How to annotate effectively: A guide for book clubs, reviewers and other academic readers

aka a dream for stationery nerds

Annotating books has had a rise in popularity on Bookstagram and BookTok for. the aesthetics, but it’s always been a staple in academia.

It’s overwhelming when you first start as there are so many methods for annotating, and different reasons for doing so. When it comes to annotating for aesthetics, just go for it! Do whatever feels right as it’s just something that you’re doing for you, but annotating for academic purposes means a focus on efficiency and maximising your reading.

With four degrees between us, we’ve done a whole of annotating and have some experience in finding our own methods and patterns that work for us.

Check our our handy guide below to find what the basics of what you need to get started, and a few different tips and tricks for making the most of your notes and quotes.