How I Annotate My Books 🖋🌻

I love writing in my books! Here's how I do it!
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☞ My name is Ariel and I’m a Canadian writer, poet, and KZbinr. I organize my shelves by genre and then colour and my favourite book is Animal Farm. I've been making bookish content online for a decade and love spreading a love of reading through videos, panels, articles, and more!
☞ Thanks for watching! ☜

[@evelapatate]

My mom used to write little notes at the beginning of her favorite books; she passed away 13 years ago and i love that I can connect with her through those notes!

[@MysticFox05]

🥰 that’s beautiful

[@user-um3rg1hp1e]

That's beautiful!

[@laura__5544]

I love this!

[@aditisachdeva1652]

Thanks for sharing that with us. It's so heart warming to know. 🤍

[@PandaCake07]

This was so interesting! This also convinces me that we should „normalize“ scribbling into books. That used up and messy look makes them a lot more charming!

[@wellesradio]

It’s about more than just being “charming”. It’s about engaging with the book itself.

[@PandaCake07]

@@wellesradio agreed!

[@Carlie_flower]

I had an English teacher who once told us that if you haven't scribbled in your books then he believes you didn't really LOVE that book. He told us books are meant to be read, scribbled in, bent, folded and if you don't do those things you're doing a disservice to the book 😂 loved that teacher he was seriously my favorite teacher ever.

[@ashtaylor4107]

@@wellesradio I think they know that but a lot of people don’t do those things because they think it “ruins” the book somehow, when, in fact, it just makes the book seem well loved and engaged in.

[@TheAfterWorkChannel]

What’s most pleasing is that Ariels nails are painted in highlighter colours 🌈

[@kristinbrake2921]

Yes! I am always obsessed with Ariel’s nails.

[@eliotopian]

I kind of wanted her left pink to be seafoam like her right hand outer fingers... just as further asymmetry, lol

[@praalgraf]

i love nothing more than the sight of a clearly well-loved book, annotated to hell and back and falling apart

[@mahalekshmi484]

Exactly

[@eliotopian]

'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.” ― Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit

[@meh_im_a_sheep6018]

For the ones that are into buying and selling second hand books, or just dont like writing on books, you can keep a notebook next to you and do things similarly. Everyone has their style, so don't feel pressured to do it one way just because another person does it that way.

[@that_silly_ginger]

That's actually a good idea. I used to be precious about books, I've become less so over time, but find that I donate books a lot after I read them now so I haven't wanted to pass along my own notes to future readers. Maybe I'll try doing something like that!

[@albasapri3265]

Great! Thanks :) can't really scribble all over other people's book/library property

[@CarlosSilva-gv2jw]

Over the years, you have played a huge part in my “deconstruction” of being so pristine with books. I understand why this approach to reading is controversial - for instance, you could use a post-it that hangs out from the edge of the pages instead of dog-earing, and colored post-it flags can be used instead of markers/pens, and you could just write on a piece of paper and put it in the middle of the book instead of writing on it, but it’s the commitment to actually marking the book that’s so interesting to me now. I love how a book can tell two completely different stories depending on how the owner annotates it, because that experience becomes a story that the book tells too. The older I get, the less I understand the ideas that books should be left as if it has never been read. I mean, whatever floats your boat, but this kind of perfection it’s just not something that appeals to be anymore as a reader.

[@TiaraJunor]

The lesson here really is less is more!! Being a literature fan, I did so much annotation in my books and poems during school, in the margins, with sticky notes, pencil, PEN, HIGHLIGHTERS, GLOW IN THE DARK RAINBOW GLITTER MARKER.... Suffice to say that when I went back to it to find a quote, I was OVERWHELMED with notes for whole pages that weren't important at all. But Ariel, you are a pro!! Will think twice about annotating everything, but I definitely need to look for my rainbow pen... Love the video! xx

[@ArielBissett]

Hahahahahaha I think a glow in the dark rainbow glitter marker could be pretty cool too, haha

[@cynthiatian9035]

Exactly. My mom always says that annotating is important, but if you annotate too much, it’s the same as not annotating at all.

