How I Annotate Books

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[@zlicko7735]

A quote is the reason that I started annotating: Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times? As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar. (from the Inkheart series)

[@VictorianGentleman]

I was part of the "keep the books pristine" club, and there are some copies that I still wouldn't mark in, mostly my vintage ones, but I am getting more ok with annotating in my new books. I do like seeing what other people thought, or what passages they choose to mark as important when I stubble across an annotated book, so I figured if I like seeing this window into other people, why not leave my own marks on my books? I annotate very similarly to you, it is just me responding to things on page, getting my first thoughts down. I really got started because I hit a point in a book a couple of times that struck me so hard I felt compelled to mark that passage and record that feeling I had. I'm coming to love the idea of being able to go back and see what you thought on your first pass during a reread, to take yourself back to that moment. I actually have one book on my shelves that I absolutely hated, but I was forced to annotate it heavily for a class, so now it preserves its place in my collection not for its story but for the memory, and how it has essentially become a journal to my own hatred of it.

[@nathantownsend7586]

I Love finding used books that have been annotated. I think it’s so facilitating to see things through the perspective of someone I’ve never even met.

[@koboldmartian4063]

I use pencil to annotate and even draw in! If I'm not vibing with a book I'll refrain from writing in it and by the end, I have one of those nice white bar erasers and go through the book to clear it out to donate. For books I want to keep after I read it, I have a personal library stamp that I put into the cover of the books! Then I loan them out or reread etc. I do what you do and tell my friends who borrow the book to write in them as well

[@daniel_arevalo_6490]

And this is yet another reason why I have been following this channel for years. I grew up believing that I was not good at reading because of how much I struggled with it in school. When I asked my second grade teacher for help she told me that “maybe reading is just not for you.” Fast forward to my late twenties when I had already found a new passion of writing during my prior military enlistment, I discovered this channel that encouraged me to understand that I was not a “bad” reader. But that I in fact loved reading and stories, I just absorbed them a bit differently. I never annotated my books before because I still held onto the lie that I was not as good of a reader as others who know how to break down a book well. Through this channel, I have discovered that I am a character-driven reader rather than a plot-driven reader. I don’t care where we go, how, or when. I just want to go with the character, grow with them, and spend time with them. I am about to begin a new book today and I am excited to try out this way of annotating! Thank you Merphy!

[@sumitraspov]

ACTUALLY squealed when you showed that the caryon annotated book was guards! guards!, that makes total sense ❤️❤️❤️

[@Lelentos]

I can't imagine marking up a book, I like to think i'm holding a spellbook that summons a portal to another world and any mark or imperfection is a chance for that illusion to break. However, I do think i'd enjoy reading a friend or family member's annoted books to get inside their head if it's a book I already love.

[@per-c8229]

Same! I don't annotate in my books I normally have a journal or notes app to put my thoughts on so I can relive it lather without having to reread (I hardly ever reread)

[@AnnaSchumaker]

This reminds me of a book I read a while ago called "S." by Doug Dorst and JJ Abrams. Part of the story was written in the margins by two characters passing the book back and forth. I don't remember much about the story since I read it so long ago, but I do remember it was a fascinating read

[@puzzlingread]

I love the idea of annotating as long as the original text is still legible. Also...0:26 it's 2024 😛

[@qbanboi069]

I was listening and half watching.. and when that cup suddenly showed up on screen, I first thought "Oh shit.. When did Frieza show up?" lol

[@rafavizuetecastro]

I usually tend to transcribe a lot of quotes that I liked into a notebook. Later I switched to copy and pasting with the phone, it's less exhausting. So now all my notes are in my phone and I do print them into compilative notebooks.

[@Yesica1993]

Oh, that's a good idea!

[@monisharmuk]

I also like when the books look that they have been well read.

[@mr.dannysbookshelf]

This is excellent. Thank you Merphy!

[@keravnos2231]

Glad you got your internet back lol 😂, Always enjoy the morning videos

[@rafavizuetecastro]

Thank you, Merphy, thank you so much. I've really found a friend, and those conversation type of videos are so great. Books are so awesome, it's so sad that so few people read nowadays (at least it feels like it). I really look up to you.

[@banaa9463]

Your passion for books and your kids is so heartwarming! I literally had goosebumps when you were talking about the crayon 💓

[@CNBlaze-qj7fg]

Excellent! What a great way to preserve your thoughts about the book from the first read. I have books I've read countless times and I have actually struggled to remember what my first assumptions were and wished for a time machine. Or I could just grab a pencil. Probably less expensive. ;)

[@dagahk1]

Until 20 min ago, I used to hate annotated books. Listening to your video, I understand now! I still wouldn't annotate, but you changed my opinion, and I'll be more accepting next time I put my hands on an annotated book :)

[@andatodica]

Such a beautiful idea to exchange thoughts with friends through a book ❤.

