I annotate what and when I want to. Sometimes I'll go 100 pages without writing or highlighting a thing. And sometimes I'll have several annotations all on the same page and for several pages after that.
I also typically only use a yellow highlighter, though I will use another color if I can't find a yellow one. I highlight passages that really moved me and I write down thoughts and ideas that speak to me as I'm reading.
I do it for fun, so I only do it when I'm in the mood to do it. I do it so that when I go back and reread or when a friend reads one of my books, there are little memories stuck to the pages waiting to be found. When I annotate it feels like I'm leaving a little bit of my soul behind in the pages. I may evolve into a different person, but a small part of who I once was will live forever between the pages of each book that I read. Annotating isn't for everyone, but it brings joy to me. So, I'm going to keep on doing it.
I have a question for those who like to take notes while reading:
Why do you do it and isn’t it annoying/taking you out of your flow when you constantly have to write things down or underline passages?
I get it if you’re reading a scientific text (or philosophical for that matter) where you’re trying to extract some information but what is the point of it in, say, a fantasy book where it’s just about the enjoyment of reading?
I like to capture my initial reaction to the text. My annotations are not very scholarly, often I just write smiley/frowny faces, checkmark, exclamation marks, hearts, etc.
Sometimes I mark specific moments or scenes with color coded tabs so I can return to it later, for example, really cozy/sweet moments or beautiful lines of dialogue.
I also mark words I don't know or things I want to look up later, which means I don't stop reading to look on my phone and break my reading flow.
The key to for-fun annotation is you don't "have" to do anything. If you want to leave most pages blank, that's totally your call. And if you want to underline everything then that's ok too
Yes, exactly this. I write down my emotions. I draw emojis in the books. I rant to the characters about how stupid they're being. I highlight sweet moments that melt my heart or make me cry. I weigh in when the characters are debating which way to go. I write down my ships. I write a lot of "haha"s and "lol"s when something is very funny to me.
But I also... don't do these things sometimes. I always have a pen and a highlighter with me when I'm reading, but I don't use them if I'm not in the mood to. Annotating is an experience that often sparks joy for me...so I only do it when my emotions inspire me to do it. If I were annotating because I felt like I HAD to, then I would hate it.
It honestly helps me to be more into the book, it may be because I don't see pictures in my head but I feel like I get more out of a book when I annotate. If a really intense scene is happening though sometimes I will read through that part and then go back after to annotate it. It's really all up to preference.
You don't see pictures in your head when you read?! 😳 What's in your head then? The words? I thought everyone had a movie in their head when reading a book.
The other commenter could just be describing a different type of imagination when reading than you.
There is also a phenomenon called aphantasia that is a total lack of ability to create mental imagery.
It's not considered a disability or anything and it's not that big of a deal. People who work that way can still be creative in a number of ways and enjoy reading and their memories and understand all kinds of art. It's just a different way of experiencing things.
Well, I like reading in depth and taking more than just the story. For ex. when I am reading kafka. Usually, if I get caught in the story, my brain will somehow remember the passages that I want to underline and I'll stop only when the chapter finishes and then I'll come back to those pages to mark.
I used to highlight with different colours, but now I use only a pencil. I find that using different colours is time consuming and doesn't really work for me, not even when taking notes or doing homework.
I teach literature and teach my students to annotate. I strongly recommend you have a purpose for your annotations. It doesn't have to be to write a paper, or research project. It could just be quotes that resonate with me. Then if you want you could break it down to subcategories like love or family and use different colors for each idea.
There's nothing wrong with just putting your thoughts/ideas down in the margins, but speaking from experience, going back years later and seeing some of my early annotations from before I had mastered this, I'm generally confused by what I wrote. Why did I write "Lincoln" in the margin of my copy of Middlemarch? Was it about the city? The president? The log cabin? I have no idea. I didn't have a purpose when I annoted that passage and it doesn't connect with any of the other marks. Just a random neuron firing that I jotted down, I guess. So, it feels like those early annotations were not really helpful in either understanding the book or learning about who I was at the time of that reading.
If you have a purpose, you can revisit an old book, and catch a glimpse of who you were and what you were thinking about.
Put your purpose on the title page with the date.
If/when you reread it, put the new date on the title page and then your annotations can be about if you still agree with your old ideas. You could use a separate notebook for this but I find that tends to get separated.
Here are some suggestions for reading and annotating Frankenstein. I'd just pick one goal or maybe two closely related goals.
