I FOLLOWED A BOOKTUBER'S ANNOTATION GUIDE ft.  

First of all, you are too sweet! You have me giggling and kicking my feet 😂 but secondly, I am SO excited to see the enthusiasm for annotating and engaging with the books you read on an even deeper level than you already do! I’m (clearly) very passionate about annotating, so it makes my little bookish heart happy to spread the love ❤ I definitely believe annotating is a deeply personal thing, so I’m sure you’ll eventually find the flow that feels perfect for you! There’s some trial and error involved to figure out what works for you and for each book, but in my experience the effort has been more than worth it 😊

I only annotate on a reread. I like to get lost and experience the story without interruption the first time through. I find it also helps with my annotations if i already know the direction things will take. It's easier to spot foreshadowing if I know what's being foreshadowed, and because my brain isn't in goblin gotta know what happens next mode I can use that spare energy to pay closer attention to the decisions the author made around things like prose, atmosphere, literary technique etc.

Two words: lap desk!! That’s the only way I can annotate anywhere other than a table haha!😄

I love annotating my books. It helps me retain more of what the book is about for my reviews and I normally have a completely different reading experience than my friends who don't. Also, I make my key before, and I use the same one for all of my books. And when I underline it's things I just like, whereas my highlights are for important things to the story, or what I think are going to be important. I use 6 color tabs, 1 highlighter, 2 pens, and 2 different size sticky notes for longer thoughts that I can't fit on the page.

I envy anyone who annotates their books. I tried it once many moons ago in a book I knew I wouldn’t be scarred for the rest of my life for “ruining” the copy… and it gave me uni assignments / work vibes. Which eventually pulled me off from reading as I want to be comfy and relaxing (usually in bed before falling dead asleep haha). I saw PlantBased Bride’s video as well when it got uploaded and thought it looked so cool! My deepest respect to you both. Great video!

The Secret History was the first story that compelled me to annotate a book. I didn't get very far in, before I couldn't go any further without expressing how the writing made me feel and calling my predictions!

Love Plant Based Bride's annotation video. I'm glad you tried it too and made a video about it!

This year I finally got myself comfortable making marks in books! I noticed it helps me focus a lot better if I expect myself to annotate the book. I have different annotation styles depending on the book. If it's something expressing lots of opinions, I have symbols for if I agree, disagree, or somewhat agree. If it's a made-up story or something chill, I usually just hold a pencil (specifically a pencil; I'm not brave enough for permanent marks yet) while I'm reading, underlining whatever I feel like. Also a lot of descriptions/synonyms/definitions of words I'm not fluent in.

It's videos like these that help me get over my hatred of book annotations. I could never do it myself, I would probably annotate in a separate notebook if I was going to. But this video is so pleasing to watch.

i just tab whatever i like and it's so chaotic. one page i'm annotating a characters deep and complex thoughts on her relationship with alcohol and the next it's "every garden needs a hoe, right? ;)"

This video is just full wholesome vibes. I am so happy that you enjoyed this book and the whole annotation process. ❤️

The note about your grandma is so sweet ❤ I feel the same about mine 🕊️

The best part about annotating is that you make your own rules 👌🏻 I highlight everything I feel like highlighting 🤣

I adore this book, cannot wait to continue the series. Definitely think I might reread it again to start annotating! Also, love how you went to Elizabeth for annotating tips. She is a QUEEN in the aesthetic book tube space! And her bujo content is just chef's kiss!

I am trying to get into annotating. I bought a whole reading set up as I like to read in bed. Includes a tilting book stand to hold the book open hands free, clip on book light annotating supplies and supply holder and pillow to support my back and arms,a portable desk stand with a cup holder. Love it!!

I couldn't click on this video fast enough. On my channel I've collected a ton of my favorite annotating videos and I'm about to add you!!!! I love Plant Based Brides videos.

With my tabs I get one from Amazon that come in a whole range of different colors and it helps with not having to worry about tabbing over words

You annotated one of my favorite books! 🥰❣

I love before the coffee gets cold so much and it is such a good and emotional read! And the short stories being connected very well. And the sequel is quite similar in tone and adds another layer to the travel, which is very promising. I hope you like the sequel as well!

