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20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Last week we asked on Facebook and Twitter: What's a problem only book lovers understand? We got over 1,000 amazing responses! So even if non-book lovers don't get your struggle, remember—you're among friends here.
1. "The urge to buy books even though you still have too many books to read at home." (Rie VdWarth)
2. "Feeling sad for people who don't really exist." (Kimberly Moniz)
3. "RUNNING OUT OF SHELF SPACE!!!" (Kim)
4. "Getting interrupted when you are on the last few pages of a book." (Sobe Daya)
5. "The book hangover. When a good book finishes but you can't start a new one because you're still too immersed in the last book to move on." (Meagan Lewis)
6. "Wanting every book in a library section but knowing it is impossible to read all of them." (Richard Azia)
7. "Waiting so long for a sequel that you forget what happened in the first book." (Jessica Luong)
8. "When you're lying in bed and it's all cold in your room—and the hand holding the book freezes to death, even though the rest of you is warm under the blankets." (Alina Marie Swan)
9. "Finishing a book and having to wait a whole year to read the next in the series." (Sarah Scanion)
10. "Trying to keep the book dry while reading in the bath." (Patricia Boland)
11. "Ordering a book online and getting the book with the movie cover. A book with a movie cover just doesn't feel the same." (Anna RN)
12. "Not being able to read and eat lunch at the same time because you don't have a third arm." (Bernadette)
13. "When someone borrows your book and doesn't return it for ages!" (Pallavi B)
14. "Deciding. Which. Book. To. Read. First." (Monique Balsamo)
15. "Getting to a 'can't stop reading' spot in the book and it's 3:00am." (Joan Chesley)
16. "When you have a book with you, but it's not the one you wanted to read right then." (Virginia Osborne)
17. "Being forced to stop reading by other obligations, but choosing to ignore those obligations. Then getting in trouble." (Feel Like Fangirling)
18. "Packing for a trip and never being able to bring enough books." (Erika Gallion)
19. "Having a book fall on your face because you're reading on your back while holding the book up." (Manuel Cedillo)
20. And the ultimate book lovers' dilemma: "So many books, so little time." (Navy Reading)
Have another bibliophile-specific problem? Share it with your fellow Goodreads members in the comments! Chances are you'll find someone (or many someones) who feel your book pain.
(Top image credit: Illustration by Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl's Matilda.)
Comments Showing 651-700 of 1,070 (1070 new)
Belonging to a library that thinks it's a museum wont let you borrow older books. i.e. Philadelphia
I could never go back to dead-tree books. My Voyage travels with me everywhere - you never know when you'll get a stolen reading moment (2am can't sleep, lighted Voyage) and it's small enough to fit in even my smallest purse, and because it's an ereader, don't have to deal with stoopid comments about the covers.I've averaged 38,400 pages for the last 5 years and this year's not finished yet.
This. Is. My. Life. Also, having a cat lay across the book your currently reading and you don't want to move said cat, but you must continue reading.
I would also add, getting the same type of book in a series...I like them all to be paperback or hardback. I don't like mixing the two if I can avoid it. :)This entire list is me!
so trueand my hands always get so cold while reading books during winter
Michelina wrote: "I would also add, getting the same type of book in a series...I like them all to be paperback or hardback. I don't like mixing the two if I can avoid it. :)This entire list is me!"
Oh my gosh, yes! I hate having mismatched books. I have to have either the entire series in paper back OR hard cover.
I volunteered to organize our community room library. Literally hundrefs of books and i can walk thete! No more storage issues or overdue fines.
Almost all of my problems described at one place... apart from one more:Not having too many writers whose writing style is made for me.
I totally agree with the whole list! My problem is not having enough book space. I have a whole wall in my room that is full of books and I'm going to have to buy another bookshelf for the other side of my wall. I also have an addition to downloading as many free Ebooks as I can get. I just wish I had more time to read them all. Well I can say my bookshelf is gorgeous!
I just thought of a good one. Has anyone ever fallen asleep and woke up with your book/phone/tablet as a pillow? Omg, I do it all the time! My face is literally buried in my book.
So many of these fit...my personal struggle...Being so mad at an author because of something that happen to a character and then having to wait at leat a year for some resoluton (i am looking at you jim butcher and Kristi Charish). I was so upset after finishing Owl and the city of angels and now i have to wait.
When you go out with family and forget your book. everyone is talking to you but your mind is with your book and you cant really hear them
Sadia wrote: "Ava wrote: "My reading list is longer than my lifespan"I feel you xD"
also friends who dont read, would make you feel that way. i get it
Judy wrote: "i am 61 years old and have read since i was 4. i lost the centaral vision in my left eye about 10 years ago, now i am losing it in the right...i read never less than a book a week, usually 2, but n..."I wish that you will get well soon.
Zoe wrote: "I would also add: "Hating a book that everyone loves, tell me about loneliness.""Same here.
