I’m getting back into the rhythm of reading more consistently. I generally read for about 30-40 minutes in bed right before sleeping on my e-reader, regardless of fiction/non-fiction.

This made me think, for people who prefer physical books, do you underline, highlight, take notes in the margins, etc. when reading theory?
Back when I did have a few physical books I never wrote anything in them, I guess to keep them in “good” condition. Even in school books I only answered exercises in pencil, lol.

So I’m wondering: what approach do you have for reading theory?

  1. Is it more like reading and absorbing the information more passively, where you read in bed, at a park, while commuting, etc.?
  2. Or do you treat it more like studying where you’re sitting at a desk or at a library, pen in hand with notes and such?

I’d love to hear your thoughts/approaches/advice regarding this.

  • NotMushroomForDebate@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
    6·
    13 days ago

    That’s interesting. Do you write them as-you-go or when you’re done reading? Do you ever go back to them when you’re done with a book or are they more for picking up where you left off?

    • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmygrad.ml
      8·
      13 days ago

      When I’m on my A-game? As I go, a sentence per 2 or 3 paragraphs on average. Right now? A short sentence the day after, too tired to keep up and mostly reading to keep up the habit until my schedule lightens up. I do go back, but it’s mostly to force me to engage with the text and retain info, rather than just try to absorb it. I get a lot more out of the text that way.

      • NotMushroomForDebate@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
        5·
        13 days ago

        Thanks for the info! I feel that I already read a bit on the slower side, so 2-3 paragraphs for notes would be a bit much for me. I think I could try a short sentence or bullet points after each chapter or section depending on the book.

        The one issue with this is that I absolutely loathe writing on phone keyboards, lol. Don’t like writing with a pen either, but it’s the lesser of two evils for me in this case. Maybe I could get a small notepad specifically for this and keep it on my nightstand.

        • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmygrad.ml
          6·
          13 days ago

          The phone notes are a necessary evil, haha. Can’t read my own handwriting. I don’t think you should just copy my style, find what works best for you! Anything to keep you more engaged with the text.