Technically a reread, but it feels more like a first-time read because I barely remember it from middle school. This time though, I’m actually annotating it, with a full-on color-coded key. I used to be the type who thought writing in books was borderline disrespectful. Back in my undergrad lit classes, I carried a separate notebook so my books stayed “clean.” But I’ve completely flipped. I want my books to show signs of thinking. Here’s the key I’m using: 💜Character development: choices, relationships, growth arcs 🖤Gothic stuff: setting, mood, inner turmoil, vibes 🩷Themes: gender, class, religion, power 🩶Weird/suspense: tension, foreshadowing, anything eerie 🤎Fav quotes: lines that hit or just sound amazing Honestly, it’s made the reading so much more active. Instead of just observing, I feel like I’m in conversation with the book. Like it’s meeting me where I’m at. Sharing in case anyone else is trying to get more out of their reading or has annotation systems of their own. Would love to swap ideas!

I would just take a moment to appreciate how well-written this book is. Sometimes I find it challenging to connect with classics, especially from this time period, but I'm so attached to the characters and the writing style in this book