Hello, fellow readers! I’ve always been intrigued by different reading and note-taking techniques. Personally, I love to scribble down my thoughts and observations right into the book as I’m reading. This method not only deepens my connection with the material but also boosts my ability to remember what I’ve read.
However, this approach has introduced a challenge regarding my reading time. Traditionally, I cherished my reading moments at home, typically in the quiet hours before sunset. But with life getting busier, dedicating blocks of time for reading has become increasingly difficult. To adapt, I’ve started to emulate the reading habits of those who sneak in pages whenever possible—while eating, waiting in line, commuting, or any brief moment that might otherwise be spent on a phone.
For those who manage to read in these fleeting moments and also value note-taking, how do you do it? Do you write your notes directly in the book, or do you have a separate method to ensure you don’t forget your thoughts before you have the chance to jot them down later?
I’m eager to learn from your experiences and strategies for combining reading with note-taking, especially when time is short.
by Supawatk
2 Comments
I don’t take notes while reading, but I do always have a book on me and read on the go… I imagine I’d just use an index card as a bookmark and have a designated pen clipped to the book. I don’t like writing in books (or they’re library books) and I don’t think it needs to be more complicated than that lol. But if writing in the book or using a highlighter helps – go for it. That’s what all the YouTube videos say to do. I just read and reread a paragraph until I fully understand what the author’s trying to convey and take mental notes of proper nouns or what seems to be foreshadowing and it works out.
I don’t usually take notes on anything I read, but I’m not reading for anything other than pleasure. When I was in college and had to read assigned books I just slapped a sticky note on the page when I felt like there was something there to use in a future paper.
Nowadays, I mostly read via the Kindle app on my phone, so if there’s something I want to remember for later I’ll highlight it and make a note in the app. Mostly I’ve used this to make note of typos and when the author used a word or homonym incorrectly (pallet/palate/pallette is my new they’re/there/their).