I love annotating my books! I don't highlight or write in them cause if I hate it at the end I want to donate. So I use a lot of post it notes of various sizes. I also use the same color tabs for all my books so the key stays the same...mostly cause I'm colorblind and picking new colors all the time would be ROUGH. But it is nice to look at the pages and see what book had more dialogue I liked vs more prose.

Great Video Jesse and you did a really great job with your little doodle of the coffee cup ☕️ And I personally don’t annotate but I’m glad you’re enjoying it & I’ve only got about 5 hours and 8 mins left in A History of Wild Places and I’m Absolutely Loving It Jesse So Thank You For Your Recommendation I’m definitely going to be reading more from Shea Ernshaw 📚😊 Have a Wonderful Evening and Happy Reading 📖🙂

same feeling with the tabs! the half-colored ones are the only ones I use now. I'm glad you grew to like them because although those metal darts were cool, I'm sure they're more expensive than the tabs

Try the BIC gelocity smooth stic gel pen .5mm. That’s my favorite pen I don’t use anything else!

I only ever annotate non-fiction books as I feel like I learn the most from them. With fiction books, I love to just be sucked in by them and enjoy the ride. Though I think when talking about a fiction book in a book club, annotating can be really helpful!

Lighter colors of tabs help when it comes to placing them over text. As much as the ubiquitous neon ones aren't as cool looking, they're trivial to read text through.

I love highlighting super great quotes and super super cute romantic moments. That’s my starting point. After that idk hahaha

The way he says drawing ….Drawling. Hehe.

I cut my tabs so they do not stick out, especially when there are no gaps and the tab will cover words. I repurpose the tab stubs in craft projects.

I love this! I follow her, as well. As a former professor, I annotate all the time, but I am intrigued by her concept of a key. At what point in the reading did you decide you were ready to create your key? Did you end up never using some index elements you thought you'd need? Also, I do love the grey Tombow for myself!

I don't heavily annotate stuff I read. I usually have 3 different tab colors and highlighter colors for each book. One for writing I like, one for impactful moments and one for random comments I want to make. I also don't like writing in my books, but I don't mind highlighting, so I use clear sticky notes for any comments I want to make. I'll have something highlighted maybe every 10 pages or so cause something really needs to jump out at me for me to highlight

I love annotating :D have you tried the muji gel ones? I use the 0.38 but there is also a 0.5 you might like. Neither have ever bled through for me

When I use full colored taps I often place them in the margin and then cut some of it off.

I don't love permanent annotations in fiction (underline away in non-fiction) but I definitely do love to tab up giant fantasy series. We all know we're not going to remember where that prophecy was when it comes up again 6 books later ...

When I annotate I read the book first and as I want to remember something on the pages I’m reading I tab it then when I finished the book I go back and underline and highlight and write in my thoughts

I read the coffee gets cold. I went to goodreads to see where I’m at in the series and it shows I never put in the second. I know I read it because we see Fusagi and it broke my heart. Kind of spoiler. You need to read it. Beautiful story.

fun video!!

I never annotate my books because I don't consider them 'mine'. I will read them and then donate them to charity shops or exchange them with friends or gift them to strangers but I am a book host not a book owner.

What about cats marking on books? Hahaha but also huhuhu

sometimes i hate annotate a book and only highlight/tab the cringiest parts so i can look back and laugh when i'm feeling on the verge of a breakdown - highly recommend LOL😂

I tried those pens and they did not work for me at all. I am not sure if there is a type of paper that they would work on because I tried several different types of paper and used multiple of those pens thinking maybe one was just bad?!?! No idea?!?!

Please tell us where to get the book darts from! I dnt like tabs ether but I dnt know of other options…

oh if you like that every character has a propose you would LOVE one piece. You get more than 1000 characters and you will meet all of them inside out. You will cry for vilans who you will hate haha

"I wish I was joking, but joking I am not" is literally me 24/7

I feel like Annotation is great for non-fiction books because it can help you retain the material better, identify farmeworks and applications, and the categorize and classify all the different lessons and informations. For fiction, I dont need to analyze the setting, characters, plot, arcs, etc. I just want to enjoy the journey the author is taking me on! But I totally support others engaging with their books in any way that increases their own enjoyment of it!