[@carolinelenny]

I love how you convey your love for reading in your videos. 😊 Also, you forgot to mention how you mark the pages you've read of books you absolutely hate 😉😂 (by ripping them out, RIP, the Cursed Child)

[@SimplementInefable]

Appart for sticky tabs I sometimes use as a bookmark blank paper that I cut for the purpose. Then I compile some quotes that I really love there and have all my bookmarks in a binder!

[@katalyze101]

Solid insights in the video. Random but could we get a library tour? Your shelves look so purposefully organized would love a break down of them!

[@CobbyMorales6747]

I feel so identified with this video. I 100% write in the margins of the pages, "answer" to what the author said, and love the worn/used look in my books. ❤🎉

[@hunacean]

Thanks Merph, this has been pretty interesting! Personally I have never felt the desire to annotate books in my life. I never even highlighted stuff in my textbooks back in the day either. Whenever I saw someone have a really deeply annoated book, I was always so bewildered, I could'nt even even imagine what all that writing could be about. But this video helped me understand a bit, especially the conserving your first impression for a re-read part, that sound well fun actually. I don't know if I'll ever try, but it's a cool prespective to finally understand nontheless.

[@litlbucky]

One of my favorite books on my shelves is my annotated copy of Peter Pan, it was such a great gift

[@ThePlayersAid]

Annotations in second hand books are my favourite form of time travel.

[@julienichols5333]

I don't do the annotations thing, but I think that's largely because it was required in high school (as in, we had to hand over our copies to the teachers for them to review our annotations), and I was so bad at it that thinking about actively annotating is stressful. But I'm not necessarily a member of the pristine book club, because I appreciate books that were very obviously loved... I'm just not loving my books in that way.

[@Srbthmlnsmth]

I’ve never tried this before but now I’m tempted to try

[@thefantasynerd93]

I also love underlining and writing (in pencil) in books I read physically ❤ Tabbing feels like too much work, but I'll do it at the end for book club discussions. And I'm usually not a fan of dog-earing books, but there's just something about poetry collections that makes it so satisfying.

[@Yesica1993]

The really bad thing about dog earing books is that if you do it with one of those cheapie paperbacks that have really crappy paper, after some years it could actually break off. EEK!

[@caprince.]

unrelated but your hair looks amazing! 💜

[@AllyEmReads]

I love the idea of annotating, like having a visual conversation with favorite books, but my anxiety-riddled brain freaks out at the thought of doing it myself 😅 I'm sure one day I'll be able to work past that mental block, but it is not this day lol (except I do highlight poetry. Sometimes.)

[@Yesica1993]

I used to love underlining/highlighting. But I'm also a perfectionist and I realized it was making me crazy if I couldn't underline or highlight in a straight line. (Which I NEVER could, especially since I used to do most of my reading on the train to & from work.) So I did eventually stop. But sticky notes is a good compromise. You can even get the larger ones with lines, put it at the back, and either copy favorite portions or just put the page number. If you "mess up" or whatever, you haven't ruined your book.

[@bryanbcd1]

great video!!

[@Johanna_reads]

Cheers for not being a plot-driven reader! 🎉😅 You might’ve noticed I’m not the best about following plots, and I’ve made the same notes at the end of chapters when the plot is a prominant focus. Loved hearing about your annotation process!

[@vixvox7948]

Knowing that books for 400+ years ago have annotations that reveal so much about life at the time was my reason for accepting annotating

[@_gamma.]

What’s your favorite annotations you’ve added to a book? I really like the idea, I’ll have to do it when I reread Under the Dome! I’d love to have an easier way to revisit some of the characters

[@Yesica1993]

I used to annotate much more in my younger years. I no longer have the patience/attention span for it. (Thanks, internet!) The last time I tried was when I decided to highlight all my favorite portions of The Lord of the Rings I had the 3 volume cheapie paperbacks. I spent probably hours going through each one and highlighting. I put them back on the shelf. The next time I went to read them, maybe a year or more later, EVERYTHING WAS GONE. I thought I was going crazy. I flipped through all three volumes and there was NOTHING. I finally realized it had all faded completely away. All that work, for nothing.

[@Yesica1993]

All of that said, the idea of using sticky notes in library books and then moving those notes to a purchased copy if you do end up getting one, is brilliant! Why had I not thought of this? It makes so much sense!

[@badfaith4u]

I don't like annotating books but I'm glad you have a system that works for you. 📚

[@notrixamoris3318]

2 videos in one day!!!

