Getting The Most From Your Christian Books – How to Mark Your Text

I must confess that when I first started to read seriously, I fell into the trap of worshipping my books. I wanted them to look perfect on my shelves. No dust was allowed to collect on them. No pages were permitted to be “dog-eared”. I even had trouble writing my name in them – let alone underlining or highlighting the text. (I know, I know, – I had issues!)

But after I read through about a dozen great books or so (with no marking or highlighting whatsoever) I found that I was struggling to find the bits that really challenged and encouraged me. I was re-reading large sections trying to find that one quote I could sort of remember.

And then one day the penny dropped. Someone told me that books were simply tools. Now anyone can have a nice clean shovel, but you probably don’t get much use out of it if it stays squeaky clean. Shovels are for work and dirt – it’s okay if they get scratched up and lose their lustre. Hey – you might even loan out your shovel every once and a while, especially if you’re not using it. And if you want your shovel returned you’d better put your name on it somewhere.

Well books are kind of like shovels. They’re not meant to sit on shelves and look pretty all day long. They’re meant to be used. They’re meant to profit the owner and reader as much as possible. Once I got my head around this it changed the way I read. I now read with pencil in hand (or behind my ear) planning to mark the text.

At first I started with highlighters but it was hard to make it look nice (I know, I know, – I REALLY had issues!) and it usually bled onto the other side of the page – not cool. I tried underlining the valuable sentences but that really didn’t work well for me either.

Here is the method I’ve developed for myself over the years. Maybe it will be helpful for you too. When I read a really good sentence, I simply put a checkmark in the margin in pencil. I never use a pen if I can help it. That way I can erase it if necessary. A checkmark is good because I can keep on reading with little to no distraction or delay. I often try to find at least one checkmark per page. This helps me keep my brain engaged while I read. If I am reading a really good book there could be several pages with several checkmarks on it.

If I find a really awesome sentence or thought then I put a star in the margin instead of a checkmark. Checkmarks are good, stars are better. If I read a sentence that I know is wrong or that I strongly disagree with I will put an “X” in the margin. If I come across something I’m not too sure about I will put a question mark in the margin. Occasionally I will even write a brief word or two in the margin – maybe someone’s name or a place or a doctrine to help me find it again for easy reference.

So that’s what I do. It’s not rocket science but it is easy and it works well for me. If I finish reading a book, I will also go to the title page and write my initials along with the date that I finished reading the book. That way I have a record of how many times as well as the last time that I read a particular book.

With this method I can now pick up a book that I’ve read, quickly re-read the checkmarks and stars and re-familiarize myself with the contents of that book. This has made my tools much more useful for me. Whatever you do, develop a system of marking that will help you get the most out of your reading experience.

---

When you comment, please keep these guidelines in mind. You can find an explanation of our commenting guidelines here.

1. Stay on topic.
2. Post your own material.
3. Links must be supplemental and thoroughly relevant.
4. Be concise.
5. Use your real name.

Stay connected by subscribing to our RSS or email feed! Or print this post.

Copyright © 2012 InFocus | ElegantBlue is a custom theme by Nathan Rice