6 Reasons Why You Should Annotate Your Books

Are you looking for a new way to read your books? Have you been toying with the idea of annotating your books but have no idea where to start? Well I’m here to help guide you into the annotating direction.

And remember, there isn’t one certain way to do this. You can use all sorts of tools to help you jot your thoughts from post-it notes to highlighters to just writing in the book itself. (Just remember, you should stick to annotating your own books unless you have direct permission to do so in someone else’s copy)

And if you’re someone who may be using a borrowed copy or you just aren’t sure if you want to put all those tabs in the book, you can also transfer everything that you would’ve written in your book into a journal or notebook. This way, you keep all your notes while leaving the book spotless.

So if you don’t already annotate your books, here are a few reasons why it has helped change the way I read.

1.Annotating books helps you connect with each story – it helps you dive deeper into each line instead of skimming your way through AND you’re less likely to miss an important part of the plot.

2.Allows you access to your real-time thoughts – you can look back with each re-read and discover if you still feel the same about that epic plot twist.

3.You can pass it on to others as a bookish gift – especially if you receive a bookish gift like this, it’s fun to see someone else’s unique perspective to the same story.

4.They’re a sequels bestfriend – they help to remind you of what all happened before you move on to Book 2.

5.You can customize your annotations – it doesn’t have to be pen to page; in fact, I use a separate bookish journal to write down all my thoughts, document those epic plot twists, and record my favorite quotes. I leave sticky tabs in the physical copy to help me jump to those moments when I need to. I have also been thinking of writing my thoughts on the sticky notes to remember my exact thoughts as I go back and re-read my favorite stories! It’s also really helpful for when it comes to writing my book reviews!

6.It’s fun! – to see all the colorful tabs makes your book unique to you and looks fun on a bookshelf!

And once you figure out HOW you’ll be annotating your books, it’s time to brainstorm for WHAT you want to write down. And once you begin this process, you’ll always find various things to write down, but here is a small list of what you can use to guide your process:

Questions
Shocking Moments
Connections
Summaries
Favorite Words / Quotes
Character / World-Building Notes
Personal Reactions
Examples to Back Your Opinions

So just remember that this is a unique process. There isn’t a right or wrong way to annotate, but this could be a great way to connect with your books!

Do you like to annotate while you read?? What are your favorite ways to annotate your books?? Leave your tips in the comments!

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