I've read lots of blogs in the last few years. Mainly bookish ones and one thing that seems to get mentioned a lot is quotes and highlighting/underlining them. Honestly I never used to write in books (at least after a certain age when I grew big enough to realize mom didn't appreciate it and I could get in trouble).
(Potentially even get in trouble from dad. And his head thumps were way worse than mom's disappointed look. But that's neither here nor there.)
Yet I read a great many bloggers who spoke of writing and underlining in their books. The first couple times I read it, I remember thinking that was interesting, but I couldn't see myself doing it. Why would you want to mark up your book that way?
Well.....HA to that! Because do you know what happened? (Come on. I know you know. You know I know you know. I know you know I know you know and....oh forget it.)
ANYWAYS, what actually happened was I got a Kindle. And if you have one, you probably know what I'm about to say. It has this handy-dandy little feature called highlight (I know, original). My point being is that I now had the awesome capabilities of highlighting words and phrases and paragraphs (and sometimes whole chapters!) in my stories.
I LOVE IT!
Now granted, I don't highlight every single thing.(Truth!) But it is so much fun to read a certain sentence, fall in love with it, and highlight it for easy reference. For even easier reference, it also stores all my highlights in a separate file. So when I desire to find a certain quote, which I know I've highlighted, I can go to My Clippings and easily find it! Cool huh? I think so.
But perhaps you don't think so? I admit I still don't do much writing in my real books, but it does happen occasionally. My Kindle has corrupted me! Oh the horror!
(Also I find it really fascinating that it will store quotes even if the book is no longer on my Kindle. I figured if the book was deleted, the quote would be too. But nope, still there.)
So what about you? Do you highlight or underline or just generally write in your books? Or is that a big, huge NO to you? A hideous travesty that must remain nameless as if it doesn't exist?
Perhaps you're like me and use it on your ereader? (This is me assuming other ereaders have the same ability as the Kindle. Or at least something pretty similar.) What say you gentle readers? Want to weigh in and tell me what you think?
Pretty please? I'm so terribly curious!
Regardless, I though I'd leave you with a quote I've highlighted (naturally) which kind of expresses how I felt the first few times I highlighted anything in one my books. :)
"Wobbly as I was, I felt ready for anything-in a tentative, baby-steps kind of way." ~Alyssa Goodnight
I like that highlighting feature on my Kindle and use it too. I rarely mark up books though, just my Bible and some reference type books. The latest one I did highlight in was "The Power of a Positive Woman." There were so many interesting things in that one and it's one I am definitely keeping.
ReplyDeleteYeah, my Bible is well highlighted and underlined too. :) Every once in a while there will be a phrase in a fiction book that I'll underline. But only if I'm positive that I won't be getting rid of the book.
DeleteI haven't heard of that one Karen. I'll have to check it out. Thanks! :)
I adamantly refuse to get an e-reader of any kind, since I'm such an obsessive purist when it comes to books! The rough feel of pages, the dusty smell of old bindings, the glister and glimmer of a pretty cover...etc. :) Anyways, that's my obsession confession for the day! But as to highlighting...I don't usually mark in any fiction works that I read, but gral, non-fiction? I usually grab highlighter and pen before I even get started! I don't like to "messy" up my pages, so I either highlight with a diminutive yellow highlighter, I'll use my pen to put stars/flowery things next to sentences that I like, and if I feel like writing a note on it, I write it in small, careful words. My bible is especially colorful and unique with all it's scribbles, highlights, and prayers/observations in the margins! I believe in marking up books that I learn from. :) By the way, I left further comments on all your lovely comments on my blog! Just thought I'd let you know! :D
ReplyDeleteI adamantly refuse to get an e-reader of any kind, since I'm such an obsessive purist when it comes to books!
DeleteYou and I both, Kellie! Love this. There's nothing like opening a brand-new paperback (or hardcover) from the mail. :)
Hi Kellie! I can understand your feelings on ereaders. I was there once myself. I really love my Kindle now, but it still will never beat a real live book in my hands! But one of my favorite features of it, besides highlighting of course ;), is that I have it with me wherever I go. So if I have a few minutes to wait somewhere, I whip it out and read. But don't worry. I'm not here to try to convince you to get one. Promise! :D They aren't very cheap (I got mine for Christmas a year ago) and they are very different from a real book. Still, feel free to come over and confess any time you like! I loved your comment. :)
DeleteYes! I've started doing the same with non-fiction books. And especially my Bible! That makes it mine when I look inside and see my thoughts or an explanation about a verse or something personal that hit home at a particular moment. And I love when we're reading a chapter at church and I spot a certain verse or phrase that I've highlighted and then the minister talks about it! Totally makes my day when that happens. :)
I'll click over to your responses. Thanks for the heads up!
I'm with you Rissi! New books are awesome! I do buy a lot of mine used. But a brand new one sitting in my hands? Nothing like it. :)
DeleteOh and I noticed that you follow Emily Freeman's website! Wow, that book seriously changed my entire life! I wrote a post on it last year...and Emily herself somehow found it and commented on it! You could have knocked me over with a feather!
