There exists people who feel a burst of euphoria when holding a stack of pages, sealed with the perfect cover that conveys the mood of the experience that awaits. There’s nothing like that first quarter of a good book, pulling you into a new ethos, forcing you to discover new rules and logistics. But when the final page is turned, the feeling begins to wane with each passing minute. Unless, of course, you learn to utilize the art of book journaling.
Book journaling is the method I use to capture the ideas, themes, and highlights from each book that I read. It is useful for me when I want to reference a book I’ve read, or when I’m feeling withdrawn from a book that inspired me. By taking excellent notes from the books you read, you can effectively revisit the book without spending hours re-reading it in its entirety.
Below is a neat list of tips to help you make the most of your book journaling.
Jot down the random commentary in your head
As you read through your book, you might find yourself hyperfocused on the story or subject matter. But whether you know it or not, your subconscious is also analyzing the material. If you want to do your best at capturing your mood while reading the book, you should try to write down some of these thoughts.
You could do this either at the end of every chapter or stopping point or, if you’re like me, you can write these thoughts down as soon as they pop into your mind, whether you’re in the middle of a chapter or not. The latter method is the more chaotic option as it can take you out of the immersion. Luckily, if I was already immersed then I have no problem hopping right back in after a disruption.
Another reason why this method is great is that if you’re reading mystery or suspense fiction, you can look back and see your entire deduction process. You’ll have written evidence of how much of a Sherlock disciple you are, as you calculate the possible outcomes.
This can also be great for non-fiction, as critical thinking is key in most topics. You’ll begin to discover more about yourself and how your mind works.
Write down quotes
If you’re a sucker for good penmanship, writing down all the well-put-together sentences and paragraphs is a great way to look back at what made a body of work so good. In the age of social media, there can be no shortage of great quotes to share. It makes sense to write these down for later use.
Make note of standout words
One thing I’ve started doing to help boost my recollection of words is writing down all of the standout words in a book. These could very well be words I already know, but by making note of them, I’m also remembering the creative way in which the words were used. And I’ve found that this makes it easier to recall these words for later use in my own work.
This could also be a useful method of expanding vocabulary for those who are reading in languages other than their native tongue.
Use different ink colours
For clarity and aesthetics, I highly suggest that you use a different ink colour for each type of note you put down on the page. Be sure to add a Key that lists what each colour represents. Whether the meanings you assign these colours are universal to every book notes spread you create is up to you. I personally enjoy mixing up what each colour means for every book I read. This is because I believe that each book has a distinctive colour scheme to represent its mood.
Your mental commentary could be in one colour, quotes in another, and the standout words in a third colour.
Printouts / Inserts
Nothing communicates thoughts and feelings to the mind quicker than some imagery. A bit of imagery or decoration to break up blocks of text is a great way to boost the aesthetics of your journal spread. Creating space between texts makes the details easier to digest at a glance. When you come back to your notes, you’ll find it easier to pinpoint exactly what you were looking for.
Consider inserting book covers, stickers, washi tapes, or any images that compliment the book and its themes.
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