The problem with the "Standing between the notebooks" trick is that it requires you to know, more or less, the exact positions of each notebook, because the magic will take the most direct route, passes through physical objects, and can't be seen. And by most direct route, I mean just that, as in, if the notebooks are far enough apart, it will probably pass through the ground at some point.

So yeah, usually it's easier to get a scrap of paper from one of the books.