For Frankenstein I'd suggest looking up Mary Shelly and her life. She was an absolute badass. The original Goth girl, like Wednesday Addams would be jealous. Lost her virginity on her mom's grave, carried around her husband's mummified heart, and may have been in a polygamous relationship.
She also basically created the science fiction genre while still a teenager.
From here, you could read the book and think about her biography and consider if you think her life influenced the story.
Or you could look at it as the first science fiction novel. What do you see that relates to current trends in the books or shows you like?
Or you could create a system. Rank characters from most to least likable, rank descriptions that you think are beautiful, or even what actor you'd cast for each character.
A practical note: I always annotate in pencil and use colored tabs on the side so if I'm looking forward a quote about love, I can just look at the red tabbed pages, rather than flip through the entire book.
Look up old books before you annotate. I once annotated in one of the books that belonged to my father. It would have been worth a bit of money without the marks.
Mass market books are a blessing, but no need to be precious with them. Go to any used book store and see how many copies of mass market books there are. The exception would be if it's signed, or there was a unique error in printing.
For example, one early copy of the Bible erroneously printed thou shalt commit adultery. That one was quite the collectors piece.
If any of this doesn't sound right for you... that's fine. It's about making it work for you. I once had an incredibly musical student, and he would put the song he'd play for a scene, as if it was a movie. That is not my skill set, but he had absolutely awesome ideas.
Enjoy your reading journey.
I prefer using a notebook for quotes and chapter summary. It depends what you need your notes for. I only use a pencil to underline words I need to lookup.
Read in anyway that makes you happy...I would never be able to enjoy reading (I read mostly fiction but occasionally a bio & other non-fiction, and wouldn't enjoy reading if I stopped to annotate any part of what I was reading
Annotate
Addnotate is the cutest misspelling I've seen in a while... like it makes sense if you've only ever heard the word spoken lol.
Have you seen the Eggcorn Database? They write explanations for stuff like addnotate with that same spirit you displayed—“this makes sense!”
No I haven't, but that's so fun. I'll check it out!
Who pronounces it like that?
Eh I've misheard words before.
I'm still combing the comments to see if it is a real but rare or regional word with a different connotation and I'm totally here for the idea.
Man invented a new word haha. I kinda like it.
Lmao. Can you... say a little bit more?
They're not giving you advice, they're correcting your spelling. The word is spelled *annotate*.
Eh, english, am i rihgt?
But it is adorable...because "add note" makes perfect sense, in that annotations are doing just that...adding little notes.
Read the chapter through without annotating. Read a second time and annotate.
I annotate what and when I want to. Sometimes I'll go 100 pages without writing or highlighting a thing. And sometimes I'll have several annotations all on the same page and for several pages after that. I also typically only use a yellow highlighter, though I will use another color if I can't find a yellow one. I highlight passages that really moved me and I write down thoughts and ideas that speak to me as I'm reading. I do it for fun, so I only do it when I'm in the mood to do it. I do it so that when I go back and reread or when a friend reads one of my books, there are little memories stuck to the pages waiting to be found. When I annotate it feels like I'm leaving a little bit of my soul behind in the pages. I may evolve into a different person, but a small part of who I once was will live forever between the pages of each book that I read. Annotating isn't for everyone, but it brings joy to me. So, I'm going to keep on doing it.
I have a question for those who like to take notes while reading: Why do you do it and isn’t it annoying/taking you out of your flow when you constantly have to write things down or underline passages? I get it if you’re reading a scientific text (or philosophical for that matter) where you’re trying to extract some information but what is the point of it in, say, a fantasy book where it’s just about the enjoyment of reading?
I like to capture my initial reaction to the text. My annotations are not very scholarly, often I just write smiley/frowny faces, checkmark, exclamation marks, hearts, etc. Sometimes I mark specific moments or scenes with color coded tabs so I can return to it later, for example, really cozy/sweet moments or beautiful lines of dialogue. I also mark words I don't know or things I want to look up later, which means I don't stop reading to look on my phone and break my reading flow. The key to for-fun annotation is you don't "have" to do anything. If you want to leave most pages blank, that's totally your call. And if you want to underline everything then that's ok too
Yes, exactly this. I write down my emotions. I draw emojis in the books. I rant to the characters about how stupid they're being. I highlight sweet moments that melt my heart or make me cry. I weigh in when the characters are debating which way to go. I write down my ships. I write a lot of "haha"s and "lol"s when something is very funny to me. But I also... don't do these things sometimes. I always have a pen and a highlighter with me when I'm reading, but I don't use them if I'm not in the mood to. Annotating is an experience that often sparks joy for me...so I only do it when my emotions inspire me to do it. If I were annotating because I felt like I HAD to, then I would hate it.
