As the title suggests, I am trying to annotate a book for my girlfriend. Her favourite book (since it came out pretty much) is “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”. Shes a big reader so there is a lot of competition for the top spot. I however am not a big reader but i want to be so we can read together because she thinks that would be cute and frankly I agree. I’ve commissioned someone to re-bind a copy of the book to make it special and unique but I also thought it would be nice to annotate it for her, partially to prove to her that i’ve read it cause I think she’ll be proud (like I said, I’m not a big reader yet)
The problem is I’m only used to annotating books for exams but I don’t think highlighting all the literary techniques really adds anything meaningful from me to her.
I’m just asking for some advice from people who read a lot more about the kind of thing that you would want. I know i want to add in some illustrations where possible/relevant but I’m not sure what else to do really.
Also as part of this, would it be a good idea to write directly on the book, or use ckear post-its so the actual book remains pristine?
Thank you for your help
by Small_Joke_5464
6 Comments
Just starting to annotate myself, I highlight things based on connections I make and insights I have. My categories change based on what I’m reading.
Currently reading Superbetter again, my categories for highlighting are:
-science/info
-connections to DBT skills
-insights/connections I make
-implementation
If there are themes that stand out to you, anything that makes you think about your own experiences, or things you think your girlfriend might find relatable, I’d highlight those and maybe add some notes to explain what connections you’re making. I’d strongly recommend using different colors for different categories and adding a legend/key at the beginning of the book so she knows what the categories are.
If your girlfriend doesn’t annotate her own books, or if you’re still not sure, I’d just use sticker highlighting strips and clear post its for the annotations. If she is someone who has well-loved books (annotates, damaged covers and spines from use, etc) she might appreciate the book itself annotated.
I just wanted to say this is an adorable idea and I would love to receive a gift like that. To make it more personal, I would write in the book instead of sticky notes. There’s no science to annotations: it’s basically making notes of your interpretation. I think the difference here is, instead of having an exam in mind, you should try to interpret scenes with your SO and relationship in mind. Maybe write about why you think she would this scene or that character, or even just share little things about you that she likes/would like to know as in “I would definitely do this wild thing they’re doing in this scene!” (I don’t know this book so this is just a wild example). Just highlighting interesting or beautiful passages without writing anything about them is also cool. Remember you don’t have to annotate every single page. Have fun and best wishes for you and your girlfriend!
I would hate to receive a copy of my favourite book annotated by someone else.
Gonna go the other way and say it’s lovely to have a special copy bound, but you can show you read the book by having a conversation about it…
Also, many people strongly dislike it when others write in their books.
And from a certain point of view, it could feel like a gift that’s not really for her as much as it is about you.
Not pretending to know your girlfriend at all. Just suggesting you should be confident this is something *she* will actually like.
If it was me, I’d want the feeling that there is a genuine connection through the novel. If something truly stands out to you, mark it. If it doesn’t, don’t.
You could leave little sweet notes or jokes when the text makes it possible.
I have a difficult time annotating but if I do it (usually when I share a book with friends) I make sure to mark things that make me laugh with a : ha, ha; smile with a smiley face; and if something is relatable I write: same! I hope this helps! That’s a great idea!