There are two types of people in the world: those who are recreational readers and those who are not. For many, books serve as an escape from reality. They offer a safe fantasy world where you can get wrapped up in the intense story line and juicy details. For those who are avid book readers, you might recognize these pros and cons of loving literature so much.
1. The splurge
When you make the decision to purchase that new book you’ve been dying for and you come to the famous crossroads of paperback vs hardcover. You now are forced to prioritize your life choices and decide if this specific book is worth the cherished hardcover.
2. The book hangover
You think drinking copious amounts of alcohol causes the worst hangover you could ever experience? Wrong. The feelings of when you read those last words on the very last page and then come to the realization that the story you had become so involved in has ended, is the actual worst hangover you could ever have. Symptoms usually include crying, binge eating ice cream and an innate feeling of sadness.
3. You treat it like your child
Your worst fear is one of your less-than-responsible friends asking to borrow a piece from your library. The friend in you can’t say no but the book nerd in you would die rather than let someone destroy it. You also know the struggle of taking your book to the beach or the pool and seeing the horror or the pages getting wet and sandy, since you want your child to stay in mint condition.
4. Breaking the bind
There really is not a more satisfying feeling than when you open a new book for the first time. You separate the pages so roughly half are in each hand and you pull them apart until you hear the bind stretch itself.
5. Paper trumps virtual
With all the new technology these days there are a lot of different methods of reading a book. A true book nerd knows that no matter how many kindle copies or audio books you buy, the original paper text will always be the best. The texture and smell (yes, smell) of a regular, old book is something that no piece of technology can give to you.
6. Book merch is everything
You most likely find that sites like Etsy are very dangerous places. Your internal dialog probably sounds a lot like this, " 'To Kill a Mockingbird' hardcover turned into a purse?" “Need it.” “Personalized bookmark?” “Have to have it.” “A poster filled with quotes from 'Gone with the Wind'?” “Already shipped.” I mean, with all the book related items for sale how could you not spend your whole paycheck in less than an hour?
7. Character deaths
A death of a fictional character feels almost no different than a death of a real person, because to you they were a real person. You might find yourself listening to sad music and wearing an excessive amount of black. You mourn their death by writing on online forums, trying to find the answer to the question “Why?” You watched them laugh, cry, fall in love and with one scribble of the author’s pencil they’re gone and you can't really handle it.
8. Movie heartbreak
Everyone knows you’re supposed to read the book before you watch the movie. This definitely does not come without consequences though. You’ve watched movies that basically massacred the book and ruined the entire story line because Hollywood really seems to have a knack for doing that. But you know what is even worse than that...the casting. When you read a book you create a vision for what you think the characters and every descriptive aspect of the book looks like. The absolute most frustrating thing is when you see the movie and the none of the characters look like how you pictured they would. You find yourself distracted the entire duration of the movie, trying to morph the image you preconceived and the one in front of you to make out the character.
No matter how much agony you may experience while reading a book, you always know that at the end the experience was worth it. You may even read it a second or third time. You know that the sad moments make the happy ones even better. You are thankful for having these books to read and to learn from. You know that no matter how much you or your life changes, you’re always going to be the same old book nerd.
