Welcome back to our Bestie Book Club—a community for book lovers from Girls’ Life magazine.

If you’re new here, hello! Here’s how this works: Each month, we read, discuss and obsess over a new book. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram for Bestie Book Club updates, fun reading challenges, amaze giveaways and so much more!

If you’ve ever underlined a quote just because it felt like it was written for you, you already understand the magic that is book annotating. In The Secret Astronomers by Jessica Walker, main characters Copernicus and Kepler learn to navigate loss, friendship and the vastness of growing up, all in between the margins of the same physics textbook in their school’s library. Through notes and sketches, these two build an inseparable bond. No wonder we’re inspired to start doodling in our own favorite reads, too.

To celebrate our latest Bestie Book Club pick, we asked three of our GL Book Besties to share how they give their own books that personal touch. Here’s how to turn your next book into your own secret journal…

In The Secret Astronomers, as Copernicus struggles with the sudden death of her mother and adjusting to life at a new school, she realizes she’s comfortable in the quiet (think: drawing and learning about the stars). That stillness is the perfect inspo for setting up your own annotating ritual.

GL Book Besties Andrea & Selena A., twin figure skaters who balance long training days with quiet time every night, start their reading ritual this way. “We love journaling before bed. It really helps us unwind,” says Andrea. “It’s how we like to read books, too. Annotating helps us slow down and actually feel the story,” adds Selena.

Before you start on your annotating sesh, create a space that feels calm: soft lighting, your fave reading playlist (peep some of our faves for inspo!), maybe even a notebook for extra thoughts. Choose your color palette and get to painting (the pages with highlighters, that is). “I color-code everything,” says GL Book Bestie Tatum B. “Pink is for sweet moments, blue for sad ones and yellow for anything I want to remember.”

Because sometimes the best part of a book isn’t the plot—it’s the notes you leave behind.

Hey, Besties! What’s your go-to annotating essential?

“We’re obsessed with pink highlighters! They’re cheerful and make even the sad parts pretty.” — Andrea & Selena A.
“New notebooks and gel pens always get me excited to read. Fresh supplies = fresh ideas!” — Kalia M.
“I love using tiny sticky tabs that match the book cover. It makes everything look so aesthetic.” — Tatum B.

Kepler is the kind of character who can’t help but write things down, whether it’s her feelings, observations or big Q’s about the universe. Her notes in her shared physics textbook become a mirror of everything she’s afraid to say out loud. And that’s *exactly* what annotating can be for you: a space where your thoughts and emotions get to exist freely.

GL Book Bestie Kalia M. says she connects with stories through drawing. “Annotating is like turning reading into art,” she shares. “I can sketch what I feel when words don’t say enough.”

Andrea & Selena A. agree their notes help them gauge how they’re growing—both on and off the page. “You can see how your own thoughts evolve,” says Andrea. “Every doodle or underline is a record of what you were feeling in that moment.”

Try channeling your inner Kepler: Underline the sentences that feel like secrets, circle the ones that sound like something you’ve wanted to say and jot down little constellations next to your favorite discoveries.

By the end of The Secret Astronomers, Copernicus and Kepler’s exchanges form a map of who they are: their fears, their humor and their hope. Your annotations can do the same thing.

GL Book Bestie Tatum B. says annotating helps her connect more with what she’s reading. “I like looking back at my notes later. It’s fun to remember how I felt when I first read it,” she says.

Kalia M. adds, “I love colored pencils and a nice thick marker, but honestly, when it comes to annotating, my favorite is just a simple pencil.” Whatever you use, your notes are reminders of what stood out to you—and may even give you insights about yourself. Feel drawn to Kepler’s big college dreams? Maybe that’s a sign your vision board is due for a refresh.

Hey, Besties! Would you and your best friend share a journal?

“Respectfully, no. We don’t even share our journals with each other!” — Andrea & Selena A.
“If I did have one, I think we’d write in it together. It’d be fun to see how our thoughts mix.” — Kalia M.
“I love the idea, but I’d probably still keep a few pages just for me.” — Tatum B.

Want to get involved with our Bestie Book Club? Here’s how…

SOLO. Snag your copy of The Secret Astronomers and get ready to dive into Copernicus and Kepler’s world. Bonus points for annotating along with them.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Connect with us @glbestiebookclub and find your fellow readers and stargazers. Share your annotated pages, favorite quotes and celestial doodles using #BestieBookClub and #TheSecretAstronomers.
WITH YOUR SQUAD. Gather your crew for a chill night under the stars. Host a mini book club (glow-in-the-dark stars and galaxy-themed notebooks are highly encouraged), swap your favorite annotations and talk about what you’d write in Copernicus and Kepler’s secret journal.