12 Things Only Bookworms Understand
Avid readers have a few quirks that other people might find … well, a little odd
You’re emotionally attached to fictional characters
Have you ever become so attached to characters in a book that they start to feel like real people? Books provide such vivid insight into characters’ personality and psyche that you might feel like you know them even better than you do your own peers and acquaintances. And if the characters are personally relatable, they can start to feel like actual friends. You may even have experienced a romantic connection to fictional characters (* cough cough* Mr Darcy). But no judgment here. As fellow bookworms, we get it.
You know exactly when the next book in a series will be released
As a true bookworm, you prefer reading a series to individual novels so that you don’t have to stop at the last page. However, for you, few fates are worse than finishing the latest book in a series only to have to wait years for the next one’s release. When a subsequent book is set to be published, you know
exactly when it’s hitting the shelves – as you’ve pre-ordered it, naturally, and you’ve got a mental countdown running in the interim. The suspense completely eats away at you!
You ignore your basic needs when you’re deep in a read
Books are all-consuming for you, and time seems to stand still when you’re fully engrossed in the text in front of you. But, in fact, hours upon hours have passed, and you’ve completely forgotten to eat, shower or get to bed on time. But oh well. For you, any basic needs can wait until you’re finished with this chapter. And maybe the next one.
You hate watching movie adaptations
As a lifelong bibliophile, nothing annoys you quite like movie adaptations of books you’ve read. After all, you remember all the passages so vividly that you can’t help but critique a film’s many discrepancies. You’d really rather not watch movie adaptations if you can help it, as they risk deviating from your beloved literary works and not doing them justice.
You adore literary gifts
You may not be materialistic, but if you’re a bookworm, you can never resist buying items related to your favourite books, regardless of whether
Time seems to stand still when you’re fully engrossed in the text in front of you
or not you actually need them. For example, you wouldn’t think twice about purchasing the Library Candles by Paddywax, with your favourite quotes printed across the front and scents that are inspired by iconic authors. We swear Jane Austen must have smelled exactly like her gardenia, tuberose and jasmine candle.
You prefer the feel of a physical book to an e-book
Call us old- fashioned, but we bookworms still resist making the switch to digital texts. There’s something about the weight of a hardback in your lap, the sound of turned pages, and feeling the remaining chapters dwindle in your right hand as you power through them. E- books may be more environmentally friendly, but they can’t measure up to the sensory experience of physical books we so adore.
You can quote your favourite passages verbatim
If there’s one thing someone should never do in front of a bookworm, it’s misquote a line from a novel. Whenever it happens, you’re quick to correct them. Bookworms have an uncanny memory for text, so if you’re one of them, you’re probably guilty of reciting your favourite lines all the time. And you don’t just recite them verbatim; you use the same accent and inflection of the original character.
You love the smell of new books
Every time you crack open a brandnew book, you lean forwards to smell its pages. The scent is not only all too familiar to you, but it also brings you a unique joy. The smell is like being a kid and opening a present on Christmas morning – you feel pure excitement at the prospect of owning a classic. You also know the difference between the smell of old and new books, and you love them both for different reasons.
You can recall the details of fictional worlds as if you’ve been there
Diagon Alley, Middle Earth, Narnia and District 12 – these places aren’t just two-dimensional fantasies to you. For a real bookworm, these fictional worlds exist. In fact, you know them so intimately that it can be hard to determine if perhaps you’ve actually been there.
You can spend hours in a bookshop
Most people feel a rush of excitement walking into a clothes shop, but as a
Some people collect shoes, others collect handbags or football cards, but you collect books
total bookworm, you feel completely at home in bookshops instead. You could spend hours scanning the shelves, running your fingers along the many spines and seeing what’s new. To you, bookshops aren’t just comforting safe havens, they make you feel like a kid in a candy store, and you wish you could try them all.
Your personal library is a source of pride
Some people collect shoes, others collect handbags or vintage football cards, but you collect books. It’s plain and simple. Your books are like family to you, and they’re a real source of pride. You dream of one day having a floor-to-ceiling wall of books in your home, or even an entire study containing your collection. Whenever you have to downsize or donate your books, parting with them is a genuinely painful experience.
You’re inspired by fictional characters
As an avid reader, you’ve come across a number of protagonists and authors who have permanently changed your life. You’re a different ( and hopefully better) person for having experienced these people, real or imagined. To pay homage, you feel the need to etch them into your everyday life. Perhaps you’ve gotten a tattoo of your favourite quote, or named your dog Fitz for F. Scott Fitzgerald. As a bookworm, you see nothing wrong with naming your child after characters such as Atticus, Holden or Rosaline. In fact, you find it commendable.