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I’m sometimes afraid to mark up a book, but then I remind myself that I collect vintage books and I LOVE it when I find little things in books, like a newspaper clipping as a bookmark, or a dedication note from a loved one, or a star next to their favorite chapter. Hopefully 100 years in the future someone might love my highlights the same way I do for people 100 years ago now.
I am an English teacher and I think I am going to save this video for use during my classes. I heave never heard anyone describe annotations like you have, and with such enthusiasm. I hope it’s ok if I show this to a bunch of high school English students…
As a writer, the idea of someone feeling something strong enough about my work that it inspires someone to note on it, and remember it is the peak of every author dream I've ever had
For tabs, I'd recommend trying washi tape! It's a lot cheaper for the amount you get in one roll compared to a pack of tabs. I usually just fold a small piece over the page I'm tabbing (or you can fold over a bit on one end so it's a tab that sticks out, and theres no tape on the other side of the page). only thing is it is less convenient having to cut pieces of it.
oooh thank you! I might deal with the extra effort because I have too much washi and was wondering how I'd get the nice-looking tabs, this solves the problem without spending more money!!
📚 I'm a library borrower, so no marking in books for me, but I've started keeping a dedicated reading journal (which helps me use up my hoard of notebooks)! I could adapt some of these ideas like color-coding to that instead.
I would love to try the non-damaging options for library books. I mean: imagine getting a book that has already been annotated lightly this way. I would be so down for it. I mean, my ebooks show which passages other people marked. I would love to know that for printed books as well 🙈
another idea for non-damage notetaking: i use a fading pen thats typically used for sewing. it fades after a week, so it gives me time to finish the chapter or the whole book, and still be able to go back and document my notes!
Ever since I can remember my dad's always annotated books by scribbling on the margins and underlining words. As I grew up and read a lot of his books, I find there is something so special and meaningful in seeing what kinds of phrases he emphasized and what kind of thoughts the writing inspired in him. I've started to do it in my own books, and I still find there is something very beautiful about the thought of doing it. Like a different kind of taking in the book, and when you look at it with all the highlights and notes later on you can tell that it was a book well loved and well read. What use is it sitting pristine on the shelf when you can do that instead?
My friends and I are all at different levels of annotating books, so it depends on whose book we borrow, but for me personally I always encourage my friends to annotate at a level 3 when I lend out a book. What results is such a variety of color and thoughts and doodles and tabs in just one book once it goes through the friend group, and just find it wonderful!!
My suggestion for non-permanent annotations is to get book darts and index cards. Book darts are these little metal page markers that are reusable. On the index cards you can write down your thoughts, quotes, plot points, themes etc., and keep the index cards after you finish. If you like the idea of color coding then use different colors of index cards. I have an box for them and I keep the index cards for each book together either with a paperclip or binder clip. This is my go-to if it's a library book, I'm borrowing it, or if I don't want to mess up a book.
The beauty of a dedicated bag and caddy just warmed my heart. This is romantising simple things of life at its peak. Definitely trying this along with your notes on annotating. Absolutely adore your aesthetic choices 💗
I got a BA in fiction writing and did a ton of reading for my courses, and I NEVER got such a good explanation on how to read this intentionally. This was a great video. 📚❤
the transparent sticky notes & the light beige highlighter are game changers!! ✨📚 i love rereading books & adding new annotations or insights (it's such an amazing experience how differently a favorite book can touch your heart as you grow older), so i like my annotations to not be as permanent or visually busy in case i add heaps more. i also LOVE your idea to use a different color pen for rereads, i'll def be trying that! thank you for this lovely video 💛
They seriously are! I love being able to annotate fully in a book that I might want to donate (or put into my little free library) down the road. Or in my special/vintage editons that I can’t bear to write in! Annotating in a dedicated colour each reread is so fun. I agree, how a book impacts us and how we reflect on it can change so much over the years! I’m so glad you enjoyed it ❤️❤️
I bought erasable highlighters and pens for my annotating and I have been enjoying annotating much more! I can just get rid of mistakes or messy highlights if need be :)
I am a pro annotator. The first read is done with a .9 mechanical pencil. The next read is done with a permanent energel pen. Occassionally when I want to use a quote in a book study group, I'll use a postanote.
Wanted to say: as someone who is VERY scared of actually committing, THANK YOU. Level 1 tips really resonated with me, and assigning tabs WITHOUT having to accompany assigned tabs with notes really helps to make it less intimidating. I also liked your take about 1 specific color and highlighter, and these tips helped me think of new ways to be comfortable with annotating because I'm very scared of regretting my annotations. This was so helpful!
I have always wanted to annotate in my book collection, but I've been too afraid of damaging/devaluing the books I treasure. Watching this made me totally rethink that mindset - I'm gonna just pick a book and try to get myself from level 1 to level 2 📖✨
I am a dark academia girl🕯 and I love a lot to read and annotate books (especially classics 📖). But I've been too afraid to write in my books because they would get damaged and also they are the most valuable things I have. But your books aren't damaged as I thought. This video was very very important and thanks to you, I'm not afarid about annotating anymore...😊 Thank you soo much.❤
Love, love, LOVE this video! 📖🖊️ Even though people aren’t supposed to annotate in them, I’ve always loved reading a library book and finding underlined passages and notes written in the margins. It always feels special, like you said. One of a kind. No other book has what this copy has. And I’ve enjoyed experiencing the thoughts and opinions of other readers. Complete strangers whose identity I don’t, nor will ever, know, but we’re connected in this one way, through this one book. And a lot of the times the annotations are funny or insightful. They’re a pleasurable addition to my reading experience. But I’m a weirdo like that 😆. Most people wouldn’t be as psyched to read a marked up book.
The way you choose to annotate really speaks to me. Just something about your approach clicks and makes so much sense to my brain! Yes! This is it! I’d love to hear more of your tag categories in your monthly book reviews. It’s so much fun to see what others chose to track in the same books. Maybe I’m alone in this but that is my kind of fun! Thanks again for sharing so much. I thoroughly enjoy your videos.
One of my favorite parts about reading on my Kindle is that you can see little underlines on quotes or sections where A LOT of people annotate - and it like gives it more impact. I don't personally stop to highlight any sections myself because it would be too hard to find in the future since my books aren't physical, BUT ALAS. And even though I don't read physical books anymore, preferring to reduce the clutter by going digital, I still watched the whole video. ❤
I don’t read ebooks much, and when I do it’s usually through Libby (library app) but when I read in the kindle app I LOVE that feature! Thanks for watching the whole thing ❤️ I appreciate you!
I read ebooks mostly (kindle/cloudlibrary) for similar reasons. This video inspired me to write my own notes on passages that are highlighted and it's a game changer!)
Same! Quick idea as you said you find it hard to find the quotes in the future - if you have a goodreads, then you can connect to your kindle account and your goodreads will summarise all of your highlights and notes from the kindle books you’ve read automatically. You can also see more of the popular highlights on goodreads :)
I only tab books i'm reading for work (studies, self studies or the classes i teach), and i usually prefer taking notes on a separate slip of paper i use as a bookmark. It helps me having all my comments at the same place with a color code for the tabs (usually quotes, info to research and style analysis)
That’s a great method, too! I definitely appreciate having most of my notes in one place in Notion. Sometimes if I want a note I wrote in the book to be in my Notion without having to rewrite it I’ll just take a screenshot and insert it into the book page!
Not hyperbolizing when I say your clear sticky note tip has changed my life. I read a lot of library books that idk if I want to own a copy yet so I don’t annotate. I would make notes in my reading journal, but I don’t really like that. Clear sticky notes is BRILLIANT. And will make it so easy to copy my annotations if I do buy the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The book caddy is genius!! And respect for the lovely stationary choices. I am a big stationary nerd and nothing makes me happier than books and pens 😊
I love the idea of annotating this way, and sometimes I do annotate in a very complex way, but it's definitely not an all the time thing for me. Annotating can feel like a chore sometimes, so I only choose to do it when books make me feel a particular way or really make me want to analyse it or remember things for later.