[@jazzwell]

What I do is I assign different colors to different things. So if there's a line or scene that I found really funny, I'd highlight it in yellow. If it's a detail about the worldbuilding or plot or something that I think is important, green. For something sad, blue. For something that brought out a really strong emotional reaction in me, red. And for a passage that I just thought was really beautiful, or profound, or it just resonated with me in some way - I'd highlight it in purple.

[@forrestprice8928]

I don’t like to write or crease my books, so I open up a new google doc for every book I read! I keep track of page number for each note, and it gives me a lot more room to flesh out my thoughts.

[@lavendernix]

I always felt like I didn't do "enough" annotation because all I do is highlight/underline/bracket (I also treat these all the same lol) & every once in a blue moon I'll leave a little note in the book, but mostly if I have questions for the story. But over time I realized I like this, because I really love to reread books & I feel like my small annotations don't end up getting in the way but still gives me a "oh this line was special to me" moment. Which sometimes I question why I liked particular lines in the past (does anyone else do this? You'll love a line & make sure to note it down, then go to reread it later and not really have any particular feelings towards it?). Anyway, my point is a lot of videos I had seen in the past do so much so it's refreshing to see someone else do it a bit more simply like myself

[@ToriKo_]

I definitely do the thing we’re I can’t figure out exactly why I connected with a line or phrase earlier on

[@lavendernix]

@@ToriKo_ okay I'm glad I'm not the only one! lol

[@chasehubbard679]

I also do this and fail to remember why I enjoyed a certain line. However, I take that as a sign of emotional growth. I loosely keep track of how old I was when I read a book for the first time and re-reading books that I first read and annotated (the same way you do) at 15-16 just shows how much I have grown as a person. I enjoy it!

[@lilybee_]

Oh I definately read notes later and can't relate to them. It's a weird feeling to not be able to relate to my former self! I agree with another comment that it's a sign of personal growth. It reminds me that my perspective today will change :)

[@HazalElise]

I've ALWAYS wanted to watch a video like this

[@StoriesForCoffee]

The birds chirping in the background is so soothing 🥺🤍

[@ArielBissett]

Thanks, Olivia ♥️ I thought it was so pretty 🕊

[@niamhkeating7783]

Your last annotation video convinced me to finally 'own' my books and abandon the idea that books must be pristine!! Sooo glad you've made another

[@pallavim3674]

This reminded me of your old video where you showed a book that was annotated by your friend and how much fun it was to go back to all those notes. I always write in my books, I used to colour code it, but now I just use a black pen for everything; however, I do like to use a lot of symbols and punctuation marks to highlight a certain paragraph.

[@iiFlowerss]

SO off topic but you literally have a glimmer in your eye at all times, you are so beautiful :')

[@iiFlowerss]

I loooove annotating my books but I NEVER write in them. Not even in pencil. I will use sticky tabs and post it notes galore but writing in them feels so sacrilegious. EDIT: I thought about it and I think I do this because I buy used books a lot and I hate when they've been written in. And I donate 80% of the books I read. Hmm...

[@SamWest96]

See I love finding books with notes in, I find it fascinating

[@daniellegarlington]

I like getting used books with annotations in them. It is proof the last owner read it.

[@lorenholmes1978]

I love finding a book with notes in. Whether it’s annotation or an inscription. It gives you some insight into who owned it before you. Love it!

[@courtneyreagan900]

I usually use sticky tabs too. After reading a book and deciding it is my favorite on reread I write in it

[@sweetpeabee4983]

I discovered on going through one of my dad's old (hardcover!) books that one of the pages has a huge drawing of a stick figure grinning widely and pushing against a wall, confidently drawn in with thick ballpoint pen. The doodle is COMPLETELY unnecessary lol, but idk, personally, I find seeing weird stuff like that in used books to be kind of charming.

[@kristinbrake2921]

I’ve always been team “do not mess up a pristine book” but now that I have kids (a toddler and one on the way), I want to annotate books for them. I really want to reread/buy a paperback copy of Station Eleven and annotate it and then give it to my two year old son someday since he was so little during this pandemic.

