Let's Discuss: Annotating

 

So another idea popped up in my head the other day. I may or may not have talked about it before and honestly don't want to go digging to see that I talked about it already! Lol.

Annotating

I know some readers like to annotate their books and I honestly have a love/not love-but not hate relationship with this idea. Firstly there's that whole "OMG YOU WROTE IN THE BOOK?!" mentality that I have never been able to get over. What with school always telling us NEVER WRITE IN YOUR TEXTBOOKS! Then you go to college and you buy used textbooks because OMG they are expensive! and you see other people writing in them. I almost preferred used textbooks just to get a better insight on the things I had to read if I had a previous good notetaker's book! Lol.

I tried writing in textbooks, I did. I just didn't like it because I was also jotting down notes in my notebook and couldn't keep up doing both! Lol. So yeah, that part is hard to overcome. I'm always tempted...but...then I have other reasons!

Firstly I sometimes feel like it will take you out of the story to stop, pick up the highlighter/pen/post it sticky/whatever it is to notate that special quote or description you so like! Then maybe you add a comment or a doodle or whatnot. And then you set that all down and pick up the book and start reading again. But for that moment, you're taken out of the story.

I don't know about other readers, but I sink into a story every time I read a book! I guess depending on the story I can sometimes feel like the MC or maybe just an observer, sometimes it depends on the POV and what tense it's in. But I get sucked into the story and to have to stop just to notate something fun or meaningful pulls me out.

Don't get me wrong, I still jot down notes for my review or recaps if it's an ongoing series. Or I might snap a picture of a quote I really like to notate in my quote journal later--really need to get a new one as the leather keeps flaking off of the spine. So I do have to stop occasionally for these things but I feel like I can quickly get back into the story. I don't know, maybe annotators feel the same way too.

Then my next issue is usually what exactly am I to highlight? I mean, I don't find quotes I really like in every book I read. Yes, I enjoy the book, but the quotes I end up saving are always ones that make a powerful impact with me. Like just whoa! I'd say half the time, or maybe a little more, it's usually a quote involving books or reading and the love of reading and books, so yeah, I relate! Lol. But I guess I just wonder, what are other people highlighting and whatnot when they annotate their own books? A favorite passage, yeah, I get that. Favorite quotes? Got it! But what else???

Some of the books I get might have a bonus annotated chapter from the author and I LOOOVE these! I love seeing what the author was thinking when they wrote particular things! These I don't mind reading at all even if I get taken out of the story.

So yeah, I have mixed feelings about annotating books. I like the concept, I love reading when an author annotates their own book...but trying to do it myself and have it feel noteworthy? That's a little harder for me to conceive! 

What about you? Do you like annotating in your books? Do you like the idea of it or do you find it troublesome? What are your thoughts?