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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 251-300 of 922 (922 new)
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by
Lynn
(new)
Mar 15, 2017 05:35PM
Many of these problems are solved by a book app on your phone. Just saying'.
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Nina wrote: "Christine wrote: "As a teacher: papers to grade. . . .book. . . .papers to grade. . . book. So painful!"I feel you. I'm a teacher too :D"
Yes -- me, too!
Lynn wrote: "Many of these problems are solved by a book app on your phone. Just saying'."A small phone screen doesn't make for a very comfortable reading experience, it's also not good for your eyes. An e-reader maybe but many people still prefer the real thing. Plus I have dropped my phone on my face plenty of times and it hurts more than a book lol.
Been suffering with the problem. uuhgg. Especially having that So many books yet so little time. Always been there.
I confess: when I see someone reading or somehow holding a book in a public space, let's say a bus or a waiting room, I tend to look over the cover in order to find out what that person is reading and maybe reach some conclusions about the personality of that stranger reading that book. I guess it's book gossiping! I know it can look rude, but it's instintive... I can't help it!
Anyone else?
Amen! I always have to buy a book if I visit town, pass a book shop or Charity shop! And no space arrggh!!!
you know it's a good book when u get a book hangover! kind of love it when it happens
Reading a book and encountering something so real and painful and unexpected that it takes you out of the story for a while.
This is so relatable. I suffer from all these problems. Also, am I the only one who struggles with finding people to fangirl with when you finish a book? And I HATE it when I get all excited to read a book but I'm already reading 5 different books and I have to finish them first (even though they're probably really good too).
So happy to hear that I have a lot of company dealing with the same struggles!
I'm especially affected by problems 1, 8 and 15!
I have most of these - the tub is not so much an issue. But the list is missing not enough shelf space for books, so now there are piles on the floor.
My bookshelf is overflowing, 7 of my books don't fit and I've just ordered 6 more books #The struggle is realUpdate: 7 books don't fit? WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING?! IT'S MORE LIKE 20 NOW AND I'VE ORDERED MORE
Krystle Grayson wrote: "Literally, my entire life in one post!"Right?
Absolutely correct. the most true ' So many book and so little time'.
Walking out of the library with more books than I can possibly read in 3 weeks because I want choices and don't want to lose any choices to someone else who may want them too.Falling asleep with a book on my face trying so hard to finish it (my husband will carefully remove it and keep my page).
Not finding a beloved book, even after months of looking.. Or finding the almost last copy of a series of 7 books but without the 1st & the 4th ..
it hurts ..
I am just nine years old, so I hate it when I am reading, (especially when in the can't put it down phase) my mom makes me go to bed.
Kevin wrote: "In response to several of these problems, there is only one answer."I don't have a book problem, I just need a bigger house.""
True. So true.
1.) Non- bibliophiles don't understand what books really mean to us. They are ignorant about the power of book2.) Don't have enough money to buy books and to fill the shelves which never ever run out of space :D
Sonia189 wrote: "For me, all are true dilemmas except #10. I never get my books close to the tub..."Same here. My books never go near water.
I'm not afraid to say I'm guilty of a lot of these...Especially #2 & 5.☺
The accuracy in this is just too real!
Finding the correct position to read in bed and invariably ending up with numb limbs.
Alena wrote: "The accuracy in this is just too real!"AGREE.
Dina wrote: "I don't mind movie covers. I get almost all of my books second hand, so I actually tend to go for the movie tie-ins more often, because being newer editions they are usually in better condition."I buy almost all my books at library and thrift stores with average price about a dollar. Movie editions sell well, as best as I can tell, and the people who buy or receive them tend to get rid of them, so they are a great source of cheap books.
My tendency is to read what is between the covers rather than use books as display art, so movie editions never bother me.
What about taking a day or less to finish one book...And then days and days to finish another of the same length? And then three in a week? And then, for no reason you can tell, the next title you pick up takes two months?
I was reading this thinking, "I can't have all of these." Denial. I don't think there was one I don't agree with. The book hangover one is definitely going to apply to me after I finish the series I'm currently reading. Why do they have to end?!
Oh yeah, I feel all of those.I got 99 problems but a book ain't one!
My issue? Being completely sucked into a really good book and outwardly reacting to a scene - laughing, cursing, moaning. In public. Again.
I have many of these problems #'s 1,3,14,15,18 But especially #9that hurts the most. Of course #20 we all have that otherwise we wouldn't be here.
Loving a book or series so much and disappointed when others don't read/haven't heard off/or, dare say, didn't like and weeping internally for them.
Princess Lauren wrote: "When people ask "what are you reading" and then try and grab your books."Yep. Or you tell them and then they want to know what it's about and they won't stop bugging you until you have to set down the book because you might as well just talk to them.
David wrote: "When someone asks, "What are you reading now?" and you wonder which of the three books to tell them about.Or, you tell them about all three, and watch their eyes glaze over..."
LOL! I always have at least 2 books (1 audio, 1 print) going at the same time and occasionally have had as many as 4.
I have troubles with all of the listed problems. Plus another big 2:1) Maxing out your library card and still having a lot more books you want to check out right now.
2) Crying at a part in the book, then getting even more upset because your vision is too blurry from crying to keep reading.
Beth wrote: "Knowing something bad is going to happen to your favorite character(s), so you close the book so you don't have to experience it with them, and then leave the book unfinished for a long time becaus..."I have this when I read a book that takes place in the 1920's in England or France and the characters are so happy the war is over and I know they have to live through a worse war (even if the book ends well before that, to me they are real people living then.)
Delta wrote: "Checking out a library book and realize I've already read it. Thankfully I've checked out a few others."That's better than buying a book and realizing I already have it in my shelves of TBR books! That's even easier to do now that some are on ebook and therefore invisible.
Having a bad hair day because I read a book while I blow dried my mop.
I don't like being interrupted at any point in a book, not just near the end. I also don't have the problem with getting a movie cover since when I order online I can see what the cover is.
Ave wrote: "What about taking a day or less to finish one book...And then days and days to finish another of the same length? And then three in a week? And then, for no reason you can tell, the next title you ..."Obviously, you find some books more interesting than others, therefore read them more quickly. And then there are those you think will be interesting, from the description, but turn out to be deadly D-U-L-L, so you slog though them literally one step / page / chapter at a time.
Natasha wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Problem #562: It's 4am and I'm still reading but I'll be "ok" without sleep!"Sleep is for the weak"
LOL! That is when I realize eight hours later: I'm one of the weak!
Yes, yes, yes, 20 times. Other people just dont get it
#1, #6, and #10--so me. #7 made me laugh out loud--been there, too.I'd like to add: When you are choosing a book to re-read; trying to decide which imaginary world you want to re-visit. :)
Autumn wrote: "Knowing that someday I will die and my to-read list will be just as full as it is today."Or even longer, considering I add 3-5 new books for each one I read.
