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How to Annotate a Book

Last Updated: February 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 852,909 times.

Annotating a book is a great way to make notes on the text. It also allows you to do a deep read of the book, where you jot down your thoughts or impressions of the text. You may need to annotate a book for a class or decide to try it to deepen your reading experience. Start by selecting your annotation tool. Then, annotate the book by focusing on keywords, phrases, ideas, and questions so your notes are clear and easy to review later.

Selecting Your Annotation Tool

Step 1 Annotate with a highlighter and a pen or pencil.

Try to stick to one highlighter color for the annotation so you do not end up with highlighted pages that are hard to re read.
Choose the highlighter and pen or pencil option if it's okay for you to mark up the text.

Step 2 Use sticky notes or tabs if you can't mark up the book.

Look for sticky notes and tabs in different colors. You can then use the different colored notes or tabs to annotate the book.

Step 3 Try an electronic annotation program.

You can download electronic annotation programs in the Apps store on your eReader.

Annotating Keywords, Phrases, and Sections

Try to only underline phrases that seem very important in the text. You do not want to end up with pages of underlined phrases, as it will be difficult for you to determine which ones are actually important.
You can also underline phrases you like or find interesting. If a sentence strikes you or stands out to you, underline it so you can return to it later.

For example, if you notice the word “power” appears several times in the text, circle or box it as an annotation.
The author may tell you to keep certain words in mind as you read the text. Make sure you circle or box these words as part of your annotations.

For example, if there is a section that focuses on a particular case study in the text you find interesting or important, use a bracket in the margins to annotate it.

Step 6 Make a list of words you don’t recognize.

Keep a dictionary handy so you can look up terms you do not recognize quickly and easily.

Making Note of Key Ideas and Questions

Step 1 Reflect on the book in the margins.

As you read, ask yourself questions like, "What is the author trying to tell me as the reader?" " Why is this passage in the text? " "How do I respond emotionally to the text?"

Step 2 Make a list of questions you have about the book.

For example, you may ask questions like, "Why did the author include this example in the book?" "What is the goal of the author in this passage?" "What is the author trying to say here?"
To make the questions short so they can fit into the margins, you may simply put a question mark next to passages you do not understand. Or you may write the questions like, "Goal of the author?" "What is being said?" to keep them short.
You can also keep the questions in a separate notebook or piece of paper so you do not clutter up the margins of the book.

Linking ideas together will help you think critically about the text. It will also deepen your annotations and notes on the text.

Step 4 Summarize each section at the bottom of the page.

For example, you may summarize a passage in the book with key words like “power,” “female sexuality,” and “Freud case study.”
You can keep your summaries in a separate notebook or piece of paper so the margins do not become cluttered with your notes.

Community Q&A

There's no "right" or "wrong" way to annotate books. Keeping things tidy and following a system may help you stay organized, but in the end, as long as you're annotating your books in a way that makes sense to you, it doesn't really matter how you do it! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

If you can, try to have fun with your annotations! Diving in and analyzing a text to death can actually be really enjoyable, if you're reading a book you like. (This might not always be the case for things you're forced to read for school!)
If you have time, quickly skim through the book again after you finish reading it and make additional notes. Knowing you'll be reviewing the book after you finish it may help you stress less over what to take notes on the first time through.
Unless you have to annotate the book for school, only make annotations if you actually want to. If it stresses you out or interrupts the reading flow, just read the book straight and enjoy the ride!
Don't overthink your annotations. If you overthink what to make notes about, you'll end up making notes about every little thing, making your annotations kind of pointless!

↑ https://research.ewu.edu/writers_c_read_study_strategies
↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/annotating-texts/
↑ http://mas.dadeschools.net/pdf/Annotating%20a%20Text.pdf
↑ https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Annotating-a-Text/

About This Article

To annotate a book, grab a highlighter or pencil if you can mark the book, or a pad of sticky notes if you can't. Read the book slowly and carefully, underlining, highlighting, or noting interesting parts as you encounter them. Draw circles around key words and phrases, and include reflections, comments, and questions in the margins. If you're annotating a longer book, write short summaries on sticky notes at the end of each section to jog your memory. For tips on choosing what to mark and note, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Annotate Texts

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Annotation Fundamentals

How to start annotating , how to annotate digital texts, how to annotate a textbook, how to annotate a scholarly article or book, how to annotate literature, how to annotate images, videos, and performances, additional resources for teachers.

Writing in your books can make you smarter. Or, at least (according to education experts), annotation–an umbrella term for underlining, highlighting, circling, and, most importantly, leaving comments in the margins–helps students to remember and comprehend what they read. Annotation is like a conversation between reader and text. Proper annotation allows students to record their own opinions and reactions, which can serve as the inspiration for research questions and theses. So, whether you're reading a novel, poem, news article, or science textbook, taking notes along the way can give you an advantage in preparing for tests or writing essays. This guide contains resources that explain the benefits of annotating texts, provide annotation tools, and suggest approaches for diverse kinds of texts; the last section includes lesson plans and exercises for teachers.

Why annotate? As the resources below explain, annotation allows students to emphasize connections to material covered elsewhere in the text (or in other texts), material covered previously in the course, or material covered in lectures and discussion. In other words, proper annotation is an organizing tool and a time saver. The links in this section will introduce you to the theory, practice, and purpose of annotation.

How to Mark a Book, by Mortimer Adler

This famous, charming essay lays out the case for marking up books, and provides practical suggestions at the end including underlining, highlighting, circling key words, using vertical lines to mark shifts in tone/subject, numbering points in an argument, and keeping track of questions that occur to you as you read.

How Annotation Reshapes Student Thinking (TeacherHUB)

In this article, a high school teacher discusses the importance of annotation and how annotation encourages more effective critical thinking.

The Future of Annotation (Journal of Business and Technical Communication)

This scholarly article summarizes research on the benefits of annotation in the classroom and in business. It also discusses how technology and digital texts might affect the future of annotation.

Annotating to Deepen Understanding (Texas Education Agency)

This website provides another introduction to annotation (designed for 11th graders). It includes a helpful section that teaches students how to annotate reading comprehension passages on tests.

Once you understand what annotation is, you're ready to begin. But what tools do you need? How do you prepare? The resources linked in this section list strategies and techniques you can use to start annotating.

What is Annotating? (Charleston County School District)

This resource gives an overview of annotation styles, including useful shorthands and symbols. This is a good place for a student who has never annotated before to begin.

How to Annotate Text While Reading (YouTube)

This video tutorial (appropriate for grades 6–10) explains the basic ins and outs of annotation and gives examples of the type of information students should be looking for.

Annotation Practices: Reading a Play-text vs. Watching Film (U Calgary)

This blog post, written by a student, talks about how the goals and approaches of annotation might change depending on the type of text or performance being observed.

Annotating Texts with Sticky Notes (Lyndhurst Schools)

Sometimes students are asked to annotate books they don't own or can't write in for other reasons. This resource provides some strategies for using sticky notes instead.

Teaching Students to Close Read...When You Can't Mark the Text (Performing in Education)

Here, a sixth grade teacher demonstrates the strategies she uses for getting her students to annotate with sticky notes. This resource includes a link to the teacher's free Annotation Bookmark (via Teachers Pay Teachers).

Digital texts can present a special challenge when it comes to annotation; emerging research suggests that many students struggle to critically read and retain information from digital texts. However, proper annotation can solve the problem. This section contains links to the most highly-utilized platforms for electronic annotation.

Evernote is one of the two big players in the "digital annotation apps" game. In addition to allowing users to annotate digital documents, the service (for a fee) allows users to group multiple formats (PDF, webpages, scanned hand-written notes) into separate notebooks, create voice recordings, and sync across all sorts of devices.

OneNote is Evernote's main competitor. Reviews suggest that OneNote allows for more freedom for digital note-taking than Evernote, but that it is slightly more awkward to import and annotate a PDF, especially on certain platforms. However, OneNote's free version is slightly more feature-filled, and OneNote allows you to link your notes to time stamps on an audio recording.

Diigo is a basic browser extension that allows a user to annotate webpages. Diigo also offers a Screenshot app that allows for direct saving to Google Drive.

While the creators of Hypothesis like to focus on their app's social dimension, students are more likely to be interested in the private highlighting and annotating functions of this program.

Foxit PDF Reader

Foxit is one of the leading PDF readers. Though the full suite must be purchased, Foxit offers a number of annotation and highlighting tools for free.

Nitro PDF Reader

This is another well-reviewed, free PDF reader that includes annotation and highlighting. Annotation, text editing, and other tools are included in the free version.

Goodreader is a very popular Mac-only app that includes annotation and editing tools for PDFs, Word documents, Powerpoint, and other formats.

Although textbooks have vocabulary lists, summaries, and other features to emphasize important material, annotation can allow students to process information and discover their own connections. This section links to guides and video tutorials that introduce you to textbook annotation.

Annotating Textbooks (Niagara University)

This PDF provides a basic introduction as well as strategies including focusing on main ideas, working by section or chapter, annotating in your own words, and turning section headings into questions.

A Simple Guide to Text Annotation (Catawba College)

The simple, practical strategies laid out in this step-by-step guide will help students learn how to break down chapters in their textbooks using main ideas, definitions, lists, summaries, and potential test questions.

Annotating (Mercer Community College)

This packet, an excerpt from a literature textbook, provides a short exercise and some examples of how to do textbook annotation, including using shorthand and symbols.

Reading Your Healthcare Textbook: Annotation (Saddleback College)

This powerpoint contains a number of helpful suggestions, especially for students who are new to annotation. It emphasizes limited highlighting, lots of student writing, and using key words to find the most important information in a textbook. Despite the title, it is useful to a student in any discipline.

Annotating a Textbook (Excelsior College OWL)

This video (with included transcript) discusses how to use textbook features like boxes and sidebars to help guide annotation. It's an extremely helpful, detailed discussion of how textbooks are organized.

Because scholarly articles and books have complex arguments and often depend on technical vocabulary, they present particular challenges for an annotating student. The resources in this section help students get to the heart of scholarly texts in order to annotate and, by extension, understand the reading.

Annotating a Text (Hunter College)

This resource is designed for college students and shows how to annotate a scholarly article using highlighting, paraphrase, a descriptive outline, and a two-margin approach. It ends with a sample passage marked up using the strategies provided.

Guide to Annotating the Scholarly Article (ReadWriteThink.org)

This is an effective introduction to annotating scholarly articles across all disciplines. This resource encourages students to break down how the article uses primary and secondary sources and to annotate the types of arguments and persuasive strategies (synthesis, analysis, compare/contrast).

How to Highlight and Annotate Your Research Articles (CHHS Media Center)

This video, developed by a high school media specialist, provides an effective beginner-level introduction to annotating research articles.

How to Read a Scholarly Book (AndrewJacobs.org)

In this essay, a college professor lets readers in on the secrets of scholarly monographs. Though he does not discuss annotation, he explains how to find a scholarly book's thesis, methodology, and often even a brief literature review in the introduction. This is a key place for students to focus when creating annotations.

A 5-step Approach to Reading Scholarly Literature and Taking Notes (Heather Young Leslie)

This resource, written by a professor of anthropology, is an even more comprehensive and detailed guide to reading scholarly literature. Combining the annotation techniques above with the reading strategy here allows students to process scholarly book efficiently.

Annotation is also an important part of close reading works of literature. Annotating helps students recognize symbolism, double meanings, and other literary devices. These resources provide additional guidelines on annotating literature.

AP English Language Annotation Guide (YouTube)

In this ~10 minute video, an AP Language teacher provides tips and suggestions for using annotations to point out rhetorical strategies and other important information.

Annotating Text Lesson (YouTube)

In this video tutorial, an English teacher shows how she uses the white board to guide students through annotation and close reading. This resource uses an in-depth example to model annotation step-by-step.

Close Reading a Text and Avoiding Pitfalls (Purdue OWL)

This resources demonstrates how annotation is a central part of a solid close reading strategy; it also lists common mistakes to avoid in the annotation process.

AP Literature Assignment: Annotating Literature (Mount Notre Dame H.S.)

This brief assignment sheet contains suggestions for what to annotate in a novel, including building connections between parts of the book, among multiple books you are reading/have read, and between the book and your own experience. It also includes samples of quality annotations.

AP Handout: Annotation Guide (Covington Catholic H.S.)

This annotation guide shows how to keep track of symbolism, figurative language, and other devices in a novel using a highlighter, a pencil, and every part of a book (including the front and back covers).

In addition to written resources, it's possible to annotate visual "texts" like theatrical performances, movies, sculptures, and paintings. Taking notes on visual texts allows students to recall details after viewing a resource which, unlike a book, can't be re-read or re-visited ( for example, a play that has finished its run, or an art exhibition that is far away). These resources draw attention to the special questions and techniques that students should use when dealing with visual texts.

How to Take Notes on Videos (U of Southern California)

This resource is a good place to start for a student who has never had to take notes on film before. It briefly outlines three general approaches to note-taking on a film.

How to Analyze a Movie, Step-by-Step (San Diego Film Festival)

This detailed guide provides lots of tips for film criticism and analysis. It contains a list of specific questions to ask with respect to plot, character development, direction, musical score, cinematography, special effects, and more.

How to "Read" a Film (UPenn)

This resource provides an academic perspective on the art of annotating and analyzing a film. Like other resources, it provides students a checklist of things to watch out for as they watch the film.

Art Annotation Guide (Gosford Hill School)

This resource focuses on how to annotate a piece of art with respect to its formal elements like line, tone, mood, and composition. It contains a number of helpful questions and relevant examples.

Photography Annotation (Arts at Trinity)

This resource is designed specifically for photography students. Like some of the other resources on this list, it primarily focuses on formal elements, but also shows students how to integrate the specific technical vocabulary of modern photography. This resource also contains a number of helpful sample annotations.

How to Review a Play (U of Wisconsin)

This resource from the University of Wisconsin Writing Center is designed to help students write a review of a play. It contains suggested questions for students to keep in mind as they watch a given production. This resource helps students think about staging, props, script alterations, and many other key elements of a performance.

This section contains links to lessons plans and exercises suitable for high school and college instructors.

Beyond the Yellow Highlighter: Teaching Annotation Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension (English Journal)

In this journal article, a high school teacher talks about her approach to teaching annotation. This article makes a clear distinction between annotation and mere highlighting.

Lesson Plan for Teaching Annotation, Grades 9–12 (readwritethink.org)

This lesson plan, published by the National Council of Teachers of English, contains four complete lessons that help introduce high school students to annotation.

Teaching Theme Using Close Reading (Performing in Education)

This lesson plan was developed by a middle school teacher, and is aligned to Common Core. The teacher presents her strategies and resources in comprehensive fashion.

Analyzing a Speech Using Annotation (UNC-TV/PBS Learning Media)

This complete lesson plan, which includes a guide for the teacher and relevant handouts for students, will prepare students to analyze both the written and presentation components of a speech. This lesson plan is best for students in 6th–10th grade.

Writing to Learn History: Annotation and Mini-Writes (teachinghistory.org)

This teaching guide, developed for high school History classes, provides handouts and suggested exercises that can help students become more comfortable with annotating historical sources.

Writing About Art (The College Board)

This Prezi presentation is useful to any teacher introducing students to the basics of annotating art. The presentation covers annotating for both formal elements and historical/cultural significance.

Film Study Worksheets (TeachWithMovies.org)

This resource contains links to a general film study worksheet, as well as specific worksheets for novel adaptations, historical films, documentaries, and more. These resources are appropriate for advanced middle school students and some high school students.

Annotation Practice Worksheet (La Guardia Community College)

This worksheet has a sample text and instructions for students to annotate it. It is a useful resource for teachers who want to give their students a chance to practice, but don't have the time to select an appropriate piece of text.

PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
Downloads of 1932 LitCharts Lit Guides
Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide
Explanations and citation info for 40,744 quotes across 1932 books
Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play

Need something? Request a new guide .

How can we improve? Share feedback .

LitCharts is hiring!

How To Annotate A Book (Like A Pro)

Spread the Love!

There are many different ways to annotate a book. Some people prefer to write in the margins, while others use sticky notes or highlighters. In this blog post, I’m going to be giving you tips on everything related to annotating a book from ways to write a good annotation to ways you can annotate a book without even writing in it.

*This blog post contains affiliate links, this does not affect your purchase in anyway – it helps me make money on this small bookish blog*

Why You Should Be Annotating Books

How to annotate a book, what does it mean to annotate a book, tools you need to annotate a book, annotating books without writing in it, best books to annotate, how do you write a good annotation, how to annotate a book effectively, how do you annotate a digital book, can you annotate a pdf, check out more from the novel thief.

Annotating books helps you remember things later on, especially if you’re as forgetful as me!
It’s a great tool for later prequels or sequels of your favorite books
Annotating books can be a helpful tool for when you want to discuss it later with friends or perhaps your book club
As a blogger, I love annotating books so I can write more detailed reviews and posts
You’ll notice the little details in your favorite books even more
Most importantly, you’ll grow as a writer!
Annotate by underlining, highlighting, or circling important passages
Write down your thoughts and reactions in the margins
Use symbols, arrows or short phrases to help you remember key points
Create diagrams or charts to track ideas

Annotating a book means adding notes and comments to it. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the goal is always the same: to help you better understand and remember the text. When you annotate a book, you are making it your own. You are marking up the text to show where you had trouble understanding a passage, or where you found a section particularly interesting. You might also highlight important passages or make notes in the margins.