[@PotentialPirate]

My dad has some old books he annotated in college and I love going through them. You should definitely do that! Use pencil if you can't bring yourself to do it.

[@AnnaTalks-videos]

I'm yet to read Station Eleven but really want to!

[@sarustuff1276]

I feel like if I were to read, I would annotate to keep myself engaged. I love books, but I can't keep my focus on them in a way that's enjoyable. I might try this, it could be a lot of fun, and I like adding a layer of intimacy to story-consumption.

[@Alkeran12]

The birds in the background... that was so peaceful! Almost made me forget my annotation failures haha! I used to put a large lined post-it every 100 pages to try and note interesting things, but I always got so lost in the book I wouldn't take notes, then got to the post-it and was like... Nah, I'm not stopping, must go on!

[@Hfun7]

This is my comfort video, I come here every once in a while and it feels like it’s a spring day, it makes me relaxed and hopeful.

[@duckpondwithoutducks]

I used to only ever annotate nonfiction books, points I wanted to remember. I never wrote in fiction books. But now with my Kindle I can easily highlight passages I like in fiction and nonfiction and then access them all in the My Clippings file. And I can delete the highlight if I want later. 😀

[@mandiconnell3311]

I loooooove annotating 😊 I use muji pens since they don’t bleed through and then I use the gray zebra mildliner. I usually highlight things that stick out to me the most or make me feel the most feelings, and then I underline things that I like but feel less important. It’s so fun to reread books I’ve annotated

[@BallerineMimi]

I don't annotate fiction, but i love bookmarking my non-fiction! I have my favourite postit tabs, which are different colours but transparent, so I can flag down sections (and also code the reason why!). Fascinating to see why people annotate fiction though!

[@emilyk8719]

I had no clue this video was coming, yet it’s the video I’ve been waiting for!

[@harrypotteravenclaw]

I was never an annotater as a kid, I needed my books to be pristine and in the condition they came in, but your video where you explained how it's so much more interesting to create your own library, not to have a bookshop in your house, but a collection that is completely unique, with your thoughts, so if you want to look back, or someone wants to borrow a book from you, your thoughts are right there on the page. It also amused me in a previous video where you defaced a book (put crosses through the pages you didn't like, and wrote no! in the margins of parts) that you didn't enjoy, making it clear what you thought of the book, as a part of your collection and that we don't always have to get rid of books we didn't enjoy.

[@BreakingStubad]

This is the kind of chaotic technique I’ve been looking for!

[@Mimi-Forever]

I don't usually annotate books, but I've been reading a HUGE collection of essays for the last 4 years and sometimes they can get a little dry. I find it easier to stay engaged to reading an essay if I follow with a pencil and underline the main point of each sentence. I end up underlining like 80% of the essay but it works for me!

[@alliestinnett2135]

Ive been watching annotation videos to fine-tune my annotations, and have learned that many people have a very precise and sophisticated way of annotating. Not that I think you’re not sophisticated, but you and i are much more relaxed in our annotations and I really appreciate and love knowing that someone else is this loose with their annotation style

[@subtlefire7256]

I started annotating my books after watching the first video you did on this topic years ago and I can't imagine reading most books without doing it now. I always differentiate between underlining and highlighting - underlining is for important or interesting stuff, highlighting is for quotes I enjoyed. And I simply love to write my thoughts in the margins. It feels so interactive and always brings back memories when I go back to a book I read a while ago.

[@dummybear6772]

I appreciate the simplicity of your system. Personally, I highlight things I like and bracket/star things important for the story. I also keep a tally in the front of my favorite books of how many times I've read them. I'll consider keeping some sort of notes in the endpapers too.

[@baceicly502]

This is by far The Best annotating books bcuz of how real the annotations are as in they're just brackets and stars instead of fancy tabs and highlighters and done in the moment

[@annachristensen6054]

The late summer glow in this video is exactly what I need in this terrible Danish rainy August.

