“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
Annotating a book is a great way to engage with the material you’re reading on a deeper level. Jotting down your thoughts or impressions has been shown to help aid both comprehension and retention. Whether you’re studying for an exam, conducting research or simply trying to make sense of a chunky novel, annotating books is often the bridge between passive reading and active learning. Ultimately, there are a number of different ways of how to annotate a book, ranging from using highlighters and post-it notes to doodling in the margins. Join us today at What We Reading as we take you through all you need to know about annotating a book and finding the right technique that works for you’re reading!
What Is Annotation?
Annotation is a practice of actively engaging with a text by adding notes and highlights so that you better understand and remember what it is you’re reading. As opposed to passive reading, where readers simply absorb information, annotation allows you to interact with an author and their work.
At its core, book annotation involves picking out key ideas, important sections and recurring themes. Note-taking on the pages, highlighting or underlining particular phrasings and asking questions that come to you as you read are all examples of how to annotate a book.
The main benefit of annotating a book is that it allows for a personalised reading experience where a deeper understanding and appreciation of the material not only comes through but is more likely to stick in your mind going forward.
Tools For Annotating A Book
To effectively annotate a book, the right tools for the job are a must. Whether you’re someone who prefers the traditional method or their digital counterparts, the tools you use can dramatically impact how you digest a book.
Traditional Annotation Tools
Pens and Pencils: The easiest way to annotate a book is by using pens or pencils to write margin notes, underline important phrases or circle keywords. Pencils are especially useful if you’re annotating a book where your notes may need to be rubbed out and updated.
Highlighters: Highlighters are a great tool for emphasising key passages of a text. Different colours can be used for different themes or ideas, helping to keep your thoughts clear and organised and your annotations more effective.
Sticky Notes: Sticky notes are the perfect tools for adding extra thoughts or commentary without leaving a mark on the book itself. This is the go-to strategy for annotating books that you’ve borrowed and need to return in good condition.
Digital Annotation Tools
For those who prefer reading digitally, there are some solid options on how to annotate a book without it being physically in your hands.
E-readers: Devices like Kindle and Kobo allow readers to highlight text, add notes and bookmark pages. These annotations can be accessed later, and even synched across devices.
Annotation Apps: Apps such as Notability, GoodNotes and Adobe Acrobat provide tools designed for digital books and PDFs. Colour-coded highlights, customisable pens and layered notes are all some of the options available with these types of apps.
Browser Extensions: Software such as Evernote or Zotero and browser extensions like Hypothes.is are used for academic and professional texts and allow readers to annotate, organise and share notes with others.
Annotation Techniques
Effectively annotating a book involves using a number of techniques that help a reader engage with the text. Some of the most common strategies for annotation include:
Highlighting Key Points
Highlighting is one of the most common annotation methods, allowing you to quickly identify important sections. When you’re deciding to highlight, focus on the main ideas, themes and quotes that stand out. To avoid over-highlighting and losing its effectiveness, be selective – less is more. Colour coding different themes and concepts helps keep your annotations organised. Learning how to highlight a book ensures you capture the most crucial information without cluttering.
Writing In The Margin
Margin notes help transform passive reading into an active dialogue with the text. Jot down the major thoughts, questions and reactions as you read. These can include summaries of core ideas, connections to other parts of the book and your own personal reactions. This annotation technique makes it easier to revisit and understand your thoughts and feelings later on.
Underlining Or Circling Important Words
Underling or circling keywords, phrases or terms is a quick way of emphasising important points. The method of annotating a book works well for identifying recurring themes, key concepts or vocabulary that help better understand a story.
Summarising Passages
After reading a chapter or section, summarising it in your own words is a great way of reinforcing that you’ve understood what you’ve just read. Jot down brief summaries at the end of chapters or in the margins next to lengthy passages. By summarising what you’ve read, you’ll condense otherwise complex ideas into digestible chunks.
Asking Questions
Questioning the text as you read is one of the most effective ways of annotating a book. Ask yourself what the author is attempting to do, how certain details connect to bigger themes or why a particular character has made a certain choice. Writing down the questions you have encourages deeper analysis and critical thinking, which makes your reading more engaged.
Tips For Effectively Annotating A Book
Getting the most out of your book annotation takes more than just marking up the pages. It’s about developing a system that works for you and genuinely aids your understanding and retention. Here are some of our most handy tips on how to annotate a book:
Don’t Over-Highlight
As we mentioned above, one of the most common mistakes in book annotation is highlighting too much. If everything is highlighted, nothing stands out. It’s important to be selective – focus on the main ideas, key arguments and quotes that stay with you. As a general rule of thumb, only 10%-15% of the text should be highlighted. This guarantees that your highlighted sections stay meaningful and easy to review.
Develop A Consistent System
Consistency is king when it comes to annotating books. Whether it’s colour-coding by a theme, using symbols (e.g. stars for important points, exclamation marks for surprises) or assigning different types of notes for different bits of information (e.g. one colour for character development, one colour for central themes), creating a consistent system helps keep things nice and organised.
Keep Note-Taking And Reading Balanced
It can be easy to get caught up in analysing and annotating every facet of a book. But it’s important to keep in mind that reading should always be an immersive experience. Make sure that you’re striking a balance between taking notes and enjoying the flow of the story. A good practice is to get through a chapter or section first, and then go back and annotate the key points.
Brief And Concise Notes
When writing notes in the margin, keep them clear and concise. Long notes can clutter the text and become overwhelming to go back and review. Annotations should be short, and concise and capture the essence of your thoughts. For example, instead of writing a lengthy summary, take note of a few keywords or phrases that stick in your memory.
Review Your Annotations
Annotations are more effective when they are being reviewed. Consistently revisit your notes, highlights and margin notes to back up what you’ve learned. Taking the time to review your annotations not only strengthens your understanding but also helps you track how your thoughts and interpretations have evolved.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