Annotation tools allow you to do all of this and more.

You won’t need to shell out everything to annotate your books, unless you’re like me and love that aesthetic look. But, here are some helpful tools to keep by your side that you probably can grab at your local dollar store.

Your book of choice (obviously)
A notebook or sheet of paper
Highlighters

Let’s jump (write) in on how you can annotate a book. Did you catch my little joke?

1. The Highlight Of My Life

Grab those pretty highlighters or colorful pens and start highlighting/underlining some of your favorite quotes or passages. Anything that you feel you want to remember or make note of for later.

Who doesn’t love some pastel highlighters

Perhaps you prefer the normal highlighter colors instead

These are my favorite pens for journaling or annotating, they might just be my prized possession.

2. Add Notes To Margins

If you’re not one to really highlight or underline when annotating a book, you always have the option to add notes to the. margins. One of my favorite ways to do this is to add an arrow and color code my margin notes.

My Annotation Color Key:

Red = love or friendship, anything that makes me swoon
Blue = sad moments like a characters death etc
Green = world building/location/settings
Purple = key pieces of information I might need later (like a codeword)
Orange = things that angered me or characters I find suspicious (especially when reading mystery novels)
Black = general notes

3. Doodle Your Heart Away

Sometimes the best types of annotating is really just doodling what a scene makes you feel. I do this ALL the time. You can choose to doodle in the margins of your books or making a journal entry for the book you’re reading and doodle there.

There are a number of ways to annotate a book without writing in it. Don’t worry, if you’re like me – I also get nit picky about changing my mind on certain annotates later on.

1. Use Post It’s

This is the tried and true way if you’re wondering how to annotate a novel without writing in it. You can use ANY post-its you want. May I interest you in some of these adorable post-its from Amazon?

If you love bright colors
If you’re a fan of plain colors
If you’re a fan of dark post-its

Post-its are super easy to stick and throw out if you want to restart.

2. Use Transparent Sheets

Hear me out, this new style of annotating books is exploding on social media. It’s all over bookstagram and booktok for a good read – so if you’re wondering methods to annotate novel, this is a must try.

These transparent papers on Amazon are a great purchase.

The way you use them is simple – all you have to do is cut it and put it on the page you’re reading and annotate as you normally would. You can use colorful pens, markers, highlighters etc. And then remove the transparent paper whenever you finish and are ready to move on to the next page.

*Tip – Add the book title and page number to the transparent sheet top left corner, so you remember where it’s from*

3. Use A Notebook

A notebook is a great way to annotate in a book if you’re not a fan of writing directly in it. Similar to the transparent paper method, I’d recommend writing the book title and page number on the top – and then just annotate and take notes as you normally would!

4. Use Your IPad Or Laptop

This method is the exact way as using a notebook – the only difference is that you can save your notes into one folder with the book title.

I’d recommend Goodnotes as a great note taking app which leads me to my final point.

5. Use A Note-Taking App

You can use apps like Goodnotes, Evernote or the simple Notes app that comes with most phones. This is a fool-proof way to annotate without writing in your actual book.

6. Use Flashcards/Notecards

Flashcards or notecards are a great way to annotate books. You can annotate based on chapters or pages or even characters.

All you have to do is in the large portion of the notecard (the top) indicate what this specific card will include. Will it be tracking the relationship of your MC or your favorite quotes? You decide! Then stick the flashcards in the book and you’re good to go.

7. Find The Digital Version Of The Text

This way can get complicated, but if you have the time and really like the appearance of an annotated novel – without …actually writing in it, you should get the digital version of the book!

You can download a lot of ebooks for free from local libraries or Overdrive. A not so free option is to buy the kindle version.

There are some books that are better for annotating than others. Some genres that annotating can be especially useful are:

Mysteries or Thrillers
Science Fiction
Non-Fiction

When I annotate books, I like to note certain parts of the book I enjoy the most or dislike – so I can choose books in the future that match up with my taste. Here are somethings to consider if you’re curious what to annotate in a novel

Annotate characters you like or don’t like
Annotate relationship growth (friendship to romance, strangers to friends, parental etc)
Annotate parts that get you in the feels (yes, those gooey feelings)
Annotate characters or the part of the book you want throw across the bed (those villains and horrible decisions the MC makes)
Annotate important aspects you may need to remember for the next book in the series
Annotate quotes that stand out to you

The main goal of annotation is to highlight the most important information from a passage and make notes on it so that you can later recall what was said with ease. We have all been there before: reading through an entire chapter only to find out at the end that we have no recollection of what actually happened. This is where annotation comes in: it can help you to better process and remember information from a text.

When annotating, there are four things that you want to keep in mind:

What was the main point of this passage?
What questions does this passage raise for me?
What did I like or not like about this passage?
What stood out to me?

Annotating a text is not meant to be a comprehensive summary of everything that is said. Rather, it should focus on the most important points and raise questions for you so that you can investigate them further.

Should I Take Notes While Reading A Book?

Yes! This will help you remember things you know you’ll forget later on.

Do You Have To Annotate Every Page Of A Book?

Nope! Only annotate what you want and when. If that means every page – sure, but I would proceed with caution as it can get overwhelming as heck

Should You Write In Your Books?

Only if you want to!

If you want to know how do you annotate a digital book? It is important that you make sure the tool offers support for your e-reader. Many sites and apps offer support for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iPad or iPhone devices – so even if you don’t own one of those devices yourself it might be worth looking into their services just in case!

Some tools are better than others at providing these options though so make sure the site has what works best before making any decisions about which annotation app/site would work well with your device type (and keep an eye out whether they have anything new coming up too).

One of my favorite features on some websites is being able to highlight text on a web page and then have the annotation tool automatically create a note with that highlighted passage included.

I enjoy annotating on my kindle because it’s so simple! All I have to do is press on the text and then you’re highlighting.

…And then somehow you get highlight-crazy and begin highlighting everything. It’s a concern, but let’s not talk about that.

Yes, you can annotate a PDF. In fact, there are many ways to annotate a PDF. You can write on the document with a pen or pencil, use highlighters and underline text, or add comments and notes.

If you’re a book lover, the prospect of annotating your favorite novel with notes and thoughts can be daunting. Which is why this blog post will come in handy if you’re every interested in annotating without messing up those beautiful book pages.

Which annotating method will you be using next time?

Did you like this blog post? I hope you did! If this is your first time reading a post of mine I’d like to introduce myself –

Hello! My name is Ash, I run the book blog The Novel Thief and all it’s social counterparts.

In addition to amazing advice like this post, I also have a section called The Bookish Bar where I create drinks inspired by books I love and a recommendation corner where I recommend you books based on popular ones people love.

Have you considered starting a virtual book club, but have no idea how, where or when to start? Well – I have you covered in this ultimate guide to starting your very own virtual book club !

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Why & How To Annotate A Book

Last Updated on August 18, 2023 by Louisa

I remember getting scolded in school for writing in my books, but I’ve since learned that it’s actually good practice.

Of course, you need to know how to annotate a book the right way, you can’t just doodle in the margins (which admittedly, is what I did).

As a teacher, I always encourage my students to write notes in the margins or to highlight texts in their books. The reason for this is that it helps to build a connection to the book, increases understanding, and also helps students remember what they have read.

But it’s not just students who should annotate their books. It’s good practice for any reader to annotate their books for fun to personalize their reading experience.

But if you don’t know why you should start annotating your books or how to do it, here are some tips on how to do it effectively…

Why Annotate Your Books?

Before I tell you my top tips for how to annotate your books for fun, let’s quickly think about why you should annotate your books.

This may be my teacher’s brain talking, but I feel this practice can be applied to any reader, no matter your age or reason for reading.

1. It enhances your comprehension

The main reason why you would annotate a book is to gain a better understanding of the story.

By adding your thoughts and insights to the margin of the text, you’re engaging with the material on a deeper level.

You’ll be able to make connections, identify themes, and understand complex ideas better. You can also write down questions that arise, which may be answered later on.

2. It personalizes your reading experience

Annotating your books is like having a conversation with the author. You’re sharing your reactions, asking questions, and offering feedback on the material.

It personalizes the reading experience and makes it more meaningful.

3. It helps you to retain more information

Annotating your books can help you retain information better. When you write down key points, ideas, and themes, it reinforces the information in your brain, making it easier to recall later.

Tips for Effective Book Annotation

Now you know why you should annotate your books, here are my tips for how to annotate your books for fun.

1. Use a pencil

Now I really do sound like a teacher talking!

It’s always a good idea to use a pencil instead of a pen so that you can erase your annotations later or adjust them while you’re reading.

As I mentioned earlier, you can write down questions that come up when you’re reading, and then they might be answered later. You can go back and erase the questions once they have been answered, or write “answer on page 10” for example.

2. Understand when to start annotating

The first thing to remember when annotating your book is that you should not be scribbling all over the page and you should only annotate when you need to.

One of the purposes of annotating is to help build memory and to help with study.

If you need to refer back to anything in your book and you’ve written a little poem around the answer, well you’re going to find it hard to make sense of your annotations.

You should only write when you feel it’s absolutely necessary. I always think when I’m annotating a book, to only write something that will be useful to you later on.

3. Highlight or underline what’s important

Sometimes you don’t need to write sentences or paragraphs in the margin, you can simply underline key quotes or messages that you think are important.

You might want to annotate next to what you have underlined to explain why you have highlighted it.

4. Know what to write about

In your annotations, you should write about key themes, and ideas, and underline quotes that you find interesting or essential to the material.

You should write your reflections on the text, what you think it means and what you think is being said between the lines.

5. Use symbols and abbreviations

Develop a set of symbols and abbreviations to help you mark the text quickly and easily.

For example, you could use an asterisk (*) to indicate where a paragraph corresponds to a section you have underlined.

You could also draw a star symbol next to significant points or underline phrases that resonate with you.

6. Keep it organized

Use different colored highlighters, sticky notes, or tabs to organize your annotations.

For example, you could use pink highlights for quotes, yellow for important themes, blue for questions, and green for your personal reactions.

You can also dog-ear pages (folding the corner) where you think there is something important. I personally don’t like doing this as I like to keep my books tidy , but you can use bookmarks or sticky tabs instead.

If you don’t want to write directly on the page, you can also use a post-it note.

Examples of Annotations

If you’re ready to start annotating but not sure where to start, here are some really cool examples of people who have annotated their books in different ways.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ✧ lisa ✧ | bookstagram (@buryme.withmybooks)

This person has used different colored sticky tabs to identify different themes in the book. This is a nice way to get a visual of the main themes in a book, especially if you need to do a book review or write a book report.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by lili | bookstagram (@lilisread)

This person has highlighted a quote they love and drawn hearts around it to signal that they like this quote. The use of doodling helps to add color to the book and make it pleasing to look at, but I personally think it needs to be done sparingly as it can be distracting from the text, which is not the goal.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by bella ♡ (@belladaneer)

This person has written their thoughts after highlighting a sentence that resonates with them. They also have a system of when to highlight something and when to underline it. It appears they have highlighted dialogue and underlined important quotes that resonate with them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @hopescure

This is a classic example of how to annotate a book for study. The reader has circled emotive words and underlined quotes that resonate with them. This is a good way to understand the emotion of the characters.

FAQs About How To Annotate Books

Can you annotate on kindle.

The Kindle Scribe feature, which is only on models after 2022, allows readers to annotate books. The Kindle Scribe also comes with a special digital pen in which you can do this. Other models allow you to highlight texts but not add your own annotations.

Can you annotate on Apple Books?

Yes, you can highlight and add notes on books using Apple Books.

Annotating your books is an engaging and effective way to enhance your reading experience.

By adding your thoughts to the margin of the text, you’ll develop a more profound and meaningful understanding of the material.

So, grab a pencil and start annotating.

About Louisa Smith

Editor/Founder - Epic Book Society

Louisa is the Founder, Editor, and Head Honcho of Epic Book Society. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a degree in Journalism. Louisa began her writing career at the age of 7 when her poetry was published in an anthology of poems to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. Upon graduating university, she spent several years working as a journalist writing about books before transitioning to become a Primary School Teacher. Louisa loves all genres of books, but her favorites are Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, and Young Adult Fiction. Read more Louisa's story here .

How To Annotate A Book In 9 Key Steps

To annotate any text is to make it your own . With annotating, you engage with the writing and its author . You turn it into a conversation.

You’re not just reading the words any more; you’re interacting with them, all the better to understand and to benefit from what you learn.

To help you in this, we created this brief but powerful guide on how to annotate a book. As you learn, feel free to apply your new skills to this post.

What Does It Mean to Annotate a Book?

What is the best way to annotate a book , 1. remove distractions. , 2. gather your tools, 3. create your own key with symbols., 4. read the book carefully. , 5. mark up the text. , 6. write notes in the margins., 7. use sticky notes or tabs., 8. use the “notes” feature on your e-reader/reading app., 9. create a companion annotation notebook. , ready to start annotating a book.

Annotating a book means adding notes of your own — wherever they’ll fit on the page or in a separate notebook — to connect your own thoughts to what you’re reading or clarify something in the text.

Why would you annotate a book, though?

To highlight (and find meaning for) unfamiliar words and expressions
To argue with a point the author is making
To force yourself to back up your argument (opinions only get you so far)
To understand the material well enough to take a test on it
To find and highlight hidden gems for your own research

Whatever your reasons for annotating a book, you probably reach for the same tools (highlighter, favorite pen, sticky tabs, etc.) before you dive in. So, how will you make the best use of them?

Briefly put, the best way to annotate a book is the way that works best for you. You’re the one having a conversation with the text, and you’re the one who’ll be using your annotated copy as a reference.

To get the most benefit, though, it helps to know what to look for when annotating a book:

Questions you have — and the answers you find
Unfamiliar words or turns of phrase
Meaningful quotes or passages
Connections to other works (text to text)
Real-world connections (text to world)
Connections with your own knowledge and experience (text to self)
Familiar or recurring themes/symbolism

When you’re looking for things to annotate in a book , keep your own goals in mind. What do you most want to gain from reading this? What are you hoping to learn?

Aside from your questions, get clear on your end goal, whether that’s passing a test, understanding something better, or being able to talk knowledgeably about the main idea .

You can annotate anything that stands out for you, whether you find it meaningful, entertaining, or difficult to understand. Add your own commentary to record thoughts you’ll want to remember.

When you’re finished, the book should bear evidence of an active and thoughtful conversation between you and the words within. And the next time you look through the book, echoes of that conversation will come back to you.

How to Annotate a Book: The 9 Key Steps

The following nine steps to annotating a book are as simple and straightforward as they are adaptable to your unique situation. Your ideal active reading space (and time) will likely differ from someone else’s, just as your conversation with a book will be different.

What you bring to each book is uniquely yours. Make it a conversation worth having.

Work in a place where no one and nothing will sabotage your concentration. For the next chunk of time, you are indisposed and unavailable. Silence your phone, lock your door, or do what you need to do (within reason) to ensure privacy and peace.

Think of it as setting aside time and space for a meaningful conversation.

Round up your highlighter pen or pens (in multiple colors), your favorite pen or pencil, some sticky notes or sticky tabs, a stack of notecards, and even a separate notebook or notepad. The more prepared you are to interact with the text, the more fun this will be.

Gathering your tools of engagement is one way to remind yourself you’re taking this seriously (but also looking forward to it).

One symbol can carry several lines’ worth of notes. Using symbols from your own key makes it easy to add quick but meaningful annotations.

Consider the following book annotation examples using familiar symbols:

? — “This needs clarification” or “I don’t know what this word means.”
! — “This!” or “I agree with this sentence 100%!”
* — (Inserted after a word or phrase) “See note in margin / below”
&? — “And then what?” or “This feels incomplete.”
@ — “Don’t get me started (or do, at your own risk).”

As you work through a text, you’ll probably think of other symbols to add.

Don’t rush through it. You’re on a hunt for meaning; this isn’t a race. Active reading is slow enough to get everything you need from the text.

When you read more quickly than you can process the information, you’re more likely to use your highlighter indiscriminately, making it more difficult to find key phrases when you look through the text afterward.

Slower, more mindful reading allows you to annotate more effectively.

How to Annotate a Novel

Annotating a novel looks a lot like annotating a nonfiction book . The differences will depend on why you’re reading the novel.

If you’re reading for your enjoyment , you may not annotate much. But once you’ve built the habit of active reading, you’ll probably want to keep your tools handy just in case.

If you’re reading for a class or for a book club , the stakes are higher. You want to know the novel well enough to write or talk about it.

So, you’ll want to have a closer relationship with the story, its characters, and its world.

That reason alone is a strong recommendation for book clubs. You’ll read with more attention because you know it’ll make those book club meetings more enjoyable. Plus, you’ll remember the story better than if you hadn’t bothered engaging with it.

Annotating a novel can include all the steps listed for a nonfiction book , though you may not create a companion notebook (but it couldn’t hurt). Just remember the following:

This isn’t a test. It’s a way for you to get the most out of what you’re reading.
You still get to enjoy the story. In fact, you’ll probably enjoy it even more.
When you write something down, your brain makes more connections .

Now that you know how to annotate a book, what titles come to mind? Which annotating techniques have you used so far?

And what did you learn from this post that you’ll apply this week?

Don’t be disappointed if you find your conversation with a particular book wasn’t as satisfying or illuminating as you’d hoped. If you pick it up again at a different time, the results may be different.

