Reader Mailbag: Do You Take Notes While Reading?

In the April 2026 newsletter, we asked readers if they take notes while reading books. Here are the responses:

B: The only time I take notes when reading for pleasure is when the character volume overwhelms. In that case, I jot the name, predominant character trait/s, and sometimes relations to other characters. Funny thing is that I never end up referring to my notes as by merely writing this info down seems to lodge it solidly in my old brain.

When using my ereader, I will occasionally take a pic of a diagram if there is one at the start of the book just to ease the process of referring to it later. And, sometimes I’ll snap a passage that strikes me, usually to read to my kids, and usually being an amusing description of typical kid behaviour that matches my grandkids completely.

Corinne: I don’t take notes while reading books and actually have to turn off ‘popular highlights’ in my Kindle, because I don’t care what 270 other people have highlighted in a book I am reading. That is their business, not mine. But I can tell you that my favorite book of 2026 so far has been ‘Empire of the Vampire’ by Jay Kristoff. It’s an absolutely horrible title but the story is fantastic. I listened to it on Audible and wow, Damian Lynch did a fantastic job. You probably have to like vampire stories to enjoy it though. I’m saving books 2 and 3 for a road trip so I can listen uninterrupted! My second favorite so far, which I am currently listening to, is a series called ‘The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion’. That is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, being the journals of a young lady in London in 1883. I got all 8 books on sale on Audible for like $22, so it was a steal!

And now I have over-cooked my leftovers that I am reheating for lunch, while writing this email. Books really do take precedence!!

Christine: Hi Graeme –
The only notes I have ever taken is if the title of an upcoming book is provided at the end of the book – case in point – I just finished reading David Baldacci’s, Nash Falls, and at the end it showed (to be continued) in the new book Hope Rises, so I definitely wrote that down and am on the list to read it as soon as it comes in — really good book by the way.

Chris: No, I don’t take notes when I read my books. I used to be part of a book club where nearly everyone took notes. It just made me feel like reading the book was a homework assignment.
My favorite book that I’ve read so far this year is ‘The Zephyr’ by Grace Gibson. It’s the second P&P variation that I’ve read of hers and I really enjoyed it. The whole variation idea sounds like it could be lame, only it really isn’t!

Elizabeth: I occasionally take notes while reading a book. Usually to help keep the characters straight. Especially if the characters have unfamiliar/foreign names. I love it when books include a list of characters at the beginning. Or a map of the setting.

Marie: Yes, if I am reading a book with a lot of characters, who play particular parts in the story, I will list the names on the blank pages at the back of the book. Beside the names, I will write something to distinguish that character. Thank you.

Phoenix: To answer your question – nope. I don’t usually take notes unless it’s for research. Researching my next book, then yes. But a fiction book, probably not.
I just finished Angels & Demons. Excellent. I couldn’t put it down.
I’m currently reading Michael Fryd’s book, “Eva’s Secret.” Fiction, but loosely based (I think) on his own mother’s experiences during the war. Mike was born just before the war in Poland, so he remembers quite a bit about hiding in cellars to escape the Nazis, and his mother’s sometimes not so legal attempts to keep body and soul together. His first book, “My Mother’s War,” was also excellent, and I highly recommend both.
I have four library books waiting for me: Conclave (which I’ve read before and will again), Pompeii by Robert Harris (which I’ve also read before but will be happy to read again), The Second Sleep by Robert Harris, and Inferno by Dan Brown.
I’d better get busy!

vhreads: It depends on what I’m reading whether I make notes or not. I do it the most often when I’m reading a book for book club. If it’s a non fiction hard copy I’m keeping, I may write in the margins of the book itself, but it’s sacrilege to do that any other time.

In the last 15 – 20 years I’ve kept electronic notes
In various apps. Reading ebooks gives me the freedom of keeping my notes electronically AND attached to the area where I had the thought. I recently finished re-reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. It was easy for me to find my thoughts when discussing at a book club. No flipping pages to find the page I’d noted.

