You Know You’re a Reader When

You have books around your house. Like, in every room. One tossed on a coffee table. A few in a stack on the dining room table that you have to move each time you set the table for a meal. There’s the stack(s) by your bed, the stacks on the floor that you need to put on a shelf, and the stacks on top of already-shelved books on the shelves because there’s not enough room to fit them all on the shelves. You give books as gifts. You request books as gifts. You know what Book Outlet is. You pet books, caress them, hold them to your heart when you’re done (or even during) reading them .You throw books when they provoke such an emotional reaction. You are not alone. You open a book and smell it. You have book labels – you sign in the inside cover with your name or you have cool stickers or even a stamp that says: Shields Family Library. (Yes, you can get stamps made for this!)You buy a book if someone recommends it. Or you go to the library and take that book out or reserve it. You are a fierce critic of book-to-film adaptations. When you read a book, you picture famous people in your mind as the characters. If by some chance, you saw a trailer for the book-to-film adaptation, you simply can’t get the image of the famous person cast as the main character(s) out of your head whilst you’re reading. You go see films that are based on/adapted from books. You look for bookish gifts (bags, purses, stickers, pins, socks, etc..) when you go in any gift store. You keep some kind of list of the books you’ve read…Goodreads, a journal – something. You carry a book in your purse/bag ALWAYS. You have a book(s) in your vehicle. When you’re traveling, you include bookstores in your travel plans. You attend literary events: readings, launches, signings…or you really want to…you promise you’ll get out to the next one! You’ve googled your favourite author(s). You mourn when they pass away. You feel guilty (or have in the past) for not finishing a book to is end.You either read the cover copy, the book flap, the first page or the last page when you’re deciding whether to buy a book. Or you judge it fully by its cover. Either way, you have a pattern for your choosing. You’ve pre-ordered a book. Every room you enter, you think “I could read in this room.”You have reading clothing: socks, joggers, sweaters, tuques, scarves, gloves with no fingers, etc..You have reading blankets: knitted, quilted, duvet, etc..Pretty much anytime there’s a grey-sky day, all you want to do is drop everything and read. When you hear the word read, your heart flutters and you have an internal chemical reaction that creates a desire to read. When you picture your future (anytime/anywhere), there are books in your visions.

What have I missed?

Please note: I suspect that many of the above list items pertain to those who read by listening. Whether you read or listen to books, you are a reader! Woohoo!