Because you will be.

How to Annotate a Book

Note: This post may contain affiliate links.

Annotating books is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I have commitment issues, so I am also going to show you how to annotate books without actually writing in them and damaging them!

I think that when it comes to book annotation, a lot of us think that it’s only for serious studying of the book. But, you can do this in the books for fun! There’s nothing better than opening up your favorite book and seeing your reactions of when you read through it for the very first time.

What Does Annotating Books Mean?

Annotating books is all about adding your own little thought and notes to a book to elevate your reading experience and boost your reading comprehension. Sometimes, you even start highlighting things you think may be foreshadowing or also some of your favorite quotes that you think are memorable.

Do You Need a Physical Book to Annotate?

Short answer, no! A lot of e-readers such as kindles allow for highlighting and note-taking now!

Book Annotation Supplies for Actively Writing in Your Book

Let’s market it up! This is the classic annotation method for anyone who doesn’t mind writing directly into their book.

Pen or Pencils

I usually lean towards a nice black pen or a pencil. But, I’ve got some options that I think will suit everyone nicely.

Pilot G2 Pen in Black
Colorful Pilot G2 Pens
Zebra Black Ballpoint Pen
Refillable Pencils

Highlighters

While there are a lot of different types of highlighters, these Stabilo Boss Highlighters are my absolute favorite. I find that the highlight colors are incredibly important because if they’re too dark it becomes super difficult to see the words.

If you want your lines to be perfectly straight, you’re going to need a good ruler .

Book Annotation Supplies for Not Writing in Your Book

Let’s build a book annotation kit together, shall we? I think the thing I like best about this is that it feels like a little craft project.

Transparent Sticky Notes

The best part of transparent sticky notes is that they feel almost seamless and you can read all the text around them without ruining your beautiful book.

Colorful See-Through Sticky Notes

If you’re following a color key, these colorful see-through sticky notes are going to be perfect. When you are doing this type of book annotation, it can be helpful to store a book annotation key either in the book itself or have it on your phone while you are getting used to your annotations.

Highlighter Strips

I love the idea of these super cute highlighter strips ! The best part to me is that they aren’t going to smear or bleed through and of course that I can always take them out when I need to.

Whether you decided to write in your book or use more of a sticky note method, you’re going to need a pouch to store everything. These are a few from my store.

includes three zipper bouches with designs on a background, on says book worm, with worm scrated out and replaces by dragon in red, one is a kawaii picture of cthulu with the text "poor cthulhu" one says I like to bread in five pastel colors.

Book Annotation Color Key

While you can really go off of whatever you like best or whatever works for you, here are a few ideas for color codes to get you started.

Pink – Romantic or spicy moments
Red – Moments that make you angry
Blue – Important world building
Green – Characters (character development, character introductions, and formulating on character motives)
Blue – Sad moments
Yellow – Favorite quotes or meaningful quotes

Annotating color keys also look super different depending on the genre of book you’re reading, so if you’re reading a fantasy book, you may want to include world-building, whereas if you’re annotating non-fiction books, you may want to change that color to something else.

Reading Journals

If you want to work your way up to writing in your actual books, book journals are also a great resource!

There are some great options for reading journals, such as this hardcover one by Kunitsa Co . which includes a variety of different pages and worksheets to go through.

If you’re more of a spiral-bound person, this is also a great option for book lovers!

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How to annotate a book.

This is an interesting question that can be answered in two ways. If you want to annotate a book to better understand what you read, it’s one thing. If you want to annotate resources for an academic paper, then you need to create an annotated bibliography.

In this article, we will discuss both book annotation cases and provide examples for them.

Why Annotate?

How to annotate, citing vs. annotating, annotated bibliography types and examples, how to annotate a book—annotation as a reading strategy.

Annotating a book is an active reading strategy that can help you understand and analyze the material better.

To annotate effectively, use a few or all of these tips:

Sum up key points in your own words.
Circle or underline key concepts , phrases, or any unfamiliar or vocabulary words. You can even write their definitions in the margins.
Highlight or underline important parts such as the sentences carrying the main idea of a paragraph, chapter, etc. You can even put brackets around it.

Write short comments and questions in the margins : any intrinsic details, examples, facts, or quotes.
Use abbreviations and symbols to mark your reactions (e.g., “?” when you have a question about a particular piece of text, “!” when you find something noteworthy, “*” when there’s a good example or evidence for future use—or any other symbols you like). You can even use shorthand writing if you know how to do it.

By annotating the content, you can better summarize what you read. Annotations can also help you take notes later on.

How to Annotate a Book—Annotated Bibliography

Annotating a book as in creating an annotated bibliography is an entirely different process.

An annotated bibliography is used to showcase the importance, accuracy, and credibility of the sources you decide to cite. It also helps you understand the assigned topic better. Also, you can be asked to create an annotated bibliography to check your ability to choose relevant sources for your topic.

When it comes to academic writing , it’s important to differentiate between citing sources and annotating a book. Although the two terms are closely related, they are not interchangeable.

A citation simply provides the publication details of a source, formatted in a particular style (e.g., MLA, Chicago style, or APA). In one of our previous articles, we discussed how to cite a textbook, and you can check the full text on our blog: How to Cite a Textbook: A Comprehensive Guide .

An annotation goes further by summarizing the content and evaluating the relevance or quality of the source if you mean it in the context of an annotated bibliography . If you’re creating an annotated bibliography, you first cite the book, then provide a paragraph summarizing and evaluating it as a source.

Most commonly, you’ll be expected to write either of these annotated bibliographies:

Descriptive Annotations: These annotations are exactly what they say: they describe the source.
Summary Annotations: Informative or summary annotations provide a summary of the source.
Evaluation Annotations: An evaluation annotation focuses less on summarizing and more on evaluating the source.

When you create a bibliography, it’s important to consider why you’re making it. Depending on the purpose, you may want to summarize, evaluate, or reflect on sources. Alternatively, you may do all of it in a combination. Think about why you’re making the bibliography and what instructions you were given before deciding what information to include.

All annotated bibliographies follow a simple but strict structure : a title, annotation, and citation. The annotation itself is usually a piece of text, but the title and citation depiction vary based on your style. Most commonly, you’ll use one of the three: MLA, APA, or Chicago styles.

Here’s an example of an annotated bibliography in the APA style format (7th ed.) :

Here’s an example of an annotated bibliography in the MLA style format (9th ed.) :

Here’s an example of an annotated bibliography in the Chicago Manual of Style format (17th ed.) :

If you learn to annotate, you’ll acquire a great skill that will help you understand any material better. While it’s really up to you to decide whether your book will stay pristinely clean without any marks or highlights or you’ll be identifying key points, asking questions, and noting your reactions in the text itself and the margins, we just point out that annotating does help gain a better and deeper understanding of the book’s arguments.

The same goes for annotated bibliographies—knowing how to create them and some practice will help you a lot in your studies. Now, we hope you know the difference between annotating and creating annotated bibliographies and know how to do both.

Natalie Meyers

Natalie Meyers is a freelance writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. As an English major and a psychology graduate, she worked as a teacher and a counselor. As a writer, she's covered a diverse range of topics from technology to publishing. She is an avid reader who believes that books help us become more authentic versions of ourselves. At BookScouter, she's a smart writer and an expert in all things books.

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How to Annotate Books for Fun – Plus my Favorite Book Annotation Supplies

When I used to think of annotating, my head would immediately turn to school. Being forced to highlight and write notes about a piece of text is a classic school assignment. But as I have grown older (ew) and moved away from my years in school, I have grown to love the act of annotating my books. If you are interested in learning how to annotate books for fun, stick around, I am writing an entire post about it!

The first thing that drew me into annotating books was the aesthetic of it. I would scroll through my feed on bookstagram and would constantly see these beautiful images of annotated books using 10 different colors and 100 different sticky notes. I was mesmerized by the process and outcome.

This led me to look more into the subject where I found Youtube videos of people teaching others how they annotate their books. I found so many wonderful creators giving readers a peek into how they mark up their books.

A few of my favorite annotating videos are linked below:

I also love reading other bloggers’ takes on annotating! Here is a fantastic post from The Wordy Habitat all about annotating. They go into so much detail, please go check out their post! I also love this post from Mollie Reads ! They give so many examples of how to annotate books for fun!

After all my research, and once I got the hang of it through photos and videos, I decided to try it for myself. The first book I decided to annotate was about one year ago, and it was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I started with my favorite book that I have read multiple times already so I could really focus on analyzing the text I was reading. If you are trying to figure out what the first book you annotate will be, I recommend choosing something you’ve read before, or a book in your favorite genre.

Rereading my favorite book and adding my thoughts and emotions throughout was such a special experience. I was immediately addicted to annotating books for fun. It has become such a relaxing and creative pastime. In this post, I am going to talk about the art and joy of annotating books in detail, along with all the supplies I keep in my annotation kit.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission through these links with no impact on your purchase. Thank you. For more information, click here !

What Does it Mean to Annotate Books?

The definition of annotating a book is reading and analyzing a piece of text, and then adding the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that pop into your head directly into the text.

You can probably remember being given paragraphs or pieces of text and being forced to annotate them in middle school and high school. At least I remember that vividly. I always hated it. I would highlight random sentences and rephrase things without actually taking any of the information in. But looking back, it was a good skill they were trying to teach. I was just lazy and didn’t like doing things that felt unnecessary.

But like I said, the further away from school, the more I have started to fall in love with the art of annotation, especially for the books I read for fun.

Why Should You Annotate Books?

There is no right or wrong reason for annotating books for fun. You can choose to annotate every book you read or you can choose to never touch a sticky note and highlighter in your life. One option is not better than the other.

BUT, if you are looking for some reasons why you should, here are a few benefits of annotating books:

Actually Remembering the Plot of the Book : Am I the only one who reads a book and then completely forgets the entire plot and cast of characters as soon as I close the last page? Because I don’t remember nearly as much as I should. However, when I annotate books for fun, I tend to remember a lot more about them because I am being more analytical with them.
Becoming a Better Writer : If you didn’t know, one of my goals is to become a published author. So, one of the steps toward that goal is taking a deeper look at the books I am reading. I am going that through annotation. I look at what I liked and what I didn’t like in a book and try to figure out what the author did to achieve it.
It’s Fun and Creative : The first thing that attracted me to annotating books was the creative/aesthetic aspect of it. The end result is just so pretty, you know what I mean? So obviously I love having fun with it when I am highliting lines and adding my thoughts to the margins of my favorite chapters. For example, one of my favorite methods of annotation is adding doodles and images to a block of text.
Makes You More Observent : When you are annotating books for fun, you have to pay more attention to the words you are reading. That’s why you remember the plot and characters better. But it also makes you more observent in your every day life as well. Annotating books has opened my eyes and made me see things in my daily life I normally would have brushed past.

What Supplies do you Need to Annotate a Book?

All you need to annotate are two things:

A writing utensil (pen, pencil, crayon, whatever you want)

The basics of annotation can be done with literally any writing instrument in any color you can get your hands on. Although, I wouldn’t really recommend a crayon…

But if you are looking at being extra like I am, and you want the aesthetic, here are some book annotation supplies in my collection that I love and use regularly:

Sticky Notes (Click here to see my favorite)
Book Annotation Tabs (Click here to see my favorite)
Colorful pens (Click here to see my favorite)
Ruler for underlining (Click here to see my favorite)
Notebook (Click here to see my favorite)
Notecarfs (Click here to see my favoirte)
Colorful highlighters (Click here to see my favorite)

How do you Annotate a Book Without Ruining it?

The first time I annotated a book, I had to go out and find an extra, used copy so if I messed up I still had my original… I was terrified.

So, if you are like me, and you are terrified of writing in your books out of fear of ruining them, or messing up don’t worry! You can still annotate your books without ruining them with sticky notes, reading journals, and more.

1. Sticky Notes

I mentioned these earlier, but these are great for annotating without writing in the book. You can purchase stick notes in a ton of different sizes and shapes to fit the thoughts you are having about a book.

Getting a sticky note set like this one from Amazon, which you can find here , is perfect for annotating. It gives you options for sizing and shape to perfectly fit the annotation you are making. You can also get packs like this in other colors from Amazon if this doesn’t match your aesthetic.

2. Clear Sticky Notes

One of my absolute favorite ways to annotate books without actually writing in them is clear sticky notes. These went viral on Twitter a couple of years ago because someone posted about them and the bookish Twitter community went crazy. (I can’t find the original post but credit to them for this idea lol)

Anyway, they are absolutely ingenious, especially if you want to underline specific lines in the book without putting ink to paper.

This pack from Amazon, which you can find here , is a great value and you get clear sticky notes in a bunch of different sizes. Just make sure to use ballpoint pens, not gel, and allow the ink to dry before you close the book or turn the page!

Note: These are made of plastic, so they aren’t the best for the environment. But in the grand scheme of things, you using a couple plastic sticky notes isn’t going to end the world, creating legislation that checks large corporations is going to make the biggest difference.

3. Note Cards

Another one of my favorite ways to annotate without writing in the book is using notecards. When I was annotating The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, I kept a pack of notecards beside me and I would summarize each chapter after reading it. I would then slip that notecard into the pages of the book.

I personally like using colorful notecards, like these from Amazon, but they also sell them in white and neon colors. When I use notecards to annotate, I select the color I write notes on based on my feelings about the chapter (I will go into more detail on my annotation color key later in the post). Then I can go back and easily find which chapters made me feel which emotions.

4. Reading Journal

Finally, a great way to make notes while reading is simply by using a notebook. You can note the chapter or page number you are referring to and write down any and all thoughts you have while consuming the story.

You can get a fancy reading journal specifically created to take notes about the books you read, like this one from Amazon! Or any old notebook will do. You can even fold some pieces of paper, staple them, and make your own notebook!

A note on this topic, books are just objects, so if you want to write directly in the book but are too afraid to ruin it, don’t be! What is the worst that can happen? That you have a scribble in the book? Gives it more character in my opinion! I have always wanted to pick a used book up from a thrift store and see someone’s annotations in it. That would be such a fun reading experience.

Writing in books doesn’t ruin them!

Anyway, here is an example of book annotation without actually writing in the book:

Image of annotating a book without writing in it

What is a Book Annotation Kit and How Do you Make One?

Once I started really getting into annotating my books for fun, I realized I needed a little kit to bring with me whenever I was reading a book. This is especially true if you like to take your books to a coffee shop and pretend you are the main character of a movie, reading, annotating, and sipping a latté.

Many people use different things when creating their kits, and you can even buy premade ones on Etsy. But for me, I made my own annotation kit, which consisted of a zipper pouch full of the pens, highlighters, tabs, and sticky notes I am currently using.

I use this “BOOKS!” pouch from my Redbubble shop. Just so everyone knows exactly what my priorities are when they see my book annotation kit. Here is a picture of it without any actual annotation supplies in it lol…

What’s included in a book annotation kit?

Multiple colors of pens or pencils
Highlighters
Sticky Notes
Annotation color key (more on that later)
Book annotation tabs

What Books Should You Annotate?

When looking at what books you should annotate, anything and everything you want is perfect! Literally, anything with words in it can be annotated. But if this is the first time you are entering the world of annotating books for fun, here are some of the best places to start:

Your favorite book
A piece of non-fiction (to get in the annotating mood, it is easier to annotate non-fiction, and most people have done this before)
A book you really hated (It is so fun writing why you hate a book, maybe I’m just a hater)

What is the Difference Between Annotating Books for Fun and for Learning?

For some, the transition between annotating for school and annotating for fun is a difficult one. You can look at a piece of fiction and have no idea what you should be highlighting except maybe some metaphors because that is what we have learned in all our years of school.

However, with annotating for fun, there are completely different things to focus on. Think about why you read for fun. There are one million different reasons, but a few include escapism, feeling something, and simply for fun. So when you are annotating these books, you want to focus on those aspects. What made you smile, what made you angry. Emotion plays a larger role in annotating for fun rather than for learning.

How to Annotate Books for Fun

Alright, we have talked about all the supplies you will need along with different methods and purposes of annotating. But what should you actually annotate while reading a book for fun? It isn’t exactly like school, where you are just trying to find the most important pieces of information. It is certainly different.

Deciding what to annotate in books you are reading for fun is completely personal but here are some ideas to get you started:

Highlight some favorite quotes
Note characterization you found successful or unsuccesful
Highlight aspects of the book that made you feel something
If you didn’t like something, write why
Sensory details that caught your attention
Doodle something inspired by the book on one of the pages
Did the story give you an idea? Write it directly into the pages
Record random thoughts that pop into your head while reading
Note the motifs so you can look back at them later
Is the author using a trope you love/hate? Note that!

As you can see, these ideas for annotation are a lot different from academic annotation. There is a lot less pressure, so have fun with it, and mark up your book as much or as little as you want. You aren’t being graded on this!

Here is a book annotation example from my copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:

I make note of descriptions that I love and sensory details that Collins includes in the writing. Usually, I annotate anything that sparked my interest while reading the pages. I am not too detailed in my annotation because I let salient details come out of the page rather than searching them out.

Book Annotation Color Key

With all the different highlighter and pen colors I have in my book annotation kit, I always create a color code for my book annotations. It makes it easier to identify my notes, and it looks pretty. Below is an example of the color key I use when annotating books for fun. Don’t mind my messy handwriting…

I will use these colors to both highlight and write notes, so when I look back at my annotated book I know exactly what I was thinking before I even read the note. It creates a wonderful rainbow of thoughts and ideas in my book.

