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20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Non-bibliophiles don't always feel your pain…but you're among friends here! We asked on Facebook and Twitter: What's a problem only book lovers understand? We got more than 1,000 amazing responses. Check out some of our favorites and share your own bookish struggles in the comments.
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
Don't see your reader-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.
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
(Top image credit: Illustration by Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl's Matilda.)
Comments Showing 751-800 of 922 (922 new)
Modesty_b wrote: "Taryn wrote: "My dilemma is closer to when I can't find a place to stop reading... and it's 6:00am, I have been binge reading a series, and I have a test that day that I should have been studying f..."OR rushing through studying to get back to my book!! 🤔🤔 did I really retain of what I was studying!! Who knows as long as I did it!!
I can say with all honesty that every single time I've been late for anything it's been because of reading.
Having someone buy you a brand new copy of an old favorite (especially with a movie cover), when what you really want is to hunt for it and discover a loved copy for yourself. Who cares if it's a little tattered or dog-eared. I appreciate the thought, but they just don't understand the feeling of holding a well worn old friend in your hands. New prints of old favorites feel cold and distant.
Rouan wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Going to the library and finding out they have the first 2 books in a trilogy but DONT HAVE THE LAST ONE!!!!"Or, they have the last two but not the first one!"
Or only parts of any series! Yes, my library is so guilty of this!
Michelle wrote: "i used to hoard books, im much better now! well "better" because having endless amounts of books is wonderful. Now I only buy books that are my favs and that I know I will read again or even if I w..."Same :)
#2: Not just feeling sorry for people who don't even exist, but find yourself praying for them. #7: Jean Auel published her first book in 1981, her last in 2011. That's 30 years! What's worse, the waiting wasn't worth it - the lsat book was horrible.
#9: Having to wait even longer than a year for the next book.
#10: Also, having to wear glasses to read and the glasses keep steaming up in the bath.
#11: Taking pride in the fact that the book in your personal library does NOT have the movie cover.
#13: Worse - when you never get it back.
#14: Instead of "first", "next"
crabbylucy
Vanessa wrote: "Going to the library and finding out they have the first 2 books in a trilogy but DONT HAVE THE LAST ONE!!!!"Just as bad if they have only one of the three - doesn't really matter which one is missing. crabbylucy
Most of above happens to me- but 1,2 and 5 are the worst things.
1) Walk to a bookstore/library to "browse" but come out with 5+ books.
2)Changing positions
3)Having the feels in public
4) Being afraid because people will judge your book by its cover
5)Constantly being called "antisocial" because you choose to bring your book somewhere
6) Being the only person in class that mentally rejoices for "sustained silent reading"
7)Losing your bookmark
8)When someone either dog-ears their book,or puts it upside-down to mark their page(Leaving white creases on the spine). It's horrifying!
9) BOOK SALE!!!!!
10)When people try to talk to you while you're reading and all you say is "Mmmhmm" ,"Yeah", "Okay", and "Uh huh".
Do you relate to any of these?
2)Changing positions
3)Having the feels in public
4) Being afraid because people will judge your book by its cover
5)Constantly being called "antisocial" because you choose to bring your book somewhere
6) Being the only person in class that mentally rejoices for "sustained silent reading"
7)Losing your bookmark
8)When someone either dog-ears their book,or puts it upside-down to mark their page(Leaving white creases on the spine). It's horrifying!
9) BOOK SALE!!!!!
10)When people try to talk to you while you're reading and all you say is "Mmmhmm" ,"Yeah", "Okay", and "Uh huh".
Do you relate to any of these?
I suffer from Fictiophilia. A condition that involves being irrevocably in love with a fictional character. Or in my case, 20.
Whenever someone insists that fictional books aren't real, I just turn to Dumbledore:"Of course it's happening inside your head...but why on earth should that mean it's not real?"
My number one is "Trying not to get hit by a car when reading while walking on the street" :)
I too suffer from all of the above bibliophile ailments. I also agree with Vanessa. I love reading, and it especially bugs me when someone is reading the same part of the series as me and they check out the next book before I do!!
Hailey wrote: "The real problem is that there isn't a book smell perfume. We have cupcake perfume, but no new book smells?!"
Try this:
https://demeterfragrance.com/paperbac...
Try this:
https://demeterfragrance.com/paperbac...
Katarzyna K. wrote: "My number one is "Trying not to get hit by a car when reading while walking on the street" :)"Yes. That is the biggest problem.
Pearl wrote: "1) Walk to a bookstore/library to "browse" but come out with 5+ books.2)Changing positions
3)Having the feels in public
4) Being afraid because people will judge your book by its cover
5)Constantl..."
Yes! Being a bibliophile is actualy a dangerous proffesion. I think the world shoul appreciate us more.
Lily wrote: "Katarzyna K. wrote: "My number one is "Trying not to get hit by a car when reading while walking on the street" :)"Yes. That is the biggest problem."
Thank you! I almost thought that nobody shares that one
All of the above apply to me......EVERY SINGLE DAY!!
e-loaning a book to someone and having them take the entire two weeks to read it!
Christine wrote: "As a teacher: papers to grade. . . .book. . . .papers to grade. . . book. So painful!"So my life!!!
Princess Lauren wrote: "When people ask "what are you reading" and then try and grab your books."That drives me NUTS!
I suffer from all of these! No. 11 about movie covers, so true! Movie covers are just awful!
Yup this is sooo true!!! I have felt all of the above and also kind of feel dpressed when the main character does, or when my favorite characters die...