[@erinwebb2725]

I love this!!! I’m a middle school science teacher. Even though you don’t necessarily think of using this in textbooks, I’m always encouraging my students to take notes in the text and highlight. Usually, I will give them prompts of “What is some thing that surprised me in this chapter?“ So as they reading along, they can make their own notes in the book itself. Love love love!!

[@_samaa]

So simple and easy!🌟

[@SamWest96]

I enjoyed this so much. I love annotations, I don't have any process at all, I just do whatever. And I adore finding notes in second hand books!

[@gundegavjakse174]

I haven't bought a physical book in ages, but I fondly remember those issues that came with a couple of blank pages at the end of the book. Even though I've never annotated a book (ok, once), I still loved the idea of a free space for any notes and remarks that couldn't find space in-between the text.

[@books_for_bees4476]

We annotate in almost the exact same way! Highlighting, underlining, stars, brackets, etc… 🎉

[@livvlong]

Seeing your annotations was something I didn't realize I was so badly missing, oh my goodness this was lovely!! If you add to this sort of style I'd love to hear you respond to a piece of writing / go through this process in real time - so cool!

[@AnnaTalks-videos]

I loved this! I NEVER used to annotate books, partly because I was largely brought up on library books but mostly because it felt sacrilegious 😅 but I've recently started doing it for my uni research and I'm loving it! I really struggle to focus on non-fiction, but highlighting and annotating is helping me to properly focus on the text and retain the info. However, I don't really like it for fiction - I find it pulls me out of the story! I like getting lost in fiction and completely forgetting I'm reading, and annotating forces me to interact with the medium of the paper and remember I'm sat reading a book, instead of living within its pages 📖✨

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I wish I had the patience to annotate my books 😂

[@elenithecamera]

- My version of “checkmark” is a Star. - I use W with a box around it in the margins when I read a new to me word. - I’ll bracket the text and then add a quote mark “ with a box around it for a quotable quote that is so delicious - being a mostly non-fiction reader when I’m introduced to a new person I want to learn about I’ll underline the name but then also do an icon of a “person in the margin so head and shoulders kinda thing with a box around it. This sounds so complicated typing it but it’s become my shorthand

[@woahmorganx]

when i recently got back into reading (used to read a ton as a kid and hadn't really picked up a book in years) i discovered the world of annotating and i kinda love it, i got myself some cute pastel highlighters and now my method is colour coding the highlighters (it changes for each book, but general legend is pink for fav quotes, purple for lines that made me laugh, blue for things that made me sad etc) and i write a few occasional comments and i usually underline with black pen for the thing i'm commenting on if i can't fit it right next to it, but it's been really fun to just have a rainbow of highlighted lines in my books!

[@andrearobyn3701]

Like many others, I used to be intensely against annotating, but in recent years I've began doing it and enjoy it a lot. I read my first collection of Mary Oliver's poetry and there were a lot of stanzas that I highlighted, I underlined a ton of lines in 'We Need to Talk about Kevin', and made so many notes in the margins of 'Night' - even bought my own copy just to annotate it! Sometimes when I read I have so many thoughts that I think are important and I write them down to remember.

[@paigieodo]

i love watching how much you make reading an active thing. i love that you describe reading as conversational. i almost exclusively read library books or books borrowed from friends for similar reasons -- i think reading should be shared, and books should be passed around to spread the love of them. for that reason though, obviously, i've never really annotated, and so hearing you speak about your experiential approach to reading is like stepping into a completely new world. thanks for sharing!

[@nicoleturnbough3501]

I got on YT to search up “How to annotate books” and BAM! Ariel posted this on hour ago! Thank you for reading my mind!

[@grayscale1870]

Best descriptive purpose I've heard thus far behind your ‘Why’. Annotating is the conversational aspect of thoughts :) I now was able to articulate my own reason to start a rotating my books. I also want to able to share those points back to my community and have thoughts around that insight the author was able to bring out of my thoughts!

