Highlighting Passages/Sentences in Libary Books

[Anonymous]

Do you highlight passages/sentences in library books? If so, why?

I've been using the Libby app a lot to check out books from the library. Every book I check out, there are always a number of sentences/passages that have been highlighted. Often times, highlighted over 100 or 1000 times so I guess a lot of people find particular sentences/passages important to highlight for some reason?

I have never felt an urge to highlight anything in these books. It's not like they are text books and I'm studying them for a test. Just your standard popular fiction, biography, memoir type books I'm borrowing via Libby.

So I ask...why do you highlight? What do you do with that highlighted passage/sentence?

[Anonymous]

It’s a method that was used to teach and emphasize reading in the 90s. I know many forty-somes who do this. It’s incredibly common in bibles too.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I love the ability to highlight in Kindle! I highlight because I want to be able to go back later to phrases or passages with language or insights that intrigued me. I do this with fiction and nonfiction. I think if I was reading a book that did not contain anything that delighted me enough to want to highlight and revisit, I would stop reading that book and find something better!

[Anonymous]

You can turn that feature off on your Kindle if you find it distracting. I'm not personally a fan.

[Anonymous]

I highlight. But you can turn this option off, OP.

[Anonymous]

I highlight things I want to remember or come back to. If it's a book club book, I'll highlight parts I might want to bring up in the discussion or like back at before the meeting, especially helpful if there's a lag between when I'm reading and the discussion.

I don't see anyone else's highlights, though.

[Anonymous]

I would never EVER write in a library book. Hell, I don't think I've ever written in any books I own.

[Anonymous]

I highlight in kindle books for a couple reasons. The main one is that it's hard to flip back to reread something or check a fact/plot point in a kindle book. In a paper book, I can usually easily find a page with a plot point I want to refresh my memory on. By highlighting things I think will be important in a kindle book, I can easily return to reread that passage.

I also highlight because I write short reviews of every book I read and I like to be able to review certain sections or include quotes in my review.

I would never write or highlight in a paper library book.

[Anonymous]

You can turn off the feature that shows what other people have highlighted.

I highlight when I read in kindle and all those quotes are saved in Goodreads. I love that.

[Anonymous]

I’m curious about this too— particularly given the numbers. Sometimes I’ll see something like “1560 highlights” of a single sentence. I do not do it myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never EVER write in a library book. Hell, I don't think I've ever written in any books I own.

This is about highlighting in a digital book. Kindle let's you know how many other people highlighted certain lines in books but like others have said - you can turn off this feature. I do it when I like something that's written. Then, there's a feature where you can email yourself what you've highlighted.

[Anonymous]

I highlight names of characters as I encounter new ones.

When I read a physical book, I write all the names of characters on a piece of card so I can keep track of them e.g

Harry - a farmer
Cathy - his wife
Bernadette - Harry's unmarried sister
Bill - the town's funeral director etc

I find it hard to concentrate if the author throws out too many characters at the beginning and the list keeps the different characters straight in my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never EVER write in a library book. Hell, I don't think I've ever written in any books I own.

Off topic but remember the 90s when you bought used books at the campus bookstore. It was AWESOME getting one already highlighted by a smart person.