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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 351-400 of 922 (922 new)
Rūta wrote: "Also, running into some road signs etc. because sometimes I even read walking from point A to B. In winter it's so challenging to turn a page with gloves on!"I have become so good at reading and walking, but only on the stretch I walk every day from house to station to work, and back.
I always have kindle and one paper book because, arggg, the sun and kindle don't go together.
I also don't like rain, holding my work bag and an umbrella and a book is to much, my arms will start hurting something fierce!!
12. "Not being able to read and eat lunch at the same time because you don't have a third arm." BernadetteI have solved this problem!
Reading your kindle while proped up on your keyboard.
Reading your book while being held down at the top by your keyboard, works fine, just try.
There are also handy little plastic gizmo's you can buy on ebay for 2$ or something that will keep your book open, they are like a miniature book stand but fold away to something as small as your phone.
I love to read there are more people who love books and reading so much, makes you feel less strange doesn't it?
I used to read in the schoolyard, other kids thought I was crazy.
Now the only thing that really bugs me is a lack of shelf space.
(and a fear of moving house!)
Love u all, keep reading :-)
Jennifer wrote: "Yes I agree with all of these. I would also add...When people interrupt you, thinking they're saving you from being bored enough to be reading, but you really just want to tell them to go away so..."
So true. You wish they would just go away!! I wonder what is the matter with those people and they wonder the same about me!
انا عندي مشكله اذا خلصت كتاب يجيني حاله هستيريه ابغى انزل المكتبه واشتري كتب بالرغم عندي كتب لسه ماقرائتها بس احس بالرعب احس بتنفذ كتبي ولا بحصل كتاب اقرأ ..!ا
انا عندي مشكله اذا خلصت كتاب يجيني حاله هستيريه ابغى انزل المكتبه واشتري كتب بالرغم عندي كتب لسه ماقرائتها بس احس بالرعب احس بتنفذ كتبي ولا بحصل كتاب اقرأ ..!ا
Vanessa wrote: "Going to the library and finding out they have the first 2 books in a trilogy but DONT HAVE THE LAST ONE!!!!"Even worse is wanting to read a recent release of a series that you haven't read yet, but not finding the earlier books.
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 are missing the FIRST ONE!!
All of them completely describe me! In fact now m sure its pretty normal.
Do Your Reading wrote: "My problem is starting too many books at the same time because I'll be in the middle of a good book but find something else that is so much more interesting that I have to start it even before I fi..."Exactly my problem!!!
Falling asleep when reading then losing your page.
I will have to tell my mom that I'm not the only CRAZY ONE!Another one for me is: Having red swollen eyes while reading so many books but still not able to put down the one in my hand!
No 2. OMG 2. Like I'm currently crying over a book character. Like why? Why? Why would you make me feel this way? *SOBBING*
Getting with a book fall over your head from your over cramped shelf and just get that ah ah moment you were expecting for so long.Finding the best arm position to read your book confortably with one hand while you use the other to do your work.
Fall asleep over your book and dreaming with its characters and story.
I'll tell you more later...
Avid and eclectic reader a good half-century, rare for me not to finish a book, most choices ranging from good to terrific reads.Well, say goodbye to that. In the last five years, I'm returning many books to the library unfinished, or as unsatisfactory reads and not uncommonly, a complete waste of my time.
What's happening out there in the publishing world?
Not being able to read in cars, trains, buses etc. because you are prone to motion sickness.
I suffer from all of the above. One of the riskiest things I have done with books is reading it from office, keeping it safe on the keyboard when you have a deadline to meet. And it becomes a lot more risky when you are in the vicinity of your Boss. I mean, come on, its inhuman and heartless to fire someone for reading a book? :D :P
Laura wrote: "I have a few to add: - Wanting to continue your book but you really can't because student responsibilities and deadlines
- 1 word: READING SLUMP
- Going on goodreads to look up a book someone re..."
Oh Laura, these are great. I have the same problem of looking up a book on goodreads, many more are always added to my TBR!!!
ugh! As selfish as it sounds, lending out books to other people is the absolute worst! Story time- I once lent my copy of insurgent to my friend, lets call her A (haha, pretty little liars reference). I made a literal list of things which she should resist from doing, while she is in possession of my book- no dog earing the pages, no ruining the spine,etc and handed it out to her.At first I was glad at how fast she returned my book- the very next day. Why? Well, she had folded the cover (liked really badly), so she got scared that i would kill her. So, to fix it, she ironed the cover. LITERALLY ACTUALLY IRONED IT, and burnt off half of the cover entirely . Then she meekly asked if she could borrow "Allegiant" from me. I was too much in shock to respond to that.
When a beloved character dies and you are crying and your family is looking at you like you are crazy because you are crying over a fictional character. This has happened to me many times.