When I was in college I was an avid tabber while reading, especially if I was reading a book for class (though I've never been big on writing in books, mostly bc my handwriting is often illegible even to myself). I kinda fell out of the habit after graduating, but have been itching to get back to it for the past few months. I was reading The Jakarta Method and found myself dog-earing an astonishing number of pages to come back to later I also really love buying books secondhand and seeing what annotations other people have added. My copy of Dracula has someone else's notes in it, and it made the book really fun to read bc I ended up disagreeing with some of the analysis the previous book owner had added and wrote my own annotations refuting the old ones
That sounds amazing! I buy so many secondhand books but I’ve never come across a copy with hand written notes and annotations. I feel like I would love reading someone else’s thoughts and agreeing or disagreeing with them lol 😂
I've been trying to come out of a reading funk for what feels like the past two years, and this video just helped me so much! Not only is your voice extremely easy to listen to, but the way you think about notation deeply resonates with me and my (mostly lol) logical way of thinking. I just got so excited to restart my reading journey!! Looking at reading- the activity- as a conversation with the author instead of just as a fun way to pass the time and explore other worlds is so simple yet so impactful. Thanks so much for your insight! New subscriber, here! 🤩
I wish more of my secondhand books had annotations! They’re often a bit worn but with few to no notes. I feel like reading someone’s thoughts as I go would add to the experience ❤️
Something I also love to do whenever I finish a book is to write a paragraph on the first page, summarizing my thoughts and feelings about the book. While also noting down in which month and year I read it.
Your timing on this post is IMMACULATE. Thank you so much for all the info on annotating. I've been thinking recently that I want to reread Maas's Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass to once and for all come to terms with what I loved about them as a teenager so that I can capture those feelings in my own writing- as well as put into words what I hate about them as an adult. I'm definitely ready to mark up the hardcovers I've owned for years with highlighters, pens, sticky tabs, the whole shabang! I'm so glad I have this video as a guide for when I finally do that deep dive!
i was one of those people who are afraid to write on books but i’ve slowly started highlighting + writing my thoughts! this video was super helpful and i might actually try using tabs for my next read, which is good omens :-) i’ll read it for the first time (after watching the tv show) and i think keeping tabs will help me appreciate and enjoy the book a lot more 📚🖊
The art of annotation can truly enhance the reading experience, and your insights are invaluable. From highlighting key points to jotting down personal reflections, these techniques will undoubtedly help me get more out of my reading journey. Can't wait to apply these strategies to my next book!
I usually use ereaders but still love this video for books I end up buying and reading. The clear sticky notes is such a great idea and I LOVE, Tombows. Their color palette is amazing! 📚🖊
I recently watched a video of yours that had me thinking “next time she posts I have to comment asking for a video on annotation tips and supply recommendations” so this is serendipitous! Recently rediscovered your channel since I fell off with bujo content and I really love all your bookish content. Your sharpie highlighting on clear sticky note method has been a huge game changer for me in recent weeks!
Haha I love this! Serendipitous indeed ❤️ I’m so glad you’re liking the sharpie on clear sticky note trick! It’s been a huge game changer for me, as well 🥰
I am not even kidding, I literally checked *yesterday* to see if you'd made a video on annotating before! 😂 Thank you for this!!! 💖💖💖 Also, you can actually write and highlight on Post-it brand transparent sticky notes without transfer or anything! The only downside is they only make them in 3" x 3" size.
Haha I love this 😂 perfect timing! Ooh interesting! I haven’t tried the post it brand transparent sticky notes so I did not know that. That’s really cool! 3 x 3 would be too small for my purposes but maybe they’ll make a larger size in the future 🤔
15:36 this is why i prefer to annotate after reading the book in its entirety. This way I am less likely to change my mind about color coding annotations and can get an idea of how to organize a good “key”. (I like to color code with highlighters as well). Great video!
Love these tips! A key is such a helpful, simple idea. Your example with “switching keys”, specifically while reading The Martian, was cool too because what you thought would be relevant in the novel actually wasn’t - now that could be a discussion topic about whether or not it was effective or how you wish they’d done things differently. Further cementing the novel in your mind!
16:50 OMG this transparent Sticky Note are exactly what I need, because I'm not ready to write in my book (I only correct grammar or translation mistakes with an ereasable pen), but this could be my game changer. And also the idea with the key for the markers is great. Right now I don' have a system for the colours, I just go to each point after the reading, write down the page and quotes, and just mark specific important pages. And I always thougt this is weird, because no one I know do that.
Could you please do a part 2 video - ‘working with an annotated book’. There are just soooo many stickers in them, I’d really enjoy seeing how you go back into a book to use all those annotations for a particular reason. Thanks. X
Thank you so much! I struggle to retain what I read (disorganized thoughts due to schizophrenia). This is immensely helpful and less time consuming than close reading notes.
OMG, this was super helpful. Over the past few weeks I have been going around and asking bookstagammers about their annotation systems, but this was by far the most informative one. Thank you for putting this out there💜
I love the idea of using a different utensil to mark up subsequent rereads! I'm someone who obsessively dates all other kinds of things that I note down, so I don't know how I never thought of doing that for annotations!
16:04 Using one colour to highlight is a really good idea!! I use Frixion pens and highlighters so they're not permanent. But if I'm halfway through a book and suddenly change my mind about my key, that's a lot of erasing I'd rather avoid!!
Yes please for notion! I absolutely loved this. I genuinely think you changed my relationship with reading with the reminders of it being a conversation. 🖤🖤 📚
A year later and I just saw this for the first time. I want to start annotating and I have been clueless on where to begin. Watching this has been helpful, even though I'm still intimidated by the process. I look forward to attempting to annotate for the first time, so thank you Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for this video ! I've been looking for one that would give useful tips on how to annotate and shares more in depth insight and I'm so happy that you've filmed this video ! Still on level one, but willing to "upgrade" myself 📚
I’m so glad it was helpful! I felt like there wasn’t a lot of detailed information out there when I started annotating, so I knew I wanted to try to make a video that would be informative with lots and lots of examples 🥰
I am not too fond of writing in my books yet, but one thing I do love is sticky notes. One thing that is a game changer for me are these transparent tapes meant for use as highlighting in books. There are different colors and they are the perfect widths. I have them in precut which is perfect to highlight a single line with a bit to hang over to tab the page as well. I also have them in a roll to cut to whatever size I need. They also have them clear with a colored line through them to use to underline or strikethrough lines.
Ahh, just what we all needed ! I wanted to start annotate this year and here's a very thorough guide, thank you so much Elizabeth. 🥰 Now, one more thing there is to add... Please, make a read-with-me ! It'd go so well with this video. ☺
Love this video! So complete and motivating in a way...? I'm level 1 for fiction books and level 3 for non fiction, especially "technical" non fiction. I was in the "untouched sacred book-team" for a while and I discovered annotating a couple of years ago. I find it very satisfying and crucial for memory.
This whole video is mind blowing, but can we just take a minute to appreciate your gorgeous handwriting?! Just so gorgeous and a great compliment to the annotation system 😍
I use Native shampoo and really like it. Annotating is one of my reading jams. I am thankful and excited to watch your ideas of annotation. 💚💚💚📒📚📚📚 A book nerd and lifelong learner. I am a blue ink fan. I also use a fine nib fan, 0.38 or smaller. I absolutely enjoy Tombow markers or Mildliners, as they are also double nibbed.
