Such great tips for library books. We often have a 'note' set up in our phones, but you're right, the distractions are too many! Going to incorporate the large sticky notes into our routine
I'm glad you found this helpful! The phone can be so helpful but yes, so distracting. It's nice to put it away sometimes and get well and truly immersed in a book! (You've also reminded me to add more large sticky notes to my shopping list - I am running dangerously low! :-))
How do you tab books? What are their purpose? I'm trying to start tabbing my books and I don't know how to do it lol. Also, what is difference between tabbing and highlighting? Doesn't tabbing contradict highlighting?
Great questions, Andrew! I realized after posting this article that I didn't get into much detail about what this all actually looks like *inside* my books, so I wrote a part 2 that may answer your questions - I'll include the link here: https://readingandpurpose.substack.com/p/how-i-annotate-my-books-part-2
I hope this helps! And if you have further questions, feel free to leave another comment. Happy annotating!
This post makes my heart so happy. I love highlighting, sticky notes, those colourful tabs, and all of the above. I keep a journal where I write in quotes from books I read. I love the bookmark option on Audible and Libby, but I need to start writing those quotes down as well. 😊
Oh, I love to hear that this made your heart happy! It's so fun to chat about things that light us up. I bet your journal of quotes from books you've read is a delight to flip through from time to time. I'm often surprised how quickly that can take me back to the reading experience itself!
Love this deep-dive! I think I need to start a study book - right now I use the journal function on Storygraph but I like the idea of having one, physical spot.
I'm glad the article spoke to you, Heather - thanks for commenting! I like the study book for that very reason, as well as the way writing my notes helps me remember things. I hope it serves you well if you decide to start one!
Thanks for giving us a peak into the organization of your mind!
I do a combination of Kindle highlights/notes for ebooks and pictures saved in Notion for paper books. Last year I participated in an online reading group and Notion also worked really well for screenshotting some of the more insightful/witty observations from the community. Then, every couple of weeks, I'll copy my highlights/notes, pictures, and screenshots to a OneNote page for each book. Most books have one or the other (eg, Kindle highlights), though a few have combos (eg, highlights plus screenshots). I do this for all types of books, including those where I found certain pieces fascinating, but not enough to finish the whole book. I see no shame in being a book-abandoner when I need to be, but also don't want to lose the referenceability to something that at one point caught my eye.
I dig the searchability function of OneNote, plus ability to pull something up with the phone app on a whim. And every 6 months to a year, I'll print out all my book notes and put them in a pretty binder with an index to be part of my annual journal of events.
I've been refining this system over the last 3+ years and am overall pleased with it. But I'm noticing a gap in thus far not taking the time to digest my own thoughts about a passage - this idea of a sticky note on the inside cover is intriguing. Something a bit less organized and a bit more vulnerable. And right now I'm reading a paper book completely outside of my usual comfort zone that's requiring much more underlining and notes in the margin to keep track of what's happening. Looks like it's time for another round of evolution!
My pleasure, Michelle, and thank you for the glimpse into your process as well! This is so fascinating, and I love that you have found a combination of systems and tools that work for you. It sounds like a really robust way of capturing your reading. Awesome!
I appreciate your point about being able to reference elements from books that you decide not to finish, too. I think learning to put down a book that's not working for me has really helped improve my overall reading experience over the years (it took a while to learn to do that!), and that's so true about still being able to reference parts of it that *did* stand out. Thank you for pointing that out!
I'm so intrigued by your binder and annual journal of events, too! Ahhh, there's just so much fun to be had in this wonderful world of reading, learning, and growing! Thank you again for sharing your experience.
These tips are wonderful! I definitely learned some new ideas, such as putting a chunk of sticky notes right inside the cover. I love Mildliners and page tabs (TBH, I have a robust addiction to stationery and writing implements.) Thank you for the ‘tab and update’ at the end of the reading session explanation! I have the tendency to want to stop and do it right then, but your method makes so much more sense and identified what I sometimes get aggravated by when trying to read AND annotate. Also Zeyar Cream Colors highlighters from Amazon are gorgeously muted and they also come in dual tip.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Jenna - I'm glad that explanation about the 'timing' of my annotating helped. Sometimes it's just one little change that can make such a difference! Getting lost in a book - whether fiction or nonfiction - is one of my favorite feelings, so I'm always looking for ways to increase the chances for that. And thank you for the tip on Zeyar Cream Colors - how have I never heard of these?! I am checking them out next!
I love these tips! I do some of these but this year I am trying to do more borrowing from the library. Glad you included tips for library books! Thanks
I'm happy you found some helpful ideas here, Ryan - thank you for letting me know! I adore my local library and am glad to hear you're utilizing yours, too. There's something so satisfying about trying out a book from the library, discovering you want to highlight or make all kinds of notes in it, then purchasing a copy to do just that!
