Calling all fellow bookworms! I think we can collectively agree that we are a misunderstood species in today's world. Why? Because there are certain experiences or feelings that we go through when reading that others don't comprehend. I've accumulated a list of just a mere few of the numerous problems bookworms face.
1. Being addicted to the smell of books
No smell can compare to the enchanting scent of a fresh new book. It is one of the reasons tablets (Kindle, etc.) will never be able to fully extinguish the need to print books. The smell is so recognized that you can now buy the scent as a candle.
2. Finding a comfortable reading position
For those readers without a personal reading nook, it is a common struggle to find a position that is comfortable for more than a couple of minutes. There always seems to be a pain somewhere; whether your legs start to cramp, or your neck begins to feel strained or your back seems to ache, it is a never-ending battle.
3. Trying to explain a book to someone
I struggle with this dilemma a lot. I can never find the right words that give the book justice, or my explanation feels inadequate. Plus, I tend to babble on and on which scares most of my friends into not reading the book.
4. How hard it is to let someone borrow a book
Phew, this one is a tough one. I very seldom let anyone borrow my books, but when I do, I constantly check in on their progress (mostly to check on the condition of my book). I have actually set up a list of rules that must be followed when borrowing my books. There will be no dog-eared pages, no marks, zero water damage, and if the book has a cover, I keep it to ensure its safety.
5. Being picky about movie adaptations
It strikes fear in the hearts of bookworms everywhere, "Soon to be made into a major motion picture." Then come the flood of concerns. What if they don't portray the characters as they are in the book? What will they cut out? Who will they cast for the characters? How "loosely" will it be adapted? What if the movie doesn't do the book justice?
Then, you know you have to go see it so all these questions will be answered. Fingers crossed that it won't be cringe-worthy, and the tears streaming down your face are tears of joy and not of anger or sadness.
6. When You Have to Wait for the Sequel
It's time. You finally finish the book you've been reading, only to be left on a nail-biting cliffhanger. But that can't be how it ends? You flip to the next page hoping for closure, but instead you find a "coming soon" page with the title of the next installment of the series. It's all good though, because it has to be out by now right? That is until you find out the sequel isn't expected for another year, and now all you can do is wait.
7. The feeling when a series ends
This is it. The finale. You've read all the previous installments and now hold the final one in your hands. You can't help but to be frightened and a tad reluctant to begin reading, because this is it. There will be no more late-night binge reads, and no more of the story and the characters once you reach the last page and read the last words. It's a bittersweet feeling.
8. Getting overly attached to characters
I've had my fair share of fictional crushes and yearned to be in the world the characters live in, so we could be friends and go on adventures together. It is hard to imagine that once I close the book, it's over. The character will forever be cemented in the spot the author left them in, and all your left with is what you know. You've cried with them, laughed with them, learned their secrets and gone on countless adventures with them. Sometimes you even grieve over them (Yes J.K. Rowling I'm looking at you! R.I.P. Fred). Of course when people ask you why you're crying and you tell them, they just look at you and say the blasphemous words, "It's just a book." And all you can do is glare at them as you wipe your tears.
9. When a book you loved has a bad ending
The worst betrayal there is in a bookworms world. You've devoted your time into this book, experienced life through the characters eyes and you reach the conclusion of their tale and, for lack of a better term, it sucks. You're heartbroken for the characters and have already begun typing your strongly-worded letter to the author and are thrown into a temper tantrum.
10. Telling yourself you'll stop reading after one more page
As a bookworm, this is most likely the No. 1 lie commonly uttered. You might have something to do or you might be laying in bed supposed to be asleep. Then next thing you know, it's 4 in the morning.