I haven’t tried their shampoo yet! I do love their deodorant and body wash, though ❤️ fine nibs forever! Which pen is your go to? I have some mildliners as well but don’t love the colour selection as much (for my very particular taste) 😅
My friend and I we read together. We pick a book and everyday read a set amount of chapters and then discuss. I don’t read physical books right now as I don’t have space for them but I still high light the digital books and make notes. Not the same as a physical book with the look and feel but it works really well for me to help remember certain things I want to discuss about the book I’m reading and I can always go back to parts I loved too.
This was so helpful! I’m a beginner and am excited to start. Your comments about transparent sticky notes made so much sense and released some of the anxiety I had about marking up a book I may not enjoy.
What I like to do is add a blank page for visuals to my books. I take a portable pocket printer that prints out stickers I can add it onto my visual page. I usually go to Pinterest and look at ai photos of random people and if I find one I like I add it to that specific character. I even do it with places, creatures, and items sometimes.. I love to visualize every scene and marinate with it and it’s what makes the books that I read a 1000% better. Though, it does make me a slow reader too lol.
I appreciate you sharing how you amplify your reading experience so that viewers can repurpose things we already have to do things similarly and to our liking. 💌
For temporary annotating, I recently found out sticky highlighting flags exist. I found them at my local office supplies store. They're like regular transparent sticky notes but they're colored, really thin and long, and 90% of the strip is sticky. The store I went to had them in both a neon set and a pastel set
As an English major, I had to annotate all my books. I ended up learning that I prefer to use clear sticky notes the first time around. I put my tabs at the top of the page in order of most important (to me) to least important. I also use a pen/highlighter that matches the tab. Once I finish the book and all my thoughts are cemented, I will rewrite my thoughts but this time, on the page instead of on the clear sticky note. I get anxious looking at books with tabs all over the place, so this helps me be able to annotate my books, and also make them look more organized.
📚✒️🖊✏️ Great video!! I'm starting a buddy read of Crime and Punishment and I know I want to annotate like a pro! I've been wanting to get better at annotating (other than just underlining and then later forgetting why I underlined it!) So your video is SOOO very helpful! Thank you so much! I'm ordering my supplies right now!!
I'm a little behind on this upload, but I adore your take on annotating. Doing the most is fun if that's your thing, but some may find the heavier annotating process intimidating or just not for them. This is a great breakdown for those just starting out. (I also started my annotating journey with random tabs, no tab keys, and no indication of what the hell I was tabbing. The more comfortable you get with it, the more bewildered you are that you managed to live any other way!) What I really wanted to note, though, was what you said about being in conversation with the book because, wow. That is exactly how I've always felt about reading, too, and precisely what I love so much about annotating; I find it so important to engage with a work fully, to give as much as you take from it. As I always say, the work/effort is equally on the reader as it is the author (if you hope to be moved by the work in any meaningful capacity, that is). Annotating is just one vehicle for this, and brings the act of reading to where it should be: active rather than passive. Another great way to achieve this if annotating isn't your thing is to write reviews! I enjoy it anyway, but it makes a world of difference in articulating what did or didn't work for me, and why. As a side note, I love the way you mark up your books and wish I could be even a fraction as bold. For annotating, I use removable everything (commitment issues abound). Erasable highlighters, erasable pens, transparent sticky notes, and tabs are my life savers! Maybe one day I'll find the courage to scribble away at the margins with my favorite (very much permanent) pen...
Such a good way to start my weekend 🤩 Your annotations look so neat ... I love it. I have a few books I want to reread and annotate the hell out of them. In September it's Frankenstein, beause I will read it together with some colleagues. And 2024 I want to reread the Alex Verus books (one per month) from Benedict Jacka 🥰
Haha, and here I am thinking my annotations look so messy because I don’t use a ruler and my handwriting is often illegible 😂 Oo that sounds so fun! I love the idea of rereading favourites from before I started annotating and really going ham haha ❤️
I'm a minister, so level 2 is where I am at. I've been wanting to do more but certain highlighters, in previous Bibles, made things hard to read. This definitely inspired me to try other things!
I weirdly skipped straight to pro when i started annotating. I observed older people in my life writing in their books so once i hit the point in middle school we were studying books i went straight to writing in my personal copies. The only thing is i never have used tabs. I just read scribble down my thoughts and move on because that's always what i saw the smart people in my life do. It took me hitting book social media to really think about tabbing those pages and i still don't really but i occasionally flip through and tab some really important pages. I think part of the reason i have always been so ok with permanently altering my books is because all the books family has gifted me throughout my life had their thoughts and feelings in the margins and part of me wanted to leave that level of intimate connection for future generations.
I am a beginner in annotation. Until recently, I thought a book should stay immaculate but an author made me change my mind. I love the tabs you are using and will order some. I would love to see a video on how you are using Notion. 📚 Do you also read on reader? If so, I would be interested on how you use your annotation system.
📚 I make an index card key bookmark for every book or series. Sometimes I annotate, sometimes I don’t. I use a different colored highlighters and pens and include those in my key, too. I use pastel colors in my highlighters and they’re all erasable, same as my pens. I’m thinking about having copies of my index card annotation guides in a separate notebook. 📖
I can relate to this so much!! I take notes as I read. Once I realize that I want to make notes for the whole thing, I usually back up and start again so my notes cover the whole text. I particularly do this with library books that fascinate me. I need to re-read James Nestor’s Breathe, and improve my notes.
Hi Elizabeth .. Personally, I find highlighting, annotating and sticky notes sooo satisfing 😊 Also, I've recently been using a notebook to record new words and write down what I learned in the chapters I just read. BTW, loveee ❤ your dress 💃 where did you get it?
My father loved reading all his life and taught us the habit since we always had books around our house. However, he didn't record or annotate his findings as you suggest here. I can tell you are passionate about this, and I am too. I love books; they're in my blood. Knowledge is one of my core values. Thank you for making this video that takes reading and knowledge to a new level. I just ordered your recommended supplies and will start annotating as soon as I get them. Happy 4th of July!
"people being shitty" hahahahahahahah i love it 🤣(LOL me typing in a question about whether you make your key as you go and then you talk about it) about how many sets of tabs do you go through per book? About 99% of the reason why I never have a key or anything for my tabs is because I've been known to run out of specific colors, etc. which drives me nuts (I just go top to bottom through the row of tabs on the package). I do like to match my pen and highlighter to the cover colors on my book - go-to pens/highlighers are Zebra Sarasa Clip gel pens double-ended Mildliners since they usually coordinate with each other (and just one pen/highlighter color per book, I used to try having a key for different pen colors and that got really annoying because I read very fast). Or just my regular journaling pen (which takes Pilot G2 gel ink refills). My most-annotated book is probably my Norton edition of Pride and Prejudice which has been re-read with so many different pen colors (no tabs - it's the onion-skin weight paper and I'm not sure what tabs would do to the book) that it's probably 75% notes, 25% Austen's story at this point. I'll have to start re-reading a different copy now LOL (so I suppose I'm at level 3? LOL) 🖋🖊📎📑📖
Any time you see something on my key has more than one colour tab associated with it it’s because I ran out of the first colour lol it happens pretty frequently but usually I don’t have something assigned to every colour of tab so I can easily grab another one! If I really want to keep the same colour or don’t have any other colours I can use, I’ll grab another set of tabs and steal the colour I need 😂 I usually don’t run through all the tabs of more than a colour or two in a single book unless I am really heavily annotating it (usually book club pics are like this). I’ve heard good things about zebra sarasa gel pens! How long do you have to wait for them to dry? I’m too impatient for wet gel pens lol I have some mildliners but I find the colours tend to be a bit dark for my personal preference. OK, your annotated edition of pride and prejudice sounds amazing and I would love to flip through and see you all of your notes! I can’t wait to get to that point where I have re-read a certain copy multiple times and have notes from every reread ❤️ especially for my favorites!
