I used to be a paper-only book snob. Then, a few years ago, hubby bought me an iPad mini and the first app I downloaded was the Kindle app and I’ve been hooked ever since.
There are rules for paper books (at least for fiction. They don’t apply to non-fiction where marking up is essential to learning). Don’t fold or crinkle the pages. Use a bookmark or other flat object to mark a spot, never turn it upside down and stress the spine. Use caution when reading near food and drinks. And when it comes to writing, underlining, or highlighting, I shudder.
Now with my eBooks, there are no rules. I’m free to highlight to my heart’s content. A funny line? Highlight. A truly swoony moment? Highlight. An inspirational truth? ALL the highlights!
Since joining GoodReads, I’ve amassed quite the collection of highlighted passages. Which makes me wonder, do you highlight favorite quotes? How do you record those beautiful lines you want to savor later? Do you do anything else with them, like keep them in a journal to read later or make graphics for social media?
For the street teams I’m on, I usually try to create graphics using quotes that stood out or resonated with me. My own street team has been wonderful about doing the same for some of my books as well. Most often, though, I simply keep the highlights saved to my Kindle app to reread later.
One of my favorite recent quotes comes from the sweet rom com Saving The Secret Prince by Kristin Canary: “There’s something about love that makes you weak in all the best ways—able to be vulnerable, to admit that you need each other, to see that you are strongest when you’re together, because a braided cord holds up much better than two individual strands on their own. But love also makes you strong, because a good partner challenges you to be a better version of yourself.”
And how about this kiss in Sara Beth Williams’s Anchor My Heart: “He leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Sweet as honey. Right as home. Fluid and beautiful as an acoustic song. He needed more like he needed air and music and God’s abundant love.” (SWOON! Not even that descriptive, but it’s beautiful!)
And here are a few of the graphics some of my readers created from my books in the past:
They did great work, right? It’s always such a delight when readers enjoy your work enough to take the time and share a quote, highlight, or graphic. I’d love to read some of your favorite quotes or thoughts on highlights in the comments below! 
Thanks for hanging out with me today! See you next month during out annual Birthday Bash celebration!
I LOVED this post! I just knew I wouldn’t be the only one who bookmarks their hard copies or lingered over cleverly worded offerings. A word in due season is a tasty morsel indeed 😉
Well, I’m a bit of both. I loved the smell and feel of paper books, and they look pretty on my bookcase. However, I LOVE my kindle and being able to highlight everything I want to remember.
Making graphics is a PASSION of mine and I have fun doing them.
You are one of the authors that has really great quotes and it’s easy to use them.
“Don’t be like one of those romance books where you want to clobber the main character and tell them to just talk already.”
I LOVE that quote! That’s one thing that makes me so frustrated when I read. 😀
Awesome graphics
They did a good job, didn’t they?
I really like the graphics & I write down quotes I like
Thanks, Amy!
Thank you so much for being here and sharing. God bless you. Happy Valentine’s Day.
You too, Debra!
I’m still a paper only book snob. I have a kindle and also the app on my iPad but I just don’t enjoy reading ebooks at all.
It’s not for everybody! Doesn’t matter how you read, so long as you’re happy! 😆
I only read books in print , I am not tech savvy so I just read paperbacks which I enjoy. I do not highlight anything , if I like a quote from a book or just something in it I will write it down. I enjoyed reading this post. Thank you . Have a great weekend and stay safe.
We all have our favorite means! You have a wonderful weekend as well. 😊
I buy just ebooks now which I never thought I would do.
It was a weird concept for me at first, now I only buy paper when it’s a good friend’s book! Lol!
I do! And I use them in my reviews 🙂
💜
I like ebooks for the same reason, the ability to highlight favorite passages of text. I often add them to my Goodread’s account too. I love going back to read some of them because they encourage me or just make me chuckle. Especially if it’s that witty dialogue I love so much!
Yes, I’ve also made book quote graphics. I used to be on a lot of street teams & that was one way of supporting the author. I have those posted on my Pinterest boards for that particular author. I don’t do it so much anymore since I’ve stepped down from reviewing & it’s just so time consuming for me.
Sometimes if I see a book quote I like that someone has posted on Facebook, I’ll save that in a special folder on my computer. I’m not on Instagram (tried it, didn’t like it), but I’ve also seen some people who’ve shared their bookstagram photos on Facebook. Such wonderful talent! It beautifully highlights the book & author.
Lastly, I really love it when an author speaks to me through some great lines in their book, often reminding me of God’s love & care for me!
Thanks for your insightful comment, Trixi! I appreciate readers like you who invest the time, but I also understand the demands can take a toll after a while! Thank you for continuing to read and support authors, no matter what form that takes. We appreciate you!
Hi Jaycee!Thanks for your blog. As an high school English teacher, I highlighted my books – fiction and non fiction. Recently I lent my 11. grade grandson Tim O’Brien’s Things They Carried book for English class, with my highlighted quotes and notes on the title page. My 8 year old granddaughter was dismayed that I had written in the book. I explained it was mine. When I was teaching at the community college, the geography prof who taught in the room next mine, loved to borrow my books – just so he could read my notes. Now I read e-books. I highlight and write notes; especially on ARC books so I can write reviews. I also take notes on paper. Happy reading and highlighting. Enjoy your weekend.
I love everything about this comment. Thanks for sharing, Renate!
I like the graphics! I honestly don’t highlight on my Kindle, and rarely do I even have a line that I remember in a book!
If I didn’t highlight, I’d never remember either! Haha!
such a wonderful post today. thanks for sharing. I was like you at one time. nothing like a paper back book. then my husband got me a kindle for my birthday a few years back. now I love to read both paper and kindle. I dont highlight in my books or in kindle. But I do have two journals. one for verses that touch me at the time. and one for quotes that I love. this way I can go through and pick out what I want when I want/need them.
That’s a great idea! Good way to use those journals we paper lovers can’t help collecting! 🤣
I’m loving the graphics.
Yay! Thank you!