I read mostly physical and audio books, though every so often I'll read on an e-reader or via my phone. I find I follow similar annotating principles (albeit with some different tools!). Have you found any tips or tricks when annotating on your e-reader?
I'm not as consistent as you are. The Boox, Kindle, and Kobo that I have had/still use have/had different abilities for adding notes. My favorite was one of the original Kindles that is no longer supported. It's probably because that is the measure all others have to live up to. My Boox is precious to me now, though. I do like real books for the most part, though I am reading more on my e-reader.
I annotate epub files for the most part, though some PDF files have character recognition and allow fancy notes.
The most common annotation for me is to dogear the pages electronically. I'm no academic so I rarely have to synthesize the notes later.
When I listen, I can do nonfiction at 1.2 to 2.0 speed; I stop the recording and make notes to myself in Signal. Fiction is always 1.0 speed, and I rarely stop for note-taking or sleep, for that matter. That happens more often than I would like.
Besides the lower price, indexing and an on-screen dictionary are my two favorite abilities on an e-reader. I am on my 5th e-reader and have lost many notes/books to a system lockup/failure. That hurts. I am now cautious about backing up my library.
I will codify precisely what I do and post back here. I am going to start by integrating your ideas. Thanks for this post! Maybe next year I will come back and give you a better answer.
It sounds like you have some excellent systems in place, Tim - that's awesome! I always love learning what works/doesn't work for people when it comes to reading, and I appreciate your description here.
Although I read a lot via a screen (articles, blogs, etc), when it comes to books I still tend to veer toward physical and audio over the e-reader. But, I didn't get into audiobooks until just a few years ago, so who knows where my reading future will take me! You make some great points about the e-reader here - and I'm sure I'd make good use of the on-screen dictionary.
Thank you for sharing your experience - and also for your kind words about my Substack. I really appreciate it and am glad you're here!
I appreciate your approach, especially how you use a study guide. I read most of my books on an ereader now, borrowed from the library. (I loved purchasing books but was spending a lot of money and am trying to live with fewer tangible things.) I highlight passages but find that pretty insufficient, will have to find better techniques for annotating digital copies.
Such great tips for library books. We often have a 'note' set up in our phones, but you're right, the distractions are too many! Going to incorporate the large sticky notes into our routine
I'm glad you found this helpful! The phone can be so helpful but yes, so distracting. It's nice to put it away sometimes and get well and truly immersed in a book! (You've also reminded me to add more large sticky notes to my shopping list - I am running dangerously low! :-))
How do you tab books? What are their purpose? I'm trying to start tabbing my books and I don't know how to do it lol. Also, what is difference between tabbing and highlighting? Doesn't tabbing contradict highlighting?
Great questions, Andrew! I realized after posting this article that I didn't get into much detail about what this all actually looks like *inside* my books, so I wrote a part 2 that may answer your questions - I'll include the link here: https://readingandpurpose.substack.com/p/how-i-annotate-my-books-part-2
I hope this helps! And if you have further questions, feel free to leave another comment. Happy annotating!
This post makes my heart so happy. I love highlighting, sticky notes, those colourful tabs, and all of the above. I keep a journal where I write in quotes from books I read. I love the bookmark option on Audible and Libby, but I need to start writing those quotes down as well. 😊
Oh, I love to hear that this made your heart happy! It's so fun to chat about things that light us up. I bet your journal of quotes from books you've read is a delight to flip through from time to time. I'm often surprised how quickly that can take me back to the reading experience itself!
Love this deep-dive! I think I need to start a study book - right now I use the journal function on Storygraph but I like the idea of having one, physical spot.
I'm glad the article spoke to you, Heather - thanks for commenting! I like the study book for that very reason, as well as the way writing my notes helps me remember things. I hope it serves you well if you decide to start one!
Thanks for giving us a peak into the organization of your mind!
I do a combination of Kindle highlights/notes for ebooks and pictures saved in Notion for paper books. Last year I participated in an online reading group and Notion also worked really well for screenshotting some of the more insightful/witty observations from the community. Then, every couple of weeks, I'll copy my highlights/notes, pictures, and screenshots to a OneNote page for each book. Most books have one or the other (eg, Kindle highlights), though a few have combos (eg, highlights plus screenshots). I do this for all types of books, including those where I found certain pieces fascinating, but not enough to finish the whole book. I see no shame in being a book-abandoner when I need to be, but also don't want to lose the referenceability to something that at one point caught my eye.
I dig the searchability function of OneNote, plus ability to pull something up with the phone app on a whim. And every 6 months to a year, I'll print out all my book notes and put them in a pretty binder with an index to be part of my annual journal of events.
