Marking Quotes

Friday 10 March 2017

Whenever I browse Instagram, Twitter, or booktube I see nothing but those tiny sticky notes poking out from the edges of books. What are they marking? I ask myself. More often than not, they're used as a way to remember specific quotes and scenes. My question for everyone who partakes in this is: 
Why?

I've only ever marked quotes and lines in books twice, and the second time I got fed up after about fifty pages. I've never even done it for studied texts either, preferring to write quotes up in my notes (but that's mostly due to not being allowed annotated copies in exams). It was so much work: reading, making sure I had my sticky notes on hand, figuring out which quotes were worth marking, actually marking them before turning the page... I don't have the patience for this - I barely have the patience to wait for the kettle to boil.

I've never quite understood what people do after they've marked all these quotes. Do they take the book off their shelf to look back on them? Do they make 'top five quotes' posts and videos? Somehow, I doubt it, given how long the average blogosphere TBR list is and the absence of quote posts. It just seems like a big waste of time to me. Not to say you shouldn't mark quotes, I just don't quite understand those of you who choose to. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.

In all honesty, I don't really pay much attention to quotes when I read. I'm not one to go searching them out, and even when things do jump out at me they only get the briefest acknowledgement before I move on. There are a few that have stuck with me, but that's only because they struck a very deep chord within me, but still, I don't treasure them in the same way. Sure, I remember them, but that's about it. They're nothing too special to me.

What are your thoughts on quotes?
Do you mark them?

8 comments:

  1. I have zero patience - if I don't remember, and can't look it up in the Goodreads quote section, then I don't care! ;)

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    1. Same! I use the Goodreads quote section sometimes, but usually only if I'm looking for a quote for a blog post or review - I very rarely favourite any.

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  2. I never mark my books. I just don't find it that important. The only time I've really seen people mark their books is at school for required reading, so they remember an important quote we may be tested on, but I don't even do that lol!

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    1. Same, Emily! If I need to remember quotes I write them out with a page number so that they're with all my other notes, or in a spider diagram or something else that's quick for revision.

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  3. I mark only some of my favorite books. I don't have sticky notes or highlighters on my hands oftenly, but I add a Note on my phone to remember the pages and quotes I want to mark later on. When I finish the book and find time, I then do it. I always look back on these quotes, to remember why I love that novel so much. It's like re-reading it, but only the best parts? Hahah. It's definitely something I like to do once in a while.
    I also highlight a lot of my text books and I find it helpful, since I'm someone who remembers things very visually. If I'm on a test, I'll probably be able to remember the exact page, text size and paragraph from that information that I need. It comes in handy, hahah.

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    1. I highlight important parts in textbooks, too, so that I can easily pick out the information that's needed to answer questions. But I just don't see the point for novels!

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  4. Yes, omg! I don't get this either. I have only ever marked up one book, and that was 'ari and dante discover the secrets of the universe', but only because that's my favorite contemporary book and I've literally read in 20 times, so I know the story well enough to be patient and mark my favorite scenes/quotes...
    But even then, I haven't done anything with them. I don't look at them unless I'm rereading it once AGAIN...like I honestly want answers?
    People who mark books, do you just take any marked up book at random times and read through all the marked parts or what? What's the purpose of it, haha.
    Great post, a really good point made!
    -Sam.x

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    1. I'm the same, Sam. I marked quotes in Fangirl but I don't go back and look at them, and I haven't actually re-read it since doing so. Definitely not something I'll do again as it's such a waste of time for me personally.

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