[@sarahschreffler5407]

I love the idea of annotations and love to keep quotes of favorite books. But I still struggle with being okay with writing in books. What if I change my mind? What if I have a different understanding of the passage next time I read it! And quotes are really hard to keep from audio books!

[@rzuue]

For me, whenever I had to read texts and articles for university, I just noticed how much underlining things just pulls me out of it and disrupts my reading and thinking flow. I know I tend to focus very intensely when reading, I often don't even notice when people are talking to me at first. That's why I don't think underlining is for me. But I recently read a book that I absolutely enjoyed and I found it very engaging as well as oddly hilarious and I loved the humor so much, that I put sticky tabs at every line that humored me. Halfway into the book I got to a part which humored me so much that I had to give a comment to it, which I also wrote on a sticky note. And I think this might really work for me. I like to discuss books and specific moments in them but my friends don't read as much or don't read the same books. Therefore writing sticky notes could be a way to just express my thoughts right when I have them.

[@carooliveira3683]

I´m out of topic here, but have you ever read The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander? I think you might enjoy them as much as I do because the books tells a story that hapen in a world way bigger than what we can understand from the characters perspectives, and it feels so alive and expanding as the welsh miths from where it´s inspired. There is also found family and a lot of the topics you always talk about. I would love to hear your opinion of thoes books I love so much.

[@Trampolina2000]

When I started annotating I had a lot of different coloured highlighters and pens and everything was very precise and woah. Now I use whatever pen I have on hand (but I do try to keep whichever pen I end up using close to the book so it's at least consisten throughout). Some colours are forever going ot be related to certain themes (yellow is funny, red is angry, green I like, purple is beautiful writing, and blue is gross). I don't always use them but when I do I know how I want things. I also had to annotate for different kinds of things when I was at uni and we were reading for different things (sometimes it was about family and sense of self, other times it was about Marxism or psychoanalysis, so there's no point assigning colours or tabs or whatever to run consistently through every book because I would never have enough highlighters/pens/post-its). I don't mind not being consistent through all my books though it kind of makes each book its own even more?

[@Yesica1993]

I love the crayon story. (Yay, Puerto Rico!) I promise your kids will one day treasure things like that. Absolutely!

[@HeReadsSheWrites]

I love a worn book too! Break the spine! Write the notes! Fold those corners! Read it! (My husband is cringing so bad through. I will never be allowed to borrow his books again 😅)

[@Excellor64]

As much as I logically understand annotation and how good and involve make one as a reader, I was never able to get there. As a concept, I love the idea of a worn book, but in reality I just want to keep my books as clean and nice as I got them (after reading them, of course). I do write things or copy quotes, but I do that on my phone. But even though I am like this with my books, I really wish I was more like you when it came to reading.

[@joly6598]

LOL @14:30 - you're talking about the book THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, by Barbara Kingsolver, aren't you? ;)

[@tinagarcia3571]

Quotes and things I relate to I tab, I don't write in my books but I have written on post it's.

[@ralphholder6541]

Hi I just wanted to say good for you their your books I'm not the type to mark up my book but I now understand why you do it anyway I like to try some of those book tabs you were talking about but I don't have any money for them so what should I do on a budget? O the reason I want to try this is their are pages in my books that I like to read by themselves poems and stuff.

[@Yesica1993]

You can get cheap sticky notes at places like Dollar Tree, if you have those in your area. I can't vouch for how long the stickiness will last. But they should be ok for a while.

[@LordJazzly]

2:40 That's actually really interesting, using annotations as a record of audience experience. There's something in it that reminds me of the audience-participation part of oral story-telling - except that this, as with the written text itself, is recorded and can be re-visited later. I'd never even thought of approaching written language in this way; is it a common thing people do?

[@LordJazzly]

Oooh! I've never annotated books, but - I have been reading Malory, and there are some examples of sentence structure that don't work in modern English that I _really_ wanted to use for a thing recently; when I went back to look for them, I couldn't find them. Annotations! Good idea. I'll have to get some of those sticky note things though, because I've got a thing about people writing in books after my run of second-hand textbooks for university (If anyone's thinking of 'correcting' outdated textbooks - please leave the original text visible; maybe the next person to read the book wants to know what people _used to_ think. And at least try to make sure you're not referencing sources that have already been debunked)

[@gronskeibooks]

When I talk about books I often have to force myself to remember to tell people what the book is actually about! PLOT < EVERYTHING ELSE, haha

[@WhomGodGiveth]

I just wish there was a good way to do this digitally that was just as affective as you showed in your life. Physical is so much easier but at the same time I don’t want to have so many books and would feel guilty of marking up library books.

[@brooklynkelsey703]

I use crayons to highlight books on purpose haha. I love annotating but only do it on books I got secondhand. If I buy a new book, I feel the need to keep it looking nice.