[@huda9445]

Love the vibes of the intro and the lighting in your room

[@dianetysilva8489]

ok but can we take a time to admire that gorgeous Van Gogh pad 😍

[@richardkallio3868]

…..and my favourite tool for annotating? It’d have to be a Fisher Space Pen - writes on anything and is so small that it fits easily into the coin pocket of my pants (so that I’ve never an excuse to be without it)!

[@jessicasparrow99]

Perfect timing! I was literally looking up videos on annotating today. Specifically, videos in which people actually SHOW how they annotate instead of explaining it. Thank you Ariel

[@justamaybe]

I use a multi color pen that's all in one pen. I don't usually enjoy writing with a wide pen but for the steady hand of in a book, I enjoy it. I have one in my book beau for when I'm out and one by my spot on the couch. Usually that's enough. I also like to have a certain color for each book, matching the cover when possible

[@anne-marie339]

I tend to annotate my nonfiction much more - it helps keep me engaged with the material! I'll star, block, underline, write comments, etc. Usually in pencil :) I don't often annotate fiction, but I'm finding I regret that choice (usually laziness) because there's so many wonderful quotes/scenes I know I've loved. But I don't often re-read, and thus don't create opportunities for myself to annotate previously read/loved books...

[@Katellabe]

I use those colored pens! For Christmas last year I annotated and noted all over Frankenstein for my boyfriend to read. It's my favorite and I wanted it to be like we were reading it together. My favorite way to annotate depends on the book. If I want to do a deep reread/annotate, I use different pen colors to mean different things. Like character descriptions will be red underlined and big moments with a relationship will be highlighted pink.. etc. I also really like these translucent postits I found at daiso which let me scribble notes. I love doing arrows and writing feelings on things.

[@canamcghee4709]

the library lover in me swears by pencil and no dog-earing/stickies for preservation's sake (but i also hate finding pen and highlighter in books, whether library-owned or my own copies). i do a lot of academic reading, and the more i read, the more i find that my annotations for academic and non-academic stuff don't change all the much. i do brackets/vertical lines by minimally important things, underlining key info/phrases, stars for the really good stuff, and i tend to circle page numbers instead of dog-earing when things are must-haves. and i love using the front/back blank pages, or the first pages of chapters to note themes/summaries.

[@richardkallio3868]

I’ve never heard anyone describe her passion for reading so eloquently. Your enthusiasm is infectious!

[@Brendanstop]

I've recently started doing this as well, and it's making my reads more memorable. The front page thing though ☠️ I draw the line there

[@missfrizzle1717]

why?

[@kikimmicoa]

I am starting reading for a book club and I love the idea of using the front/back as a notepad to keep track of conversation points for when we discus. I usually just dog ear pages. Thank you for this tip!!!

[@livelehmbeckervestland9099]

I've been in a reading slump for the last year and a half and it's awful tbh... but the way you talk about books; your passion for an authors writing and the story you get to live through books, wow, that really motivates me to pick up a book and just read

[@MagsW]

I think annotated books have a different feel to them. Whenever I buy a used copy and there's something written inside, I feel like I'm having a conversation with the previous owner. Annotations/underlying were also very common in library books in my high school. Sometimes you'd even find answers to quizzes in there! Very helpful. I personally use tabs that I try to match with the cover and write on those. When the thoughts I have are too complex/long or I do some research that is relevant somehow I'll just put a lil' page from like a notepad or something similar inside the book. I have also started writing thoughts on the last blank pages of books, especially if there's a quite few of them (always in pencil though)!

[@kramellou]

It was a long hard road for me until I accepted it was ok to annotate and mark books. But once I got there, I'm in heaven! hehehe After years, I've found that I prefer using a black gel pen. I underline whatever I want, I can also use it to write whatever I want and it really stands out! So, whenever I'm reading, I always have it around ^.^

[@oliviafink5172]

the first video you posted about annotating books (in 2014?? 2015??) changed the game for me completely, so thank you! this was such a joy to watch! i'm not big on highlighting or using colored pens, besides maybe brown. i'm an avid Pilot gtec c4 in-black-pen-only type of annotator. once on a long bus ride though i annotated with tinted chapstick

[@pebna-jay]

I love how simple your annotation style is. Really encourages me to try to keep it simple as well! I always have trouble with annotating because I never feel like I am doing enough. I don't particularly care how pretty or interesting the writing is itself, outside of why some lines work so well at conveying some idea or emotion, but I can still see this working for me.

