How To Guide For Annotating Books Like a Pro!
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Whenever I thought of annotating books, my heart screamed! It took me a while to be comfortable with writing in books. And now I am obsessed with it. The act of annotating my books and interacting with the text brings me such joy. So, if you are interested in how to annotate books like a pro, stick around!
But first—let’s clear up what annotating really means. Annotating a book involves reading and analyzing a piece of text, then adding your thoughts, feelings, and ideas directly to the book. If you’re like me, the word “annotate” might bring back memories of school assignments, highlighting random sentences and jotting down rephrased notes that never really stuck. I used to think of annotation as a chore, something forced upon us in middle or high school English class (and yes, I remember that all too well). However, looking back, I realize the skill they were trying to teach was actually quite valuable—active reading. It just took me some time (and distance from those school days) to fall in love with the art of annotation, especially when it comes to the books I read for fun.
I remember the first time I saw someone annotating books. I loved the aesthetic of it, and upon rereading, I would go back and see my thoughts. Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I would constantly see beautiful images of annotated books, using 10 different colors and thousands of sticky notes. I was swept up by the process and in love with the outcome.
The first book I ever annotated was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. And, those first tools were definitely poor. But it was like a dam breaking, leading me down a rabbit hole of tools for annotating books. Moreso, I discovered that all annotating tools are definitely not created equal. And, my need to write in the books without completely defacing them encouraged me to find other avenues, such as transparent sticky notes (whether full-page or regular size), tabs that are the right amount of sticky, and quick-drying pens to help me along my journey.
I want to encourage more people to interact and have fun with the text!
Why Should You Be Annotating Books?
Granted, there are no right or wrong answers to this question. Annotating books should be a fun and expressive experience. You can choose to annotate every book that you read or only certain books (I only annotate books I am called to annotate). One option is not better than the other—do YOU!
But if you want to know some reasons why you should, here are a few:
- It allows you to read more actively, giving you time to absorb what you have read. When engaging with the text rather than passively reading and letting the words pass you by, you process and absorb what you have read. Reducing the time spent skimming.
- You will become more observant and gain a deeper understanding of what you have read. If you have trouble remembering the books you have read, try annotating. 9x out of 10, you will remember more of the details for the very reason that was previously mentioned.
- It’s a way to make the book truly yours. Adding your thoughts, highlights, and doodles brings your own personality and perspective into the pages. Over time, it becomes a conversation between you and the author.
- Over time, you’ll love looking back. On a reread, seeing your old notes, reactions, and highlights is like a time capsule of your past self—a little window into how you felt and what caught your eye at that moment.
- Overall, it is just fun. Engaging with an object that is rather passive can be fun in a way.
Whether you’re a highlighter enthusiast, a sticky note lover, or someone who prefers keeping neat notes on the side, annotation can transform reading from a solo act into a creative experience.
I want to encourage more people to interact and have fun with the text!
How I Love Annotating Books
I like to keep it simple. My highlighting is typically tailored to the theme of the book. But typically it is pink for love/heartfelt moments, blue for sad, red for anger, orange for character development, etc. Using my transparent sticky notes to write on and paste into the book into the section I am referencing. I rarely, write directly into the book because I often do rereads and my feelings don’t typically stay the same. Also, writing notes on a notepad to reference for my reviews or other things I want to remember, so I can easily return to it.
I love to take note of my favorite book quotes in a notebook while also tabbing those as well. I am currently developing my own reading journal because nothing quite fits what I am looking for.
Why I Swear by My Reading Journal When Annotating Books
There’s something almost sacred about the act of slowing down with a book and letting your thoughts spill onto the page. While sticky tabs and highlighters help you capture those in-the-moment sparks, a reading journal enables you to hold space for everything else. The lingering questions, the emotional fallout, the theories that keep you up at night.
Here’s why I always keep one nearby:
Space to Breathe: Margins and Post-Its have limits. But a journal? A journal gives you room to unravel your thoughts without constraint. And even a blog will provide you journal vibes (that’s what this is for me). Whether it’s a quote that haunts you or a plot twist you need to process, there’s space for it all.
Your Thoughts, Over Time: One of my favorite things is flipping back through old entries and seeing how my perspective has shifted. That moment when a character you once dismissed suddenly feels like someone you understand? It’s all there—documented in your own words.
A Home for Reviews, Theories & Tangents: I use mine for everything—character arcs, relationship shifts, world-building notes, even full review drafts. It becomes this beautiful, chaotic archive of my reading life.
