Writing is definitely one of my passions. But where would that passion be if I had never read first? I remember arranging my stuffed animals around my bedroom and reading to them. Years later, I’ve started picking up other signs that I’m obsessed with books and the worlds and characters inside of them. If you do any or all of these, you just might be obsessed with reading, too.

1. Your “To Be Read” list is miles longer than your “Read” list.

You can’t help yourself sometimes. You’re walking by some stores and you see it. Barnes and Noble. Half Price Books. Books-A-Million. It doesn’t matter what bookstore it is, but you know you have to stop. You then proceed to spend the next few hours in the store, buying several books even though you have many, many books that you haven’t even opened at home. The book aisle at Wal-Mart and Target even has some titles that you know you can’t pass up. You’ll read them. Someday.

2. You never leave the house without a book.

So you have to go somewhere. The doctor’s office? You’ll take a book for the waiting room. Work? Maybe you can read during your break. Family picnic? Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to sneak away and get lost in a book. There’s no way you’re being ridiculous, right? After all, how else do you expect to get through your ever-growing, staggering To Be Read pile?

BONUS: You bring two books with you when you leave the house.

You’re probably going to finish the first book you brought along! Sure, you have over 100 pages left, but you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself if you finished a book and couldn’t start another one right away.

3. You have a hard time picking your favorite book.

Someone has just discovered that you love to read. So naturally they ask, “What’s your favorite book?” You look at them in distress, your thoughts racing. There’s the one with the wizard in it. Oh, but there’s the one that takes place in Georgia. What about the one about that high school kid? The books you read have taken you on so many different adventures, choosing one as your favorite is nearly an impossible task.

4. You’d rather be reading than doing whatever it is your doing now.

You’re at work, but you can’t wait to get home to pick up at that cliffhanger. You might be having a good time with your friends, but your mind can’t help but drift to that book that you just bought. What story will this one have for you? You’re seeing a movie, and that one scene totally reminds you of that one part in that book you finished.

Speaking of movies . . .

5. The book is (almost) always better than the movie.

With very few rare exceptions, any book-to-movie adaptation will leave you disappointed. That character didn’t have that hair color. Why did they leave that scene out of the movie? It was so important for so-and-so’s character development! She’s not supposed to be that short. He’s not supposed to look like that at all. Did the director even read the book?

6. If you’re in school, you’re actually excited to read the class materials.

You managed to get into that one literature class that sounds absolutely fascinating. You get the syllabus on the first day of class. You already bought all seven novels that the class requires. You’re so excited to actually start reading those books you’ve had for a couple weeks now. And you’re glad for the opportunity to discuss these books with the class. After all, from all the reading you’ve done, you know you’ll have some things to talk about.