Annotating books for fun is one of my absolute favorite activities, so this post was a lot of fun to write. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this. You don’t have to do it at all if you don’t want to. That is the beauty of hobbies, they are completely at will!

What is your favorite way to annotate books? Let me know in the comments below, I am always looking for more ideas!

17 thoughts on “How to Annotate Books for Fun – Plus my Favorite Book Annotation Supplies”

Enjoyed this!! Thankyou!

I’m so glad you did! Thanks for reading 💕

My style is Downtown Girl, and annotating books are what I should do to become more like my style ! This is rlly helpful, tysm .

I am supposed to annotate a book and had no idea what I should write. Thanks so much for the guidance. I feel better knowing anything goes!!

Yay! I’m so glad you found some guidance in this, annotating is super fun once you get past the “what am I supposed to write” part of it lol 😆

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I just loved the aesthetic of it and want to get into reading more! I am so glad I found this.

Agreed! There is nothing like an annotated book, the aesthetic is top notch! I hope you found some helpful hints!

I learned a lot from this post. I was so reluctant to make any notes in my books because I had some fixation about keeping them pristine, but now I think I have missed out on so many advantages. Thank you.

Great article, I love your tips, I didn´t know what kind of things to annotate in the books and this was helpful and gave me some great ideas. Thanks 🙂

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You shared so many great resources in this post. Thanks so much for sharing how you annotate and what you use.

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Loved loved loved this !!! Annotating books is a different type of intimacy 😀

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thanks for this! i love it sm <3

Annotating text: The complete guide to close reading

As students, researchers, and self-learners, we understand the power of reading and taking smart notes . But what happens when we combine those together? This is where annotating text comes in.

Annotated text is a written piece that includes additional notes and commentary from the reader. These notes can be about anything from the author's style and tone to the main themes of the work. By providing context and personal reactions, annotations can turn a dry text into a lively conversation.

Creating text annotations during close readings can help you follow the author's argument or thesis and make it easier to find critical points and supporting evidence. Plus, annotating your own texts in your own words helps you to better understand and remember what you read.

This guide will take a closer look at annotating text, discuss why it's useful, and how you can apply a few helpful strategies to develop your annotating system.

What does annotating text mean?

Annotating text: yellow pen and a yellow notebook

Text annotation refers to adding notes, highlights, or comments to a text. This can be done using a physical copy in textbooks or printable texts. Or you can annotate digitally through an online document or e-reader.

Generally speaking, annotating text allows readers to interact with the content on a deeper level, engaging with the material in a way that goes beyond simply reading it. There are different levels of annotation, but all annotations should aim to do one or more of the following:

Summarize the key points of the text
Identify evidence or important examples
Make connections to other texts or ideas
Think critically about the author's argument
Make predictions about what might happen next

When done effectively, annotation can significantly improve your understanding of a text and your ability to remember what you have read.

What are the benefits of annotation?

There are many reasons why someone might wish to annotate a document. It's commonly used as a study strategy and is often taught in English Language Arts (ELA) classes. Students are taught how to annotate texts during close readings to identify key points, evidence, and main ideas.

In addition, this reading strategy is also used by those who are researching for self-learning or professional growth. Annotating texts can help you keep track of what you’ve read and identify the parts most relevant to your needs. Even reading for pleasure can benefit from annotation, as it allows you to keep track of things you might want to remember or add to your personal knowledge management system .

Annotating has many benefits, regardless of your level of expertise. When you annotate, you're actively engaging with the text, which can help you better understand and learn new things . Additionally, annotating can save you time by allowing you to identify the most essential points of a text before starting a close reading or in-depth analysis.

There are few studies directly on annotation, but the body of research is growing. In one 2022 study, specific annotation strategies increased student comprehension , engagement, and academic achievement. Students who annotated read slower, which helped them break down texts and visualize key points. This helped students focus, think critically , and discuss complex content.

Annotation can also be helpful because it:

Allows you to quickly refer back to important points in the text without rereading the entire thing
Helps you to make connections between different texts and ideas
Serves as a study aid when preparing for exams or writing essays
Identifies gaps in your understanding so that you can go back and fill them in

The process of annotating text can make your reading experience more fruitful. Adding comments, questions, and associations directly to the text makes the reading process more active and enjoyable.

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How do you annotate text?

There are many different ways to annotate while reading. The traditional method of annotating uses highlighters, markers, and pens to underline, highlight, and write notes in paper books. Modern methods have now gone digital with apps and software. You can annotate on many note-taking apps, as well as online documents like Google Docs.

While there are documented benefits of handwritten notes, recent research shows that digital methods are effective as well. Among college students in an introductory college writing course, those with more highlighting on digital texts correlated with better reading comprehension than those with more highlighted sections on paper.

No matter what method you choose, the goal is always to make your reading experience more active, engaging, and productive. To do so, the process can be broken down into three simple steps:

Do the first read-through without annotating to get a general understanding of the material.
Reread the text and annotate key points, evidence, and main ideas.
Review your annotations to deepen your understanding of the text.

Of course, there are different levels of annotation, and you may only need to do some of the three steps. For example, if you're reading for pleasure, you might only annotate key points and passages that strike you as interesting or important. Alternatively, if you're trying to simplify complex information in a detailed text, you might annotate more extensively.

The type of annotation you choose depends on your goals and preferences. The key is to create a plan that works for you and stick with it.

Annotation strategies to try

When annotating text, you can use a variety of strategies. The best method for you will depend on the text itself, your reason for reading, and your personal preferences. Start with one of these common strategies if you don't know where to begin.

Questioning: As you read, note any questions that come to mind as you engage in critical thinking . These could be questions about the author's argument, the evidence they use, or the implications of their ideas.
Summarizing: Write a brief summary of the main points after each section or chapter. This is a great way to check your understanding, help you process information , and identify essential information to reference later.
Paraphrasing: In addition to (or instead of) summaries, try paraphrasing key points in your own words. This will help you better understand the material and make it easier to reference later.
Connecting: Look for connections between different parts of the text or other ideas as you read. These could be things like similarities, contrasts, or implications. Make a note of these connections so that you can easily reference them later.
Visualizing: Sometimes, it can be helpful to annotate text visually by drawing pictures or taking visual notes . This can be especially helpful when trying to make connections between different ideas.
Responding: Another way to annotate is to jot down your thoughts and reactions as you read. This can be a great way to personally engage with the material and identify any areas you need clarification on.

Combining the three-step annotation process with one or more strategies can create a customized, powerful reading experience tailored to your specific needs.

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7 tips for effective annotations

Once you've gotten the hang of the annotating process and know which strategies you'd like to use, there are a few general tips you can follow to make the annotation process even more effective.

1. Read with a purpose. Before you start annotating, take a moment to consider what you're hoping to get out of the text. Do you want to gain a general overview? Are you looking for specific information? Once you know what you're looking for, you can tailor your annotations accordingly.

2. Be concise. When annotating text, keep it brief and focus on the most important points. Otherwise, you risk annotating too much, which can feel a bit overwhelming, like having too many tabs open . Limit yourself to just a few annotations per page until you get a feel for what works for you.

3. Use abbreviations and symbols. You can use abbreviations and symbols to save time and space when annotating digitally. If annotating on paper, you can use similar abbreviations or symbols or write in the margins. For example, you might use ampersands, plus signs, or question marks.

4. Highlight or underline key points. Use highlighting or underlining to draw attention to significant passages in the text. This can be especially helpful when reviewing a text for an exam or essay. Try using different colors for each read-through or to signify different meanings.

5. Be specific. Vague annotations aren't very helpful. Make sure your note-taking is clear and straightforward so you can easily refer to them later. This may mean including specific inferences, key points, or questions in your annotations.

6. Connect ideas. When reading, you'll likely encounter ideas that connect to things you already know. When these connections occur, make a note of them. Use symbols or even sticky notes to connect ideas across pages. Annotating this way can help you see the text in a new light and make connections that you might not have otherwise considered.

7. Write in your own words. When annotating, copying what the author says verbatim can be tempting. However, it's more helpful to write, summarize or paraphrase in your own words. This will force you to engage your information processing system and gain a deeper understanding.

These tips can help you annotate more effectively and get the most out of your reading. However, it’s important to remember that, just like self-learning , there is no one "right" way to annotate. The process is meant to enrich your reading comprehension and deepen your understanding, which is highly individual. Most importantly, your annotating system should be helpful and meaningful for you.

Engage your learning like never before by learning how to annotate text

Learning to effectively annotate text is a powerful tool that can improve your reading, self-learning , and study strategies. Using an annotating system that includes text annotations and note-taking during close reading helps you actively engage with the text, leading to a deeper understanding of the material.

Try out different annotation strategies and find what works best for you. With practice, annotating will become second nature and you'll reap all the benefits this powerful tool offers.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. Feel free to share, recommend and connect 🙏

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How To Annotate Books? Best Full Guide [2022]

It is a great way to keep track and organize the thoughts that you have read in the books that you own. You can refer back to your notes later. It is also a good way to practice critical and analytical thinking. How do you annotate books? Penn Book will show you how to annotate books in detail. Let’s get started.

What Does it Mean to Annotate Books?

Annotation has traditionally been defined as “the critical or explanatory notes added to a text.” More recently, however, the definition of annotation has been expanded to include “any explanatory notes added to a text,” whether they are critical, explanatory, or simply descriptive.

This expanded definition reflects the growing recognition that annotation can be a valuable tool for all readers, not just scholars and students.

Annotations can take many different forms, but all annotations share one common goal: to help readers engage with a text in a deeper and more thoughtful way.

Annotations can provide information about the author, the historical context in which the text was written, the structure of the argument, or key themes and symbols. Annotations can also offer personal reflections on the text, or simply point out interesting passages.

Whatever form they take, annotations should always be readable and understandable. When done well, annotation can turn a dry and difficult text into an engaging and thought-provoking experience.

Why Should You Annotate Books?

There are many reasons you should annotate books. One reason is that it can help you better understand what you are reading. If you encounter an unfamiliar word or phrase, you can search for its meaning and jot down the definition in the margins. This practice can aid in retaining the word’s definition and comprehending the context in which it was utilized.

Another reason to annotate books is that it can help you remember key points and ideas. If you highlight or underline important passages and then write a brief summary of why it was important in the margins, you will be able to quickly review the most important concepts before exams or papers. Organizing your reflections and annotations while reading is an additional advantage of this method.

Finally, annotation can simply make reading more enjoyable. By jotting down notes in the margins, you are prone to be more attentive and engage in critical thinking concerning the content you are reading. This can lead to deeper insights and a greater appreciation for the literature.

What Supplies Do You Need to Annotate a Book?

In order to annotate a book, you will need a few supplies. You will require a pen or a pencil to annotate in the margins of the book.

Highlighters can also be helpful in order to draw attention to important passages. Post-it notes can be used to flag pages or sections that you want to come back to.

Ultimately, a notepad or a sheet of paper can be utilized to note down any reflections or queries that arise during your reading.

How do you Annotate a Book Without Ruining it?

Pencils or colored pens.

Avoid using a regular pen or highlighter, as these can bleed through the pages and make it difficult to read the text. Instead, use a pencil or colored pens to underline or highlight important sections.

Sticky Notes

In case you prefer not to write directly in the book, you can utilize sticky notes to indicate essential sections or record your reflections.

Use different colors: Use different colored sticky notes to mark different types of annotations, such as blue for important concepts, yellow for questions, and pink for examples.

Write short notes: Keep your notes brief and to the point, using shorthand or abbreviations where possible. This will allow you to fit more annotations on each sticky note and make them easier to read.

Use tabs and flags: Use sticky tabs and flags to mark specific pages or sections that are particularly important. This will help you quickly find and reference important information later on.

Organize your notes: Use a system of organization that makes sense to you, such as grouping notes by topic or organizing them in chronological order. This will make it easier to review and synthesize your annotations when you need to.

Avoid overusing sticky notes: While sticky notes can be a great tool for annotation, it’s important to avoid overusing them. Stick to marking the most important parts of the text and avoid cluttering the book with too many notes.

Use Symbols and Abbreviations

Develop a system of symbols and abbreviations to make your annotations more concise and efficient. For example, use a star to indicate an important point or an exclamation mark to indicate surprise.

What is a Book Annotation Kit and How Do you Make One?

A book annotation kit is a tool that allows you to create annotations for a book. It typically includes a software program and a set of instructions.

Annotation requires selecting a text. Subsequently, you may opt to emphasize the text, underline it, or attach a remark. After producing your annotation, you can preserve it and distribute it with others.

Book annotation kits can be used for a variety of purposes, such as reading comprehension, research, and writing. They can also be used to create collaborative notes between students and teachers.

What Books Should You Annotate?

A book annotation kit is a great way to keep track of your reading. It enables you to document your contemplations and perceptions about a book as you read it, and then revisit them later. You can use a kit to make an annotated bibliography for a research paper, or simply to keep track of your own reading.

To make a book annotation kit, you will need:

A notebook or journal
A pen or pencil
Highlighters or post-it notes (optional)

Begin by reading a book. While reading, pay attention to anything that catches your attention as intriguing, significant, or thought-provoking. These might include excerpts, personas, concepts, or anything else that stands out to you.

Next, open your notebook or journal and find a blank page. On this page, document the book’s title, author, and page number where you encountered the excerpt, persona, or concept that you wish to recollect. Then, write a short annotation about why this element was important to you.

Jot down the title of the book, the author, and the page number where you discovered the excerpt, persona, or concept that you wish to recall on this page.

If you want to, you can highlight the passages, characters, or themes that you annotate in your book. This will help you to find them again easily. You can also use post-it notes to mark these elements.

After completing the book and producing your annotations, you will possess a valuable resource to revisit whenever necessary. Whenever you want to remember something from a book, you can simply consult your book annotation kit.

What is the Difference Between Annotating Books for Fun and for Learning?

When done for fun, annotations can help readers engage with a text on a deeper level, making the reading experience more enjoyable. When done for learning, annotations can help readers better understand and remember the information in a text.

There are a few key differences between annotating books for fun and for learning. First, when annotating for fun, readers can choose to focus on any aspect of the text that interests them. They may want to add their own thoughts and interpretations, or make connections to other things they’ve read.

In contrast, when annotating for learning, readers will want to focus on the most important information in the text. This may include identifying key concepts, main ideas, and supporting details.

Another difference is that annotations for fun can be less formal than those for learning. Readers can use whatever style or format they prefer, and there are no set rules to follow.

When annotating for learning, however, it’s important to use a consistent format and include all the relevant information. This will make it easier to review the annotations later on.

Overall, annotations can be a great way to enhance any reading experience. By taking the time to add notes, comments, and thoughts, readers can get more out of a text, whether they’re reading for fun or for learning.

What Do You Annotate In Fiction Books?

When you’re reading a fiction book, there are a lot of different things you can annotate. For example, you might want to highlight important plot points, or make notes about the characters’ development. It could be beneficial to record your personal opinions and perceptions about the book as you progress through it.

The crucial aspect is that you are interacting with the text in a manner that holds significance to you, regardless of what you opt to annotate. Annotation can help you keep track of your thoughts, notice patterns, and make connections that you might not have otherwise. Engaging in this practice is an exceptional approach to enrich your comprehension of a book and can even augment the pleasure of re-reading it.

Here are some specific things you might annotate in a fiction book:

The author’s use of figurative language
The development of the plot
The relationships between the characters
The changes in the characters’ personalities
The setting of the story
The theme of the book

How to Annotate a Book For a Friend?

Assuming you would like tips on how to annotate a book for a friend:

Giving a buddy a book can make it hard to decide what to write in it. It’s important to ensure that the annotations you pen down are individualized and hold significance for your friend. However, it’s equally crucial not to divulge too much about the plot or ruin the book for them. Here are some tips on how to annotate a book for a friend:

Write a personal note on the inside cover. This is a great place to write a quote that your friend loves, or to simply say why you are giving them this book.
If there is a specific scene or character that you know your friend will love, highlight it and leave a note next to it.
If there are any themes in the book that you believe will resonate with your friend, make a record of them. For instance, if the book revolves around grief, and you are aware that your friend is undergoing a difficult phase, inscribe a note about how you wish the book could aid them.

Annotating a book for a friend is an excellent approach to personalize the gift and reassure them that you are thinking of them. With these recommendations, you can pen down annotations that hold significance and will enhance their experience of the book.

How to Annotate Books for Fun?

Annotations are a great way to add depth and understanding to your reading. They can also be a fun way to interact with the text on a personal level. Here are some tips on how to annotation books for fun:

Highlight some favorite quotes
Take note of which characterizations you found successful or unsuccessful.
Highlight parts of the book that made you feel something.
If you didn’t like something, explain why.
Sensory details that drew your attention
Draw something inspired by the book on one of the pages.
Did the story inspire you in any way? Write it directly on the pages.
Note any motifs that come to mind while reading.
Is the author employing a trope that you like or dislike? Take note of this!

Book Annotation Color Key

The Book Annotation Color Key is a great way to keep track of your annotations while reading. This key will help you to quickly and easily identify which annotations are which. Here is a quick guide to the colors and their meanings:

Blue – Important Points
Red – Questions
Green – Comments
Yellow – Highlights

By utilizing this method, you can effortlessly revisit the most significant portions of the book that you wish to retain in your memory. This tool is highly beneficial for students, teachers, and individuals who wish to monitor their contemplations while reading.