Loved this video. I've dipped in and out of reading kicks throughout my life. Now I'm finally getting serious and aiming to read as many books as I can and finally read books I've had on my shelf for years. I want to rediscover myself through this process while improving my mental health and my brain health. Tabbing is a great way to get as much as I can from my books and find my 5 star books for this phase of my life. Thank you for making this video ❤
I don"t annotate my books bit write my thoughts or quotes in my reading journal but thanks to your video I can definitely see the bonus you get while doing it. Thanks for this video. Very interesting!
17:42 if you want something super thin that doesn't smudge, try the UNI PIN oil based markers or the Sakura Microperm Ultra Fine pens. One or both of these can be found online or in store at Michaels.
My dad was a huge bookworm and a great influence on me growing up. When he read a book, if it wasn't a library book, he read creatively, underlining passages, making notes, and often, if he loaned a book (I don't do that, lost too many) he would ask the borrower to put his or her notations in the front or without the book. Now that Dad is gone, these books are a treasure. He also doodled on his books, familiar pictures from the pad beside the telephone!
I finally understand it! I kept seeing people makes posts about them annotating their books and I wanted to try but I had no clue how to and where to even start! It makes so much sense now!
This is one of the most valuable and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched it twice now and I’m annotating my first book. It’s a doozie: Nona the Ninth. Thank you for sharing this
I'm the type that wont even allow a dot of a pen to get on the pages of my books but lately, after discovering bookstagrams and seeing the creativity and aesthetically pleasing annotations, I've been thinking of getting on that wagon. Because I read books, I love so many parts and have so many thoughts but if they're not ebooks, I cant highlight or make notes. So I decided to do research first before getting on the annotation and notes wagon and I am SUPER glad I found your video on a quick google search. You explained in detail with clear examples. I like how you pointed out that a reader can stick to just one or two colors, especially neutral ones and it will still be okay. I think I prefer that system and maybe in the future, I'll use more color. Thank you so much❤❤❤
Something I do is put a little pencil dot next to something I want to annotate, that way it doesn’t pull me out of the story, but I can also change/erase the annotation. You can go back and annotate after each chapter or at the end of the book. Hope this helps!!
I used the sharpie and transparent sticky notes and UHG so smart! I'm always afraid I'll change my mind on keeping a book years down the road, or marking up books in general, so this helped me out so so much! I used a few of the darker jewel coloured sharpies (because I love to mark up in a shade of the book cover) and those are lovely too.
17:30 you can you can use lineart pens. They have can have very small tips but you have to write slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the tip (they are made for drawing so writing with them must me done differently). I really like the winstor and newton ones.
This was so helpful! I started annotating my first physical copy of a book and all I’ve done is underline a few things, I may go back and tab it too, thank you! I’ve definitely noticed that I personally pay better attention when I know I’m highlighting
Great video I loved it. I am a reader in English, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish and until now I had not done any writing on a book when kindle came to life I was so delighted I could do many things with my readings in four languages, thanks for the tip on the gray highlighter. Cheers!
yes i love how u explained about changing the tabbing key for each book. as a big reader of modern classics, i find the best use of annotation to be keeping track of symbols and motifs that would be easy to overlook. also i’d recommend looking at quotes on the cover and the spark notes page to see what symbols and motifs will be in the book before reading!
I have always annotated my books with a pencil and I've never used sticky bookmarks, but I see what you mean. Maybe it's just the idea about books being something sacred that you don't have to scribble on. But most of the time, scribbling on things really helps to sort out important informations!
I used annotate on E-books writing entries in my phone notes. I have many favorite moments in some of my e-books and this made it feel much more possible. Writing with pen and paper and holding on a real book feels better for me as a writer and an avid reader and only now did i decided to invest into more physical copy of books than E-book. I mostly annotate to remember key moments for theorizing, major plot points and book journalling for new characters being introduced, inspirations i can pick up for my own stories and just get more engrossed in the stories. I tend to leave books unfinished sometimes due to personal stuff going on like college so going back with notes in hand for the book is super helpful.
I've been reading on a Kindle for years now, and just lately starting buying paperbacks again. I love this video so much! Thank you! It makes me want to go back and read everything and try to annotate all my e-books!!
This was really a helpful video! I'm slowly getting back into reading over the last year, and I've been wanting to annotate in my books but not leave a permanent mark. I can't wait to go back and reread some of my books and start to annotate them
I found this video SO beautiful, inspiring, and helpful. I think the phrase "life-changing" has gotten tossed around so much lately that it's sort of lost its real meaning, but it applies to this video for me. I've been a reader (and writer) all my life, my degree is in English and Creative Writing, and I always strive to read deeply, whether it's a work of fiction or nonfiction, yet I have never come across such a thoughtful, detailed way of annotating, and I love it. Recently, I've sort of taken myself back to school (via TH-cam! LOL) to learn how to take better notes--something else that was neglected in my education--and have been working up the system I want to use, but I needed something specific to annotating. This was perfect! Thank you so much for the guidance, as well as the tool recommendations. I'm excited to get started!
Just a quick note of thanks for this video! I love rereading my favorites, but had never developed an annotation style of my own. Definitely keeping this in mind. Until this, I would sometimes reread and straight up take notes in a separate notebook through the entire text. The Bullet Journal Method, for example, was a great choice for this since I didn’t own my own copy. Having a dedicated set of notes to reference has been helpful, but that technique is overkill for other sorts of books. Off to look through my Tombow brush pens for useful colors. Love it when I can combine multiple hobbies!
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& watch part two of this video (annotating ebooks) here: th-cam.com/video/z7NR55XA9jY/w-d-xo.html ✍🏻
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I’m sometimes afraid to mark up a book, but then I remind myself that I collect vintage books and I LOVE it when I find little things in books, like a newspaper clipping as a bookmark, or a dedication note from a loved one, or a star next to their favorite chapter. Hopefully 100 years in the future someone might love my highlights the same way I do for people 100 years ago now.
there are new sticky notes that serve for highlight and underline without permanently mark the book, and I found them game changer.
@@johat1219 yes! I literally just heard of these and I haven’t gotten my hands on any yet, but they sound amazing!
i love buying well used books 🫶 they have so much character and life to them
I love the enthusiasm but marking up vintage books??? Idk about that. I say do non-intrusive mark ups with those see through sticky notes
@@whiteshadow247 where did I say I was going to mark up vintage books??
I am an English teacher and I think I am going to save this video for use during my classes. I heave never heard anyone describe annotations like you have, and with such enthusiasm. I hope it’s ok if I show this to a bunch of high school English students…
Of course! I’d be absolutely honoured 🥺❤️
yeaa..
that's true
She says shitty and her notes said fuck at one time. No offense but pls be careful
It's a big thing with the bookworms now...I think it's so great.
Heave? Or have? Please forgive me.
As a writer, the idea of someone feeling something strong enough about my work that it inspires someone to note on it, and remember it is the peak of every author dream I've ever had
I would be so flattered if I wrote a book and someone took the time to annotate it! 😭❤️
Yes to notion set up!
I’ll add it to my schedule! ❤️
Yes i would love to see your notion set-up! I use it to!
And same here please! 🙌🏻🤩
Yes, please. This would be very helpful.
Another vote in favor of sharing your notion setup!
For tabs, I'd recommend trying washi tape! It's a lot cheaper for the amount you get in one roll compared to a pack of tabs. I usually just fold a small piece over the page I'm tabbing (or you can fold over a bit on one end so it's a tab that sticks out, and theres no tape on the other side of the page). only thing is it is less convenient having to cut pieces of it.
I got some page flags from the dollar tree. They’re see through but different colors and I love them.
Washi tape is genius! Ty for the tip!
oooh thank you! I might deal with the extra effort because I have too much washi and was wondering how I'd get the nice-looking tabs, this solves the problem without spending more money!!
