My method of annotating books is pretty simple. I donāt color code or use any sort of system to organize my notes on a book. Iām pretty lazy and having to color code and keep track of what the different colors stand for sounds exhausting. But if you are one of those people who has a highly organized system of annotating, I applaud you. I wish I could be you (not sarcasm I swear). However, Iāve found that for me, keeping it simple while I annotate is the best. If youāre looking for a simple, no frills way to annotate a book, this is the post for you.
Basically as Iām reading I highlight anything that stands out to me. Examples of things I tend to highlight are parts of the story I donāt understand, parts I think are worded beautifully, or anything that raises questions in my mind. I also take note of literary devices (allusions, similes, etc.) and common themes that I see running through the book. If I find a word or phrase I donāt know, Iāll look it up and write the definition in my book so that I can refer to it later.
After highlighting something, I write down in my book, why I highlighted it. This is super important, because not only does it force me to think more about the text, when I re-read the book I have context for why I thought a particular thing was important enough to highlight. This is where the post-its come in. If I donāt have enough space to write in the margins, Iāll write my comment on a post-it, and stick it on the appropriate page. Oftentimes Iāll do both, writing in the margins when I have a smaller comment, and using the post-its for when I need more room.
If Iām reading a really long book, Iāll write down summaries of the different chapters or sections on my post-it notes so that I can keep track of whatās happening. If Iām trying to keep track of different themes, Iāll usually put the page numbers for where I found those themes expressed in a note at the beginning of the book. If I find myself asking questions about elements of the plot, the word choice, anything, Iāll write those down, either on a post-it or in the margins. Even if I canāt answer the questions right away, I can always come back to them after Iāve finished reading.
I mainly use page flags for when Iām writing essays. Iāll use them to bookmark pages with quotes or scenes that Iām planning on referencing so that when Iām writing I can easily refer back to them. Iāll also use page flags when Iām reading library book, in place of highlighters (since you canāt highlight library books obviously).
Donāt be scared of marking up your book. I personally love color, so I love it when my books are an explosion of pink and yellow and orange highlighter. (Like I said before, I donāt color code, but I like to switch up the color highlighter I use just for fun).Ā
Itās ok to highlight something that you think is important even if you donāt know why. Just put a question mark by it. I do that all the time.
If you find yourself liking or disliking something an author is saying, write that down, and then write down why. These are ideas you can use in English papers.
Literally anything you think of while reading a book might be something you want to write down; donāt be afraid of your own ideas and connections.
I mentioned earlier that I take note of any literary devices that I see. If you have trouble remembering these @emmastudies has an amazing printable that lists the main literary techniques.
Have fun with it! Annotating is designed to enhance your reading experience, not make it a greater burden.
This post ended up being a little longer than I expected, but I hope it helped you in some way. If you have any questions feel free to send me an ask (or comment) and Iād be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. Happy reading!
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