Is it bad to annotate books?

It is a great way to keep track of and organize the thoughts that you have read in the books you own. You will have something to refer back to later. It can also be a good way to practice your analytical and critical thinking skills by making notes.

How do you annotate reading?

Identify the main thesis. In the margin, underline the main thesis (or the main argument or viewpoint), and then write it in your own words. Continue to read the first or second sentence of each body paragraph. Highlight the main point of each paragraph, and then summarize it in the margin using your own words.

What are the 3 types of annotations?

There are three types of annotation: summary, evaluation, and descriptive.

See more: https://www.bibliography.com/examples/annotated-bibliography-writing-guide-with-examples

What is an example of annotation?

Frequency: An annotation is an additional note that explains a topic in a text. An example of an annotation is the definition of an archaic term found in the Bible. It can be found at the bottom of this page. An explanation or critical note.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your reading comprehension and understanding of what you’re reading, try annotating your books. This simple technique can make a big difference in how much you get out of your reading.

Plus, it’s a great way to keep track of your thoughts and ideas as you read. So give it a try next time you crack open a book!

Read more: Best Books On How To Win The Lottery [2022]

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Forever Booked Up

Reading Tips: How I Use Book Tabs to Annotate Books

by Danielle at ForeverBookedUp

Have you seen readers on Instagram, Youtube, or TikTok using book tabs and not sure how to get started with them? If you want to learn my full process on how I annotate books using book tabs, watch the video below or keep reading!

I have tried a number of different methods when it comes to annotating books and after much trial and error, have settled on a process that works really well for me! Keep reading to learn more.

What Does Annotating Mean?

Annotating is the process of marking up a book to make note of things that are important or that you want to remember.

You likely annotated in school with highlighters and post-it’s, however, the process of annotating doesn’t have to just be writing in your books. In fact, most recreational readers would probably cringe at the idea so we use other methods, such as book tabs!

Is Annotating A Book Helpful?

This is totally subjective, but for me, annotation allows me to fully immerse myself into a story (probably sounds contradictory to some of you!) and to better recognize the important details.

I make note of all the things that are important to me (world-building, romance, quotes, etc. — more on this later) and it allows me to go back and reference things as needed.

I find that annotation is especially helpful when I’m reading books for read-alongs, book clubs, buddy-reads, etc. Having details and quotes tabbed really helps me to engage in the conversation and gives me specific references when we’re talking about certain moments.

The Best Book Tabs on Amazon

You might think, aren’t all tabs the same? My answer: No. Not even close.

I have tried a ton of different tabs from different brands and have only found one that I truly love. You can view and shop my favorite tabs here.

Here’s why I think they’re the best:

They come in a pack of 2000 for under $10
They are transparent (allowing you to see text underneath)
They have a pointed edge (allowing you to point at a certain sentence or paragraph)
They are easy to write on
They don’t ruin your page if they need to be moved, which a lot of other tabs are very guilty of!

Truly, they are the best of the best and everyone I know that has tried them has loved them! Plus, they will last you forever!

Reading Tips: How I Use Book Tabs to Annotate Books

How I Use Colored Tabs to Annotate

So now you’re probably wondering, but how do I actually use the tabs!?

Well, it’s pretty easy. I use a color-coded system using five colored tabs. Each color has it’s own meaning in terms of what it represents in the book.

Here is what each tab color means for me:

Orange = World-building/Important Details Pink = Romantic or sweet moments Yellow = Favorite Quotes Green = Most memorable/favorite moments Blue = Sad or shocking moments

90% of the time, I use the same meaning for each color, but when I’m running low on a color or reading different genres, I’ll occasionally mix things up.

For instance, when I’m reading a romance book, world-building isn’t going to be something to take note of so I might change orange to funny moments instead.

This is why I ALWAYS make a key at the beginning of every book I tab.

Since the point of tabbing is to make note of moments that you can reference down the road, it’s not going to be very helpful if you can’t remember what your colors meant at the time you read it.

In the front or back cover, I always place one of each tab and write the meaning of that color.

That way, if I come back to the book down the road, I can reference my tab key and know exactly what each color meant at that time.

Once I’ve settled on my tab meanings and made my key, I just start reading and tab away!

My Most Frequently Asked Questions About Book Tabbing

Q. What’s the point of book tabbing? Again, this is super subjective, but for me, it’s a way to note memorable or important details. I’ve found it to be super helpful when I’m reading a book for a book club or read-along. Q. Do you annotate every book? Definitely not. I usually only annotate books that I think I’ll really love, are re-reads, or are for a book club, read-along, or buddy read. Q. Does it take you longer to read? Nope! I mean, it probably did at first, but tabbing has become such second nature that I don’t even have to think about it now. Once you find a color key system that works for you, you won’t have to think “shoot, what color was world-building ?” — your reflexes will know.

Q. Does tabbing take away from your reading experience? Again, tabbing has become such second nature that it’s just a reflex. I can usually grab a tab and mark my spot without taking my eyes off the page. If anything, it makes me appreciate the story more because I am more aware of the content I’m reading.

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Copyright © 2024 · Clover on Genesis Framework · ForeverBookedUp is a part of various affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

The Best Annotation Tools for Readers

Tirzah Price

Most of Tirzah Price's life decisions have been motivated by a desire to read as many books as humanly possible. Tirzah holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as an independent bookseller and librarian. She’s also the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, published by HarperTeen, and Bibliologist at TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations . Follow her on Twitter @TirzahPrice .

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I know many of us are taught from a young age that we aren’t supposed to write in or mark up books, and while I do agree that should be the case with library books (as a librarian, please don’t do it!) or books you borrow from other people, I am a firm believer in marking up books you own — and not just for books you’re studying for school!

While I first learned about the joy of marking up my books when I was an English major, I think annotating books can be beneficial beyond educational or studying purposes! It can be a good way to experience what you read and a way to actively participate in the reading process by expressing yourself creatively.

While it’s true that all you need to get started is a book and a writing utensil, no fancy tools necessary, there are so many great tools to transform your books into colorful spreads of personal notes. And the tools out there aren’t just fluorescent highlighters and plastic tabs from your school days — there are so many kits and beautiful supplies, as well as smart tools like transparent sticky notes and stickers that simulate highlighters without having to actually highlight in a straight line. If you love to mark up your reading, or want to get started, then check out these beautiful tools!

Annotation Starter Kit ($13): These cute little starter kits with matching flags, pens, and bonus stickers are a great way to start out on your annotation journey.

An array of bookish flags in various colors with matching pens and bookish stickers

Genre Book Tabs ($8+): Choose the set that best matches your favorite genres, with options like magic systems, spice levels, and plot twists.

Four different bookmarks with various colored flags that are labelled with book appeal terms

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For My Bookish Shit Annotation Skit ($24): If you want a sweet annotation kit that slides right into a zippered case to bring with you wherever you go, this is the one!

A canvas zipper pouch with flags, annotation strops, and pens.

Annotation Bookmark Tabs ($11+): If you aren’t fussy and just want to keep your flags close, then grab these bookmarks with built-in tabs!

Three bookers with ten different colored tabs for various themes and appeals.

Floral Book Annotation Kit ($20): Do you want to take notes in addition to annotating your reading? Then these pretty floral kits are just the thing! They include flags, a coordinating pen and highlighter, a notebook, stickers, and a keychain.

A set of three different floral annotation kits, including pen and highlighter, flags, a notebook, stickers, and a keychain

Color Coordinated Annotation Kit ($9): Need to start small or need to refill your own kits? These coordinating tabs, pen and highlighter, and stickers are cute and affordable!

Various sets of tab kits with coordinating pens and highlighters, with bookish stickers

Annotation Stickers ($12): If you don’t like highlighting your books but still want the colorful effect, these clear stickers make your pages and notes pop!

A set of three clear stickers in lines squares, and hearts

Reading Log and Annotation Kit ($9): If you like to keep track of your overall reading and make notes, this reading log bookmark with annotation supplies is perfect.

reading log bookmark, highlighter, flat, and a magnetic bookmark

Library Card Sticky Notes ($4): Not keen on writing directly on your books? Use these sticky notes to make your notes!

sticky note pads designed to look like library checkout cards

Annotation Kit Mystery Grab Bag ($10): Not picky about perfect color coordination? Then buy this kit, which includes a grab bag of stickers, pens, highlighters, and tabs!

A colorful array of pens, flags, and stickers

Deluxe Book Lovers’ Annotation Kit ($25): Want to go all out? Get this kit, which includes pens and highlights, clear sticky notes, tabs, library notecards, bookmarks, and more!

brown box containing bookmarks, library notecards, flags, pens ad highlighters, and stationery

Annotating Texts

What is annotation.

Annotation can be:

A systematic summary of the text that you create within the document
A key tool for close reading that helps you uncover patterns, notice important words, and identify main points
An active learning strategy that improves comprehension and retention of information

Why annotate?

Isolate and organize important material
Identify key concepts
Monitor your learning as you read
Make exam prep effective and streamlined
Can be more efficient than creating a separate set of reading notes

How do you annotate?

Summarize key points in your own words .

Use headers and words in bold to guide you
Look for main ideas, arguments, and points of evidence
Notice how the text organizes itself. Chronological order? Idea trees? Etc.

Circle key concepts and phrases

What words would it be helpful to look-up at the end?
What terms show up in lecture? When are different words used for similar concepts? Why?

Write brief comments and questions in the margins

Be as specific or broad as you would like—use these questions to activate your thinking about the content
See our handout on reading comprehension tips for some examples

Use abbreviations and symbols

Try ? when you have a question or something you need to explore further
Try ! When something is interesting, a connection, or otherwise worthy of note
Try * For anything that you might use as an example or evidence when you use this information.
Ask yourself what other system of symbols would make sense to you.

Highlight/underline

Highlight or underline, but mindfully. Check out our resource on strategic highlighting for tips on when and how to highlight.

Use comment and highlight features built into pdfs, online/digital textbooks, or other apps and browser add-ons

Are you using a pdf? Explore its highlight, edit, and comment functions to support your annotations
Some browsers have add-ons or extensions that allow you to annotate web pages or web-based documents
Does your digital or online textbook come with an annotation feature?
Can your digital text be imported into a note-taking tool like OneNote, EverNote, or Google Keep? If so, you might be able to annotate texts in those apps

What are the most important takeaways?

Annotation is about increasing your engagement with a text
Increased engagement, where you think about and process the material then expand on your learning, is how you achieve mastery in a subject
As you annotate a text, ask yourself: how would I explain this to a friend?
Put things in your own words and draw connections to what you know and wonder

The table below demonstrates this process using a geography textbook excerpt (Press 2004):

A chart featuring a passage from a text in the left column and then columns that illustrate annotations that include too much writing, not enough writing, and a good balance of writing.

A common concern about annotating texts: It takes time!

Yes, it can, but that time isn’t lost—it’s invested.

Spending the time to annotate on the front end does two important things:

It saves you time later when you’re studying. Your annotated notes will help speed up exam prep, because you can review critical concepts quickly and efficiently.
It increases the likelihood that you will retain the information after the course is completed. This is especially important when you are supplying the building blocks of your mind and future career.

One last tip: Try separating the reading and annotating processes! Quickly read through a section of the text first, then go back and annotate.

Works consulted:

Nist, S., & Holschuh, J. (2000). Active learning: strategies for college success. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 202-218.

Simpson, M., & Nist, S. (1990). Textbook annotation: An effective and efficient study strategy for college students. Journal of Reading, 34: 122-129.

Press, F. (2004). Understanding earth (4th ed). New York: W.H. Freeman. 208-210.

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Reading and Study Strategies

What is annotating and why do it, annotation explained, steps to annotating a source, annotating strategies.

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What is Annotating?

Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance the reader's understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Sometimes called "close reading," annotating usually involves highlighting or underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text. This page will introduce you to several effective strategies for annotating a text that will help you get the most out of your reading.

Why Annotate?

By annotating a text, you will ensure that you understand what is happening in a text after you've read it. As you annotate, you should note the author's main points, shifts in the message or perspective of the text, key areas of focus, and your own thoughts as you read. However, annotating isn't just for people who feel challenged when reading academic texts. Even if you regularly understand and remember what you read, annotating will help you summarize a text, highlight important pieces of information, and ultimately prepare yourself for discussion and writing prompts that your instructor may give you. Annotating means you are doing the hard work while you read, allowing you to reference your previous work and have a clear jumping-off point for future work.

1. Survey : This is your first time through the reading

You can annotate by hand or by using document software. You can also annotate on post-its if you have a text you do not want to mark up. As you annotate, use these strategies to make the most of your efforts:

Include a key or legend on your paper that indicates what each marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of information. Example: Underline for key points, highlight for vocabulary, and circle for transition points.
If you use highlighters, consider using different colors for different types of reactions to the text. Example: Yellow for definitions, orange for questions, and blue for disagreement/confusion.
Dedicate different tasks to each margin: Use one margin to make an outline of the text (thesis statement, description, definition #1, counter argument, etc.) and summarize main ideas, and use the other margin to note your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the text.

Lastly, as you annotate, make sure you are including descriptions of the text as well as your own reactions to the text. This will allow you to skim your notations at a later date to locate key information and quotations, and to recall your thought processes more easily and quickly.

Next: Using a Dictionary >>
Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 2:50 PM
URL: https://research.ewu.edu/writers_c_read_study_strategies

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How to Annotate Books When You're Reading For Fun

I absolutely love to annotate books.

The habit started with highlighting and taking notes in e-books. I was not ready to actually write in physical books. But after a while, I simply could not hold myself back. I HAD to highlight and comment on things, so I picked up a pencil and began annotating Children of Blood and Bone .

That was like breaking a dam. Since then, my annotation methods have evolved but my love for annotation has only grown.

I really want to encourage more people to pick up the habit of annotation even when you are reading for fun.

If you want to know how to start annotating books, this is the only guide you need. And no one may have asked me how I annotate my books, but I will share that anyway further below in this post. Let's go!

why should you annotate books?

Tools for annotating books, before you begin annotating, how to annotate books, 2. circle/bracket, how to annotate a book without writing in it, what to annotate in a book, best books to annotate, how i annotate books, annotation inspiration, love my content.

illustration art of a person sitting cross-legged on bed, with a book on their lap, holding a mug.

There are several benefits to annotating. But to name a few major ones..

It helps you read actively. Active reading is when you are engaging with the text rather than just passively reading the story. It also reduces skim-reading, if you have that habit.
You will remember more. This is a by-product of active reading. You remember more details of the book and also your reactions to it.
You will understand the book better. Annotating especially helps with books that deal with heavy or complicated topics. Or just books that you can learn from. Annotating helps you truly absorb the book and understand the characters, underlying layers, etc.
In case you ever want to check something or reread a favourite part, annotations are great for future references . They also come in handy if you are a bookish content creator online.

A ton of people relate annotating to studying and hence don't want to do it when reading for fun. I personally did not always annotate for studying because it wasn't encouraged in my academics ( we didn't even have required reading , sadly) but I understand the sentiment.

You have to separate the act of annotation from studying. The benefits of it are why it is encouraged in academics. But annotating can be fun too!

Writing comments, including drawings or illustrations, and conversing with the text makes the experience of reading much more fun. Annotating is not just for critical thinking, quotes or discussions. It can also be a commentary on funny dialogues, shocking turns, or rants on annoying characters.

Authors spend years working on their books. Take a few extra minutes to annotate and fully experience the books. It will help you to enjoy your books more and hence will help you create a reading habit too.

If you still need convincing, read the essay How to Mark a Book by Mortimer J. Adler . I came across this essay through Naya and absolutely loved it. It reinforced my love for annotating and reassured me that, despite tons of people in the book community saying "it's a sin", it is actually a good habit. I've also taken a print of the essay like Naya because it is that good.

illusttration art of a closed book with a bookmark, an open laptop, a cup of tea and sunglasses nearby.

There are several ways to annotate. I will list and suggest different methods later in this post. But there are some basic tools that you need to get started.

Depending on the annotation method you choose, you can use one or more of these tools.

1. sticky tabs/notes

Sticky tabs are small tabs that are used to point to a specific line on the page. There are various types available such as arrow tabs, rectangular tabs, and different coloured tabs.

Sticky notes can be used when you want to write a lot of content or when you want to talk about something tangential to the topic on the page.

2. highlighters

There are different types of highlighters that you can use. Regular highlighters work just fine but if you don't like the neon colours, you can use mildliners. Highlighting using brush pens is also really nice.

I prefer Tombow brush pens because they provide more control when highlighting due to the thickness of the brush tips.

3. pen/pencil

These are classic tools used for annotating. If you want to get started with underlining and writing in the margins, but don't want to commit to permanent annotation, you can use pencils. Blunt pencils work best to erase later on.

If you're using pens, you can use different colours of pens for different types of annotations too.

4. notebook/phone/another device

You may not want to mark the books themselves for whatever reason. At those times, you can keep a notebook with you to write in. If you have an iPad with a really nice note-taking app, that helps too. I personally like making notes in GoodNotes.

Note-taking on your phone also works but generally, phones tend to pull our attention away from whatever we're doing, so I don't suggest this unless there's no other way. If you do use your phone, keep it on "do not disturb" mode so that you can read without distractions.

