Plus: introducing the newest member of the Close Reads community, current reading schedules, what I am reading around the bookish web, and an anecdote from the shop.
I make liberal use of both a highlighter (usually yellow, but I’m not picky--whatever I can find will do!) and a black pen when I read. I don’t have a system, per se, but I am such a messy and prodigious commentator that I use tons of post-it notes. It gives me room to more fully flesh out my thoughts when they don’t fit in the margins, and I can move them out of the way of the text during discussion or when revisiting key passages.
This is very helpful! I don't like color in my books either. It's like colorizing black and white films.
Do you actively read everything?
How does one transition from only passive reading to active reading?
Lastly, the link for the pens didn't work for me but with your postscript, does it mean I can find them on Goldberry's website? (I also appreciate that one of your criteria for writing utensils is how they treat paper.)
Congratulations Sean & Heather on your beautiful baby Brendan. He’s so sweet! (My Grandad was another Brendan, it’s a great name.)
My marginalia ‘system’ is haphazard but I’m consistent about my pens! Muji 0.35mm black gel pen only, definitely no colour. I mark up nonfiction liberally but almost never write in fiction. I think comes from a lifetime of reading library books.
Congratulations on your little cutie!! Was also so excited to read about your marginalia! I’ve been thinking of writing about it for Noted. If I do, I’ll definitely link to this post!
Marginalia. For fiction, I circle names when characters enter a scene or say/do something important. I put boxes around time and place. I underline main points of action so I can easily skim and follow the story by just glancing at what I've underlined. Squiggly underlining is for passages I find noteworthy or quote worthy. This would be your dad's system without using highlighters. In the margin, I use the good old-fashioned pound sign or hashtag to indicate a critical decision is being made, which is very helpful when leading discussions with book groups or classes. Finally, I use the simple "cf" as an abbreviation and then note to what I am comparing, either another point in the text or a completely different work altogether. For nonfiction, the ideas themselves become characters and are circled, the main arguments get underlined, etc.
Coming through for us with the thoughtful practical reading advice I hadn’t even figured out how to ask for 😊 My notations in books has increased over the last year and I have a semi-developed system but I’m still working it out and these ideas will definitely be tested out
Congratulations, Johnsons!!!!
I make liberal use of both a highlighter (usually yellow, but I’m not picky--whatever I can find will do!) and a black pen when I read. I don’t have a system, per se, but I am such a messy and prodigious commentator that I use tons of post-it notes. It gives me room to more fully flesh out my thoughts when they don’t fit in the margins, and I can move them out of the way of the text during discussion or when revisiting key passages.
Congratulations Sean! What a beautiful son you have!
This is very helpful! I don't like color in my books either. It's like colorizing black and white films.
Do you actively read everything?
How does one transition from only passive reading to active reading?
Lastly, the link for the pens didn't work for me but with your postscript, does it mean I can find them on Goldberry's website? (I also appreciate that one of your criteria for writing utensils is how they treat paper.)
On the topic of building a personal library, this post is one I highly recommend! https://open.substack.com/pub/letterarii/p/what-is-a-library-a-history-of-our?r=dyxtz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Just looking at the handsome, Brendan Michael Longfellow Johnson, tells us God likes the heck out of us ! May the family be blessed.
Thanks for writing!!!!
Congratulations Sean & Heather on your beautiful baby Brendan. He’s so sweet! (My Grandad was another Brendan, it’s a great name.)
My marginalia ‘system’ is haphazard but I’m consistent about my pens! Muji 0.35mm black gel pen only, definitely no colour. I mark up nonfiction liberally but almost never write in fiction. I think comes from a lifetime of reading library books.
Congratulations on your little cutie!! Was also so excited to read about your marginalia! I’ve been thinking of writing about it for Noted. If I do, I’ll definitely link to this post!
Marginalia. For fiction, I circle names when characters enter a scene or say/do something important. I put boxes around time and place. I underline main points of action so I can easily skim and follow the story by just glancing at what I've underlined. Squiggly underlining is for passages I find noteworthy or quote worthy. This would be your dad's system without using highlighters. In the margin, I use the good old-fashioned pound sign or hashtag to indicate a critical decision is being made, which is very helpful when leading discussions with book groups or classes. Finally, I use the simple "cf" as an abbreviation and then note to what I am comparing, either another point in the text or a completely different work altogether. For nonfiction, the ideas themselves become characters and are circled, the main arguments get underlined, etc.
Coming through for us with the thoughtful practical reading advice I hadn’t even figured out how to ask for 😊 My notations in books has increased over the last year and I have a semi-developed system but I’m still working it out and these ideas will definitely be tested out
This is exactly the bookishly nerdy content I need in my life. ❤️
Many thanks for the plug!
Congratulations Heather and Sean- Brendan looks so sturdy!