![]() For example, I read a writing book recently, where the author begins with (paraphrased) “Obviously, throughout this book, when I refer to ‘he,’ I actually mean all people universally.” So I wrote “HOW GENEROUS OF YOU TO SHOW ME HOW TO SMOTHER HALF THE HUMAN RACE WITH A SIMPLE PRONOUN. I ANNOTATE LIKE SOME KIND OF CRAZY PERSON. ![]() If I’m going to write notes about a book, I will need more space than the margin gives me. And really, are our margin notes going to be more profound than the original?īut I think for some people, especially very visually oriented people, writing, highlighting, or doodling something might be an important part of their learning process. And as for annotations, the insight that hit us like a sledgehammer at the time can seem kind of obvious in retrospect, after we’ve digested it. It’s unlikely to be one that we highlighted previously. I stopped because it turns out, when we are reading the Bible, we never know what word or concept is going to come alive for us next. I think it was from a combination of a desire to appear spiritual and scholarly, plus a sort of gleeful transgressive feeling: “We’re allowed to write in the Bible … because we’re learning from it!” I used to highlight/annotated my Bible many years ago. My dad is a scholar and he sometimes annotates, usually when arguing with the author. Sort of like using an old-fashioned typewriter? I didn’t know that annotating was now a hip thing to do. Although my daughter also thinks my son is horrible for dog earring his pages so to each their own. I’m not sure if I explained it well? I don’t like to stop mid book to write something down because books play out like movies in my head and I prefer not to hit pause, but just slapping a sticker somewhere is easy for me, my daughter does it too but my son doesn’t. Then there are some books I don’t tab at all because nothing is really note worthy its a just a book. I tabbed the crap out of PIerce Brown’s books because he had great one liners and plot twists, and Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy because I was either crying or laughing thinking this whole book is me. There is also the ones that might turn into something, like a turning point in the book that emotionally grabbed me that I might want to go back too and the tab is an easy place holder. Of course I don’t mind, sometimes if I want to use it for an excerpt I’ll flag it, or if it was a really good line like I want to write it down later and frame it line (my friends an artist). So, y’all, how about it? Are you an annotator or a non-annotator? Or do you think writing in a book is a sin that aught to be punishable by death? Those of you who annotate, what does that even look like? If you know great blog posts explaining it, please link those up. Write “I love this part” in the margins? How banal. It’s a very personal book to me, and my own notes would only make it more personal. Jane Eyre comes to mind, because my copy is literally falling apart, and the one dog-eared page is threatening to fall out, and I know it forwards and back and inside out. If I’m being honest, I rather like the idea of annotating a book, especially a favorite book that I re-read over and over. WHAT IS THERE TO COLOR CODE? Seriously, I’m not being judgmental, I’m asking. ![]() I am especially flabbergasted by people who have color-coded annotations. Kind of the point is that the WHOLE THING is meaningful… Besides, in a week I won’t be able to remember what was so meaningful about that passage in the first place, and there is not enough room in the margins to write with MY huge handwriting… ![]() He says any passage that stands out to you or is extra meaningful. My pastor encourages us to annotate our Bibles. What stood out to me was that one year she underlined every time she saw the word “the”. She has a copy of The Secret History by Donna Tartt that she re-reads every year, and each year she adds annotates according to a different schema. My favorite answer to this question came from Liberty from Book Riot during the All the Books podcast. “It depends on the book.” Gee, super helpful. I assure you, it did not help me understand the characters any better. “Oh, just any passage that I really like.” Ummmm, what does that mean? “Things that help you get to know the characters.” I did that to Pride and Prejudice in high school once. And while I’m not against annotating, I’ve no idea what all that entails.Īnd friends, I have ASKED. I prefer to completely submerge myself into a book, loosing myself if possible, and seeing writing or highlighting in a book really brings me out of it. I should start by clarifying that while I am not one of those people who can’t bear to see a spine cracked or page dog-eared, in general I prefer not to write in my books. I am utterly befuddled about the current trend of annotating a book.
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