Fantastic idea thank you
Fantastic idea! Thanks for the tip!
📚 I'm a library borrower, so no marking in books for me, but I've started keeping a dedicated reading journal (which helps me use up my hoard of notebooks)! I could adapt some of these ideas like color-coding to that instead.
THIS IS GREAT FOR US DYSLEXIC READERS WHO LIVE BY AUDIOBOOKS! I never thought to do that, thank you! ❤❤❤
I would love to try the non-damaging options for library books. I mean: imagine getting a book that has already been annotated lightly this way. I would be so down for it. I mean, my ebooks show which passages other people marked. I would love to know that for printed books as well 🙈
@@YukiSilverFox72you could be a Greek half blood
( Percy Jackson ) should definitely read it
I totally do this and color annotate my journals
another idea for non-damage notetaking: i use a fading pen thats typically used for sewing. it fades after a week, so it gives me time to finish the chapter or the whole book, and still be able to go back and document my notes!
Ever since I can remember my dad's always annotated books by scribbling on the margins and underlining words. As I grew up and read a lot of his books, I find there is something so special and meaningful in seeing what kinds of phrases he emphasized and what kind of thoughts the writing inspired in him.
I've started to do it in my own books, and I still find there is something very beautiful about the thought of doing it.
Like a different kind of taking in the book, and when you look at it with all the highlights and notes later on you can tell that it was a book well loved and well read. What use is it sitting pristine on the shelf when you can do that instead?
My friends and I are all at different levels of annotating books, so it depends on whose book we borrow, but for me personally I always encourage my friends to annotate at a level 3 when I lend out a book. What results is such a variety of color and thoughts and doodles and tabs in just one book once it goes through the friend group, and just find it wonderful!!
i love this!!
I share my books just my friends to
My suggestion for non-permanent annotations is to get book darts and index cards. Book darts are these little metal page markers that are reusable. On the index cards you can write down your thoughts, quotes, plot points, themes etc., and keep the index cards after you finish. If you like the idea of color coding then use different colors of index cards. I have an box for them and I keep the index cards for each book together either with a paperclip or binder clip. This is my go-to if it's a library book, I'm borrowing it, or if I don't want to mess up a book.
I was thinking about getting some mini notebooks for each book
The beauty of a dedicated bag and caddy just warmed my heart. This is romantising simple things of life at its peak. Definitely trying this along with your notes on annotating. Absolutely adore your aesthetic choices 💗
Aw thank you so much! 🥰❤️
I got a BA in fiction writing and did a ton of reading for my courses, and I NEVER got such a good explanation on how to read this intentionally. This was a great video. 📚❤
Thank you so much! 🥹❤️
Same here!
the transparent sticky notes & the light beige highlighter are game changers!! ✨📚
i love rereading books & adding new annotations or insights (it's such an amazing experience how differently a favorite book can touch your heart as you grow older), so i like my annotations to not be as permanent or visually busy in case i add heaps more. i also LOVE your idea to use a different color pen for rereads, i'll def be trying that!
thank you for this lovely video 💛
They seriously are! I love being able to annotate fully in a book that I might want to donate (or put into my little free library) down the road. Or in my special/vintage editons that I can’t bear to write in! Annotating in a dedicated colour each reread is so fun. I agree, how a book impacts us and how we reflect on it can change so much over the years! I’m so glad you enjoyed it ❤️❤️
I bought erasable highlighters and pens for my annotating and I have been enjoying annotating much more! I can just get rid of mistakes or messy highlights if need be :)
That's such a great idea!
I am a pro annotator. The first read is done with a .9 mechanical pencil. The next read is done with a permanent energel pen. Occassionally when I want to use a quote in a book study group, I'll use a postanote.
Wanted to say: as someone who is VERY scared of actually committing, THANK YOU. Level 1 tips really resonated with me, and assigning tabs WITHOUT having to accompany assigned tabs with notes really helps to make it less intimidating. I also liked your take about 1 specific color and highlighter, and these tips helped me think of new ways to be comfortable with annotating because I'm very scared of regretting my annotations. This was so helpful!
I’m so happy these ideas helped you! I hope you enjoy getting into annotating with no pressure ❤️
I have always wanted to annotate in my book collection, but I've been too afraid of damaging/devaluing the books I treasure. Watching this made me totally rethink that mindset - I'm gonna just pick a book and try to get myself from level 1 to level 2 📖✨
Aw I love this! I hope you enjoy making a book your own ❤️
They sell see through sticky notes if you want it to be semi permanent
Can these tabs be reused?
I am a dark academia girl🕯 and I love a lot to read and annotate books (especially classics 📖). But I've been too afraid to write in my books because they would get damaged and also they are the most valuable things I have. But your books aren't damaged as I thought. This video was very very important and thanks to you, I'm not afarid about annotating anymore...😊 Thank you soo much.❤
Use transparent sticky notes and you won’t ruin your books🙂
@witchypoo13 ☺🤗
Love, love, LOVE this video! 📖🖊️ Even though people aren’t supposed to annotate in them, I’ve always loved reading a library book and finding underlined passages and notes written in the margins. It always feels special, like you said. One of a kind. No other book has what this copy has. And I’ve enjoyed experiencing the thoughts and opinions of other readers. Complete strangers whose identity I don’t, nor will ever, know, but we’re connected in this one way, through this one book. And a lot of the times the annotations are funny or insightful. They’re a pleasurable addition to my reading experience. But I’m a weirdo like that 😆. Most people wouldn’t be as psyched to read a marked up book.
The way you choose to annotate really speaks to me. Just something about your approach clicks and makes so much sense to my brain! Yes! This is it! I’d love to hear more of your tag categories in your monthly book reviews. It’s so much fun to see what others chose to track in the same books. Maybe I’m alone in this but that is my kind of fun! Thanks again for sharing so much. I thoroughly enjoy your videos.
One of my favorite parts about reading on my Kindle is that you can see little underlines on quotes or sections where A LOT of people annotate - and it like gives it more impact. I don't personally stop to highlight any sections myself because it would be too hard to find in the future since my books aren't physical, BUT ALAS. And even though I don't read physical books anymore, preferring to reduce the clutter by going digital, I still watched the whole video. ❤
I don’t read ebooks much, and when I do it’s usually through Libby (library app) but when I read in the kindle app I LOVE that feature! Thanks for watching the whole thing ❤️ I appreciate you!
I read ebooks mostly (kindle/cloudlibrary) for similar reasons. This video inspired me to write my own notes on passages that are highlighted and it's a game changer!)
Same! Quick idea as you said you find it hard to find the quotes in the future - if you have a goodreads, then you can connect to your kindle account and your goodreads will summarise all of your highlights and notes from the kindle books you’ve read automatically. You can also see more of the popular highlights on goodreads :)
With the Kindle, you can look up all your highlighted areas and notes for a book and even print them out on your computer
I only tab books i'm reading for work (studies, self studies or the classes i teach), and i usually prefer taking notes on a separate slip of paper i use as a bookmark. It helps me having all my comments at the same place with a color code for the tabs (usually quotes, info to research and style analysis)
That’s a great method, too! I definitely appreciate having most of my notes in one place in Notion. Sometimes if I want a note I wrote in the book to be in my Notion without having to rewrite it I’ll just take a screenshot and insert it into the book page!
I’m a traditional reader (no crack the spine, no writing..) but the beige marker is totally something I could do!
Love the video ❤
Not hyperbolizing when I say your clear sticky note tip has changed my life. I read a lot of library books that idk if I want to own a copy yet so I don’t annotate. I would make notes in my reading journal, but I don’t really like that. Clear sticky notes is BRILLIANT. And will make it so easy to copy my annotations if I do buy the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The book caddy is genius!! And respect for the lovely stationary choices. I am a big stationary nerd and nothing makes me happier than books and pens 😊
you don't understand HOW much i NEED to see that notion set up 🥺
Haha ok, I’ll get working on a video!