I highly suggest using a note-taking app that supports multimedia to take notes on your phone. I use Apple Notes so that I can write notes and add pictures if I don't want to type paragraphs.

illustration art of book and annotation tools

Don't assume that you will annotate the book. Go in without that idea. Otherwise, you will spend time looking for lines to underline or thinking about what to comment on for each paragraph.

To keep it genuine, annotate only when you really feel like it. You're reading for fun! Don't make annotating a chore. Let it come naturally.

Mark sentences by underlining only if they call out to you, or they feel important to the story. Write comments if you have something to say or if the passage made you feel something.

If you're holding a pen or pencil in your hand, ready to mark anything of consequence, it will distance you from the story. Don't look for reasons to use your tools. Let them be a little away. Pick them up when you have a reaction to something in the book.

Annotating will feel weird in the beginning but the habit will grow over time. Don't expect yourself to go all-in the first time you start.

There are multiple ways to annotate books. You can either pick one beforehand or decide later based on what you want to mark in the book.

Don't stick to a system immediately. Try out different methods. Be open to exploring and changing. Annotation is supposed to improve your reading experience, not to put your thoughts in a box.

1. underline/highlight

These are two of the most basic ways to annotate.

When you read a line that is powerful or lyrical, mark it. If a dialogue made you laugh, mark it. If you want to highlight multiple lines or entire paragraphs, do it!

You can use different colours to underline and highlight. The colours can signify different meanings like yellow for important facts and green for good writing. Different colours can also mean different readings. For The Poppy War , I used one colour for highlighting during my first read and another colour during my second read.

Depending on how "important" the annotation is, I use a different tool. I use pens and highlighters for ones that I want to stand out, pencils for random lines that resonate but don't mean much without the context. You can try underlining with lines and waves to differentiate.

For singular words or short phrases, circling them with a pen highlights it well. Whenever I come across a word or a sentence that is important to the topic or means a lot, I circle it. I also circle words that I've come across for the first time and write their meanings nearby.

For paragraphs or multiple lines that mean a lot, I use brackets either at the beginning and end of those lines or on the side, bracketing the entire paragraph.

3. write your thoughts

Another classic annotation method. This is a little more in-depth because it involves you writing your opinions and conversing with the text.

Annotating with writing doesn't mean you have to write a lot . Comments can be short forms or small sentences too. You can fit smaller comments right after the end of paragraphs or in the margins. It can also be emojis, "LOL", or other slangs. The point is to note your thoughts and/or emotions.

Longer comments do take up more space. When I was reading The Burning God , I took up almost half the page's empty space once because I had so much to say about a certain theme.

Writing comments can change based on genres and themes. For example, I barely write in romance books . The extent of my annotations are generally "this is so cute!" and "OMG" unless I'm ranting about something.

But when I was reading The Right Swipe , I added longer comments to highlight how CTE was spoken about, note my thoughts on the dating industry, etc.

Tip: if you are prone to rephrasing a lot or are not good at space planning (like me), try writing with a pencil instead of a pen. That way you can erase and write again if needed. The downside is that pencil marks can fade over time.

Annotating with writing is really fun because you're almost conversing with the book . It's also fun because you can see your old notes during rereads and have conversations with your older self through new annotations.

illustration art of a book with highlights

4. dog-ear pages

Dog-earing, or folding corners of pages, is helpful because you can easily find your favourite parts of the book later. Or you can refer to important parts that you've marked.

This is probably the most argued-about method of marking a book in the book community. But it is very easy to do and requires no extra tools.

You can mark your favourite scenes, important parts, or pages that have a lot of annotations by dog-earing those sections. I would especially recommend this method for the last reason. If you've annotated a lot by writing or highlighting on one page, you might want to refer back to it later, so dog-ear it.

5. draw/doodle

This is not a method that I personally use a lot but I have seen other people use it.

One way is to doodle small symbols to signify specific themes and maintain a key for these themes at the beginning/end of the book. You can also simply draw hearts or stars to mark parts you like.

If you're reading non-fiction books that explain topics, you can draw mini mind-maps to remember things better (I did this for The Power of Habit ).

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If you want to start annotating and are not comfortable with marking the book yet, this is for you. There are ways to annotate without writing in the book. You can use these methods to get into the habit of annotating, and you will probably work up to writing in the books later on.

These methods are also useful if you don't own the book you're reading or you are planning to sell it later on.

1. use sticky tabs

Whoever invented sticky tabs are a GENIUS because they are so useful.

There are so many ways to annotate using sticky tabs. Since they are available in different colours, you can assign themes to colours and add a key at the beginning like Myonna . Some readers use the same key throughout their books and others switch whenever.

You can also use tabs to mark quotes, favourite lines and passages, or parts of the book that made you feel something.

Or you can simply use the page tabs wherever without caring about the colour. Since I don't assign colours to themes and usually just use one colour per book, I choose a colour that matches the book cover.

a book with sticky tabs illustration art

2. use sticky notes

Annotating with sticky notes is helpful when you have a lot to say about something as they provide more space. You can use sticky notes instead of writing in the margins.

Some readers stick the notes in the middle of the page, others stick them near the part that they're commenting on. You can also stick the notes sideways so that a little bit of the paper peeks out of the notebook similar to page tabs, making it easier for you to find later on.

The one drawback to this is that it covers up a part of the page . Hence, you have to write and stick after you're done reading. And when you're referring later, you can't read the page that you wrote about without removing the sticky note.

There is one way to make sure that they don't cover up the page. Stick the notes at the bottom of the page, so that the sticky parts are on the empty space, and fold them into the book . This way you can flip them open to read your notes and they don't cover up the page as well.

3. use a reading journal/make notes

If you want to annotate but don't want to do anything to the book , you can maintain a notebook as a reading journal to write your thoughts in. This also works for audiobooks as bookmarking in the audiobooks itself can be messy.

For non-fiction books that give a lot of information or books that you're learning a lot from, making proper notes works well. Reading the content properly such that you can write the most important points by memory vastly increases comprehension.

You can also make notes on an app on your phone since you will have your phone with you most of the time. This can result in distraction as you can fall into the phone's black hole through notifications and messages.

Both of these methods can be tedious compared to other methods of annotation because they remove your attention from the book. If you can manage to just write the notes and not fall into social media, these are great.

Leonie uses these methods of annotation so you can check out her video to know more on how to use them.

person holding an open book, cup of chai, and a closed notebook nearby. illustration art.

If you are new to annotating and don't know what to annotate, I've got you covered.

These are some ideas that you can try out but know that annotations are very personal and what works for others may not work for you. Different people annotate different things. Try a few of these and your specific annotation method will develop once you get the hang of it.

Quotes. Any lines that are written really well or that strike a chord in you. If you're a reviewer, these can be mentioned in your book reviews.
Write your thoughts in the margins or on sticky notes if something shocking, exciting, annoying or sad occurs. Or if you simply have something to say in relation to whatever is going on.
Doodle emojis to signify how you're feeling during a scene.
Summarize your thoughts at the end of every chapter. This is a good way to see how much you've retained about the chapter and to also write down any opinions or criticisms. The ends of chapters are good since there will most likely be more space to write and you will have more to say.
Mark text that relates to the main plot . This will be good with books that have a ton of plot (like fantasy, mystery) or ones that discuss topics in-depth.
Note new words that you come across along with meaning. You can do this on the page or at the end of the book on an empty page.
Question actions of characters or themes portrayed . If there is a representation of a marginalized group that you are a part of, you can note your thoughts on it.
Theorize where the plot is going in the margins by noting foreshadowing* in the book.
Mark references to look up later . I do this with books that involve history or mythologies that I'm not familiar with.

This is not an exhaustive list. I'll probably come back and update whenever I think of something else. But this should be enough to get you started!

*Foreshadowing is basically hints dropped by the author which subtly leads up to the future plot.

illustration of an open book with tons of annotations and tabs on the pages.

Technically, any book can be annotated. You have the build the habit of annotating your thoughts using whichever method instead of keeping your opinions in your mind while reading.

But there are books that will make it easier for you to start annotating.

Annotate your favourite books. As you love them, you will have a lot of opinions on those books. Reread them and annotate! Mark your favourite passages and the things that you love about the book. Underline lines that made an impact on you. Doodle/write your emotions in the margins.
Annotate books that you're disliking. If you're reading a book that you're not enjoying, annotate why you're not enjoying it. Is it the characters or the plot? Do you not like the writing? Did you find plot holes? Make yourself expand on your opinions during annotation.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb.
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Edoo-Lodge.
Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon.
How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur.
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang.
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty.

No one has asked me how I annotate but I am jealous of the creators who get asked to share their systems, so I'm sharing mine anyway.

While my annotating habit started with e-books, I annotate more when I read paperbacks. There's just something about holding the book and using a pen or a brush pen that makes it more engaging.

I don't annotate all the paperbacks that I read but I usually can't hold back if I have comments. My habit has fully developed so I get a pen in the middle of a chapter if I don't have one because I NEED to annotate.

My system used to be mostly sticky tabs and a few sticky notes. But now use sticky notes only if I want to write a lot and usually directly annotate on the page .

As you can see below, I used 6 different annotation methods in The Art of Creative Thinking —highlights, underlines, circles, sticky notes, tabs, and writing directly on the page.

I love writing comments and my reactions on the margins more than highlighting. My comments range from intellectual opinions to "OMG" and "are you serious?????" depending on my mood.

It's fun to read my past annotations and see how I notice different things as I've grown as a person. I especially noticed the difference during my reread of The Poppy War . I picked out different themes as "main" in my two reads and it is interesting to see the difference because it was partly influenced by my life events.

After annotating the first two books of the series, I went to TOWN with The Burning God . I completely marked the book and made it my own. It was so fun and I truly feel like I gave the book the attention it deserves.

Another book that I annotated was Fahrenheit 451 . While I did annotate my reactions, I commented a lot about the themes portrayed and the writing style. My review came out really well because of my annotations and I even shared a lot of them in my review post.

fahrenheit 451 page 77: "We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Breach man's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man? Me?"

Annotating non-fiction books is a completely different type of joy. When I read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone recently, I used THREE forms of annotation. I highlighted lines that resonated with me, tabbed the highlighted lines which I wanted to come back to, and wrote chapter summaries at the end of each chapter with sticky notes.

Another non-fiction book that pushed my annotation limits was Atomic Habits . While I highlighted lines on the book with two colours, I also made notes on my iPad using GoodNotes. This was the first time I made proper notes and it was great.

Because I annotated while reading the above two books, my reading comprehension and memory retention improved. I remember a lot from them even though my memory is generally not great.

Annotating books for fun has taken off recently. Several readers who previously considered it a sin love annotating and sharing their annotations. While social media isn't always great for readers , it is great for inspiration.

Here are some bookish accounts that share aesthetic annotations and will definitely inspire you to mark your books (yes, I'm plugging myself too):

View this post on Instagram A post shared by sumedha (@thewordyhabitat)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ☆𝓨𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 ☆ (@emubreathesinpages)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐀𝐥𝐢 ♥ (@krazyboox)

You can also follow hashtags on Instagram to find more accounts! Here are the ones that I follow - #annotatingbooks #annotatedbooks

There is no right way of annotating. And there is no best way of annotating. This is a deeply personal habit that is different for every single person.

When we read a book without annotating or noting anything, we are mostly simply absorbing what the authors put in front of us. Marking a book when reading is a way of making it your own. You take the story and put your spin on it through your opinions and the parts that you pick out as "main."

I believe that the best way to know if someone has loved a book is to see its condition. Keeping it neatly on a shelf without even breaking the spine is a form of love, yes. But the people I relate to are the ones who have worn down copies of their books with annotations, showing how much they've read and loved them.

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Do you annotate your books? What are your favourite methods of annotation?

If not, are you here to start annotating? Did you find this post helpful? If you have any more questions, feel free to drop them in the comments, DM me on Twitter or Instagram , or email me!

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Sumedha spends her days reading books, bingeing Kdramas, drawing illustrations, and blogging while listening to Lo-Fi music. Read more ➔

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111 comments

This is a fantastic article! Just curious... how many times do you read a book you are going to review? Do you read it once first for enjoyment and then make annotations or do you have a different method?

i’m glad you liked it! i hardly ever read to review a book nowadays, it’s been years since i read a book with the intention of reviewing it afterwards. nowadays, i usually review a book only if i have a lot to say about it.

my annotations completely depend on whether i want to keep the book forever and whether i have enough to annotate about. i mostly annotate from my first read itself but often, i read books as ebook and then buy the physical copies so my annotations are much more since i’m rereading a loved book.

this what so helpful i love how you explain it.

glad to help!

This was very helpful……I have been wondering what all this annotating business is about! Is there a right or wrong way to do it….No and I love that!! After this I am excited to give it a whirl…..I. see where it can be beneficial. Your break down is extremely helpful. I’m excited to see where this takes me and my reading experience.

I'm so glad to help! Definitely spend time trying different styles and figuring out what you like. I'm sure you'll love annotating!

Love the post. I love annotating books! It's like having a personal conversation with the author. It adds depth to the reading experience and helps me engage more with the material.

Agreed! Glad you liked the post 🙂

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Understanding Annotation: A Comprehensive Guide

What is annotation, the purpose of annotation, types of annotation, how to annotate effectively, annotation tools, annotation examples, annotation in different disciplines, annotation vs. abstract, annotation in digital learning, the future of annotation.

Let's take a journey into the world of annotation, a concept that often makes students cringe and researchers sigh. But, don't worry — this guide will help you understand annotation in a simple, friendly, and clear way. Whether you're a newbie or someone who just needs a refresher, this comprehensive guide will provide a clear definition of annotation and its many uses.

So, what exactly is the definition of annotation? In its simplest form, annotation refers to adding notes or comments to a text or a diagram. It's like having a personal conversation with the author, or making sense of a complex graph. It doesn't stop there, though. The process of annotation is much more than just dropping notes — it's about understanding, interpreting, and engaging with the material. Let's break it down:

Understanding: Annotations help you to grasp the ideas and concepts presented in the text or diagram. You might underline key phrases or highlight important data points, all in the service of better understanding what you're reading or viewing.
Interpreting: By providing your own insights or explanations, you're not merely reading or looking at the material, but actively interpreting it. This could be as simple as jotting down "This means..." or "The author is saying..." next to a paragraph.
Engaging: When you annotate, you're not just a passive reader anymore. You're actively engaging with the material, questioning it, agreeing or disagreeing, even arguing with the author! This active engagement helps to deepen your understanding and retention of the material.

To sum it up, the definition of annotation isn't just about making notes — it's a method to read, understand, interpret, and engage with any piece of content more effectively. And guess what? There's more to annotation than you might think! Stick around as we delve deeper into the purpose, types, and tools of annotation in the following sections.

Now that we've nailed down the definition of annotation, let's talk about why it's so important. Why do teachers, professors, and researchers keep insisting on it? Well, there are several reasons:

Improves comprehension: Annotating helps you understand the text or diagram better. It's like having a personal guide walking you through a dense forest of words or a complex maze of data. By highlighting and commenting, you can make sense of the material more easily.
Enhances retention: We've all been there. You read a page, flip it, and — poof! — everything's gone. But with annotation, you can remember more. When you actively engage with the material, you're more likely to remember it. It's like the difference between watching a movie and participating in it.
Facilitates analysis: Annotation is not just about understanding, but also about analyzing. By adding your own thoughts, insights, and interpretations, you can dig deeper into the material, uncovering layers of meaning that might not be immediately apparent.
Promotes critical thinking: When you annotate, you're not just accepting information passively — you're actively questioning, evaluating, and critiquing it. This cultivates critical thinking skills, which are crucial in today's information-saturated world.

Remember, the purpose of annotation is not to make your book look like a rainbow or to fill the margins with a clutter of notes. It's about making the material work for you, helping you to understand, remember, analyze, and think critically. So next time someone mentions annotation, don't cringe. Embrace it. It's your secret weapon in the world of learning!

Now that we've got a grip on the definition of annotation and its purpose, it's time to dive into the different types of annotation. You might be thinking, "Wait a minute, there's more than one type?" Yes, indeed! And picking the right one can make a world of difference. So, let's explore:

Descriptive Annotation: This kind of annotation is like a sneak peek of a movie. It gives an overview of the main points, themes, or arguments without revealing too much. It's like a book cover — enticing enough to draw you in, but not revealing all the secrets.
Critical Annotation: This type goes a step further. It not only describes the content but also evaluates it. It's like a movie review, discussing the strengths and weaknesses, the relevance of the content, and the author's credibility. It helps you decide whether the material is worth your time.
Informative Annotation: This annotation is like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It provides a summary of the material, including all the significant findings and conclusions. It's ideal when you need a detailed understanding of the content without having to read the whole thing.
Reflective Annotation: This type of annotation is a bit more personal. It includes your thoughts, reactions, and reflections on the material. It's like a diary entry, capturing your intellectual journey as you engage with the material.

So, next time you're tasked with annotating, consider the type of annotation that best suits your needs. Remember, the goal is not to make your work harder, but to make it easier and more effective. Happy annotating!

