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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 101-150 of 1,070 (1070 new)
Rosa wrote: "Michelle wrote: "People who want to borrow books you own but haven't read yet, or pick them up and flick through them. Especially if it is a new book rather than second hand. Those are MY words and..."So glad I am not the only one!
I have many, but my worst is 14. I'm so indecisive.
This is so fraking true. Gosh, I love Goodreads's articles
Ava wrote: "My reading list is longer than my lifespan"AGREE!
When there are SO MANY people on the public bus and being forced to put your book down, so now you're being crushed by human bodies and you can't read. It's worse if this happens during a cliiff-hanger
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..."Ebooks might be a good choice. You can make the text larger, so you can read anything you please. There as so many ebook titles available through libraries now.
I agree with Ava. Booklists that are longer than my life span! Or all of the above.
I can relate but....don't drop books in the bath, listen to an audiobook while in the shower or bath!
Ava wrote: "My reading list is longer than my lifespan"Hahaha I was just thinking about this the other day! I'm not sure I could read all the books I want to before I kick the bucket. Or the apocalypse happens and ebooks are unreadable. I have weird worries...
#1 - I have an ebook buying problem....
#3 - I also have a regular book buying problem, which leads a shelf space problem...
;D
#5 - Ah the book hangover. I hate starting a new book when I'm still sad and nostalgic about the last one.
#17 - yep I think all my problems in school can be linked to this one.
#19 Haha this one happens to me all the time! I have hit my nose countless time with books and my kindle because I fell asleep reading.
Another problem I have is that I read a great book, and it's part of a series. But then the author decides not to write the sequel for the foreseeable future...
I just want to know what happens!!!!!
It's all true,but for myself it's 1-3-6-7-14-20.for most of the time but I can totally relate to the other ones too.Judy(message33)My mother is 103years old and she can't read anymore even with a magnifier her eyes are too weak.She really enjoyed reading and it's sad,so I hope that you would be able to enjoy and read books for a long long time yet.:)
so so nice not to be alone. being a reader in the world of technology sometimes it quite lonely. even trying to find friends on goodreads!
After a longtime of not being able to read, now i start new books while others are not finished yet:[
Think most of the items on that list relates to me!!
#4, #7, and #9 are me right now! I also hate finding typos in my favorite books.
Amelia wrote: "#4, #7, and #9 are me right now! I also hate finding typos in my favorite books."Same. When I was younger, I wrote letters (that I never sent) to my favorite authors that made typos:)
I hate when I go out for the day and can't find a purse big enough to fit my book in.
Sabrina wrote: "Re: #12. I solved that problem by buying a book holder."So did i, now i can dry my hair and read at the same time.
Rose wrote: "so so nice not to be alone. being a reader in the world of technology sometimes it quite lonely. even trying to find friends on goodreads!"In my grade school I thought I was the only person who actually read for fun
Am i the only person who must read their books slowly because my parents don't buy me books so frequently?
This is so me!!Also, one of the worst thing that can happen is the author of a series I enjoyed dying before having complete it.
Too many books and never enough time! I can relate to each and every problem :(
#2 "Feeling sad for people who don't really exist."I've always had a problem with empathising too much with fictional characters, existing only between book pages and on cinematc frames. Not that I'm particularly fond of tearjerkers, but I still remember the effect the first reading of HMS Ulisses by Alistair MacLean had on me in my teens.:)
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ARE SOOOO ME (EXCEPT BATHING WITH ONE CUZ' I DON'T EVEN OWN A BATHTUB)
ah this list is so me!! I've stayed up late so many nights trying to finish a book even though i know i have to wake up super early the next morning
Sara wrote: "ah this list is so me!! I've stayed up late so many nights trying to finish a book even though i know i have to wake up super early the next morning"Me too! A couple of nights ago I was up 24h before deciding I pobably need some sleep. The book was sooo good I couldn't put it down and then I had to go to school so... haha
i can relate to every. single. one. but my next biggest problem is money.
ME=NEED MORE BOOKS
MORE BOOKS=MORE MONEY
MORE MONEY=NOT ME.
Do you see my problem?
Peyton, I totally see your problem,too many books not enough money:(
Peyton: I can relate! Whenever I have money they seem to transform into beautiful books.
My life!!! But I do have a babysitting job tonight....Dammit now I have another problem
I am among friends!! Finally, someone understands me! So many of these issues have found their way into my life...
Erma wrote: "I am among friends!! Finally, someone understands me! So many of these issues have found their way into my life..."YAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAY
love this!! I can relate to almost all of them! ;)
Marty wrote: "Trying to tie my shoes with one hand, because I could not put down the book I was reading. I never succeeded."Tip: Lay book open on your lap and hold with your boobs, or, use the tips of your toes on the opposite foot to hold open the pages while bending over reading. Both look ridiculous, I'm told, but I don't care, I'm reading!
can really relate...esp staying up late to read...and the book falls on you...What about when people insist on trying to engage you in conversation when you are clearly engrossed in reading your book?!
Luciana wrote: "Am i the only person who must read their books slowly because my parents don't buy me books so frequently?"That's what libraries are for! There are multiple online editions, too, that you can read for free. Books don't have to cost!
And when I was little, I would beg my pop to let me read his. He got tired of me reading over his shoulder (his pet peeve) and got to the point of letting me read his books before he got to them, since he was a slower reader than I was.
staying awake all night to finish the story because it is so good you don't want to stop reading.
I agree with all of the above and the comments as well...except I need an actual book. Kindles, ereaders just aren't the same as a real book. I love the feel, the smell, turning the pages. I don't care how heavy the book is or how much room they take up. Nothing takes the place of a book...at least not to me.
☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᵞᵒᵘʳ ᶠᵃᵛᵒᵘʳᶤᵗᵉ ᴰᵁᶠᶠ ❜ wrote: "OMFG SOOO MUCH OF THIS LIST IS ME!!!"This is so me too
YES! YES! YES! I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS THE STRUGGLE! For me mainly though is the "So many books so little time" and the becoming sad that the characters aren't real. If they were then I would probably be in jail for stalking them or I'd be in a crazed future where aliens exist. ^ v ^
Double-buying books because I have so many that I forget what I have
and
Wondering what happened to the characters after the book ended. :-~