How to comment on a book in 9 important steps (2023)

When you comment on a text, it becomes your own. By commenting you agree toWriteand yourAuthor. You turn it into a conversation.

You don't just read thoseWordsno longer; You interact with them to better understand and benefit from what you learn.

To help you, we've created this short but powerful guide to commenting on a book. Feel free to studyapply your new skillsto this post

What does it mean to comment on a book?

Annotating a book means adding your own notes wherever they fit on the page or in a separate notebook to connect your own thoughts to what you are reading or to clarify something in the text.

Why comment on a book?

• To highlight unfamiliar words and phrases (and find their meaning).
• Argue with a pointAuthorPower
• Force you to support your argument (opinions only get you so far)
• Understand the material well enough to take a test on it.
• To find and highlight hidden gems for your own research

Whatever your reasons for jotting down notes in a book, you'll likely use the same tools (highlighter, favorite pen, stickers, etc.) before you begin. So how will you best use them?

What's the best way to comment on a book?

In short, the best way to comment on a book is what works best for you. You are the one speaking to the text and you are the one using your annotated copy for reference.

However, to get the most benefit, it helps to know what to look for when commenting on a book:

• QuestionsYou have, and the answers you will find
• Unfamiliar words or phrase loops
• SignificantOthersor tickets
• Connections to other works (text to text)
• Connections to the Real World (text to the world)
• Connections to own knowledge and experiences (text for you)
• Known or recurring themes/symbols

If you are looking for things to write onBuchKeep your own goals in mind. What do you want to achieve most by reading this? what do you hope to learn

Along with your questions, be sure to make your end goal clear, whether that's to pass an exam, understand something better, or be able to speak knowledgeably about the topic.idea principal.

You can write down anything that catches your eye, whether you find it useful, funny, or difficult to understand. Add your own comment to capture the thoughts you want to remember.

When finished, the book should show an active and thoughtful conversation between you and the bookWordswithin. And the next time you look into the book, the echoes of that conversation will come back to you.

How to take notes in a book: the 9 most important steps

The following nine steps to taking notes in a book are as simple and straightforward as they can be adapted to your specific situation. Your ideal space (and time) for active reading is likely to be different from someone else's, just as your conversation with a book will be different.

What you bring to each book is unique. Make it a valuable conversation.

1. Eliminate distractions.

Work in a place where nothing and no one can sabotage your focus. It will not be good or available in the near future. Mute the phone, lock the door, or do whatever is necessary (within reason) to ensure privacy and quiet.

Think of it as reserving time and space for meaningful conversations.

2. Gather your tools

Gather your highlighter or favorite pens (of different colors), your favorite pen or pencil, some sticky notes or travel guides, a pack of maps, and even a separate notebook or notepad. The more prepared you are to interact with the text, the more fun it will be.

Gathering your engagement tools is a way to remind yourself that you mean business (but look forward to it, too).

3. Create your own key with symbols.

A symbol can contain several rows of notes. Using custom button icons makes it easy to add quick but meaningful notes.

Consider the following examples of book notes that use familiar symbols:

• ? — "That needs to be clarified" or "I don't know what this word means."
• ! - "It is!" or "I agree with this sentence 100%!"
• * — (Inserted after a word or phrase) “See footnote/below”
• &? - "And then?" or "This seems incomplete."
• @ — "Don't let me start (or do it at your own risk)."

As you work on the text, you'll probably think of other symbols to add.

4. Read the book carefully.

No rush. You are looking for meaning; This isn't a race. Active reading is slow enough to get everything you need out of the text.

If you read faster than you can process the information, you tend to use bullet points indiscriminately, making it harder to find key phrases when you look at the text later.

Slower, more attentive reading allows you to take notes more efficiently.

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5. Highlight text.

If this is your copy of the book and there's nothing stopping you from marking the pages, here are some great ways to do it:

• underline or highlightpassages or keywords. Do this primarily for short passages, not for passages that take up a third or more of the page.
• use square bracketsseparate larger passages (an additional third of the page)
• Circle or box keywordsor unfamiliar words. Maybe use a specific paint color.
• use arrowsto link to ideas or keywords on the page.

6. Make notes in the margins.

Write thoughtful questions or comments next to the highlighted textouter edge. This is where you interact with certain parts of the site.

you can use the...upper edgeThat's why. Or save it for quick notes or keywords to speed up your search for the right page when you're looking for specific content.

use thebottom edgeto summarize the entire page with key points or helpful questions or comments. You can also list related texts or research ideas.

7. Use sticky notes or guides.

Make them more valuable by adding keywords to make your notes easier to find. Sticky notes offer more space for your own short notes including cross-references and keywords.

With glue guides you are limited to thatisolated wordso References to page numbers o Chapters.

The goal is to create a system of tabs or reference guides to make it easier to find information on specific topics or keywords.

8. Use the "Notes" feature in your reader/e-reader app.

This applies regardless of whether you are reading this book on an e-reader or an e-book app. Unless your reader and app allows you to add handwritten notes with a pen, click the note you want, select the note function, and type the note you want to leave.

E-readers and e-book apps also have a highlight function, often with different colors, and a bookmark function to make it quicker and easier to get to the most important pages.

9. Create an accompanying notebook.

If you're allowed to mark your phrase, it's not strictly necessary, but it does provide a separate record of important passages or quotations, along with your own responses to them.

Working from a borrowed text is your personal record of everything you learned in the book.

You can then highlight your written notes and add sticky tabs with keywords or chapter numbers to create a valuable reference and study guide.

How to comment on a novel

Commenting on a novel is very similar to commenting on a novelnonfiction. The differences will dependWeilYou read the novel

if you areRead for your pleasure, you must not write much. But once you get into the habit of reading actively, you probably want to have your tools handy just in case.

if you areReading for a class or for a book club, the stakes are higher. WantZobelthe novel well enough to write or talk about.

Then you want to have a closer relationship with the story, its characters and its world.

For that reason alone, it's a strong recommendation for book clubs. He will read more carefully because he knows it will make book club meetings more enjoyable. Plus, you'll remember the story better than if you didn't care.

Commenting on a novel can include all of the steps listed fora non-fiction book, although you can't create an accompanying notebook (but it wouldn't hurt). Just think of the following:

• This is not a test.It's a way to get the most out of what you read.
• You can still enjoy the story though.In fact, you'll probably like it even more.
• When you type something, your brain does it.more connections.

Ready to annotate a book?

Now that you know how to commentate on a book, what titles come to mind? What annotation techniques have you used so far?

And what did you learn from this post that you will be promoting this week?

Don't be disappointed if you find that your conversation with a particular book wasn't as satisfying or insightful as you'd hoped. If you take it again at a different time, the results may be different.

Because you will.