Last week there was this interesting opinion piece in the SundayReview of The New York Times, Scribbling in the Margins. The writer, Andrew D. Scrimgeour argued that readers writing in their books is the greatest tribute to authors. I thought that that's an interesting stand because I'm in two pieces about writing inside books. As much it helps elevate engagement with a text at hand, I can't help but think of it as defacing a book.

When it comes to my novels, I simply cannot bring myself to write in them or highlight a quote that catches my attention. I want to keep them in pristine condition, so that when I reread them in future, I'll have new experiences when I read them. Of course, it's not like reading them for the first time because I already know what happens but reading a clean copy allows me to form opinions rooted in that time in which I read a book, without worrying what I might have thought five years ago.

Then there are my academic books. If anyone of them is clean, it is because I didn't even crack the spine. How I passed those modules still amazes me sometimes. Anyway, I always made it a point to buy new books, so I could write my own thoughts, highlight what I deemed important. I never liked second-hand books because reading someone else's handwriting and notes annoyed me so, it was almost too much to bear. Instead of studying, I'd just glare at all those notes made by someone else instead of me. Generally, I always thought highlighting and writing in my books allowed me to better absorb the material.

Continue reading my thoughts on dudettereads.com.