Felicia wrote: "I have no shame in saying I suffer from all the above-stated problems."yrright, all of this is true, and no shame;)
Phoenix2 wrote: "Oh, the freezing hand!! And then you have to take the other hand out as well to turn the pages..."try fingerless gloves
I GOT ONE! BUYING A BOOK FOR SOMEONE ELSE AS A GIFT AND KEEPING IT FOR YOURSELF!
I haven't seen this problem mentioned yet, so maybe it's just me ...I'll be reading along (usually an ebook) and I'll be distracted by a misspelled word, or missing/misused punctuation, etc., and instead of paying attention to the story, my inner copy editor gets out her mental red pen and starts making notes of the corrections the author should have made.
Is it just me?
Princess Lauren wrote: "When people ask "what are you reading" and then try and grab your books.""What are you reading?"
"A Book."
"What is it about?"
"Stuff."
*they grab book and read the synopsis*
*I'm punching them inside my head*
My problem is I ran out of space on my kindle for all my e-books, so i updated my kindle to one which has an SD card, but it doesn't remember the page read unless i transfer the file to kindle on the external storage first - and .... trying to find a decent pc cataloguing system so i can mark when read
I suffer from all of the above but the 13th. I. NEVER. LEND. MY BOOKS. They are my beautiful babies, only I deserve them
Lisa-Jaine wrote: "My problem is I ran out of space on my kindle for all my e-books, ..."You ran out of space on your Kindle?! Wow! How many books ...? (Never mind, I'd just get jealous.)
I'm baffled by how many people say they don't read in the bathtub. I mean, what the hell do you do in your bath? XD Just sit there? Don't you get bored? I love to lie in the bubbles with a cushion behind my neck, a cup of tea on the side of the tub and a good book in my hands.I've never dropped a book in the water though. I'm very careful about that :)
Lynn wrote: "Agree with just about all of these - especially running out of space and deciding which book is the right one to start. Thank goodness for retirement!!!!!My main problem - when my cat has to be on..."
Lol! I have the same problem but doubled..... two cats, and both have to get onto my lap together, while I'm trying to read!!
Fatima wrote: "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 .."
Or buying the 16th book in a series because it was cheap and trying to find and buy the previous ones. Never doing that again, took me years to get them all and never really liked the series to begin with either.
Thinking murderous thoughts about the author because they killed off one of your favourite characters - grrrr!!
Oh and that horrible smell of burning, coming from the kitchen, because I picked up my book after putting the dinner on to cook....
Sonia189 wrote: "For me, all are true dilemmas except #10. I never get my books close to the tub..."Same here, although I don't have a bath so don't need to worry about it! Unless they make waterproof books to go in the shower, reading is restricted to everywhere else.
Steven wrote: "I too suffer from most of the mentioned problems, most notably lack of shelf space. We have remodeled twice now to increase shelf space. Now we either need another, major remodel or a move to an al..."I have all of these problems too! How true it is that electronic gadgets cannot replace the comforting feel and smell of the pages of a book. I wouldn't trade my paper books for anything! I only got an ereader when I needed to supplement my addiction.
My library always seems to have every book in the series except for the first one!
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..."
I appreciate that one! Get it all the time...
Simant wrote: "All the points above perfectly fits to me :D"Cz, yr a reader!
Reading in the sauna and the pages come off because the heat melted the glue in the binding. Limited access to bound books to read in the sauna due to previous issues with glued books.
I went to church and they have a new pastor. He broke the spine of his bible, because he flipped the pages (I don´t know how to explain – you understand what I mean?)I was not able to concentrate any more. I had to complain to my friend – with the same result. Not able to look away.
I never visited this church again – sorry to confess….
When you have a list of books you want to read and it keeps growing faster than you can read them. I'm at Olympic level in this one.
I work at library so I always end up checking out around 10 books at a time, and not having enough time to read them all so I end up having to return them. Or when you find a book you want to read on Goodreads then look it up at the library they don't have it in the system!
Felicia wrote: "I have no shame in saying I suffer from all the above-stated problems."
Basically how I feel. I don't care if someone complains about how I leave a book lying around in the bathroom.
Basically how I feel. I don't care if someone complains about how I leave a book lying around in the bathroom.
I have been through all of them, except I don't have a bath and I have become fairly good at eating lunch and reading at the same time.
5, 7, 8, and 9 are my biggest ones! Book hangovers have led me to immediately reread a book more than once!
At least now, with e-readers, things are getting easier. Not enough time, tough...
Getting to a 'can't stop reading' spot in the book and it's 3:00am........I got my eyesight blur and glasses more stout ....huh
- Wanting to continue your book but you really can't because student responsibilities and deadlines
- 1 word: READING SLUMP
- Going on goodreads to look up a book someone re..."
hehe true to all