How To Annotate Novels Like A True BookToker

In my humble opinion, you haven’t really read a book until you’ve annotated it. On BookTok, annotating isn’t just a niche hobby — it’s a lifestyle. The tabs. The sticky notes. The emotionally chaotic margin scribbles that say things like “HE’S LYING” or “girl no.” For dedicated annotators like myself, it’s how we vent, obsess, and track red flags in real time. It makes reading feel more personal than any other method I’ve experienced.

What started as something my English teachers made me do has turned into the only way I really like to read. You can annotate novels to become a stronger writer yourself, annotate to share with your therapist, annotate so your best friend can borrow the book and feel like you’re screaming right beside them, or annotate just for the vibes. You can highlight every poetic quote, or just underline the one line that made you audibly gasp.

The best part? There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Whether you’re a minimalist tabber or you’re out here writing full dissertations in the margins of The Cruel Prince, BookTok has taught me that annotation is whatever you want it to be.

So, if you’ve ever watched a video and thought, OK wait, how do I actually start?, this guide is for you.

Step 1: Figure out your “why.”

Before you buy a single sticky note, figure out what kind of annotator you actually want to be. Are you here to scream over your favorite ships? Track foreshadowing? Cry over quotes that hit too hard at 2 a.m.? There’s no wrong answer — just your vibe.

“I just underline quotes that speak to me,” BookTok creator Angel Zheng (@angelzzheng) says in a video about annotating. “Then I’ll write in the margins like I’m having a conversation with the author — what I’m thinking, if I agree, if I don’t… whatever I feel in the moment.”

Step 2: Pick your tools.

You don’t need a perfectly curated annotation kit. “Sometimes it’s really not this organized,” Angel admits in her video. “They’re all orange because it matches the cover of the book… sometimes I’ll just use whatever sticky I have on hand.”

Most BookTokers agree: Don’t wait for the perfect tab set or highlighter haul. A pen, a few sticky notes, and a feeling are more than enough. 

But suppose you do want to go full annotator mode. In that case, you can check out Sol Knapstad’s Amazon storefront — she’s got everything from transparent tabs to pastel highlighters and the cutest book accessories to romanticize your reading life.

Step 3: Start with simple tabbing and underlining.

If you’re new to annotating, begin with the basics: Highlight what you love, and add a tab if it feels right. Creator @sophiareadstoomuch breaks her method into three levels. “If you’re just starting out, just underline and tab whenever you feel like it,” she says in a how-to video. “Eventually, you’ll develop an annotating style of the things that you tend to look for.”

Step 4: Add your thoughts.

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, try writing in the margins. Sophia calls this “level two,” in which she mixes emotional reactions with mini-literary observations.

“A lot of my annotations are dumb or obvious, like, ‘because he takes care of her’ or ‘seems like they’ll never stay together,’” she says. The point isn’t to impress anyone — it’s to slow down and process what you’re reading. “Don’t write as if someone’s gonna read what you’re writing. You don’t have to write the most amazing dissertation in the margins of Normal People.”

Step 5: Go full lit major (only if you want to).

Sophia’s final “level” of annotation is what she calls “dissertation in the margins” — and it’s totally optional. “Sometimes I’ll do a little bit of close reading on passages that feel significant,” she says. “I’m really slowing down and looking at every single word and what they contribute to the meaning of the text.” She even color-codes based on hyper-specific themes: “In Display, I have a tab for whenever a character touches a glass door.”

If you want to get that deep, go for it. But if you don’t? Level one is just as valid.

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