I love the idea of annotating this way, and sometimes I do annotate in a very complex way, but it's definitely not an all the time thing for me. Annotating can feel like a chore sometimes, so I only choose to do it when books make me feel a particular way or really make me want to analyse it or remember things for later.
When I was in college I was an avid tabber while reading, especially if I was reading a book for class (though I've never been big on writing in books, mostly bc my handwriting is often illegible even to myself). I kinda fell out of the habit after graduating, but have been itching to get back to it for the past few months. I was reading The Jakarta Method and found myself dog-earing an astonishing number of pages to come back to later
I also really love buying books secondhand and seeing what annotations other people have added. My copy of Dracula has someone else's notes in it, and it made the book really fun to read bc I ended up disagreeing with some of the analysis the previous book owner had added and wrote my own annotations refuting the old ones
That sounds amazing! I buy so many secondhand books but I’ve never come across a copy with hand written notes and annotations. I feel like I would love reading someone else’s thoughts and agreeing or disagreeing with them lol 😂
I've been trying to come out of a reading funk for what feels like the past two years, and this video just helped me so much! Not only is your voice extremely easy to listen to, but the way you think about notation deeply resonates with me and my (mostly lol) logical way of thinking. I just got so excited to restart my reading journey!! Looking at reading- the activity- as a conversation with the author instead of just as a fun way to pass the time and explore other worlds is so simple yet so impactful. Thanks so much for your insight! New subscriber, here! 🤩
Aw thank you! I’m so glad this video and its message resonated with you ❤️ I hope you’ll be able to rejuvenate your passion for reading! 🥰
I love this. I have no issue wringing in my books. I love buying used books and reading what people have written in them, too. 📖✍🏻🖊️
I wish more of my secondhand books had annotations! They’re often a bit worn but with few to no notes. I feel like reading someone’s thoughts as I go would add to the experience ❤️
Something I also love to do whenever I finish a book is to write a paragraph on the first page, summarizing my thoughts and feelings about the book. While also noting down in which month and year I read it.
I loved what you said about the books being put into this world to be used, to be seeing, read and annotated.
Your timing on this post is IMMACULATE. Thank you so much for all the info on annotating. I've been thinking recently that I want to reread Maas's Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass to once and for all come to terms with what I loved about them as a teenager so that I can capture those feelings in my own writing- as well as put into words what I hate about them as an adult. I'm definitely ready to mark up the hardcovers I've owned for years with highlighters, pens, sticky tabs, the whole shabang! I'm so glad I have this video as a guide for when I finally do that deep dive!
i was one of those people who are afraid to write on books but i’ve slowly started highlighting + writing my thoughts! this video was super helpful and i might actually try using tabs for my next read, which is good omens :-) i’ll read it for the first time (after watching the tv show) and i think keeping tabs will help me appreciate and enjoy the book a lot more 📚🖊
The art of annotation can truly enhance the reading experience, and your insights are invaluable. From highlighting key points to jotting down personal reflections, these techniques will undoubtedly help me get more out of my reading journey. Can't wait to apply these strategies to my next book!
I’m so glad it was helpful! ❤️
I usually use ereaders but still love this video for books I end up buying and reading. The clear sticky notes is such a great idea and I LOVE, Tombows. Their color palette is amazing! 📚🖊
I have never annotated a 📖. I've been interested in it but had no idea where, or how, to start. Thanks for this video.
Your videos are so wonderfully put together. They are cosy, professional, and incredibly relevant!
I recently watched a video of yours that had me thinking “next time she posts I have to comment asking for a video on annotation tips and supply recommendations” so this is serendipitous! Recently rediscovered your channel since I fell off with bujo content and I really love all your bookish content.
Your sharpie highlighting on clear sticky note method has been a huge game changer for me in recent weeks!
Haha I love this! Serendipitous indeed ❤️ I’m so glad you’re liking the sharpie on clear sticky note trick! It’s been a huge game changer for me, as well 🥰
I am not even kidding, I literally checked *yesterday* to see if you'd made a video on annotating before! 😂 Thank you for this!!! 💖💖💖
Also, you can actually write and highlight on Post-it brand transparent sticky notes without transfer or anything! The only downside is they only make them in 3" x 3" size.
Haha I love this 😂 perfect timing!
Ooh interesting! I haven’t tried the post it brand transparent sticky notes so I did not know that. That’s really cool! 3 x 3 would be too small for my purposes but maybe they’ll make a larger size in the future 🤔
15:36 this is why i prefer to annotate after reading the book in its entirety. This way I am less likely to change my mind about color coding annotations and can get an idea of how to organize a good “key”. (I like to color code with highlighters as well). Great video!
Love these tips! A key is such a helpful, simple idea. Your example with “switching keys”, specifically while reading The Martian, was cool too because what you thought would be relevant in the novel actually wasn’t - now that could be a discussion topic about whether or not it was effective or how you wish they’d done things differently. Further cementing the novel in your mind!
16:50 OMG this transparent Sticky Note are exactly what I need, because I'm not ready to write in my book (I only correct grammar or translation mistakes with an ereasable pen), but this could be my game changer. And also the idea with the key for the markers is great. Right now I don' have a system for the colours, I just go to each point after the reading, write down the page and quotes, and just mark specific important pages. And I always thougt this is weird, because no one I know do that.
Could you please do a part 2 video - ‘working with an annotated book’. There are just soooo many stickers in them, I’d really enjoy seeing how you go back into a book to use all those annotations for a particular reason. Thanks. X
Thank you so much! I struggle to retain what I read (disorganized thoughts due to schizophrenia). This is immensely helpful and less time consuming than close reading notes.
OMG, this was super helpful. Over the past few weeks I have been going around and asking bookstagammers about their annotation systems, but this was by far the most informative one. Thank you for putting this out there💜
Oh I’m so glad it was helpful! Happy annotating 🥰
I love the idea of using a different utensil to mark up subsequent rereads! I'm someone who obsessively dates all other kinds of things that I note down, so I don't know how I never thought of doing that for annotations!
High school really ruined annotating books for me, but I think I might start doing it again after watching this. Thanks for inspiring me! 📖
16:04 Using one colour to highlight is a really good idea!! I use Frixion pens and highlighters so they're not permanent. But if I'm halfway through a book and suddenly change my mind about my key, that's a lot of erasing I'd rather avoid!!
Yes please for notion! I absolutely loved this. I genuinely think you changed my relationship with reading with the reminders of it being a conversation. 🖤🖤 📚
Aw thank you 🥺 I’m honestly honoured! ❤️❤️
A year later and I just saw this for the first time. I want to start annotating and I have been clueless on where to begin. Watching this has been helpful, even though I'm still intimidated by the process. I look forward to attempting to annotate for the first time, so thank you Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for this video ! I've been looking for one that would give useful tips on how to annotate and shares more in depth insight and I'm so happy that you've filmed this video ! Still on level one, but willing to "upgrade" myself 📚
I’m so glad it was helpful! I felt like there wasn’t a lot of detailed information out there when I started annotating, so I knew I wanted to try to make a video that would be informative with lots and lots of examples 🥰
I am not too fond of writing in my books yet, but one thing I do love is sticky notes. One thing that is a game changer for me are these transparent tapes meant for use as highlighting in books. There are different colors and they are the perfect widths. I have them in precut which is perfect to highlight a single line with a bit to hang over to tab the page as well. I also have them in a roll to cut to whatever size I need. They also have them clear with a colored line through them to use to underline or strikethrough lines.
