Scribblings

I bought my monthly magazine of 'Good Reading' on Thursday afternoon and began reading it at my chiropractors while I waited for my appointment to come up (I'm always a little early with doctors). Anyway, I came upon an article in the magazine for this month about books that have notes in the margins, highlighted bits and underlines.  The editor herself does these things to her own books and says it's her way of understanding the books she reads better, finding parts she enjoys easier and being able to look up parts she needs as well.

Personally, I find this kind of thing done to a book a big turn-off.  When I peruse a book in a second-hand bookstore, I want nice clean pages to read, without underlines, notes or any other bits of other people's thoughts in the margins.  If I want to take notes from a book, I'll get a separate notepad and a pen and note down the page number, chapter and where exactly I saw the thing that I spotted and put in a little post-it note to remind me to look there later.  Writing in a book isn't needed seeing post-it notes have been invented and they don't damage or leave marks in your books.  And if you keep good-enough notebooks, you need not lose them.

Besides, I was always taught that writing in a book - any book - was something you just didn't do.  Even in high school, it was frowned upon by my teachers; and so I didn't do anything like it.  I didn't even dog-ear my books - instead using a bookmark of some kind.  So, I've been very kind to my books and they have been kept nice, clean and free of pen/pencil marks or highlighter pens.  

Now, what do you think?  Do you write in the margins and underline in your own personal books?  If so, why?  If not, is it because of what you were taught?  Or is it because of your own personal reasons?  Well until my next post, Happy Reading!