Toni: 🤣🤣Love this month’s question about taking notes! There are 3 books I have taken notes for in my life. First, the Bible because I study it, I’ve read it cover to cover several times, and I learn something new each time-so I take notes. The other two books are purely guilty pleasure books that have so many characters that I couldn’t keep track of who was who, who was with whom, and what their “deal” was. These books are series that aren’t complete and still being written with a year or more between books so reading my notes is a great catch up! Thanks for what you do Graeme. Looking forward to the app!

Texde: I take notes when I get overwhelmed with so many characters (beyond the main characters). I can enjoy the story line more. Sometimes the character are introduced and recede for a while and come front and center after a hundred pages or so. My notes are in (my own) shorthand so they a sentence or shorter. Just enough to refresh my memory. Ryan Pote’s “Inside Man” #2 of the PAR series is my favorite book this year. Take notes! Many moving pieces here, great read.

Susan: You bet! Especially when it’s a murder/thriller/mystery and it begins by introducing you to 4 policemen/FBI/etc., 3 members of the family, 3 other witnesses, and various locations during the first few pages. I then get out an index card and write down the names, official capacity, or relationships to one another. Once I do that I rarely have to refer to the card because most of the info is stored in my brain! Writing the information seems to be the way to remember. But I do keep the card inside the book JUST IN CASE!

Steve: Robert Parker
Showdown
Always enjoy his books

Sandy: Unfortunately, I do not write notes when I am reading but there are a lot of times I have to flip back through what I read to find a reference for where I am currently at in the story. It would be so much easier if I just took notes 🙁

Phillip: The best book I’ve read this year so far is “When Old Midnight Comes Along” (Amos Walker series) by Loren D. Estleman.

Patrick: I was surprised and somewhat gratified to read your comments about taking notes to keep track of characters. I figured a young and prolific reader such as yourself would have no problem keeping up with the myriad details of any work of fiction you might encounter. I’m 68 and yes, I have taken notes to keep track of who’s who! I try to rely on my memory, but sometimes you just need a little reminder… glad I’m not alone!

I also enjoyed your story about your encounter with the gentleman regarding the Vonnegut shirt. Well, you tried, but some people have already made up their minds and refuse to move an inch in any other direction. It sounds like he left angry, while you and your new acquaintances had a nice discussion about a classic work… good for you!

Pam: I don’t take notes, but sometimes I wish I did. I read several books at a time, so losing a characters is kind of understandable.

If I do take notes, I tend to misplace them when I could use them.

I do sometimes highlight things on my Kindle which is a form of note taking.

I think note taking would slow down my reading, so might not worry about it, but something t consider.

Thanks again for all the great info!

Nancy: Yes, I have when there are many characters, especially if they have foreign names that are hard to remember/pronounce.

I’ve also taken notes if there is a timeline that is important or when the book jumps back and forth in time.

Carol: I think writing down the names of different characters when a lot are introduced is a great idea. I often get confused and have to look back and find out who they are. I will now be doing that! Thank you for such a good suggestion!

Lisa: Ditto to what you wrote about listing characters. I have had to do this from time to time. I got very ill from a mystery virus almost 40 years ago. It manifested by injuring my recall ability and giving me dyslexic like symptoms. I really missed being capable of reading and comprehension. I sank into a deep depression. It took a couple of decades to sort it all out and figure out a way to enjoy reading again. Taking notes really helped me get a handle on being able to keep the plot and the characters straight in my mind. The other thing that l do is make a point to look up the definition of a word that l don’t recognize. I write it down and that helps me to remember its meaning. Occasionally l find that l have looked up the definition of a word twice. So it goes. I am back to being able to read a book or 2 a week. That’s been the gift of perseverance for me.

Linda: Sometimes I do jot down things from the books I am reading. If I am reading a book I really like, but have never read one from the author, I write down the author’s name to check his/her other books. Also sometimes when I am reading a book it will mention a certain thing in history that I never knew, so I check it out. Just curious, I guess. And then if I am reading a series and I don’t remember something from a previous book, I write it down and check it later. Once again thank you for a great newsletter. I am now reading some old Bosch books that I never read before. I absolutely love the character and cannot remember why I never started that series. I love Connelly, so I have no idea why I missed this series. This once again proves that books are timeless. You don’t have to just read the new bestsellers as old books are just as good. Happy spring.

