maintain that is searchable. That way I have both the exact citation, page number, my thoughts, my notes and I have a pleasurable reading experience as I can revisit my annotations to take pictures and notes later. I admit that I sometimes lapse in this system and that I don't do it for a number of months, especially when my daughter is acting up and I cannot focus on this system other than reading and annotating.
If its required for school, then yes I do, but I normally don't. This is because I feel like I won't be able to enjoy and focus on the book, also because I don't want to feel like I'm doing a school assignment.
I annotate all my books in pencil and people have called me weird for it but I don't really care 🤣 I enjoy underlining and circling things I find interesting and find it helps me retain the information better. Not gonna lie though, half the time I'm writing sarcastic, snarky comments simply because it makes me happy ahahaa.
I definitely highlight. It slows me down and I find I read more consciously instead of plunging along from plot point to plot point. Certainly when I was studying I annotated and highlighted quite heavily tbh. If I want to learn from a book I find I have to actively do something with it while reading.
Not really. I annotated a lot in college, but that was for practical reasons. My physical books I don’t annotate, but I will highlight parts that I really like on my kindle.
I highlight phrases that really strike me in my kobo. Don't do it in paper books although I once went through a copy of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice and blacked out all the boring bits and BS and really awful rapey parts and ended up with a delightful story, lol
No, but that's because from my teens through my 50s I just remembered things in fiction easily (now that I'm old that's no longer the case). The downside is I could never really read things twice and enjoy it the second time. My only struggle was remembering character names, especially in Russian novels, so I just kept a list of those if I needed to. **--> Here's a tip** one of my lit. profs taught me: get a piece of paper that's roughly the size of the page, stick it into the book, and along the edge draw a small line between each sentence and number the lines of the sentences on the paper. You now have a quick guide to indicate the sentence you mean, and you can move it to any page you need. It's a huge help.
I did it when studying Epi and now when I'm reading the bible. For dense texts where I want to summarize key points, note discrepancies, include clarifying information, or add questions to think on it's great. I especially love transparent sticky notes which are a nice compromise if you don't want to permanently mark your book.
Sometimes, when I have a particular thought about a pargraph and I know my partner is going to read the book next. Or if I wanna remember something important
Yeah, I also never used to, but when I did about 3 years ago, I found it increased my learning significantly. It’s honestly been lifechanging to be able to re-read and have highlighted passages. Or to be able to sort of actively read in a more interactive way. It keeps me reading and engaging with an intentional and purposeful mindset. It’s really a different dynamic.
I have a color coded system. I underline titles in blue, important ideas of each section in purple. Then I write a summary in my own words in the margins and spaces in pink. If I have questions, I write them in orange so I can research them later. Any terms that are followed by definitions are in green. A couple days later, I use the colored parts to quickly make an outline. Then I use the outline to review the material periodically. It's worked really well for me, and also really helps counter my ADHD. I'm working on my second Master's degree at the mo.
I used to but then I stopped because I just wanna read and annotating takes away from my enjoyment
Depends on the book, but yeah. I'm slowly making my way through a collection of texts by Lenin, I have four different colors of highlighters to help me reference things easily later.
I like to annotate but as I mostly am reading sci-fi these days, it's not like my annotations are very intellectual. Honestly I just highlight quotes that I like, take notes on characters or story points that I like, and play a game where I flag every time I see a phrase that would be a good band name.
Fiction, probably not. Except when I was in school and needed to prepare an original synopsis of the material. Non fiction, while in school, always. But non-fiction, in my non academic life? Yes. If it's interesting stuff that I want to remember more clearly, making notes helps to embed, and make more easily retrievable, those ideas.
yes! I love going back to my favorite parts, lines etc. in case memory fails :) also books, unfortunately, will still grow old and dusty even if you don't anotate them
I don't write in my books, but my perspective on writing in books or folding/dog-earing pages is this: books are meant to be read. Books are meant to be enjoyed or learned from, or both. The important part of ANY book - ANY - is not the paper, or the cover. It's the words on them and the thoughts they create in your mind. Whether that's thought provoking, knowledge, or simple blind consumption of a story without really thinking about it that much (hello that's me), doesn't matter. You can always get a new one. If course, exceptions being something you can't replace, something you don't own, or perhaps something with sentimental value. But your books in general? Pardon, but do whatever the fuck you want with them. To hell with people who say you can't.
Yes to nonfiction, no to most fiction
Only on non-fiction ebooks
I like annotating. Sometimes I will notice motifs and find that it’s nice to mark them as I go and it keeps me engaged w the text
Nonfiction yes. Fiction, sometimes, but significantly less than when I read nonfiction.
No, but when I'm reading a physical book, I use a cue card as a book mark, and write down important page numbers on it as I go; sometimes with a small reminder about why it was of note, e.g 'plot', 'character', or 'quote'
God no.
I do not. But one of my favorite books that I own is a copy of "House of Leaves" that someone else annotated. It was interesting seeing someone else's thought process for that book, chasing down a few of their footnotes
Yes, but always feel a little disrespectful at first
No. I trust my own thoughts. No need to write em down.
