My Annotating Journey

Write in my books? Are you mad?

If you’d asked me a year ago, I would’ve said I never write in my books. I would’ve been correct, but not for much longer.

Why I chose to start annotating?

Truthfully, I couldn’t remember things. I read a lot of books. I’ve always been a “read for the feeling and retain nothing of consequence” kind of reader. In English, I failed so many quizzes that I’d actually done the reading for! When I was reading only for my pleasure, what did it matter if I couldn’t tell you the love interests names? When I started Jayce Reads Romance, suddenly my inability to retain the most basic of details became a problem.

How did it start?

An example of my highlighting. All the main MMCs in this story.

On my e-reader. I know that sounds like a cop out, and it kind of is. Most of the books I was reading on my e-reader were from the library or from KU. These weren’t my books and I wanted to have notes or quotes I could look back on. It was easy to highlight on my e-reader and look at the saved notes later. This was making it a lot easier for me to share what happened in books that I’d read a digital version of. I noticed a difference in how I was remembering and explaining my opinion between my digital and physical reads. That was a problem.

How did it actually start?

The tabs I chose based on the way they looked with the cover

With stickers. Seriously. I bought sticker tabs. They are colorful, fun, and inexpensive. I then splurged on clear sticky notes. I thought these would be a great idea because I wasn’t sure about writing in an actual book, plus I was borrowing a lot from my library. (Thank you, Chicago Public Library) The tabs worked great! I was able to flip right to each one and find the places of importance in my books. The sticky notes…not so much. Most pens had trouble writing on the stick notes. And if they wrote they didn’t dry. So I was getting either smudged notes or ink smudges in my books. I could’ve used a permanent marker, but that seemed excessive and I didn’t really want to keep one on me. I quickly retired the sticky notes.

What did you do next?

I wrote in my book. It felt so crazy. It felt scandalous, probably why I enjoyed it. Most importantly, it allowed me to put my thoughts next to the parts of the book that caused it. I could easily look back on why I put a tab down, because the reason was written down for me.

The first thing I actually tried was highlighting what caught my attention and then using a pen to write down my thoughts and feelings. Now, this a very personal thing, turns out I don’t like the feeling of my highlighter on the type of paper most books are made up. It wasn’t pleasant in my hand. You might feel differently, but it was very uncomfortable for me to highlight. So I stopped.

I now use my pen to mark the sentences, paragraphs, words, or phrases that caught my attention. It makes the process easier because I am only using one writing implement for my annotating. I tried out difference colors and pens and haven’t found one brand or style that I would chose above all others. I’m cautious with felt tip because those colors tend to bleed, but that also depends on the paper of the book.

Back to the tabs?

I’m so glad you asked! Yes, my technique with tabs has evolved over the last few months as well. I keep my tabs in my personal books. I soon learned that if they stick out too far, they get squished when I put them back on the shelves. I place my tabs so that a quarter of an inch or so peeks out. With that, I prefer tabs that have a bold color. It makes them easier to find when referencing something.

Do your colors mean anything?

At the beginning, they sure didn’t! I used one color for everything. Sometimes I would run out of a color before the book was over. I still hate when that happens.

Then the lightbulb moment happened.

My key for Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake with all the tabs labeled

There are a few things that I look for when reading beyond just did I like that or did I not. My forearms series on the podcast is still going strong. Which means every time I see a gratuitously described forearm, I take note. I’m also keep track of clit stimulation during penetrative sex. So I have to make note. Those don’t go in my general reviews and I don’t often need to reference them.

My first color coded tab system consisted of: Like, Meh, Body Part, Clit. I tried to use colors that couldn’t be confused for each other. That worked so well. I kept that system for a few months without any changes.

But this is why it’s always a good idea to look at the experts. I was able to see Dark Midnight Design, an annotation kit company, give a presentation on annotating. During the lecture, they shared that they often use a tab color for plot/magic devices when reading complex fantasy novels. I loved that idea. Sometimes I just needed to make note of a plot device, a fact, a nickname. I didn’t love or dislike it, I just needed to know it. Thus was born my final color: Plot.

What does it look like for you?

For Plot, that tab always goes on the very top of the book. Usually above the words on the page. This is because I want it separate. I’m sometimes referring back quickly while reading, rather than looking back while writing a review. Everything else is where I making the note. I’ve found it helps me find the point on the page that I’m referring to more easily. I know that I’ve marked it with a pen, but anything that helps me I will keep.

Anything else to share?

I try to match my tabs to my book so they are aesthetically pleasing. That’s a me thing. Only I get to judge what matches and what doesn’t. And I still get annoyed when I run out of a color while reading.

Can you finish up?

Yes! Annotating is not a requirement of reading. If it helps you, keep going! If it doesn’t, don’t bother. If you’re not sure, give it a try. Your systems can evolved as your needs or wants as a reader evolve. There are no rules for how or why you annotate. It’s just for you to engage with a book in the way you want to.

But don’t write in a library book. That’s just rude.

I’ve made an amazon list of the things I’ve mentioned in this post. I’ve also added my notes to the items.