Reading with a pen

Observations from years of writing in my books

  • Pen is better than pencil—the latter fades quickly
  • It’s best to use blue ink, for it stands out
  • I can write big, small, and I’ve many types of scrawl
  • The guilty feeling fades fast
  • Though I may never reference the notes I write, making them helps me better understand what I’m reading in that moment
  • Some of my friends apparently enjoy reading my notes
  • It now feels weird (wrong, even) to read a book without a pen in hand
  • Books with wide margins are the best

Mandy Brown wrote about this some time ago; I believe it was that post which convinced me to pick up the pen. I also enjoy this speech by William Lyon Phelps on the subject.