Here you are, equipped with the definition of annotation and an overview of its types. But, how do you do it effectively? Let's break it down:

Get clear on your purpose: Why are you annotating? Is it to understand better, remember, or critique? Your purpose will guide your annotation process.
Take a quick preview: Before you start annotating, skim through the material. Get a feel for its structure and main ideas. This way, you'll know what to pay special attention to.
Be selective: Resist the urge to highlight or underline everything. Limit your annotations to crucial points, unfamiliar concepts, and interesting ideas. The goal is to create signposts that can guide you back to key information when needed.
Make it meaningful: Don’t just underline or highlight. Write brief notes that summarize, question, or react to the content. This makes your annotations a tool for active learning.
Use symbols or codes: Develop your own system of symbols or codes to denote different types of information. For example, a question mark could indicate parts you don’t understand, while an exclamation mark could point to surprising or important insights.

Remember, effective annotation is not about how much you mark, but about how well you understand and engage with the material. Keep practicing and refining your approach, and soon you'll become an annotation pro!

So, now that we know how to annotate effectively, let's talk about some tools that can make this process even smoother. These are especially handy if you're dealing with digital content, or if you want to share your annotations with others. Here are some noteworthy ones:

Pencil and Paper: Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways. Nothing beats the flexibility and simplicity of annotating with a good old-fashioned pencil. You can underline, highlight, make notes in the margin — the possibilities are endless!
Highlighters: These are great for emphasizing key points in your text. Just remember not to go overboard and turn your page into a rainbow!
Post-it Notes: If you don't want to write directly on your material, or if you need more space for your thoughts, these little sticky notes can be a lifesaver.
PDF Annotation Tools: If you're working with digital documents, tools like Adobe Reader, Preview, and others offer built-in annotation features. These can include highlighting, underlining, and adding comments.
Online Annotation Tools: Websites like Hypothesis and Genius let you annotate web pages and share your annotations with others. They're like social media for readers!

These tools are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other annotation tools out there, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. So, don't be afraid to experiment and find the ones that work best for you!

Let's put the definition of annotation into real-world scenarios. Here are some examples to help you get a better sense of how annotation works.

Novels: You're reading a gripping mystery novel and you come across a clue. You underline it and jot down your theories in the margin. That's annotation!
Textbooks: Remember the last time you studied for an exam? You probably highlighted important information and made notes to help you remember key points. That's annotation too!
Articles: When reading a long article online, you might use a tool to underline key sections and add your own thoughts. This not only helps you understand the content better but also lets you share your insights with others. Yep, that's annotation.
Research Papers: If you're conducting research, annotation is your best friend. Underlining important data, writing summaries of complex sections, and noting down your ideas can make the whole process much easier.
Social Media: Ever added a funny caption to a photo before sharing it with your friends? Guess what? That's annotation too!

As you can see, annotations can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be. They're all about adding extra information to make the original content more useful or meaningful for you. So, next time you're reading something, why not give annotation a try? Who knows, you might discover some fascinating insights!

Now that we've nailed down the definition of annotation, let's see how it's applied across different disciplines. You might be surprised to know that annotation isn't just for the world of literature or academia. Here's how different fields use annotation:

Sciences: Scientists use annotations to note down observations during experiments. They can also annotate diagrams to explain complex processes.
Arts: Artists often annotate their sketches with notes about colors, textures, or ideas for future works. Art historians may also use annotations to provide deeper insight into famous paintings or sculptures.
Computer Science: In the world of coding, annotations can provide extra details about how a piece of code functions. They're like a roadmap for other programmers who might need to understand or modify the code later.
Geography: Geographers use annotations on maps to highlight specific features or explain certain phenomena. For example, they might annotate a map to show the path of a storm or the spread of a forest fire.
Business: Business professionals annotate reports and presentations to highlight key points. This helps everyone stay on the same page and understand the main takeaways.

As you can see, no matter the discipline, the power of annotation is universal. It's all about enhancing understanding and fostering communication! So, the next time you're working on a project, why not consider how annotation could help you?

Dealing with academic or professional texts, you've probably come across both annotations and abstracts. But do you know the difference? Many people get confused between the two, but they serve unique roles. Let's clear the air by exploring the definition of annotation versus an abstract:

Annotation: An annotation adds extra information to a text. It could be a comment, explanation, or even a question. Imagine you're reading a complex scientific paper. You might annotate it by jotting down a simpler explanation of a concept in the margins. That's annotation—helping to make the text more accessible and understandable for you.

Abstract: On the other hand, an abstract is a short summary of a document's main points. Think of it as a mini version of the text. If you've ever written a research paper, you've probably had to include an abstract at the beginning. It gives readers a snapshot of what the document covers so they can decide if they want to read the whole thing.

So, in a nutshell, an annotation is more about adding value to the text, while an abstract is about summarizing it. Both have their places and can be super helpful when dealing with complex or lengthy texts. Understanding the difference between the two is another step in mastering the art of reading and writing effectively.

Now, let's shift gears and explore how annotation plays a role in the digital learning space. With the advent of technology, education isn't limited to chalkboards and textbooks anymore. We've moved onto laptops, tablets, and even mobile phones. So, where does the definition of annotation fit in this digital world?

In digital learning, annotation takes on a slightly different form. Instead of scribbling in the margins of a book, you're adding notes to a PDF, highlighting text in an eBook, or leaving comments on a shared document.

Let's say you're studying for a history exam with a friend, and you're both using the same digital textbook. You come across a paragraph that you think is particularly important, so you highlight it and leave a note saying, "Must remember for the exam!" When your friend opens the book on their device, they can see your annotation and benefit from it. This is the power of annotation in digital learning—it promotes collaboration and makes studying a more interactive experience.

And it's not just for students, either. Teachers can use digital annotation to provide feedback on assignments, clarify points in a lecture, or share additional resources. In a world where online learning is becoming the norm, understanding and using digital annotation is a skill worth mastering.

Having explored the definition of annotation in various contexts, it's exciting to imagine where it might head in the future. As we continue to integrate technology into our lives, the role and methods of annotation are likely to evolve with it.

Imagine a world where every bit of text you interact with—be it a digital book, an online article, or even a social media post—can be annotated with your thoughts, questions, or insights. And not just that, imagine those annotations being instantly shareable with anyone around the globe. We're already seeing glimpses of this in digital learning platforms, as we previously discussed.

Moreover, the rise of artificial intelligence might add another layer to annotation. Imagine AI systems that can automatically highlight important parts of a text, suggest resources for further reading, or even generate annotations based on your personal learning style. Now that's a future worth looking forward to!

While we are not there yet, the journey towards that future is already underway. And as we make strides in this direction, the definition of annotation will continue to expand and adapt. It's a fascinating field that underscores the importance of understanding, interpreting, and communicating information in our increasingly interconnected world.

If you're looking to improve your annotation skills and learn more about organizing your creative projects, check out Ansh Mehra's workshop, ' Documentation for Creative People on Notion .' This workshop will provide you with practical tips and techniques for effective annotation, as well as help you develop a comprehensive documentation system for your creative work.

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What Does Annotated Edition Books Mean?

When perusing book titles, you may have noticed some have an “annotated edition” available. But what does this mean?

Annotated edition books mean that notes, comments, and essays written by field experts (such as literary critics or academics) are included to explain the context and significance of the book. Some annotated edition books have additional sections to make them more accessible to modern audiences.

In this article, I’ll explain more about annotated books, including why they’re published, who creates the annotations, and where to find such editions. I’ll also share tips on how to properly annotate a book yourself.

Why Does a Publisher Annotate a Book?

Annotated edition books are classics published with the original text alongside additional notes made by people who want supplemental information and analysis.Often, these editions are compiled and published by an organization to bring together different materials worldwide.

Publishers may annotate a book to offer personal insights and feelings about how the author chose to tell the story over time. Typically, the additional content is very explanatory and creative. However, older books may be annotated to make cultural differences relevant to younger generations.

Annotations Clarify Context and Misunderstandings

Publishers annotate books to help readers understand the context of a particular book and give them insight into the author’s intentions. Annotating a book can also provide context for passages of historical interest (for example, dates, statistics, etc.).

Annotations clarify historical references and even help with pronunciation. Suppose a book gets republished after many years. In this case, publishers may provide new information about what has happened in popular culture since the book’s original publication date.
Annotating a book makes it easier for readers to navigate the text. This is particularly useful when readers have difficulty in understanding a passage or are left with questions about its content and context. For instance, a publisher may add an annotation to explain cultural references in a book so that readers can understand them.

Annotations Better Inform and Emphasize

They want the reading public to understand their intentions for annotating the book. Annotating a book gives readers an inside look into the author’s process (and writing style). The annotation of a book shows that the publisher values and cares about the author’s manuscript.

Publishers may add an annotation when they want to note that they’ve made corrections to a book’s text.Some publishers will use an annotation to direct readers who want to know more about what they’ve just read.

Sometimes, they can merely call attention to something amusing or shocking in the text.

Annotations Provide and Properly Acknowledge Sources

Publishers will often add annotations listing the illustrations or photographs credited in the book. Annotation is a way to acknowledge resources, give credit, and avoid plagiarism. Publishers may also use annotations to point out that a book is a historical fiction, not confusing readers.

Furthermore, annotators will research on their own and add new insights that weren’t included in the author’s original book but are relevant nonetheless.It also helps libraries, schools, and other entities archive old publications in an accessible way.

In a classroom setting, annotating helps teachers provide supplemental resources and research aids for preparing lessons. Annotation helps teachers guide classroom discussions and avoid repetitive readings of specific sections or books so that students don’t miss out on learning valuable information in those publications.

The publisher may elaborate on something or clarify a complicated concept. Notes can also help explain confusing words or phrases or point out important historical references.

Who Makes Annotations for Books?

People who make annotations for books may include the original author, an editor, the publisher, readers, teachers, or professors. Notably, they’ve read the book and are familiar with the subject matter. Publishers have also been known to do a mix of in-house and out-of-house annotations.

Typically, annotations are written by someone who has expertise in the field so as to attract more readers.

Annotated edition books can be beneficial, offering historical context and information about people, places, events, symbols, and themes in the original text. When publishers annotate books, they establish themselves as experts in the field.

Where To Find Annotated Book Editions

Annotated books may form part of the permanent collection of a library or institution. Some annotated books also include part of the special collections of a library or institution and are often rare editions.

Notably, in an era of digital books, some institutions offer the ease of accessing a digital library of annotated books.

How To Annotate a Book

More and more students get tested on their ability to annotate texts, which helps to enhance their critical thinking skills .

Here are 3 tips on how to annotate a book :

Highlight essential passages or words: Read the text carefully and take notes on what you think is essential. As you read, you should also try to understand the author’s purpose in writing the text. Why did they write it? Any important themes discussed? What is the thesis or argument the author is trying to make?
Make marginal notes to comment on the text: For example, if your passage references some historical figure or event, look up the name of the person or occurrence to better understand the significance. Also be sure to look up keywords and phrases you don’t fully understand.
Use symbols to rate your reactions to passages: After reading through the book once, go back through and annotate the margins with symbols and abbreviations to indicate main ideas and meaningful quotes and passages. You may also want to identify keywords in your margin notes by underlining them.

Keep in mind, the annotations can be worked into the book’s text or included as footnotes at the bottom of each page.

Three Main Styles of Annotating

You can use one of three styles when writing an annotation:

The one-sentence annotation. This usually provides enough information to let the reader know what the book is about; it functions as a “teaser.”
The descriptive annotation. This gives the reader a general idea of the material; it summarizes each part of the text and does not include an evaluation or opinion.
The critical annotation. This includes information in a descriptive annotation and an evaluation or opinion about the source.

In general, annotated editions are great for people who love reading and want more insight into the story. Most publications come with an annotation. It’s a feature unique to the published content that helps the audience learn more about the book content or author. It adds a lot of value to the reading experience and can even inspire you to read more.

Students, especially those taking essay writing classes or college courses, find annotation helpful because they can get ideas from other experts or authors about the same topic. Furthermore, it helps find sources and references when creating papers.

Wikipedia: Annotated Edition Books Definition
Princeton: Annotated Digital Books
Writing Centre: Why Annotate a Bibliography
Dadeschools: How to Annotate Books
Consortium Library: Styles of Annotating
Kqed: Annotating for Critical Thinking

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As the term suggests, an “annotated” book is a book containing notes and comments that enhance the understanding of the original text. So, an annotated edition of a book is one that has been reviewed and explained by a scholar or another author. In several cases, students of literature, critics, and experts also contribute to these annotated editions.

Difference Between An Annotated Book And A Regular Book

Quite simply, a regular book is a book with its original text intact, sans any additions. On the other hand, an annotated edition of a book refers to a published version that contains explanatory details, observations, and other types of annotations listed below.

Types Of Annotated Book Editions

Meaning Of Annotated Edition Books Novels Explained

There can be a variety of annotated book editions catering to different purposes. For example, an annotated children’s book may just have a brief dictionary of words that are difficult for a certain age group. However, an annotated classic may be designed for literature students who wish to explore the text in a bit more detail.

Benefits Of Reading An Annotated Edition Of A Book

Annotations can be a critical strategy for readers and students. Not only do they promote a deeper understanding of the text, but they also help stimulate analytical thinking and creativity. Annotations double up as strategies to satisfy various learning needs. Annotations help readers connect and collaborate while engaging in meaningful conversations about the book.

Annotated editions serve as guided prompts to analyze various elements of the book, eventually leading to extraordinary perspectives and critical thinking about the text. Annotations also encourage readers to ask questions and seek answers within or outside the limits of the particular text. Instead of casual reading, annotations help develop a passionate dialogue between the author and readers in more ways than one.

What Does A Book Look Like When It’s Annotated?

Obviously, an annotated edition is lengthier and more elaborate than the original book. You would find footnotes, appendices, and descriptive essays throughout the text as well as after the book ends. While some annotated books display the annotations along with the original text, others have them compiled toward the end. Also, there could be editions that follow a combination format where translations, transcriptions, summaries, and commentaries all go hand-in-hand.

DIY: Create Your Own Annotated Editions!

Annotating a book can be a fun process. It doesn’t matter whether you like scribbling anything on your books or prefer them spotless. You could add annotations in several interesting ways. We have listed a few examples below.

1. Use sticky notes: This is one of the classic school-style methods of annotating a book. You can add your thoughts, interpretations, and even illustrations about words and passages in sticky notes and gently paste them to the respective sections. You could develop your own system of categorizing the notes, color-coding them, and implementing the system in a fun way.

2. Make bookmarks out of notepads: Another fun way to make your annotations is by using longer notepad pages as bookmarks. So, every time you open up the book, you will have detailed summaries or observations right on top of those pages. This method keeps the books free of sticky glue, marks, and other disturbances that many book lovers despise.

3. Experiment with symbols and a pencil: You can also make annotations using a key. There are several symbols used professionally to assign meanings, definitions, and other types of annotation to a book. You could read up about them or make up your own when working on your annotated copy. For example, you could underline an archaic word with a pencil.

You could maintain a small diary for that particular book and write the page number and meaning of the underlined word there. Similarly, for detailed descriptions or your personal notes, you could assign a star symbol to a passage or phrase. Write the page number and symbol in your annotation diary, and scribble all you want! That way, the books stay clean, and you can have all the references handy. Remember to draw the key on the first page of your diary to make the referencing process easier.

4. Utilize the blank pages at the end: If you don’t mind a little bit of personalization in a book, you could write short notes and remarks toward the end of your book. The last pages that are blank or even the inside of the book covers can be a good scribble pad for many readers. It is a good idea to use a pencil just in case you want to eliminate or correct anything later. Using a pencil also helps keep your annotations clutter-free and neater.

What are your thoughts on annotating books? Which editions do you prefer and why? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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An artist, poet, and writer, with a dedicated passion for books and research. She loves exploring a variety of creative avenues. And her work has been published and showcased across digital platforms and galleries. When not immersed in words or art, D'ipanjenah spends time advocating wellness and a zero-waste lifestyle.

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A brief history of muscles and their meaning

Michael Andor Brodeur’s “Swole” is a semiotic history that doubles as an autobiography in lifting.

What are big muscles for? They were sidelined long ago by the industrial revolution; engines drive plows and hammer steel more cheaply and less complainingly. Somehow, though, they retain an ambiguous prestige — suggesting eros and authority to some viewers, and exhibitionism and political atavism to others. To sift their meaning, or meaninglessness, Michael Andor Brodeur , a longtime music critic for The Washington Post, has written “Swole,” a semiotic history that doubles as an autobiography in lifting.

So suspect are big muscles today, Brodeur observes, that many celebrities known for their brawn make a habit of tempering its appeal with humor. An early pioneer in this self-deprecating style was Arnold Schwarzenegger . When the Whitney Museum of American Art invited him to pose on a revolving stage in 1976, he “pumped irony,” Brodeur writes, by curling a fist under his chin to evoke Rodin’s statue “The Thinker,” and in 1993 he assured the New York Times that bodybuilding couldn’t be considered a serious endeavor: “Fifty guys standing around in their little posing trunks with oil slapped on their body. Showing off and posing in front of 5,000 people. It’s a joke.”

Brodeur is in on the joke, he is quick to let his readers know. “Runnin’ wild, brother! I like it!” a man painting Brodeur’s building hails him on the book’s first page, after spotting Brodeur, age 48, pumped and dripping with sweat from a recent workout. Brodeur explains that he was wearing a “shreddy purple string tank” and “silken polyester short shorts” at the time, and writes that the compliment may have been “the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Part of the joke here is that Brodeur makes his living as a writer, and “writers are supposed to be soft and squishy,” as he puts it. And part is that Brodeur is gay and middle-aged. What purer tribute to his physique could there be than one from a male stranger who seems to have no romantic designs on him? Also audible is the yelp of pleasure that accompanies any happy crossing of a class barrier: Brodeur writes witty, allusive prose about an enthusiasm not today considered highbrow.