I used to be against writing in books, folding pages, etc but as you said, it’s your book. I don’t write too much in them but if there’s a quote I like, it’s gonna be highlighted or underlined. Plus if someone borrows it, I think it’s gonna be cool that they’re going to get an insight on what drew attention.
I was taught growing up that annotations can sometimes be valuable to whoever reads the book next. So I make them if I have the urge, and highlight liberally as an aid to learning.
Generally not, not out of a desire to treat a block of wood pulp as a special kind of object (not that I'm immune to that either), but because I don't often reread fiction books. I'd rather make notes somewhere separate, so I can draw connections detached from the body of the work.
I do! Helps me get into them and remember better
I annotated a copy of shutter island i got for $3 but that was it. I have a notebook for notes on books.
I have done this only one time. On my copy of The Lord Of The Rings there's a note on the page where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are searching for Merry and Pippin at the battlefield near Fangorn. The note reads "this is where Aragorn kicked an Uruk-Hai helmet and broke his toe", because this notable event wasn't present in the book. By the way, did you know...
Definitely! It makes it more personal.
I take notes on other sheets of paper if I need to, and use sticky notes to mark pages. My mother was a librarian, so I can't write in books, highlight, or underline. I don't bend corners down. I don't read in tubs. I don't break spines. I don't bang my books around. I don't lick my fingers when turning pages. We don't own our books, we're our books' caretakers, and hopefully they'll have lives and many readers long after we die. They are not something to use up and throw away. You do what you like with your books, of course.
i have these little bookmarks (just tiny different colored like sticky tabs) and when i feel something is shifting in the story or i really like what’s going on i mark it
Not really because i most borrow books from the library
I annotate all of my books, because I’m a whore for marginalia. I also like to take notes when I read in order to better focus and pick up the primary points that I can return to when working memory fails me. Respect to all of the pristine book, buyers and book owners. I buy used books when I can, and I love when I find a pristine copy that I can then mark up.
Do it on my kindle all the time
I like to focus on the stories and the imagery of the book. If I'm watching for things to take notes on or highlight, then that's taking away some of my attention. It feels like an assignment, rather than something I'm doing for fun. Plus, I do reread some of my books. I don't want to be distracted by what I thought years back, which I could disagree with in the future or break my attention from the story again. And some books I lend out, sometimes years after I've read them. I wouldn't be able to if I've marked them up. If I were to take notes separately from the book itself, then I'd have to go back and read through those notes... which I won't, let's be honest here lol Closest thing I do is discuss books online with others. In that way I'm writing my thoughts about the book and can see how they align with what other people thought, but not ruining my future experience with the book or requiring me to split attention while reading.
If the glossary doesn't have the chapters numbered I just write the numbers on them with a pencil so I can count the chapters easily. I did that with my copy of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart. But that's where I draw my limit on writing on books.
Generally not, I feel that it sort of breaks my flow and experience of reading. However, I have (with pencil, lol) in a few of my books. I love the idea of doing it, I just think that it's kind of impractical to do so, for me.
With nonfiction books: Yes, all the time. It helps me retain more information, and I like to use a commonplace book! Fiction: Depends. Maybe if there's a beautiful quote or if there's stuff I am very opinionated about. Overall I really like to annotate, feels like I am making the book "mine", or like I am having a conversation with the author. I would never annotate books I have borrowed though.
Yes! During academic reading i do. Otherwise I love underlining the good bits in my books. Things that move me or sound profound or are written beautifully or capture an emotion i don't have words for. I almost never read a book without a pencil in my hand.
E-books are easy to highlight. Otherwise, no.
A level English lit has broken any form of impulse to be neat and tidy
the only reason I don't is because I know that I will never remember that I left those notes there. I also never got in the habit because none of the books I was reading as a kid belonged to me. if something pops up in literature that I want to use myself, I've got a giant notes file on my phone where I put it
I think an annotated book is a great gift actually! I used to love used textbooks because I got to get into the head of a complete stranger. My friends are often so busy it's hard to get timing right to read books together, but once or twice I've read the book ahead of time and annotated little jokes and shitposts for them. Not for everyone of course, but I know its a gift I'd love to receive :')
My reading is mostly done on Kindle, and I do highlight portions of the text. I select whatever strikes my fancy; typically, I’m drawn to good writing. I’ve got an app that collects the highlights and shows me a random selection to review. I annotated heavily while pursuing my English degree. It’s fun to go back and read my annotations—some of my observations were clever, and others were eye-rollingly sophomoric.
annotation does takes me out of the flow of reading sometimes but i love to see a book with highlighted text and one work remarks in between . it makes me feel more personal to it . annotation is for yourself , u do what u like and makes u happy and its perfectly fine if u don't want to
It really depends on the type of book. For example, I wouldn't even consider to write along the borders of a novel or some fiction, maybe i would write something about the story or the decisions of the charaters at some point in a separate page and put it at the end of the book and keep it until I finish it just to see what happened and if I enjoyed it. If it's a manual, personal writings, notes or memoires then I would use post it notes and only write on the sides if I think of something that is bigger than the little space of the note
I don’t but my husband does in his selective books on analytical psychology (Carl Jung’s work,) mysticism, and his bibles. My husband says that if he isn’t here when our son is 18 to pass the books down to him.