LeAnn: Nope-no notes. I read to relax & escape mainly before going to sleep each night. Having a notebook for notes would interfere with the vibe.

Kenicia: I rarely take notes while reading. I gave that up when I graduated from college! I want reading to be fun. I can think of one exception. I am slowly making my way through Edmund Crispin’s Gervase Fen series. Edmund Crispin has quite a vocabulary, so I write down words I don’t know so I can look up the definition later. I prefer physical books to e-books, but the advantage of tapping a word for its definition on a tablet would be worthwhile with this series.

Kat: i thought i was the only one who couldnt keep all the people straight in some books!

i especially hate it when the peoples names start with the same letter or are similar.

its a good idea to make notes, i thought about it but didnt do it yet
thanks for letting me know im not the only one!

Joyce: I have gotten into the habit of jotting down names of characters as they appear in a book and maybe a few words about them to remind me of their role in the story. When I return to the story, I will typically glance at my notes to ‘get me back in the game’ so to speak. This helps me continue on as if I had not taken a break and there is seldom a need to thumb backwards to refresh my memory. There have been novels where my notes became quite extensive and others where hardly anything at all was noted. When I am away from home and have no pen or paper handy, I often use the ‘notes’ app on my phone.

Jessica: Hi. No I don’t take notes while reading. Although I really should with this book I’m listening to. It has a lot of characters. It’s Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I don’t like the narrator. He doesn’t do different voices for the different characters which makes it hard to know who is who. But I do want to finish it. I have been watching different movie versions that is based on the book.

Hollins: There are two occasions where I take notes while reading a book. The first is if I am reading a book for a course. The second is if I am leading a discussion on a book for one of my book clubs. Sometimes I have taken notes months in advance on a book to be discussed in a book club because I would probably forget some details if I didn’t. It is either that or reread the book later.
The best book I have read so far in 2026 is “605 Everyday Miracles: Learning to do what Jesus did, today” by Chloe Swart.

Connie: Sometimes…esp. when I am reading books that I am judging or proofreading (getting paid to) since I can’t track the books on GoodReads and Book Notification until the judging is over or the book I proofed was published.

I read 109 books in 2025, and am trying to hit that number or something higher for 2026!

Kris: I have read/heard two phenomenal books this year that will be hard to top for the rest of 2026. Project Hail Mary was amazing. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was so funny. I think he read it funnier than I would have which made it even better. The other was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Fantastic, such an interesting story.

I am generally not a big fan of sci-fi nor fantasy, but these two were recommended to me and I am so thrilled that I tried them.

I got the new Peter Ash book – the Dark Time from the library yesterday and can’t wait to start it! I always think of you when I read his books as you were the first to recommend him.

Thanks for your recommendations and your website!

Christina: I showed up late for this one, but Remarkably Bright Creatures is the best book of 2026 so far. At nearly 80 and an English teacher for around 50 of those years, I read (and have read) plenty. It’s a delight to find a story I haven’t read before and that keeps me turning pages. This book was definitely one of those.
Take notes during reading? Only if it’s a book I realize I want to teach. The realization can come quickly (Life of Pi) or slowly (The 13th Tale) or somewhere in the middle (The Sisters Brothers). Then I’ll figure out what it is about the book that’s “teachable” and begin to write notes in margins, circle, highlight, and generally make a teaching copy. If a book doesn’t have enough “meatiness” to be worth class time, then I just enjoy it.

Fran: I do, especially at beginning of a new series. I get a big stickie note, put in front of the book and start listing names, occupations, etc. Then I transfer it to the next in series and go from there. Easier to remember who is whom. Try reading Mein Kampf without notes on the names. I did – first without (ouch), then with…still didn’t work. Never finished (only got thru very few pages). Moving on….

AJ: I don’t take notes. My favorite book this year is always whichever one I just finished reading because it is fresh and I am reliving parts in my mind – until I get sucked into the next one. I never really stop and look over them all to choose a favorite. That said, my favorite series is the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva, followed closely by the Genevieve Lennard series by Estelle Ryan