I have an obnoxious 7.5 month old puppy who likes to sit next to me and drool on my laptop (I lay in bed lol). She loves the popping sound effects you use and how often you zoom in and out of frame. Tilting head galore. Very cute. Thank you for distracting her from covering my arm in slobber.

Annotating for me has to come naturally. I recently read a day of fallen night and out of 800+ pages i only tabbed 2, because that's what i felt like doing haha😅 i read the hobbit and loved so many parts, but didn't marked any whereas when i read yellowface i couldn't stop highlighting and underlining! It really depends from book to book and what i feel like doing in the moment

The RU-vidr ‘Sweet Tea To High Tea‘ imo has a MUCH better video on a simplified version on the rhyme and reason between underlining, highlighting, and tabbing that I feel makes annotating approachable for everyone. I highly recommend the video to everyone, especially if you are a beginner. But it’s not just for beginners because her method is awesome and the way she explains it is chefs kiss. It’s the best video I have found on the topic and makes so much sense. The video is called: How To Annotate Your Very First Book.

I'm also a speed-reader; always have been, always will be. I can finish a 500 page book in 1-2 days depending on how busy I am. But I also started annotating last year, and it's definitely helped me slow down just enough to really think about and remember the books. I don't make a key yet, because I will highlight and underline basically anything, but I might start doing one soon. A tip with the plastic ruler: make sure you're holding it firmly on the book. I hold it with two fingers while I underline, and adjust the book so the ruler feels more stable.

I only annotate rereads. I like to just sit with a story before I start trying to hyper focus on specific parts. I feel like I lose the plot if I try to annotate on first read. It also helps because I know what my categories are before I even start and I read more intentionally the second time around. It also means that only books that really stuck out are the annotated ones.

Quick Tip! I use a small art tote bag (the kind with little pockets all around the outside) that I bought at Michaels for like $6 to hold all my annotation supplies. Makes it easy to move around the house. I can put my book in it, annotation supplies, reading light and I even carry an extra coaster that I’ll inevitably need for my beverage but only realize after I’ve settled into my spot! I’m still figuring out my annotation as well. It was nice to see someone else's thought process as they try a different approach. Also, I watched PlantBasedBride’s video too and jumped on the Tombow 990 train. Woot woot! Perfection. Also, #couchannotating and #rageannotating for the win! haha

I don't personally annotate, but if someone wants to do so, I don't care, people can do what they want to their books. As a librarian, what I cannot stand though, is people annotating library books. You would be surprised about how many people don't understand that you can't mess up other people's property.

13:13 maybe u should try to lie down and annotate instead of lap desk, keep the book on the bed and lie down! It's my go to.

Would love to annotate more but was not sure where to start like tabs and pens. My only annotated book is full of rage annotations. 😂 As soon as you said that phrase, I thought of that one book and felt seen!! 😂

I love annotating, it's a beautiful experience, also a friend of mine lend me an annotated book and I loved the experience of reading what he did with the book, also said I could do it on his book and it was awesome, you should try it it was such an experience I definitely recommend

Please, for the love of god, use Pilot G2 pens to annotate :p

I wish I had the patience to annotate 😩

I know this is an older video, but I annotate rereads and think about themes I want to take notice of. I think pastel tombows are so lovely to annotate with.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I really don't like annotating my books, nor do i like finding an annotated book in used book stores. It takes me out of the story, it's kind of like watching a move for the first time with someone next to you that watched it already and is talking to whole time you're trying to pay attention. Now i do like making notes about the books i've read so i can look back and reflect on the book or I can look back and recomend the book to someone that is looking for something specific, but I do it in my reading journal. When I finish a book, i will dedicate some pages of my journal to what i loved, hated, would change, or would praise about the book i just read. Now i do highlight quotes as i'm reading if they are meaning full, but i do it with a very light highlighter that will get lighter as time passes. That being said; i really liked this video, I love Plantbased Bride, her videos are so calming. I also want to say thank you Jesse because i read Seven Year Slip because of a past video of your's. We were driving from Orlando FL to Atlanta GA (about a 6 hour drive) and I needed something to read that was light and happy, and i remembered you mensioning it so I picked it up and loved it, so thanks and I will be looking to get more recs from you 💜

I love annotating, but I definitely agree that it can be risky sometimes because you don't know if you'll like a book. If I want to annotate a new book I'll generally only use tabs, so they can be removed if I DNF. But most of my annotating happens in rereads of my favorite books!