[@keilajimenez3236]

I meet you with your old video of Annotating your books! You were so excited to discover and share the magic of annotating books, that I immediately subscribed to your channel! So today I literally went OHMYGOD when I saw the notification!!

[@monserratdaga8276]

I love your videos! I also love seeing you use your colorful office/library/writer’s nook. I am also a big believer in annotating books.

[@patronusmarauder8206]

I love writing in margins and using pastel highlighters. Some pens and markers I have are red listed because they just BLEED right through the damn page. 😅

[@lizzie5337]

I use a separate notebook and note the page numbers because I mostly read library books. I usually copy out the excerpt and then write about it below.

[@Maria-fm5no]

I used to not annotate my books at all but then when it was time to read the final book of one of my favourite series I wanted to record my first time experiencing the book so I ended up writing and tabbing something in almost every page!! now I can't read a book without writing in it. it makes me feel like I'm part of the story and I always love looking back at what I had written

[@bridgetisadreamer]

I really like using pencils! I enjoy the scribble :)

[@MidnightRabbit74]

I have a colour coding system based on tone/mood/importance of the passage, which I highlight and tab. So green - happy emotions, funny. Blue - sad, grief, etc... Orange - anger, disgust, malice... Pink - quotes I really love. And Yellow - important plot points. I've started doing this is most books, but I find this is especially helpful of you are a student so that you can easily find things. :)

[@MidnightRabbit74]

If theres a really long section I like I'll also dog ear the corner

[@arianessleite]

Talking about annotating in books always reminds me of The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje 😊😍

[@DesertBloomBettas]

I'm not against annotating - I think books are meant to be loved, and short of ripping them apart, you're free to mark them up and bend pages. Personally, I'll write review notes on the inside of covers sometimes, and with e-books, I'll highlight and mark comments. Less so with paper books, unless I'm using sticky notes.

[@complexchick831]

I always had to borrow books becuase we couldn't afford to buy them but now that I'm older and I am the owner I mark them up till they drip in ink with my thoughts and favorite quotes

[@alexandralopes4235]

I ALWAYS use a pencil 😂😂😂 but I also underline and use square brackets but instead of the star I usually draw a heart in my favourite quotes! And I also write comments in the margins 😂 it was so nice to see that there are other people out there who like to annotate their books and to find similarities and differences in the way that we do it!

[@catherinecervone]

This video was so soothing! Love seeing your process.

[@sarahplummer2828]

Oddly, I annotate the exact same way. I even noticed you do what I do re: brackets, which is I'll close off the bracket and then realize the next paragraph or sentence should also be included and I just add it on to the bracket. I do like to use colored pencils for underlining. They are thick enough to bring out the passage and the "led" is soft enough that it doesn't dig into the paper. This was a fun video. Would love to see a video of your favorite writing utensils.

[@evaggeliatseliou9329]

Omg I love your energy, your choise of words , everything!! Thank you for this lesson🙏🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤❤

[@racoon_in_ankhmorpork]

I just annotated with a pen for the first time a few days ago, thanks to that video you made years ago encouraging annotations on books. Thanks for that, it felt great! I am so excited to continue doing it :D I know for sure I wanna start drawing stars like you do, and I wanna write a bit more, and aaaaah it’ll be great.

[@Maria-ieiri-sho]

Your enthusiasm is contagious. ♥️🌸

[@alysonhasthoughts2844]

I loved annotating in my school books, but now I feel weird about it. I do like the idea of annotating in book club books (and buddy reads), so I think I can use that to get back into it!

[@harechick]

I have never thought to put notes, or highlight in my books. Going to start now, thanks Ariel.

[@nicolem7150]

Love this. I've been getting more into annotating as I've started passing on the books I read to my best friend. I love leaving notes in the margins for her!