Deanna wrote: "When the room is quiet so you break open your book, then everyone comes in and starts talking."That is so annoying. Sometimes I will be reading and then someone will ask me a question from the other room so I put my book down and then they are quiet for a few minutes so I assume they have moved onto something else so I pick my book back up and as soon as I have found my place on the page again they talk again.
Tonimo wrote: "I identify with most of them, but especially #7. Sometimes its so long you have to reread all the books in the series to get to the new one. One author took 30 years to finish her series!"Are you talking about Jean M. Aeul's Earth Children Series or is there another series like that?
Number 18 is the reason I bought a Kindle. I went to Guatemala, and read all 7 books I took with me (including the first 3 Harry Potter novels) in the first week. Talk about an unhappy girl on the flight home!
Laura wrote: "Number 18 is the reason I bought a Kindle. I went to Guatemala, and read all 7 books I took with me (including the first 3 Harry Potter novels) in the first week. Talk about an unhappy girl on the ..."I always used to try and bring at least one favorite book that I would not mind rereading again if I read it all before the vacation was over.
I can add another point: "Being so absorbed in reading that you miss your bus station." This happens to me at least once in a week!=)
I like to eat while I read, I put my book on a stand. It is compulsive. Which is not good for my waist line.
Here are two more.- Favourite authors dying; Michael Crichton; Stieg Larsson; Douglas Adams; Terry Pratchett (How dare they)
-Favourite Authors who refuses to write (the books I like anyway) Chris Wooding, Patrick Rothfuss.
Could totally relate to entire list. I am adding 1 more - 21. Reading in bathroom so no one bothers you!
I totally relate (but I have partially solved the problem of the cold hand reading ebooks in bed!)
Ava wrote: "My reading list is longer than my lifespan"This sad fact has led me to a hard choice - allowing myself NOT to finish a book I'm really not enjoying. I used to be determined that once started, I had to finish. Now I always give books about 1/3 before I give up, but there are so many wonderful books out there, I can't defer them in favour of one that doesn't do it for me.
And Michelina wrote: "I would also add, getting the same type of book in a series"
I'd add to this the frustration of the publishers 're-vamping' the covers halfway through the series, so that they don't match in style.
"Deciding. Which. Book. To. Read. First." (Monique Balsamo) Definitely a problem for me. Hahaha
When people ask you what you do for fun and you say reading a book and they look at you like you're such a nerd and have no life. You can almost see the mental crossing off of your name on their list of people to ask to a party.Wanting to stay home and read rather than do anything else.
Feeling distressed when you walk out of your house and realize you forgot to bring a book.
So true!!! As I read them one by one, all I can do is nod... all of my responses were "yes...yes... right... omg so true... so me..." When I got to the part where the book sometimes fall on your face, I totally laughed! I am such a bookworm... I can't imagine living without books...
Judy wrote: "i am 61 years old and have read since i was 4. i lost the centaral vision in my left eye about 10 years ago, now i am losing it in the right...i read never less than a book a week, usually 2, but n..."Oh my... I'm so sorry for that... I really feel for you... I hope you could have your vision back to normal... Don't loose hope... please do see a doctor..maybe they can do something for you... :'(
get a ebook reader... most problems are solved
Buying a book that appears to be a stand alone novel then finding out it's smack in the middle of a series or the last book of the series.
I know ebook reader solves most of the problems... but there's just something special about turning those pages... reading from a gadget just can't be compared to reading with an actual book... that's just my opinion... I know it may sound weird but I love the smell of my books... especially the leaves... Ugh! It smells sooo goood!
Ava wrote: "My reading list is longer than my lifespan"Haha, yesssss I know!!!!
Heck - sign me up for everything on the list! Especially no. 15 & no. 18!Also, having someone try to start a conversation with you, and then they get offended when you grunt something along the lines of "Can't talk - reading".
Some people get rid of a book after reading it, I can't, it is my friend for life if it is a good one.The worst time of my life was when I had to get rid of 2000 books because I was moving to another country ...
Anna D. wrote: "...What made me laugh is #19 - I have totally dropped my kindle on my face, and it hurts! serves me right for reading at 2am when I'm tired and should be asleep! "So true... that's happened too many times to count!!! You get such a fright, then feel like a idiot for falling asleep with the kindle in your hand... LOL then you carry on reading... seeing as you're awake anyway... aaaand then you suffer at work the next day!!! LMAO!!!
Vivian wrote: "... getting halfway thru a book and not being able to stand the suspense so you skip to the end."LOL Viv!!! I do that ALL THE TIME and then I want to kick my own ass for ruining it for myself!!!
OMG!!.. The list is so true..!! Almost all the points describe my story... :)
I always have a problemm when I'm at the end of a book and can't decide what to read next. I always end up going to work in the next day with a pretty heavy bag full of books that I could read on the way to work.
Adding: not having anyone to discuss the book with because most of the people you know don't read