23:30 put him in a kpop group RIGHT NOW

Jesse I bought all of these things because I was to follow her to a tee, also Jesse so I'm skipping the first two steps 🤣😅 haha so funny to watch

I'm not an annotation girlie, not bc I wanna keep my books pristine but bc it reminds me of university and I honestly never see anything worth taking a pen out for 😅 But gosh do I love these annotation videos ❤

My ADHD burnout brain cannot annotate books, I just don’t have the patience for it 😩 I love the idea of it, but every time I try I end up putting too much pressure on it and it just feels like homework 😅

I'm a library girlie, so there's no annotation for me. Plus, I can't wrap my head around why I would annotate fiction I'm reading for fun. I annotated the heck out of my sources for my masters thesis, but that was work. Everything I read for fun, I just want to get lost in.

I started annotating in the last 12 months and I use my lap desk cushion on my lap while in bed or on the sofa, it’s a game changer!

I tend to put my tabs more inward so they don’t stick out to much! I agree sometimes it slows down the reading process but for some books it’s definitely better ❤️

I really just don’t get the point in annotating fiction books 😭

I annotate words and phrases I love. I ask questions and I’m in conversation about how the book was written.

The closest I’ve been able to get to annotating is writing things down in a journal while listening to the audiobooks for Lord of the Rings. Otherwise it takes me out of the story. I wish I was better at it, it looks fun!

i agree its not perfect but the characters in the book reminds me of the people I know special for me which made the book more amazing for me and the reason why I ended up loving it. :) I rarely annotate coz Im on my Kindle more but when I do it that only means that I love that book thats why it has annotations. ill buy the book coz i ended up loving it the first time I read it then will annotate it. :)

I just lay on my stomach when I annotate in bed, which how I tend to read my books anyways! Also the armrest on your couch is also really helpful to put your book on while annotating!

I got the biggest kick out of your video. I also watched the PlantBasedBride's annotating video as I tried to gear myself up to annotate my first book since college, and just like you, I purchased most of the supplies she recommended - though I already had the Tombow brush pen (fabulous!). So here I am - avoiding annotating the book I selected (The Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - which I had already read and knew would be a good one for me to start with) - watching RU-vid videos, and your video comes up in my recommendations. LOL - Perfect - KISMET - hilarious. Well, now - you and PlantBasedBride have inspired me, and I'm going to finally get to work. Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaa. BTW - I love your bookcases and shelf set up. And finally, enjoy the mystery of figuring out why you highlight some things and underline others - that is exactly the type of thing that appeals to me about annotating. I like surprising myself, and I can't wait to see how my annotating style develops. Thanks for helping me move forward.❣

I don't annotate. I don't want my reading interrupted and I usually donate my books.

Try investing in a good lapdesk. Personally, I use the Sajii x-large lapdesk. It comes with a rechargeable light, and doesn’t tilt when you shift around on the bed or sofa. I got mine from Amazon. 😊 Enjoyed this!! Well wishes!! 💜

I only annotate books I keep. For fiction, that's only with coloured tabs. I don't tend to mark the book in any way. For library books, I journal them. Retelling the story and personal thought. That way I will always have the 'essence' of the book with me. For the non-fictionI own, I highlight, underline, tab, write in the margin. Then, I write my thoughts in my journal. For borrowed nonficton I just journal. I'm at the stage where I can choose what nonficton books I want to read, so that makes it less of a chore.

If you're not reading at a desk, I'd recommend using a lap desk or a large hardcover book to set your book on while you annotate. That way, you have a hard surface to write on, and it will also be easier to keep the book still.

I annotate (chaotic style) with a normal pencil and am currently annotating The Devil in The White City. I also annotated all my copies of every Lonesome Dove book (So Dead Man's Walk, Streets of Laredo, Comanche Moon, Lonesome Dove) in chaotic side margin comments. Mostly underlined examples of weird events, oppressed women, or things that struck me as funny in context. I underlined it or put a line in margin to note a section. I loved the whole series.

I love qnnotating my books too (started recently) . And u are reading my favorite series right now ! Rememeber , the 5th book in the series comes out in september !

