Books, diaries, letters. What do you do?

[Number47]

This is a theme that is used pretty often (but not too much) in my game. The characters find a book, diary or correspondence that gives them valuable information. The problem is, I hate having a whole diary with the only information in it, according to my notes, is "this is the plan and when we attack". I cannot see myself filling out a whole book, though, just for players to flip through in order to get that info. Likewise for important research books. Not to mention that these bad guys always have letters to/from underlings/bosses, but nothing from home. The lack of realism or extra flavor doesn't seem to bother my players, but the idea still annoys me.

So what do you do?

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i would write a paragraph or two summing up what's in the book, and quoting passages that would be important to the PCs

or just giving the PCs the important stuff and saying, "you read the book and here's what you find..." the other 'stuff' shouldn't interest the PCs anyway

 

[alsih2o]

base how much of the pertinent info a character finds on an int or search check