r/books discussion

Just curious: How many of you guys write on your books? Do you annotate? I keep hearing merits of writing on books and I've started doing it, but it still makes me anxious after treating books so reverently all of my reading life.

Your thoughts?

I can't. I've tried, but it makes me sick. Like, physically sick.

I imagine that it'll be a problem when I go to university and need to mark up my text books!

I don't write in them. It just makes me confused and although I have no problem in writing in the margins on a screenplay/printed out story, I just can't do it with books. I rather keep notes.

I've considered doing the notes or something, but I just can't write in it. I saw a post on reddit about writing in books to, "make [them] your own", but I just can't. I can have my conversation with the author in my head instead of in the margins.

I recently started doing this but only got so far as underlining phrases and noting references to other books or to songs. I still write long notes and reactions on a piece of paper that I also use as a bookmark.

I was always taught to handle books as precious objects, even as a child. That is still with me,so no. When I did go to University, it was very hard to highlight anything, and that only lasted one semester. After that post it notes and long hand writing were the only way to go. By rewriting things out, it has been proven that you retain more knowledge that way also.

I don't write in books, not even my own textbooks! I feel that I don't benefit from it as I have a separate notebook if I do need to write, and my journal writing is meticulously organized.

I keep wanting to highlight favorite quotes but chances are I'll end up highlighting whole books, so no. I don't write. I also NEVER fold over corners. EVER.

“Marking a book is literally an expression of your differences or your agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay him.” - Mortimer Adler

This always stuck with me though so I really want to try my hand at marginalia. I first did it on my recent read (Prozac Nation), but the notes I wrote weren't really that substantial. lol. It's still very hard to write on a book without me feeling like I did something sacrilegious.

No corner folding? Heathen. Folded corners are a mark of love.

It feels like damaging. :) I've always grown up treating books as if they're made of gold. I can't get myself to do it.

I am with you Hadas, it feels like damaging. Just cannot do it.

This is a little of topic, but a few years ago I lent someone a book. There was writing all over it, and the spine was destroyed.

I haven't spoken to them since.

@House03, WOW! That's a shame, especially since it was your book! I don't understand people's lack of respect for other people's property.

I don't lent my books out anymore because I never got them back. I would be horrified if I got one back with writing in it. Which book was it?

Every time I lend books, I make sure I'm ready to part with them because I almost never get them back.

Annie wrote: "@House03, WOW! That's a shame, especially since it was your book! I don't understand people's lack of respect for other people's property.

I don't lent my books out anymore because I never got th..."

It was some bedtime story book from before I started school. She said that she wanted to borrow it because she was babysitting, but I found out the day after she gave it back that she hadn't had a kid in months.

She really betrayed my trust and nearly destroyed something very important to me. Thankfully, she had used pencil so I was able to erase it, but it didn't really make me feel any better.

Now I only lend books out to people who I would trust with my life in the zombie apocalypse.

That's so weird about her not having a kid. I wonder what she really wanted it for, and it's even stranger she wrote in it. I would think that people who write in books are making notes to understand the book better?

I solely read fiction and for entertainment purposes only. The thought of making notes in any form never even occured to me. It would just pull me out of the story and feel too much like I'm working on a school assignment. I do forget a lot very quickly (chronical insomnia causes memory problems), but a few notes wouldn't change that. They'd probably just look like gibberish to me after a while. So for me, it's all about the experience of immersing myself in a book and enjoy the ride while it lasts.