[@stargater2892]

I use green for definitions. I will underline the word, and write the def on the page. Red is for me your double star. Yellow is my highlighter of choice. I prefer a soft blue pen or pencil. Enjoyed this. I especially like its how you interact.

[@reinarodriguez9380]

I was always thought I was annotating “wrong” but I do a lot of the things that you do! Great video :)

[@TottiShares]

I always had to have pristine books but years ago I watched your video about annotations and it changed my mind! It's so true, why should I leave perfect books behind like a book shop? People should know they're mine and see my reading experience. But I usually only annotate really good or really bad books. And non fiction to remember information

[@Chelseabea]

I would never have written in my books before I got onto bookstagram! Now I use fineliners to underline bits i like, highlighters to highlight themes i'm specfically looking for and then tab them with the same colour, and whatever pen is handy to write in the margins. It's normally just classics I do that for though, general novels i might just have a biro nearby in case I want to write anything. All the classics I have are secondhand, can't say it would be as easy for me to write in them if they were brand new!

[@tallief1620]

I came for the home renos and then just kept watching all your other videos, I didn’t even know I would love this content!! I love writing in books and hearing you be so excited about it too warms my lil heart

[@idkvalen]

i always wanted to annotate my books because i found it very pretty but i never really dared... but just recently i annotated my copy of normal people (with a black pen only, it has to fit the aesthetic) and i'm obsessed with it i loved watching this video!

[@ashleyschnepf2631]

I absolutely LOVE the simplicity of this system! I get really overwhelmed by color coding different elements and keeping up with all the different options and tabs and everything! Thank you for sharing!

[@rosepetalpages]

i loved seeing your annotation process! i only annotate my favorite favorite books, usually on the 2nd or 3rd reread, and use color-coded tabs to keep track of different aspects of the story i’m loving like characters/plot/foreshadowing/writing style & worldbuilding

[@alicey.c.7316]

love the front page notes!!

[@jewellscott]

I love that you paint your nails 3 or 4 different colors. I do the same! Lol. It's so fun.

[@emilysatticarts5538]

I love how excited and passionate you are about talking about annotating❤ I just started annotating last year and i adore it😊its so much fun!⭐ I love too use mild liners for highlighting and i also love you tab things with sticky notes😍

[@coolm3th]

I also match my highlighters/pens with my book!! I love that you do too!

[@vmpapillon8984]

I have to confess that I can't bring myself to write in it, dog ear etc. When I read a book for the first time, it still looks rather new at the end. It's usually after the fourth or fifth reread that you see broken spines etc. But after watching so many annotating videos I will try to get over the reluctance. Just once,, to just try it and see ^^. Thanks for sharing your enthusiastic love of books with us :-)

[@writerinthewoods]

Loved this more than I expected! I do a lot of these, but I love the idea of notes at the front/back of the book.

[@melondoo6129]

okay but can we talk about the nature sounds

[@jabulkoml]

i’m a huge advocate for annotating, and it was good to hear you takk about it! i personalny really like annotating with frixon pens because they are erasable like a pencil and much more visible ☺️

[@emijoy15]

I love how approachable this method is. I've wanted to start annotating my books, but I always get stuck trying to figure out how I want to do it because I want it to be uniform. So I go and watch videos like this one, but each video inevitably includes a list of things that are necessary to each person's method, and it's all so perfect and uniform that the initial ideal I want feels unattainable. But I love how Ariel has such a practical method, and it can be done with any tool close to hand, consistently, but without the need for a kit of specific supplies whenever I sit down to read. Long story short, I think I"m going to adopt this.

[@Itsnotanymore-ku7dz]

Needed Edit: honestly, same. Reader engagement is so underrated to me

[@mckenziecurry7511]

I love your nails and your voice is so soothing I can listen to you talk literally all day keep up the great work! ❤️

[@mathildedlihtam382]

I do pretty much the same thing! Instead of check-marks, though, I put exclamation points, particularly for things I find funny. Rather than dog-ear, I take photos of pages with interesting quotes.