Ahh, just what we all needed ! I wanted to start annotate this year and here's a very thorough guide, thank you so much Elizabeth. 🥰
Now, one more thing there is to add... Please, make a read-with-me ! It'd go so well with this video. ☺
I do love the way in which you're talking, it's sweent, understandable and relaxing for some reason.
Love this video! So complete and motivating in a way...? I'm level 1 for fiction books and level 3 for non fiction, especially "technical" non fiction. I was in the "untouched sacred book-team" for a while and I discovered annotating a couple of years ago. I find it very satisfying and crucial for memory.
This whole video is mind blowing, but can we just take a minute to appreciate your gorgeous handwriting?! Just so gorgeous and a great compliment to the annotation system 😍
Aw thank you 🥰
I use Native shampoo and really like it. Annotating is one of my reading jams. I am thankful and excited to watch your ideas of annotation. 💚💚💚📒📚📚📚 A book nerd and lifelong learner. I am a blue ink fan. I also use a fine nib fan, 0.38 or smaller. I absolutely enjoy Tombow markers or Mildliners, as they are also double nibbed.
I haven’t tried their shampoo yet! I do love their deodorant and body wash, though ❤️ fine nibs forever! Which pen is your go to? I have some mildliners as well but don’t love the colour selection as much (for my very particular taste) 😅
@@PlantBasedBride my favorite go to pens are uni-ball signo DX. They are a 0.38 nib. I really enjoy the color selection.💚💚💚
My friend and I we read together. We pick a book and everyday read a set amount of chapters and then discuss. I don’t read physical books right now as I don’t have space for them but I still high light the digital books and make notes. Not the same as a physical book with the look and feel but it works really well for me to help remember certain things I want to discuss about the book I’m reading and I can always go back to parts I loved too.
I wish I came across this video before I completely annihilated my books.
This was so helpful! I’m a beginner and am excited to start. Your comments about transparent sticky notes made so much sense and released some of the anxiety I had about marking up a book I may not enjoy.
What I like to do is add a blank page for visuals to my books. I take a portable pocket printer that prints out stickers I can add it onto my visual page. I usually go to Pinterest and look at ai photos of random people and if I find one I like I add it to that specific character. I even do it with places, creatures, and items sometimes.. I love to visualize every scene and marinate with it and it’s what makes the books that I read a 1000% better. Though, it does make me a slow reader too lol.
I appreciate you sharing how you amplify your reading experience so that viewers can repurpose things we already have to do things similarly and to our liking. 💌
For temporary annotating, I recently found out sticky highlighting flags exist. I found them at my local office supplies store. They're like regular transparent sticky notes but they're colored, really thin and long, and 90% of the strip is sticky. The store I went to had them in both a neon set and a pastel set
As an English major, I had to annotate all my books. I ended up learning that I prefer to use clear sticky notes the first time around. I put my tabs at the top of the page in order of most important (to me) to least important. I also use a pen/highlighter that matches the tab. Once I finish the book and all my thoughts are cemented, I will rewrite my thoughts but this time, on the page instead of on the clear sticky note. I get anxious looking at books with tabs all over the place, so this helps me be able to annotate my books, and also make them look more organized.
📚✒️🖊✏️ Great video!! I'm starting a buddy read of Crime and Punishment and I know I want to annotate like a pro! I've been wanting to get better at annotating (other than just underlining and then later forgetting why I underlined it!) So your video is SOOO very helpful! Thank you so much! I'm ordering my supplies right now!!
I have been in a book slump and you have just completely inspired me. I can’t wait to fall back in love with reading 🥰
Finally, something more clearer for my level as a beginner of annotating. Thank you for this.❤
You are so welcome! ❤️❤️
I'm a little behind on this upload, but I adore your take on annotating. Doing the most is fun if that's your thing, but some may find the heavier annotating process intimidating or just not for them. This is a great breakdown for those just starting out. (I also started my annotating journey with random tabs, no tab keys, and no indication of what the hell I was tabbing. The more comfortable you get with it, the more bewildered you are that you managed to live any other way!)
What I really wanted to note, though, was what you said about being in conversation with the book because, wow. That is exactly how I've always felt about reading, too, and precisely what I love so much about annotating; I find it so important to engage with a work fully, to give as much as you take from it. As I always say, the work/effort is equally on the reader as it is the author (if you hope to be moved by the work in any meaningful capacity, that is). Annotating is just one vehicle for this, and brings the act of reading to where it should be: active rather than passive. Another great way to achieve this if annotating isn't your thing is to write reviews! I enjoy it anyway, but it makes a world of difference in articulating what did or didn't work for me, and why.
As a side note, I love the way you mark up your books and wish I could be even a fraction as bold. For annotating, I use removable everything (commitment issues abound). Erasable highlighters, erasable pens, transparent sticky notes, and tabs are my life savers! Maybe one day I'll find the courage to scribble away at the margins with my favorite (very much permanent) pen...
Such a good way to start my weekend 🤩 Your annotations look so neat ... I love it.
I have a few books I want to reread and annotate the hell out of them. In September it's Frankenstein, beause I will read it together with some colleagues. And 2024 I want to reread the Alex Verus books (one per month) from Benedict Jacka 🥰
Haha, and here I am thinking my annotations look so messy because I don’t use a ruler and my handwriting is often illegible 😂 Oo that sounds so fun! I love the idea of rereading favourites from before I started annotating and really going ham haha ❤️
I'm a minister, so level 2 is where I am at. I've been wanting to do more but certain highlighters, in previous Bibles, made things hard to read. This definitely inspired me to try other things!
For those who don't want to write in your book, there are skinny, long tabs tonuse to highlight. Thanks for your thoughts on this ❤
I weirdly skipped straight to pro when i started annotating. I observed older people in my life writing in their books so once i hit the point in middle school we were studying books i went straight to writing in my personal copies. The only thing is i never have used tabs. I just read scribble down my thoughts and move on because that's always what i saw the smart people in my life do. It took me hitting book social media to really think about tabbing those pages and i still don't really but i occasionally flip through and tab some really important pages. I think part of the reason i have always been so ok with permanently altering my books is because all the books family has gifted me throughout my life had their thoughts and feelings in the margins and part of me wanted to leave that level of intimate connection for future generations.
I am a beginner in annotation. Until recently, I thought a book should stay immaculate but an author made me change my mind. I love the tabs you are using and will order some. I would love to see a video on how you are using Notion. 📚 Do you also read on reader? If so, I would be interested on how you use your annotation system.
A lot of people have been asking about ebook and audiobooks so I might need to make a part two! I’ll definitely share my Notion set up, too ❤️
@@PlantBasedBrideI would love to see how you annotate ebooks as well since I typically borrow these from the library! Great video 😊
📚 I make an index card key bookmark for every book or series. Sometimes I annotate, sometimes I don’t. I use a different colored highlighters and pens and include those in my key, too.
I use pastel colors in my highlighters and they’re all erasable, same as my pens. I’m thinking about having copies of my index card annotation guides in a separate notebook. 📖
I can relate to this so much!! I take notes as I read. Once I realize that I want to make notes for the whole thing, I usually back up and start again so my notes cover the whole text. I particularly do this with library books that fascinate me. I need to re-read James Nestor’s Breathe, and improve my notes.
Hi Elizabeth .. Personally, I find highlighting, annotating and sticky notes sooo satisfing 😊 Also, I've recently been using a notebook to record new words and write down what I learned in the chapters I just read. BTW, loveee ❤ your dress 💃 where did you get it?
