{"id":310751,"date":"2025-11-21T03:21:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T08:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlslife.com\/?p=310751"},"modified":"2025-11-21T14:52:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T19:52:09","slug":"how-to-annotate-like-a-stargazer-your-guide-inspired-by-the-secret-astronomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/books\/310751\/how-to-annotate-like-a-stargazer-your-guide-inspired-by-the-secret-astronomers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Annotate Like a Stargazer\u2014Your Guide Inspired by The Secret Astronomers"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Welcome back to our Bestie Book Club\u2014a community for book lovers from\u00a0<\/b>Girls\u2019 Life<\/i><\/b>\u00a0magazine.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new here, hello! Here\u2019s how this works: Each month, we read, discuss and obsess over a new book. If you haven\u2019t already, be sure to follow us on\u00a0TikTok<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0Bestie Book Club<\/b>\u00a0updates, fun reading challenges, amaze giveaways and so much more!<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever underlined a quote just because it felt<\/em> like it was written for you, you already understand the magic that is book annotating. In The Secret Astronomers<\/em><\/a><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

To celebrate our latest Bestie Book Club pick, we asked three of our GL <\/em>Book Besties to share how they give their own books that personal touch. Here\u2019s how to turn your next book into your own secret journal…<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/h3>\n

In The Secret Astronomers<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

GL<\/em> Book Besties Andrea & Selena A<\/strong><\/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. <\/span>\u201cIt’s how we like to read books, too. Annotating helps us slow down and actually feel the story,\u201d adds Selena.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

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!<\/a>), maybe even a notebook for extra thoughts. Choose your color palette and get to painting (the pages with highlighters, that is). \u201cI color-code everything,\u201d says\u00a0GL <\/em>Book Bestie Tatum B.<\/a><\/strong> \u201cPink is for sweet moments, blue for sad ones and yellow for anything I want to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because sometimes the best part of a book isn\u2019t the plot\u2014it\u2019s the notes you leave behind.<\/p>\n

\n

Hey, Besties! What\u2019s your go-to annotating essential?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe’re obsessed with pink highlighters! They’re cheerful and make even the sad parts pretty.\u201d \u2014 Andrea & Selena A<\/strong><\/a>.
\n\u201cNew notebooks and gel pens always get me excited to read. Fresh supplies = fresh ideas!\u201d \u2014 Kalia M.<\/strong><\/a>
\n\u201cI love using tiny sticky tabs that match the book cover. It makes everything look so aesthetic.\u201d \u2014 Tatum B.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/h3>\n

Kepler is the kind of character who can\u2019t 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\u2019s *exactly* what annotating can be for you: a space where your thoughts and emotions get to exist freely.<\/p>\n

GL <\/em>Book Bestie<\/strong> Kalia M.<\/strong><\/a> says she connects with stories through drawing. \u201cAnnotating is like turning reading into art,\u201d she shares. \u201cI can sketch what I feel when words don\u2019t say enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Andrea & Selena A<\/strong><\/a>. agree their notes help them gauge how they\u2019re growing\u2014both on and off the page. \u201cYou can see how your own thoughts evolve,\u201d says Andrea. \u201cEvery doodle or underline is a record of what you were feeling in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try channeling your inner Kepler: Underline the sentences that feel like secrets, circle the ones that sound like something you\u2019ve wanted to say and jot down little constellations next to your favorite discoveries.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/h3>\n

By the end of The Secret Astronomers<\/a>,<\/strong><\/em> Copernicus and Kepler\u2019s exchanges form a map of who they are: their fears, their humor and their hope. Your annotations can do the same thing.<\/p>\n

GL<\/em> Book Bestie Tatum B.<\/strong><\/a> says annotating helps her connect more with what she\u2019s reading. \u201cI like looking back at my notes later. It\u2019s fun to remember how I felt when I first read it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Kalia M.<\/strong><\/a> adds, \u201cI love colored pencils and a nice thick marker, but honestly, when it comes to annotating, my favorite is just a simple pencil.\u201d Whatever you use, your notes are reminders of what stood out to you\u2014and 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.<\/p>\n

\n

Hey, Besties! Would you and your best friend share a journal?<\/h3>\n

\u201cRespectfully, no. We don\u2019t even share our journals with each other!\u201d \u2014 Andrea & Selena A<\/strong><\/a>.
\n<\/strong>\u201cIf I did have one, I think we\u2019d write in it together. It\u2019d be fun to see how our thoughts mix.\u201d \u2014 Kalia M.<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/strong>\u201cI love the idea, but I\u2019d probably still keep a few pages just for me.\u201d \u2014 Tatum B.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to get involved with our Bestie Book Club? Here\u2019s how\u2026<\/h2>\n

SOLO.<\/strong><\/span> Snag your copy of The Secret Astronomers<\/em><\/a><\/strong> and get ready to dive into Copernicus and Kepler\u2019s world. Bonus points for annotating along with them.
\nON SOCIAL MEDIA.<\/strong><\/span> Connect with us @glbestiebookclub <\/a>and find your fellow readers and stargazers. Share your annotated pages, favorite quotes and celestial doodles using #BestieBookClub<\/strong> and #TheSecretAstronomers<\/strong>.
\nWITH YOUR SQUAD.<\/strong><\/span> 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\u2019d write in Copernicus and Kepler\u2019s secret journal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to our Bestie Book Club\u2014a community for book lovers from\u00a0Girls\u2019 Life\u00a0magazine. If you\u2019re new here, hello! Here\u2019s how this works: Each month, we read, discuss and obsess over a new book. If you haven\u2019t already, be sure to follow us on\u00a0TikTok\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram\u00a0for\u00a0Bestie Book Club\u00a0updates, fun reading challenges, amaze giveaways and so much more! If […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1820,"featured_media":310773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[293,302],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-310751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-bestie-book-club"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1820"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlslife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}