[@michaelburke4048]

I want to buy used books containing Merphy's annotations.

[@miandagny]

Apparently Teller (of Penn & Teller) marks his magic books like that also (and some of them are worth thousands supposedly.

[@nazimelmardi]

Interesting. Never annotated a book (except for school). My Wheel of Time will fall apart tho… I have it from the time when Robert Jordan wrote the last books… even I met him… it’s time to get a new version soon. Merph… how long will you tell us that you are not a plot driven reader?😂 Should I suggest an other book after Three-Body Problem proving you wrong? 😂 You are just usually reading modern fantasy books. And those are strong in character, in fact character driven on story, the world itself is around them, except Malazan.

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I wish I had the patience to annotate 😩

[@Yesica1993]

I know, right? I used to do it much more. These days, my brain won't allow it.

[@de_hobbyhoarder50]

I like annotating, but I'm still trying to get rid of the school mentality that everything has to be a deep dive into the meanings behind the text. I talk myself out of just writing "hell yeah". And I love that you use pencils. I love stationary for annotating gives me a reason to be pens and pencils.

[@SarahJ70]

Broken spines Yes! dog eared pages! Yes! ❤

[@TheFonzieCommunity]

I agree with your thoughts, but honestly I rather get a e reader to annotate if it’s my own physical books. I dislike doing it in the actual books because I like to keep my books pristine, only time I’m ok marking it up is when it’s a old book I had from childhood or already messed up when I was younger to write in them; partly due to me not knowing better Or because it was a tough time in my life.

[@FeeBee3001]

I have only ever anotated my bible in the past. Maybe I need to start doing this since I am not going to be getting rid of my books anyway.

[@chrystalbishop5675]

What book apps do you use

[@christhewritingjester3164]

And here I am, a lowly audiobook listener, hoping my brain will retain everything... ;) Don't tell my wife, but I do tend to remember things pretty well in them lol.

[@Ozgipsy]

It’s a more rigorous style. The “engaging with the book” isn’t common, but I’ll give it a go. 👍

[@tammaraliberty]

I annotate like you do. What moves me. Often in pen. (My daughter is cringing).

[@rohanmulgaokar5682]

Annotations scare me like what if I do it and then it bothers me later? There's no way to erase my markings !

[@epicwalrus7183]

You can get clear post-it notes! Stick one over the bit you want to annotate and if it does end up bugging you later you can remove it easily. Just make sure you use the right type of pen on them to avoid smudging and stuff

[@jonasquinn7977]

I don’t think I could bring myself to annotate a book, I’d rather just keep a separate note, but to each their own and I definitely understand why some people do

[@BonesNeverLie]

What about those little libraries? They’re little cabinets that run off a take one leave one rule. Couldn’t you leave your annotated books that you don’t like to one of those? I put my unwanted books in them all the time

[@myssie-theanimedevourer5835]

lol I do this by journaling while I read.

[@JesusLightsYourPath]

Don't the sticky notes tear up the library books a bit when you take them out?

[@noshei21]

You spelled desecrate wrong. 😄

[@merphynapierreviews]

😂

[@TheDisplacerBeast]

You used the word “wrong” wrongly

[@Matt_IsaBird]

⁠​⁠@@TheDisplacerBeastyou’ve used “you” incorrectly

[@TheDisplacerBeast]

@@Matt_IsaBird that’s fair. Although it is a dialectal difference (I’m Scottish), I should have foreseen the good natured pedantry. :)

[@Yesica1993]

Where do you find these book friends in real life?! I swear, nobody I know in person, reads. Or if they do, they sure haven't told me. If not for Booktube I'd have absolutely nobody to share my love of reading!)

[@paulinemcleggan7585]

What does P O V mean?

[@epicwalrus7183]

Point of View

[@Montie-Adkins]

I do so love a worn book, especially old book smell. But dog eared pages? Blasphemy!

[@nazimelmardi]

Tell it to Daniel Greene 😂

[@rachelspencer9456]

🧡📚🧡📚🧡📚🧡

[@mndrew1]

Ma'am. My grandmother was a grade school librarian in the 60's and 70's and I am going to send her ghost to haunt you for your crimes. :)

[@Yesica1993]

Ha ha!

[@RobinFromAshes]

The longest time Wheel of Time was my favorite fantasy series. Now it is The Wandering Inn.. ^_- The whole story is up for free online, with the author publishing new chapters like every week, although I would strongly recommend the audiobooks.. The narrator is a legend. It ticks the epic fantasy style that I liked with WoT really well.. :3

[@rafavizuetecastro]

Hey, I'm also reading The Wandering Inn!!! I'm at book 2 though, I started this year and boy did it hook me!