My father loved reading all his life and taught us the habit since we always had books around our house. However, he didn't record or annotate his findings as you suggest here. I can tell you are passionate about this, and I am too. I love books; they're in my blood. Knowledge is one of my core values. Thank you for making this video that takes reading and knowledge to a new level. I just ordered your recommended supplies and will start annotating as soon as I get them. Happy 4th of July!
gurllll you are so pretty
Hearing you talk is so calming. I absolutely loved your tips and recommendations for beginners. Hoping for more amazing videos. 💚
"people being shitty" hahahahahahahah i love it 🤣(LOL me typing in a question about whether you make your key as you go and then you talk about it) about how many sets of tabs do you go through per book? About 99% of the reason why I never have a key or anything for my tabs is because I've been known to run out of specific colors, etc. which drives me nuts (I just go top to bottom through the row of tabs on the package). I do like to match my pen and highlighter to the cover colors on my book - go-to pens/highlighers are Zebra Sarasa Clip gel pens double-ended Mildliners since they usually coordinate with each other (and just one pen/highlighter color per book, I used to try having a key for different pen colors and that got really annoying because I read very fast). Or just my regular journaling pen (which takes Pilot G2 gel ink refills). My most-annotated book is probably my Norton edition of Pride and Prejudice which has been re-read with so many different pen colors (no tabs - it's the onion-skin weight paper and I'm not sure what tabs would do to the book) that it's probably 75% notes, 25% Austen's story at this point. I'll have to start re-reading a different copy now LOL (so I suppose I'm at level 3? LOL) 🖋🖊📎📑📖
Any time you see something on my key has more than one colour tab associated with it it’s because I ran out of the first colour lol it happens pretty frequently but usually I don’t have something assigned to every colour of tab so I can easily grab another one! If I really want to keep the same colour or don’t have any other colours I can use, I’ll grab another set of tabs and steal the colour I need 😂 I usually don’t run through all the tabs of more than a colour or two in a single book unless I am really heavily annotating it (usually book club pics are like this).
I’ve heard good things about zebra sarasa gel pens! How long do you have to wait for them to dry? I’m too impatient for wet gel pens lol I have some mildliners but I find the colours tend to be a bit dark for my personal preference.
OK, your annotated edition of pride and prejudice sounds amazing and I would love to flip through and see you all of your notes! I can’t wait to get to that point where I have re-read a certain copy multiple times and have notes from every reread ❤️ especially for my favorites!
Loved this video. I've dipped in and out of reading kicks throughout my life. Now I'm finally getting serious and aiming to read as many books as I can and finally read books I've had on my shelf for years. I want to rediscover myself through this process while improving my mental health and my brain health. Tabbing is a great way to get as much as I can from my books and find my 5 star books for this phase of my life. Thank you for making this video ❤
I don"t annotate my books bit write my thoughts or quotes in my reading journal but thanks to your video I can definitely see the bonus you get while doing it. Thanks for this video. Very interesting!
17:42 if you want something super thin that doesn't smudge, try the UNI PIN oil based markers or the Sakura Microperm Ultra Fine pens. One or both of these can be found online or in store at Michaels.
My dad was a huge bookworm and a great influence on me growing up. When he read a book, if it wasn't a library book, he read creatively, underlining passages, making notes, and often, if he loaned a book (I don't do that, lost too many) he would ask the borrower to put his or her notations in the front or without the book. Now that Dad is gone, these books are a treasure. He also doodled on his books, familiar pictures from the pad beside the telephone!
I finally understand it! I kept seeing people makes posts about them annotating their books and I wanted to try but I had no clue how to and where to even start! It makes so much sense now!
This is one of the most valuable and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched it twice now and I’m annotating my first book. It’s a doozie: Nona the Ninth. Thank you for sharing this
I'm the type that wont even allow a dot of a pen to get on the pages of my books but lately, after discovering bookstagrams and seeing the creativity and aesthetically pleasing annotations, I've been thinking of getting on that wagon. Because I read books, I love so many parts and have so many thoughts but if they're not ebooks, I cant highlight or make notes. So I decided to do research first before getting on the annotation and notes wagon and I am SUPER glad I found your video on a quick google search. You explained in detail with clear examples. I like how you pointed out that a reader can stick to just one or two colors, especially neutral ones and it will still be okay. I think I prefer that system and maybe in the future, I'll use more color. Thank you so much❤❤❤
Every time I try to annotate, I get annoyed with the stop and go of my reading flow. I don’t like pulling myself out of the story.
Read the book through smoothly first, then go back and highlight it? No one said you couldn't just read it though first
Something I do is put a little pencil dot next to something I want to annotate, that way it doesn’t pull me out of the story, but I can also change/erase the annotation. You can go back and annotate after each chapter or at the end of the book. Hope this helps!!
I used the sharpie and transparent sticky notes and UHG so smart! I'm always afraid I'll change my mind on keeping a book years down the road, or marking up books in general, so this helped me out so so much! I used a few of the darker jewel coloured sharpies (because I love to mark up in a shade of the book cover) and those are lovely too.
17:30 you can you can use lineart pens. They have can have very small tips but you have to write slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the tip (they are made for drawing so writing with them must me done differently). I really like the winstor and newton ones.
This was so helpful! I started annotating my first physical copy of a book and all I’ve done is underline a few things, I may go back and tab it too, thank you!
I’ve definitely noticed that I personally pay better attention when I know I’m highlighting
Great video I loved it.
I am a reader in English, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish and until now I had not done any writing on a book when kindle came to life I was so delighted I could do many things with my readings in four languages, thanks for the tip on the gray highlighter. Cheers!
yes i love how u explained about changing the tabbing key for each book. as a big reader of modern classics, i find the best use of annotation to be keeping track of symbols and motifs that would be easy to overlook.
also i’d recommend looking at quotes on the cover and the spark notes page to see what symbols and motifs will be in the book before reading!
I have always annotated my books with a pencil and I've never used sticky bookmarks, but I see what you mean. Maybe it's just the idea about books being something sacred that you don't have to scribble on.
But most of the time, scribbling on things really helps to sort out important informations!
I used annotate on E-books writing entries in my phone notes. I have many favorite moments in some of my e-books and this made it feel much more possible. Writing with pen and paper and holding on a real book feels better for me as a writer and an avid reader and only now did i decided to invest into more physical copy of books than E-book.
I mostly annotate to remember key moments for theorizing, major plot points and book journalling for new characters being introduced, inspirations i can pick up for my own stories and just get more engrossed in the stories.
I tend to leave books unfinished sometimes due to personal stuff going on like college so going back with notes in hand for the book is super helpful.
I've been reading on a Kindle for years now, and just lately starting buying paperbacks again. I love this video so much! Thank you! It makes me want to go back and read everything and try to annotate all my e-books!!
This was really a helpful video! I'm slowly getting back into reading over the last year, and I've been wanting to annotate in my books but not leave a permanent mark. I can't wait to go back and reread some of my books and start to annotate them
I found this video SO beautiful, inspiring, and helpful. I think the phrase "life-changing" has gotten tossed around so much lately that it's sort of lost its real meaning, but it applies to this video for me. I've been a reader (and writer) all my life, my degree is in English and Creative Writing, and I always strive to read deeply, whether it's a work of fiction or nonfiction, yet I have never come across such a thoughtful, detailed way of annotating, and I love it. Recently, I've sort of taken myself back to school (via TH-cam! LOL) to learn how to take better notes--something else that was neglected in my education--and have been working up the system I want to use, but I needed something specific to annotating. This was perfect! Thank you so much for the guidance, as well as the tool recommendations. I'm excited to get started!
Oh wow, thank you! It means so much to me that this video is resonating with people ❤️
Just a quick note of thanks for this video! I love rereading my favorites, but had never developed an annotation style of my own. Definitely keeping this in mind. Until this, I would sometimes reread and straight up take notes in a separate notebook through the entire text. The Bullet Journal Method, for example, was a great choice for this since I didn’t own my own copy. Having a dedicated set of notes to reference has been helpful, but that technique is overkill for other sorts of books. Off to look through my Tombow brush pens for useful colors. Love it when I can combine multiple hobbies!