ReplyDeleteHow amazing was that?! What a great feeling, huh? I wrote a review on goodreads last fall, and Jennifer Rogers Spinola found it and wrote a note to me. Further chatting led to being friends on Facebook and I still squeal a little inside when I see her name show up. I'm such a girl! ;P
DeleteEmily's book is so wonderful. And I love her website! Her writing is so easy to understand and connect with and boy did I connect with it!!! She seemed to have looked right down inside me. Definitely a favorite! :)
I don't think I've ever highlighted anything, no matter the book. My mother highlights passages in her Bible though never fiction. The only time I've marked something up was a devotional type book and even then, it was done in pencil. Guess I have a fear of marking up a book permanently. :)
ReplyDeleteNo worries Rissi! I've always been fearful of marking in a book because what if I get rid of it? Then my underlining or highlighting may spoil it for someone else! And incidentally I have bought used books with underlining before. But it was a small amount, so didn't bother me at all.
DeleteI do mark up my Bible quite often! As for other non-fiction books, I've recently been more inclined to underline in them. It kind of depends really. If something truly stands out, I want a way to remember it, whether by writing it down elsewhere or underlining in the book. :)
Generally, I don't like marking up books. But, if I find something that really resonates with me, I definitely make a note of it.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
I agree. If something resonates, I want to make a note of it somehow or somewhere. Because if it stood out to me, I don't want to forget it!
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting Gina! Much appreciated. :)
The only time I can remember highlighting a book was Pride and Prejudice because I just loved how awesome was the language, and all. But I really haven't since because I didn't like the end result, so now I only high light text books :P
ReplyDeleteI haven't used the high light thing on my kindle though, I don't know, never felt like it.
I know what you're saying Alex. I haven't written in too many of my real books, but it does happen occasionally. It really only works if I'm sure that I won't get rid of the book someday.
DeleteAnd isn't that language awesome?! I've often thought it would be so fun to try to incorporate some of those old and unused words into my everyday speech, but alas. I'd probably get quite a few strange looks if I did! :D
I love that highlight feature. But then I'm quite fond of quotes. I like to make note of certain sentences that stand out for some reason or other. Highlighting makes it really easy to find them again. But that just happens to be one of my many quirks! ;)
I never ever ever wrote in anything but a text book until I went to college. I took a lit class every single semester, and writing in the margins and underlining became second nature. When I graduated, though, I stopped doing that as much, especially since I read a lot of library books and I doubt they'd appreciate it ;-) However, I do put a little star next to a quote or passage I really like if it's my own book.
ReplyDeleteThe big exception to that is my paperback copy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy -- every time I read that, I use a different pen for that reading and underline whatever really strikes a chord with me that time, make little notes in the margins, and I've also done a bunch of cross-referencing in the margins, marking where a theme or saying comes up again in the book.
I also have a pretty blank journal-type book that I use to store "particularly good bits." It has favorite lines and passages from oodles of books over the years (I'm on my second book, actually), and is a lot of fun to go back and read through now and then.
I don't have any kind of e-reader, but my mom has one and is trying to convert me. But I love "real" books.
Ha! Yeah, the library probably wouldn't appreciate marks in their books. :D
DeleteWow, I imagine your copies are well loved by now! That's actually a really neat idea. Also helpful! I haven't read the series myself, but what little I've glanced over them in the store makes me think that making note of a theme for cross-referencing purposes would be really helpful. Those books seem a little intimidating I have to admit, which is why I haven't tried them yet. Perhaps someday! :)
I like to write down some of my favorite quotes too! I don't have a journal specifically for that, usually I just write them wherever. But it would probably be smarter to have a designated spot for them all. It's great fun to go back and read them again! Especially when it's been a while since I've read that particular book. It's always interesting to see what stood out to me at a different times in my life and what stands out to me now. Depending on what's going on, certain things mean more at one time than they do at other times. Does that make sense? Not sure if I'm explaining it right.
I can understand your hesitation Hamlette. Real books are awesome indeed! :D
I NEVER highlight or mark in real books. (Unless school makes me for their books) BUT I do highlight on my Kindle Fire. I think it's a wonderful, magical thing, that "highlight!" :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great description Maddie! It is indeed a "wonderful magical thing"! :D
DeleteDo you like your Kindle Fire? I mean as opposed to a regular Kindle. I have the Touch, but the Fire's look pretty awesome. :)
I can't bring myself to write in my books but LOVE the Kindle's highlight thing too!:) So. Much. Fun.
ReplyDeleteYes it is Suey! Yes it is. :D
DeleteCongratulations! You won my book giveaway! Email me at karlacinidATgmailDOTcom and I'll get them in the mail to you!
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of Kindles, mine tends to freeze when I try to highlight. Maybe because I get in too big of a hurry to get back to the story. I'll have to work with it some more. I do like saving lovely quotes!
I love to save quotes myself, which is why I use my highlighting ability like crazy on my Kindle. :) That's strange that yours doesn't work so well. Hope you get it figured out soon, Karla! Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI don't think I've even written in a book, not one I read for fun anyway.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
I know it was a pretty foreign concept to me not that long ago. And I don't really do much in my actual books, but it does happen once in a while. Thanks for your input Regine! :)
DeleteNope, don't write in books. In university, I used stickies. They're still in the books too! Though for poetry classes, it was easier to mark up the pages. Now, I only highlight teacher resource books, because they are not something I'll keep forever anyway. Oh, but I do use the highlight feature on my Kobo! Or I just book mark the page in there. But oddly, I don't use stickies for my paperbacks....
ReplyDeleteHi Giulia! I can imagine that your resource books probably need highlighting to keep track of helpful things. Or that's what I'd need to do anyway.
DeleteBookmarking the page counts too! :D It's really the same idea, keeping track of the quotes you like.
I haven't used stickies, never seem to have any on hand anyway. But that's not a bad idea actually. Perhaps I should invest in a few of those. :)