Keeping notes and quotes while you read, without losing the flow

Why do notes slow you down?

Stopping to write breaks the spell of a story. If every good line means putting the book down and opening an app, you will either stop noting or stop reading. The answer is to separate marking from writing.

How do you mark without stopping?

• Print: a light pencil tick in the margin, or a small sticky tab on the page.
• Ebook: the built-in highlight, which takes a second.
• Audiobook: a bookmark in the player, or a one-word voice memo after the chapter.

Keep going. You will come back to the marks later.

When should you write?

At the end of a session, spend two minutes on the marks. Copy out the one or two lines you love, and write a sentence on why. Skip the rest. Notes that answer 'why did this matter to me?' are the ones you will read again.

Which apps help with capture?

On the pages we read:

• Bookly saves notes and quotes by typing, voice or photo.
• Literal captures highlights by camera or by typing.
• Basmo has a highlight scanner for print pages, imports Kindle highlights and keeps a reading journal.

A paper notebook does the same job with no account at all.

What do you do with the notes later?

When you finish the book, read your notes once and write three lines: what it was about for you, a line you want to keep, and whether you would read the author again. That is enough to bring the book back years later.

What should you try with your current book?

Mark freely as you read, write only at the end of each session, and keep the end-of-book three lines.