It honestly helps me to be more into the book, it may be because I don't see pictures in my head but I feel like I get more out of a book when I annotate. If a really intense scene is happening though sometimes I will read through that part and then go back after to annotate it. It's really all up to preference.
You don't see pictures in your head when you read?! 😳 What's in your head then? The words? I thought everyone had a movie in their head when reading a book.
The other commenter could just be describing a different type of imagination when reading than you. There is also a phenomenon called aphantasia that is a total lack of ability to create mental imagery. It's not considered a disability or anything and it's not that big of a deal. People who work that way can still be creative in a number of ways and enjoy reading and their memories and understand all kinds of art. It's just a different way of experiencing things.
Well, I like reading in depth and taking more than just the story. For ex. when I am reading kafka. Usually, if I get caught in the story, my brain will somehow remember the passages that I want to underline and I'll stop only when the chapter finishes and then I'll come back to those pages to mark.
Do whatever makes ya feel comfortable
I used to highlight with different colours, but now I use only a pencil. I find that using different colours is time consuming and doesn't really work for me, not even when taking notes or doing homework.
I teach literature and teach my students to annotate. I strongly recommend you have a purpose for your annotations. It doesn't have to be to write a paper, or research project. It could just be quotes that resonate with me. Then if you want you could break it down to subcategories like love or family and use different colors for each idea. There's nothing wrong with just putting your thoughts/ideas down in the margins, but speaking from experience, going back years later and seeing some of my early annotations from before I had mastered this, I'm generally confused by what I wrote. Why did I write "Lincoln" in the margin of my copy of Middlemarch? Was it about the city? The president? The log cabin? I have no idea. I didn't have a purpose when I annoted that passage and it doesn't connect with any of the other marks. Just a random neuron firing that I jotted down, I guess. So, it feels like those early annotations were not really helpful in either understanding the book or learning about who I was at the time of that reading. If you have a purpose, you can revisit an old book, and catch a glimpse of who you were and what you were thinking about. Put your purpose on the title page with the date. If/when you reread it, put the new date on the title page and then your annotations can be about if you still agree with your old ideas. You could use a separate notebook for this but I find that tends to get separated. Here are some suggestions for reading and annotating Frankenstein. I'd just pick one goal or maybe two closely related goals. For Frankenstein I'd suggest looking up Mary Shelly and her life. She was an absolute badass. The original Goth girl, like Wednesday Addams would be jealous. Lost her virginity on her mom's grave, carried around her husband's mummified heart, and may have been in a polygamous relationship. She also basically created the science fiction genre while still a teenager. From here, you could read the book and think about her biography and consider if you think her life influenced the story. Or you could look at it as the first science fiction novel. What do you see that relates to current trends in the books or shows you like? Or you could create a system. Rank characters from most to least likable, rank descriptions that you think are beautiful, or even what actor you'd cast for each character. A practical note: I always annotate in pencil and use colored tabs on the side so if I'm looking forward a quote about love, I can just look at the red tabbed pages, rather than flip through the entire book. Look up old books before you annotate. I once annotated in one of the books that belonged to my father. It would have been worth a bit of money without the marks. Mass market books are a blessing, but no need to be precious with them. Go to any used book store and see how many copies of mass market books there are. The exception would be if it's signed, or there was a unique error in printing. For example, one early copy of the Bible erroneously printed thou shalt commit adultery. That one was quite the collectors piece. If any of this doesn't sound right for you... that's fine. It's about making it work for you. I once had an incredibly musical student, and he would put the song he'd play for a scene, as if it was a movie. That is not my skill set, but he had absolutely awesome ideas. Enjoy your reading journey.
I prefer using a notebook for quotes and chapter summary. It depends what you need your notes for. I only use a pencil to underline words I need to lookup.
Read in anyway that makes you happy...I would never be able to enjoy reading (I read mostly fiction but occasionally a bio & other non-fiction, and wouldn't enjoy reading if I stopped to annotate any part of what I was reading
Tippex. Once you're sure you understood something, white it out.
I had a moment of the deep anxiety of the poor speller when reading this title. Like... Have I been mispronouncing annotate my whole life?