It used to be. According to Brodeur, progressive resistance training goes back to at least ancient Greece, when the athlete Milo of Croton picked up and carried a calf every day, growing by increments so much stronger that in the end he was able to shoulder the bull the calf became. From the classical sculptor Polykleitos, who set forth in a statue and in a treatise the proportions considered ideal for the human form, Brodeur traces a lineage that passes through sculptures and engravings of the mythic hero Hercules, nationalist fitness crazes of the 19th century, and celebrity strongmen of the mass-media age such as Eugen Sandow and Charles Atlas. The final flowering of the tradition came in Schwarzenegger’s phenomenal career, Tom of Finland’s buxom homoerotic cartoons and the performance wear-clad superheroes of the Marvel Comics universe.

Much as Alison Bechdel did in her thoughtful graphic memoir “ The Secret to Superhuman Strength ,” Brodeur weaves into the historical narrative chapters from his own life story — brandishing He-Man’s Power Sword for the camera at age 7, getting punched by a classmate shortly after achieving zero pull-ups during the Presidential Fitness Test in high school, being inspired to take up weightlifting by the punk singer Henry Rollins’s 1993 testimonial in Details magazine (Rollins: “I have found the iron to be my greatest friend”). In the 1950s, magazines like Physique Pictorial, Brodeur writes, established a link between bodybuilding and homosexuality that “has never been severed,” and he candidly admits that in his own case, muscles have set up “a feedback loop of defense and desire,” as they do for many gay men. Eros doesn’t seem to be the whole story, however. Flexing in front of a mirror, the adult Brodeur describes himself as thinking, “I hope no one is looking. I hope they can see me,” a double bind that sounded familiar to me, a middle-aged gay man who took up Cross Fit a few years ago and is similarly both proud of his new body and mortified by his needy wish to show it off. Working on one’s body seems to bring up issues that are pre-Oedipal, to use a psychoanalytic term; it can feel like a belated attempt to secure or repair the self. In Reagan’s America, after all, it was difficult for a gay person to grow up without incurring psychic injury.

A stigmatized identity is far from the only kind of damage people have hoped to heal with weights. Brodeur reports that one study found that 21 percent of bodybuilders were bullied in childhood; among them were Lou Ferrigno, Sylvester Stallone and Atlas. American men today suffer from mental illness, substance abuse and suicide at higher rates than women, and Brodeur is nervously aware of the high-profile online hucksters who sell lifting to these men as a nostrum, usually along with supplements and a revanchist sexual ethos. “The hole in men’s souls,” he writes, “doubles as a gap in the market.” He is agnostic about the steroids that also circulate in the “manosphere.” Although he isn’t tempted to use them himself, he believes no one should be denied gender-affirming care—not even people assigned male at birth who want to venture further into masculinity.

Brodeur may be more worried than he needs to be about defending lifting from guilt by association; it isn’t problematic just because the online hucksters are. There’s mounting evidence, for example, that resistance training improves the fitness of older adults as much as aerobic exercise does . As a bodybuilder, Brodeur usually works out alone, but late in the book, he finds a gym where, to his surprise, men encourage and praise one another, rather than glare in ear-budded isolation, and where the work the men are doing together seems to be helping a number of them move forward from places where they had got stuck — drift, addiction, jail, loneliness. Brodeur speculates that the project of acquiring big muscles has become for these men “a way to authorize a level of affection and support that might otherwise be impossible.”

I recognize the vibe. There’s a similar one at the gym I go to, where there are women and nonbinary people in the classes as well as men, and also — this may sound a little incongruous — a similar one among my fellow birdwatchers in the local park, who share their finds as openly, record them as fastidiously, and compare them as emulously as gymgoers do their lifts. Maybe the men at the gym Brodeur found bond, in other words, not because muscles give them cover for departing from conventional male brusqueness but because lifting, independent of any gender coloration it may or may not have, is something they are able to both share in and compete in, thanks to norms — such as respect, fairness, honesty, mutuality and excellence — that the gym’s leaders and members maintain. An experience like that would make anyone stronger.

Caleb Crain is the author of “Overthrow” and “Necessary Errors.”

The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle

By Michael Andor Brodeur

Beacon Press. 244 pp. $28.95.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The novel ‘Old King’ explores the meaning of ‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski today

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By Maxim Loskutoff Norton: 304 pages, $27.99 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

When Ted Kaczynski killed himself in a federal prison last June , it closed a confounding chapter in the history of American domestic terrorism. Unlike fascists, white supremacists and antigovernment conspiracists, Kacyzinski espoused righteous principles: protecting the environment and facing the destructive role of technology. “[T]hreats to the modern individual tend to be MAN-MADE,” he wrote in a 35,000-word manifesto that ran in the New York Times and Washington Post in 1995. “They are not the result of chance but are IMPOSED on him by other persons whose decisions he, as an individual, is unable to influence.”

He wasn’t wrong. But the papers only published his words on the recommendation of the FBI and U.S. attorney general to prevent him from doing more harm — beyond the three people he’d murdered and nearly two dozen he’d injured with mail bombs.

Maxim Loskutoff’s second novel, “Old King,” is an attempt to sort through Kaczynski’s contradictions, to acknowledge the manifesto’s prophetic elements while stressing it’s the product of a sociopath. That’s fine fodder for a novel — the stuff of Dostoyevsky, even — though Loskutoff isn’t trying to deliver a “Karamazov”-grade philosophical tale. Rather, “Old King” is a more modest blend of police procedural and great-outdoors yarn.

Book cover of "Old King" by Maxim Loskutoff

Set largely in the Montana wilderness where Kaczynski holed up, the novel explores the line where independence becomes so distant from empathy that it’s toxic. Loskutoff writes beautifully about nature — “Old King” refers to a massive tree towering over the Montana landscape. But nature on its own, he observes, can be menacing and brain-scrambling as well.

Before Kaczynski claims the novel’s stage, Loskutoff introduces a set of characters who evoke his crisis in miniature. In 1976, Duane is a young father who has just left his marriage and home in Utah to move to Lincoln, Mont., for work. He’s not especially skilled, and nature alienates him at first. (“Branches rustled, reaching toward him, offering up his failures.”) But he soon lands a logging job and gets to know the locals: Mason, a forest ranger; Hutch, owner of an ad hoc animal rescue; the Carter family, a clan of cranky separatists; and Jackie, Mason’s ex and a diner waitress. Settling in, Duane gifts Jackie with a microwave he liberated from his broken marriage, a small symbol of both warm domesticity and cold technology.

Indeed, it’s likely no other microwave in the history of American literature has been asked to carry so much metaphorical weight. Even without dwelling on the device, it’s clear that everybody in the area is trying to figure out to what degree they can balance the wilderness’ capacities for wonder and alienation. Mason, the ranger, is the most sophisticated thinker on the matter, questioning whether his job is preserving the environment or helping to accelerate a land rush: “By arresting poachers and running old trappers out of business, he’d clear the way for rich tourists to build second homes… Their contracting crews killed animals by the score with bulldozers, and the cement they poured left no way for the trees to grow back.”

Portrait of long-haired man looking away from camera

As the narrative moves into the ’80s, Mason is increasingly troubled by the irony of his work. Duane, meanwhile, acknowledges the healthy fear the environment puts in him: Seeing a grizzly, he falls into a “wild, plunging panic, as if he’d come here to be eaten, having finally crossed the line between civilization and his dreams.” Both responses qualify as a kind of wilderness intelligence. By contrast, Kaczynski, a brilliant mathematician before becoming the Unabomber, is rendered as a more crazed, lunkheaded type: “The bear was the first real killer he’d ever encountered. He wanted to be a killer.”

There’s an unwritten law that literary fiction set in the high plains be sturdy and simple — sentences firm as fence posts, commas hammered in as clean as barn nails. Kent Haruf’s novels are the exemplar of the form, but the sensibility runs through books by Thomas McGuane, Marilynne Robinson, Peter Heller, Ivan Doig and more. Loskutoff, who set both his novel “Ruthie Fear” and story collection “Come West and See” at least partly in Montana, has mastered his own take on the form. He deftly captures how the environment is both enchanting and fearsome, and though his set pieces have a familiar ring — bar fights! dangerous animals! — he focuses more on what’s troubling his characters than overselling some myth of rough-and-ready swagger.

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Still, the plainspoken approach means some characters lack depth. Jackie, the waitress, rarely rises above the trope of the straight-talking done-wrong Western woman who can’t find a good man. The trouble is more acute in Kaczynski’s case. Luskatoff introduces a postal inspector, Nep, who’s trying to chase down the Unabomber and grasps the threat he poses to America’s sense of self, then and now. (“Race riots, serial killers, assassinations, superfund sites. The great ship of America going down with all the lights blazing.”) But Nep is basically a stock detective, and Kaczynski little more than an angry narcissist who derides everyone around him as fools. His contempt for humanity is clear. But then why was he concerned for it?

For Loskutoff’s purposes, Kaczynski serves less as a character than a warning. The Unabomber was more than a ’90s headline; his past is closer to our present than we think. When a Montana local tells Mason about a brutal act of violence that happened in the ’20s, Mason brushes it off: “That was fifty years ago.” The man scoffs: “You think that’s a long time?”

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How To Annotate A Book
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A Guide To: Annotating A Book
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Simplify Annotation with Marks, Codes, & Abbreviations

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Annotative Meaning
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Start your annotating journey 🤩 book annotation made easy without ruining your reading materials

COMMENTS

How to Annotate a Book: What to Look For and How to Take Notes
1. Highlight. If you own the book, or if your library/rental service allows you to mark the text, highlighting can be a great and neat way to annotate a book. You can color code your annotations, and choose to either make additional notes in the margins, or keep a separate notebook with your notes and corresponding page number for each ...
How to Annotate a Book: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
1. Annotate with a highlighter and a pen or pencil. One of the easiest ways to annotate a book is to use a highlighter and pen or pencil directly on the text. Choose a highlighter in a shade that is easy for you to read on the page, such as a light blue or orange color.
5 Ways to Annotate Your Books
Use colorful tabs (helpful if you can't write in the book!) Create a key and use symbols. Annotate fast, like a student. Talk to the text. 1. Stick to highlighting. If you are new to annotating your books or are still too skeptical about ruining the pages, highlighting passages is a great place to start.
How to Annotate Texts
Writing in your books can make you smarter. Or, at least (according to education experts), annotation-an umbrella term for underlining, highlighting, circling, and, most importantly, leaving comments in the margins-helps students to remember and comprehend what they read. Annotation is like a conversation between reader and text.
How To Annotate A Book (Like A Pro)
3. Use A Notebook. A notebook is a great way to annotate in a book if you're not a fan of writing directly in it. Similar to the transparent paper method, I'd recommend writing the book title and page number on the top - and then just annotate and take notes as you normally would! 4. Use Your IPad Or Laptop.
Why & How To Annotate A Book
Tips for Effective Book Annotation. Now you know why you should annotate your books, here are my tips for how to annotate your books for fun. 1. Use a pencil . Now I really do sound like a teacher talking! It's always a good idea to use a pencil instead of a pen so that you can erase your annotations later or adjust them while you're reading.
How to Annotate Your Books to the Fullest: A Comprehensive Guide
A pencil: You'll also need a pencil while annotating so that you can write marginalia, which could both mean margin notes or inspire an excellent band name. Marginalia, which we get into a little later, helps you point out key information in a little more detail. Sticky notes: Whether you use tiny little tabs, flags, or full-sized tags ...
How To Annotate A Book In 9 Key Steps
Make it a conversation worth having. 1. Remove distractions. Work in a place where no one and nothing will sabotage your concentration. For the next chunk of time, you are indisposed and unavailable. Silence your phone, lock your door, or do what you need to do (within reason) to ensure privacy and peace.
How to Annotate a Book? Unveiling the Importance & Process
Annotating a book helps to form a deeper relationship with it. You may easily annotate through - highlighting, underlining, doodling, writing, or using sticky notes and a journal. You may summarize, draw emojis, or write your ideas and emotions while annotating. The e-books can also be annotated using several tools and applications.
How to Annotate a Book
Green - Characters (character development, character introductions, and formulating on character motives) Blue - Sad moments. Yellow - Favorite quotes or meaningful quotes. Annotating color keys also look super different depending on the genre of book you're reading, so if you're reading a fantasy book, you may want to include world ...
How to Annotate a Book?
To annotate effectively, use a few or all of these tips: Sum up key points in your own words. Circle or underline key concepts, phrases, or any unfamiliar or vocabulary words. You can even write their definitions in the margins. Highlight or underline important parts such as the sentences carrying the main idea of a paragraph, chapter, etc.
How to Annotate Books for Fun
3. Note Cards. Another one of my favorite ways to annotate without writing in the book is using notecards. When I was annotating The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, I kept a pack of notecards beside me and I would summarize each chapter after reading it. I would then slip that notecard into the pages of the book.
Annotating text: The complete guide to close reading
Learning to effectively annotate text is a powerful tool that can improve your reading, self-learning, and study strategies. Using an annotating system that includes text annotations and note-taking during close reading helps you actively engage with the text, leading to a deeper understanding of the material.
How To Annotate Books? Best Full Guide [2022]
See also What Font Are Books Written In: Best Guide [2022] Use different colors: Use different colored sticky notes to mark different types of annotations, such as blue for important concepts, yellow for questions, and pink for examples. Write short notes: Keep your notes brief and to the point, using shorthand or abbreviations where possible.
Reading Tips: How I Use Book Tabs to Annotate Books
Well, it's pretty easy. I use a color-coded system using five colored tabs. Each color has it's own meaning in terms of what it represents in the book. Here is what each tab color means for me: Orange = World-building/Important Details. Pink = Romantic or sweet moments. Yellow = Favorite Quotes.
The Best Annotation Tools for Readers
Annotation Stickers ($12): If you don't like highlighting your books but still want the colorful effect, these clear stickers make your pages and notes pop! Reading Log and Annotation Kit ($9): If you like to keep track of your overall reading and make notes, this reading log bookmark with annotation supplies is perfect.
Annotating Texts
Annotation can be: A systematic summary of the text that you create within the document. A key tool for close reading that helps you uncover patterns, notice important words, and identify main points. An active learning strategy that improves comprehension and retention of information.
Research Guides: Reading and Study Strategies: Annotating a Text
You can annotate by hand or by using document software. You can also annotate on post-its if you have a text you do not want to mark up. As you annotate, use these strategies to make the most of your efforts: Include a key or legend on your paper that indicates what each marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of information ...
How to Annotate Books When You're Reading For Fun
3. use a reading journal/make notes. If you want to annotate but don't want to do anything to the book, you can maintain a notebook as a reading journal to write your thoughts in. This also works for audiobooks as bookmarking in the audiobooks itself can be messy.
Understanding Annotation: A Comprehensive Guide
Let's clear the air by exploring the definition of annotation versus an abstract: Annotation: An annotation adds extra information to a text. It could be a comment, explanation, or even a question. Imagine you're reading a complex scientific paper. You might annotate it by jotting down a simpler explanation of a concept in the margins.
What Does Annotated Edition Books Mean?
Annotated edition books are classics published with the original text alongside additional notes made by people who want supplemental information and analysis.Often, these editions are compiled and published by an organization to bring together different materials worldwide. Publishers may annotate a book to offer personal insights and feelings ...
Annotation Examples Simply Explained
The inclusion of annotations can bring additional value and information to your work. ... A reader might annotate a book, paper, pamphlet. or other texts for the following reasons: ... or others may use annotations to give historical context, explain the meaning of a word, offer insights or highlight information. In this edition of The Art of ...
The Meaning Of "Annotated Edition" Books Explained!
The Meaning Of Annotated Edition Books Explained! ️ 📖. As the term suggests, an "annotated" book is a book containing notes and comments that enhance the understanding of the original text. So, an annotated edition of a book is one that has been reviewed and explained by a scholar or another author. In several cases, students of ...
The perfect June book: Flaubert's 'Sentimental Education'
Gustave Flaubert's classic, "Sentimental Education," tracks the amorous adventures of an ambitious young man in a fraught time surprisingly like our own.
Swole by Michael Andor Brodeur book review
To sift their meaning, or meaninglessness, ... "Runnin' wild, brother! I like it!" a man painting Brodeur's building hails him on the book's first page, after spotting Brodeur, age 48 ...
'In My Time of Dying' Review: Sebastian Junger, Staying Alive
The 10 Best Books of 2023 This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law.
The novel 'Old King' explores the meaning of 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski
Book Review. Old King. By Maxim Loskutoff Norton: 304 pages, $27.99 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
MLB integrates Negro League statistics into all-time record book with
Major League Baseball (MLB) has incorporated the statistics of former Negro Leagues players into its historical records on its website, meaning legendary leaders in some categories like Babe Ruth ...

How to Annotate a Book

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Why & How To Annotate A Book

Why Annotate Your Books?

1. It enhances your comprehension

2. It personalizes your reading experience

3. It helps you to retain more information

Tips for Effective Book Annotation

1. Use a pencil

2. Understand when to start annotating

3. Highlight or underline what’s important

4. Know what to write about

5. Use symbols and abbreviations

6. Keep it organized

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Book Annotation Supplies for Actively Writing in Your Book

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