I just started annotating a week ago 😂. I just got back into reading 3 years ago, and annotating seemed like a good idea so far. I have just done 1 book , and I like it. My first book with annotating is a bit Sparatic

My favorite pen to annotate with is the zebra sarasa in a .5. Personally use green cause I want the pen to be very obvious against the black print but it’s has tons of different colors including black. It’s a metal pen so it’s a bit expensive but you can buy refills for it that are 10 in a box. It, at least in my experience, only ghosts lightly in thinner pages like in mass market paperbacks. I really recommend it Also on the tabs you kinda just need to find ones that are transparent enough. Some that I have are way to opaque so I can’t use the darker ones I’d like to but my other favorite set are transparent enough that you can read like it’s not there but not so transparent that you can’t see the color when it’s a stand alone tab. They are very hit or miss until you find your perfect tabs.

Where do you get your book darts? They look so nice!! Edit: I love your editing during your reading montages lol, it was really fun

You might like using washi tape.🌼

I am not an annotator.

Would you consider an ereader, like the Kobo Libra Color, to make annotating easier/more portable?😊

I live in another country, but annotating here is surprisingly the same and also extremely popular among the bookish community. I want to do a similar video in my language, gonna tag you both as orginal creators

though i am not the audiance, as i hate writing in my books; i think that these are still good broadly if you have a extra copy that you annotate or on a kobo/kindle can be a way to inprove your points of view. i don't think annotating is useless, but i feel like there are a few ways to do so without ruining your books; or at the very least buying a extra copy you don't mind writing up.

Jesse posting this on the same day merphy napier posts her updating annotation technique is so relaxing to my ocd mind

To me this excessive kind of annotating is almost a second hobby. Like I'll be in the mood to annotate this way even if I'm not particularly in the mood for reading.

look what i found ! such a gem you are so funny haha subscribed

I love annotating books. In past it was just tabbing & then I started to write on post-its & paste them. Now I directly write in the book. It creates more memories with the book

my favorite place to annotate is a table in a cafe or at the library! hard surface but also cozy vibes and (usually) good drinks lol

If I am reading for enjoyment, I don't annotate. If I am reading critically, I annotate. I don't use anything fancy though - just a pencil, haha.

I'm typically not an annotator because I don't like the stop and go feeling it gives me while reading. I don't mind people who do it, but it's not for me unless something really sticks out.

i started annotating my favorite books! until i got a good idea of what book id know id love to hold on to i only went for rereads before branching out! for figuring out a tsbbing system, even if i annotate from the first page, i wait 50-100 pages before committing to an index since it can give a better idea of what i want to annotate! a pen rec i love is the muji pens! they have 0.5 ! edit: i forgot to add, i put a sturdy pillow on my lap when i annotate on the couch or my reading chair which makes annotating easier!

I love your videos and plantbasebride videos!!

I really only annotate sparingly. As much as I love the look of it from others, I'm already a slow reader. Perhaps on rereads I would consider it 😂😂 Also love this book and glad you liked it ❤❤

I love annotating (I was against it but my mom always told me that writing in your books is one of the best things you could do), but my annotation style changes with books. The only thing I keep consistent is having a tab for things I like, one for quotes I like and one for love (this includes everything from romantic to familiar). In some books I just use one highlighter, in others multiple. I always have a one pen or pencil at hand, and I highlight things I enjoy, underline important things or random things, and highlight + underline things that I want to stand out. I loved this video! I would love to see another one in the future with how you have tweaked the system to your liking. And I love that you chose Plant Based Bride for this!

I annotate sometimes. My mom and I have a fun thing we do together where we pick a favorite quote from every book we read, write it on a bookmark, and then get together once or twice a year to talk about the books we read and share our favorite quotes. If I'm at the beginning of a book and I'm already finding lots of passages that are "bookmark worthy" then I'll start annotating.

I haven't tried annotating a book for "fun," I love the tips though! I annotate like autobiographies or "self-help" books and can't wait to try some of these!! For the tabs, they sell some at the dollar tree that are solid neon, but they're transparent! I used them in grad school to "highlight" in my text book rentals!

I *love* tombow pens. They write so smoothly and they don't bleed through the paper easily, and the colors are just so aesthetically pleasing! They're pretty cheap, too, so they're def worth my 2 dollars whenever I buy a new one :)