Totally Yours: Whether it’s a leather-bound journal, a $3 notebook, or printer paper stapled together and covered in washi tape, it’s yours. Messy or meticulous, aesthetic or not—it doesn’t matter. It’s a reflection of your reading mind.
A reading journal makes the annotation process feel more personal, more rooted. No pressure, no rules—just your voice, your wonder, and your relationship with the story, unfolding one page at a time.
My Favorite Supplies for Annotating Books
- Transparent sticky notes
- Sticky tabs for annotating
- Pens to color code annotations
- Black pens
- My favorite highlighters
- My favorite Notebook
- Highlighter tape
- Pencil case to keep everything organized
Before You Begin Annotating Books
Don’t put pressure on yourself and assume you will annotate books your first go-’round. You probably won’t. Especially if you have it in your mind that books shouldn’t be dog-eared, written in, or anything other than read delicately. Enter with an open mind and without any preconceived notions. If you come across a line that resonates with you and evokes a feeling, interact with it in a way that feels authentic. Underline it, tab it, write how you feel, etc.
Remember you are reading for fun! So make it fun! If you are holding a pen, use the pen. A marker use the marker. Don’t overcomplicate it. If you do, it will put distance between you and the story, making it less fun, and you won’t want to do it anymore, defeating the purpose.
What You Want To Be Annotating
You may be saying, ‘Well, that’s all well and good, but what should I be annotating?’ Well, here are some ideas of things that you can try out.
Quotes. Or any lines that resonate with you.
Write how you feel. Whether in the margins or on sticky notes. Write down your thoughts and feelings, whether it be happy, sad, a caring moment, or something that makes you angry. Interact with the text.
Mark text that interacts. Whether parts are moments that could be potentially foreshadowing or referencing other parts of the story. Mark things that interact and build upon one another. This will increase your awareness of the plot and storyline.
Just doodle. Whether you are an artist or just drawing emojis, doodle what comes to mind. All of that is relevant to the things you are feeling about the story. It means something.
If you aren’t good at space planning, use a penCIL so that you can erase and redo it as many times as you like
How to Annotate Books Like a Pro!
As mentioned before, there are multiple ways you can annotate books. You can either pick a style beforehand or go in without any preconceived notions (which we recommend)—more than anything, you don’t want to stick to any one system from the start.
Different books have distinct genres, writing styles, themes, and ideas that the author wants to convey, and adhering to a single approach may not be effective across the board. Be open to exploring and trying out different methods, and finding a flow that works. Ultimately, annotating books is intended to enhance your overall reading experience. If you make it a chore, you won’t want to do it.
1. Write out your thoughts!
Another powerful way to interact with the text is to write out your thoughts. If you agree or disagree with something, write it down. If you find something funny, take note. This doesn’t mean that you have to write a ton. Comments can be brief or whatever comes to mind.
Yes, longer comments take up more space, but in those moments I would suggest grabbing a post-it note. Writing out the feelings you have at the moment will also help when you continue with the series or when you revisit the story. You will be able to see what you were thinking, whether your feelings changed, and proceed from there.
2. Highlight/Underline Important Parts!
This is the beginning stage of annotating books.
When you come across a line that resonates with you, underline/highlight it. No matter what it is. If it strikes a chord, it is important!
Many times, I use different colors to symbolize meanings, such as blue for something powerful and red for something heartfelt. However, these colors don’t always remain the same, so I take note of their meanings on the title page of the book to help me remember.
Circling words or phrases is also good. And for longer paragraphs that you don’t want to highlight the entire thing, use a bracket. Keep it simple.
3. Doodle Until Your Heart’s Content!
Recently, there has been a debate on whether this is an aesthetic issue or an annotation issue. Particularly, I don’t care which one. I am not an artist by any means, but I do enjoy doodling a little in my books. I tend to keep it simple, and I will flower my book to death! Lol. You can doodle whatever you want in your books or not! It’s yours!
Some ideas are themes that you are reading about and placing them in the corresponding section of the book. If you are reading a non-fiction book, you can draw something that references the topic of the book. Again, as much or as little as you would like.
Now, this isn’t an exhaustive list, and you can create any reason to annotate books, and you should. However, ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to annotate books. There isn’t even the best way. It is just how you have created for yourself and works for you. I hope you find what works for you and it brings you immense happiness.
Sprinkle Words like Stardust!
Happy Reading, Readers!
Do You Like Annotating Books? What’s Your Favorite Method for Annotating? Let us know in the comments!
READ THIS NEXT:
This is What My August Was Like
Top 5 Books to Add to Your Amazon Wishlist Now
The Best Stories I’ve Read in 2025
One Comment