I've been refining this system over the last 3+ years and am overall pleased with it. But I'm noticing a gap in thus far not taking the time to digest my own thoughts about a passage - this idea of a sticky note on the inside cover is intriguing. Something a bit less organized and a bit more vulnerable. And right now I'm reading a paper book completely outside of my usual comfort zone that's requiring much more underlining and notes in the margin to keep track of what's happening. Looks like it's time for another round of evolution!
My pleasure, Michelle, and thank you for the glimpse into your process as well! This is so fascinating, and I love that you have found a combination of systems and tools that work for you. It sounds like a really robust way of capturing your reading. Awesome!
I appreciate your point about being able to reference elements from books that you decide not to finish, too. I think learning to put down a book that's not working for me has really helped improve my overall reading experience over the years (it took a while to learn to do that!), and that's so true about still being able to reference parts of it that *did* stand out. Thank you for pointing that out!
I'm so intrigued by your binder and annual journal of events, too! Ahhh, there's just so much fun to be had in this wonderful world of reading, learning, and growing! Thank you again for sharing your experience.
These tips are wonderful! I definitely learned some new ideas, such as putting a chunk of sticky notes right inside the cover. I love Mildliners and page tabs (TBH, I have a robust addiction to stationery and writing implements.) Thank you for the ‘tab and update’ at the end of the reading session explanation! I have the tendency to want to stop and do it right then, but your method makes so much more sense and identified what I sometimes get aggravated by when trying to read AND annotate. Also Zeyar Cream Colors highlighters from Amazon are gorgeously muted and they also come in dual tip.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Jenna - I'm glad that explanation about the 'timing' of my annotating helped. Sometimes it's just one little change that can make such a difference! Getting lost in a book - whether fiction or nonfiction - is one of my favorite feelings, so I'm always looking for ways to increase the chances for that. And thank you for the tip on Zeyar Cream Colors - how have I never heard of these?! I am checking them out next!
I love these tips! I do some of these but this year I am trying to do more borrowing from the library. Glad you included tips for library books! Thanks
I'm happy you found some helpful ideas here, Ryan - thank you for letting me know! I adore my local library and am glad to hear you're utilizing yours, too. There's something so satisfying about trying out a book from the library, discovering you want to highlight or make all kinds of notes in it, then purchasing a copy to do just that!
Do you use an e-reader at all? I annotate on my Boox. It isn't the same, but it has its advantages.
I read mostly physical and audio books, though every so often I'll read on an e-reader or via my phone. I find I follow similar annotating principles (albeit with some different tools!). Have you found any tips or tricks when annotating on your e-reader?
Christi,
I'm not as consistent as you are. The Boox, Kindle, and Kobo that I have had/still use have/had different abilities for adding notes. My favorite was one of the original Kindles that is no longer supported. It's probably because that is the measure all others have to live up to. My Boox is precious to me now, though. I do like real books for the most part, though I am reading more on my e-reader.
I annotate epub files for the most part, though some PDF files have character recognition and allow fancy notes.
The most common annotation for me is to dogear the pages electronically. I'm no academic so I rarely have to synthesize the notes later.
When I listen, I can do nonfiction at 1.2 to 2.0 speed; I stop the recording and make notes to myself in Signal. Fiction is always 1.0 speed, and I rarely stop for note-taking or sleep, for that matter. That happens more often than I would like.
Besides the lower price, indexing and an on-screen dictionary are my two favorite abilities on an e-reader. I am on my 5th e-reader and have lost many notes/books to a system lockup/failure. That hurts. I am now cautious about backing up my library.
I will codify precisely what I do and post back here. I am going to start by integrating your ideas. Thanks for this post! Maybe next year I will come back and give you a better answer.
I love your SubStack.
Tim
It sounds like you have some excellent systems in place, Tim - that's awesome! I always love learning what works/doesn't work for people when it comes to reading, and I appreciate your description here.
Although I read a lot via a screen (articles, blogs, etc), when it comes to books I still tend to veer toward physical and audio over the e-reader. But, I didn't get into audiobooks until just a few years ago, so who knows where my reading future will take me! You make some great points about the e-reader here - and I'm sure I'd make good use of the on-screen dictionary.
Thank you for sharing your experience - and also for your kind words about my Substack. I really appreciate it and am glad you're here!
Featured this in my Sunday roundup post today! https://allisonstadd.substack.com/p/the-offbeat-98-lead-sheet-leadership
I FEEL SO SEEN
I appreciate your approach, especially how you use a study guide. I read most of my books on an ereader now, borrowed from the library. (I loved purchasing books but was spending a lot of money and am trying to live with fewer tangible things.) I highlight passages but find that pretty insufficient, will have to find better techniques for annotating digital copies.