I have most of these problems. Would add arm, neck and back pains. It's so hard to find a good reading position and to read for long periods!
I only dropped one paperback in the tub. The Egyptian by Waltri I still have it. Though it is falling apart.
Pearl wrote: "1) Walk to a bookstore/library to "browse" but come out with 5+ books.2)Changing positions
3)Having the feels in public
4) Being afraid because people will judge your book by its cover
5)Constantl..."
Most of them!
Let me add one: When you're away from home, and you finish the book you have with you, and you don't have another book handy, so you just have to wait it out, book-less.
Also should I choose paperback or hardcover? Hardcover looks better but paperback is easier to read!
I like hardback, trade paperback, and... if it's the only hardcopy format... mass paperback.
Vam wrote: "Count me in, especially the one with no more shelf space."How to get rid of the books you find to be only soso after reading but you will never throw abook in the trash because that smacks of book burning to you! So my solution is to try and sell them on amazon and donate the rest to the VA.
Extending from 10.... And that moment when you do drop the book into the bathtub and you scream so loudly that you're parents burst in thinking that you're dying
Also from 19, the next morning you've got cramps and everywhere hurts because you were lying in wierd positions in bed or on the sofa.... Also, can totally relate to ALL ;)
People who borrow one of my paperbacks, and CREASE the cover back! They never touch another of my books.
I would never bring a book anywhere near the bathtub (or the shower, for that matter). Otherwise, so relatable! Here's a few more:-Trying to keep the spine pristine, then you accidentally flatten the book so the spine cracks and it always falls to that page.
-Trying to find a good stopping place at 3 am, but ending up finishing it anyway. "Holy sh*t, it's 6:30 already?"
-When laying on your stomach hurts, but when you flip onto your back your arm hurts from holding the book up.
-Being so tired that you literally cannot keep your eyes open and you reread the same word ten times in a row, fabricating imaginary plot events (actually mini dreams) between each cycle. (True story.)
Those times when you're laying on your back holding your book above your head, but then your arms get tired.When someone borrows your book and it is returned with a damaged cover and pages.
Having a black eye/cheek from reading a book that is so large that when you fall asleep it falls on your face and injures you in much the same way as a punch to the face would...
Loved reading all your comments!! #StrokeAware - unable to follow plot of my beloved novels now 🤔 💔 So fortunate to be alive & still able to read other genre not dependent on recall of previous chapter, but do miss just getting transported off into another literary world.
Having to buy additional luggage when traveling because of all the books I bought during the trip.
Years ago, I started reading a series that was a multi-generational ghost /curse story. I can't remember the name of it now. Each novel ended at a point where you just had to have the next one. I got to about the sixth in the series and couldn't find the next one. There was no Amazon back then. I was able to find the 8th one, but there was a gap in the story. I quit and vowed never again to read a series if I couldn't afford to buy the entire series. I kept that vow until I started to watch the current 'Poldark' series on PBS, and got so interested in it that I wanted to read the series of novels it is based on. I ordered them three or four at a time. There are 12. Luckily I got them all from Amazon. I finished them all and have kept them together. I will likely re-read them eventually. Now if I could just find room to put them on a bookshelf. I have 11 bookcases in the house and there is no room for one more book in any of them. I have decided I will have to get rid of some of the ones I know I will probably never read again to make room for more.
MichelleJ wrote: "The fact that, all boys in books are so much better than boys in reality.(sigh)"
Absolutely. Wonder how they didn't mention it
Lucy wrote: "I would never bring a book anywhere near the bathtub (or the shower, for that matter). Otherwise, so relatable! Here's a few more:-Trying to keep the spine pristine, then you accidentally flatten ..."
Yes, yeas, mini dreams happen. Tha's actually fantastic brain work!
One thing that happens to me is switching between digital and physical books. I try to press the words for the definitions in the physical books lolI've dropped my phone on my face while reading.
I don't know how many books I have on the go sometimes. LoL
There are several books/series that are continuously read/re-reading because they are favourites or fallbacks if I can't think of something I want to read now.
I have tons of digital books that were free, but I rarely get to them because of digital library books!
If I don't feel like reading, that means I'm ill in some way lol
It's super annoying when cats get in the way. Seems they know you're trying to read wether it's a physical book or on the phone. 'Gotta block that so they see only me!' Lol
Trying to read in bed without getting sore arms. I'm constantly trying to figure out gadgets that will help read digital books with minimal pain and/or chances of it falling over every few mins. LoL
I relate to most things people have posted.
It took me years to realize that romance really doesn't work the same as in books lol.....wait, what romance?! :p
Life gets in the way of reading.
I've learned that most books have something to learn, even if the lesson is totally hidden by the story!
Could keep going, but I want to get back to the book I'm reading!
Sitting in public reading and you come across a funny witty passage! You laugh out loud and people look at you as if you've lost your marbles.
Dian wrote: "One thing that happens to me is switching between digital and physical books. I try to press the words for the definitions in the physical books lolI've dropped my phone on my face while reading. ..."
Me too! Lol. Oh, and I thought of a few more:
-Starting a series in paperback, then switching to hardcover because the new ones aren't out in paperback yet but you desperately wanna read the next book.
-Being given the first three books in a series in eBook form and the fourth in hardcover.
-Not being able to find one of the books in a series in the same style cover (or size) as the rest of them.
IT AMAZING TO SEE , THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE WITH DEALING WITH THSES PROBLEMS!!!!😂😂😂