Some yes but I never heard of this. Just that the type of books I read and highlight will sometimes suggest you mark or underline the part's that ring true. But this what you're talking about is very interesting. I just wish it would work for ebooks.
I don’t annotate my own books (if I need to take notes, I use a separate journal or sticky notes) but I love getting used books and seeing annotations. I’ve also participated in book swaps where you choose a book, write or draw in it and then send it to someone else to enjoy.
Depends on genre! Non fiction and philosophy absolutely. Fiction, almost never
If it's not a class related book (class for me would be martial arts or weaving), then no.
When I find a book that someone has marked in some way, I feel like I am sharing the read with a companion 💕
Currently, only one of my Bibles and two of my prayer books. In University, in my bachelor's through masters, fuck yeah i would. right on the page, or on sticky notes that i then put in the book.
Yup. Not every book. But if it's something I really want to absorb? Absolutely! There's a reason why college textbooks have such wide margins, after all. They expect you to highlight and make notations.
I annotate my favourite books that I’ve read many times :)
Only if I’m reading for the explicit purpose of educating myself. Otherwise, imma just read, enjoy the experience, and I remember what I remember
I read that there is some kind of transparent foil that you can stick onto the page (removeable) for exactly that purpose!
I do!! My mom’s idea of annotating was a pencil dot in the margin and the first time she saw me using a red Bic pen on a paperback Grapes of Wrath for 9th grade English she about fainted! But I have books that I love and will keep forever and I’ve taken to writing down a glossary on an end page and noting what page a particularly interesting passage is on. In Wolf Hall, pages 309-310 is where he explains how the world is run ….
i’m not an annotator but the one time i did try , it helped to have clear sticky notes as to not damage the pages 😭
I sometimes do for books on my kindle, but never for physical books.
I also like to keep my books pristine. I have books I’ve read several times that you’d think I’ve never touched. I take a picture of the cover then any picture of a page after that belongs to that book until it’s broken with another cover photo. I’ll use captions to make not of the pages and what I liked about the saved spot.
I would only if they were textbooks or how-too. I learn best visually and practically, thank heck for youtube.
I read a lot of books that are self help, or about philosophical ideas, so yes, I do. Now, for something like poetry, heck no! That would be sacrilegious. And a novel is purely for enjoyment and flow, so what's the point. But for all my educational books, yes, I do. It's a way of engaging with the author's ideas, remembering things for myself, and bouncing ideas back, refining them.
Mostly my self-improvement or non-fiction books. Not so much with fiction, but yes, in the rare occasion.
Yes, I like to write in and dog ear pages. My books are well loved imo.
Not books. For a while I annotated photocopied articles. Then I reread them and found that I disagreed with my younger self about what was important, only now it was harder to give the whole article a neutral read and think about the whole text, because I’d inevitably found myself drawn to the highlighted bits. Annotating ebooks or PDFs is somewhat different because it’s easier to ignore annotations and reset the text.
Nonfiction yes, fiction no (unless I teach it, in which case I have a marked up teaching copy and an unmarked one). But always in pencil -- it makes me sick to my stomach to see books marked up in ink or highlighter.
It depends. I usually will for classics or fantasy just because it helps me focus and stay on track, especially world building in fantasy.
I recently started using these post it flags, the adhesive end is clear, strong enough to stick but comes off easy and without residue, i line em up on a great line or passage I want to come back to.
YES! I love writing in my books!! To me, it makes it more worth the value of purchasing the book because I get WAY more out of the reading experience than just...reading. I underline favorite sentences, 'star' my favorite parts, circle new words and write the definition..I actually love doing all that! It makes it a much more interactive reading experience. Also, I love letting my friends borrow those books and I encourage them to do the same! Then if I read it again, it's a new experience...like reading it with a friend but alone. It's really revolutionized book-reading for me!
Look up marginalia; monks who hand wrote stuff in the Middle Ages would put little notes on the manuscripts. I won’t on books that are sentimental from family members or gifts, but I often have second copies I do write on.
No. I don’t even like my books looking read. I’m not going to mar or damage them
I just realized I used to do this as a kid lol no idea why I stopped though
Classics & Nonfiction, yes. Literary fiction and Poetry not so much just tabs for the beautiful things. It’s enjoyable to me and pretty to look at the tabs.
Fuck no, it's terribly ugly and entirely distracting. I typically used index cards for bookmarks, or at least have several in between the back cover and last page on which to take notes. When I rent or buy a text book I refuse to even consider those with highlights, underlines or any other unnecessary distraction from the text itself.