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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 401-450 of 922 (922 new)
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Carolyn
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Mar 16, 2017 07:32AM
Someone saying, "well, these are really reading material" while looking at all of your various genres of books on your book shelves.
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I also suffer from all 20 of the list above!
I might be the only weirdo with this issue. When I cannot get to the end of a chapter, I always like to read until there is a page that a sentence ends on. I look ahead to the page and shoot for the first page that ends with a period.
Yes I've suffered most of the above, but not a) reading in the tub - books are too precious b) starting books & not finishing it - I have to read to the end. Tell me what happens when you read a book, and no other book matches up to it. I have two such books that travel in my heart. One I have on my bookshelf, the other was borrowed from the library - I don't have the money to buy one. However, all said & done, I can't stop reading, and sometimes I end up with one too many books & too little time to read them all.
and when you're almost done with a book, but you have to bring another one because you know you're gonna finish the first one and then not have anything to read.
Reading a book that's painfully tragic and you want to stop because it's destroying you but you don't want to stop because it's so good!
MichelleJ wrote: "The fact that, all boys in books are so much better than boys in reality.(sigh)"
lol taht's exactly what i think and too bad we can't find boys in reality like the one in books #fictional charecters are the best XD
I get far too emotionally involved in fictional characters. There are a few writers that I want to take the characters away from them and tell them that they can't have them back until they learn how to play nice. (looking at Sherrylin Kenyon regarding the League Series)
How about the author dying (of old age) while you are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series...
Definitely suffer from all of those.One to add:
Coming into a series a little late, buying the first book in soft cover, then loving it and buying the rest new, so they're in hardcover. Then I can never find the first one in hardcover to match.
Oh! Also: Not having enough money to buy new books ALL THE TIME. Finding a good looking one on Goodreads, obsessing over reading it because it sounds so good, then finding it's not in your library's collection. Argh!!
Felicia wrote: "I have no shame in saying I suffer from all the above-stated problems."Not a shame shall be given #Booksforever <3
Anna wrote: "How about the author dying (of old age) while you are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series..."I've had that happen a couple of times. It really sucks.
Toni wrote: "I can relate to all 20."SAME it happens almost every day
Rebecca wrote: "Felicia wrote: "I have no shame in saying I suffer from all the above-stated problems."Thank god I'm not the only one. I thought maybe I was crazy ahah"
Fantastic, I am proud to say that I am the same. :D
I am so glad I am not the only one - I suffer from all the above and proud of it!
"Ordering a book online and getting the book with the movie cover. A book with a movie cover just doesn't feel the same."I avoid movie covers at all cost. I really don't like them.
Having a Kindle solved some of the above problems but not the one of being bopped in the nose because I fell asleep reading. Ow! I like my Kindle because I can make the type bigger and it doesn't change the size of the book but it never goes near the bath.
For me No.1 hits particularly hard, I work in a bookstore.As for the others, lets face it we all suffer from those.
Finishing a book, being totally absorbed by its characters, when you want to know, what will happen to then further and knowing that there is NO sequel
When you ordered your books online and it comes in the mail damaged -_-
Knowing you have a test in the morning but its 4 am and you JUST CANT POSSIBLY STOP READING IT CUZ ITS AT THE BEST PART. #thestruggleisreal
Libby wrote: ""Ordering a book online and getting the book with the movie cover. A book with a movie cover just doesn't feel the same."I avoid movie covers at all cost. I really don't like them."
I think it depens from the case. I had to get World War Z with movie cover, the other version was just_so_ugly.
For reading while eating, get a cookbook stand. It folds flat; you can even take it to restaurants. I have done this since I was very little, as did my book-addict mother.
Going to Second and Charles and looking in the free bin and pulling out a bunch of books you will probably never read because they are not really your type but you cant resist. It's impossible to pass up free books to add to your already tight shelf space.
I totally agree with this list..!!! Completely stole the words from my mouth.... I've got in a lot of trouble for forgetting something important while finishing an interesting novel..!!! I read somewhere, " That moment when you finish a book, look around, and realize that everyone is just carrying on with their lives... As though you didn't just experience emotional trauma at the hands of a paperback.." No truer words were ever said..!!!!!!
"Feeling sad for people who don't really exist." Kimberly Moniz, I like this quote as I too do this with tears running down my face.When an author can make you feel like this -you must read them often.
So happy I'm not alone with my book obsession. I do suffer from panic attacks thinking that I will never read half the books I want to read or miss reading a wonderful book out here because I don't know it exists....
With the exception of the bath dilemma I am can certainly relate to all of these. Especially #2 and #5.
Linda wrote: "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..."
No, it isn't just you and yes, it is a distraction.
I don't read e-books but my similar experience has been with print editions: typos, misspelled words or words whose spelling conveys a different meaning than intended. You gotta wonder, where are the copy editors? Spellcheck? I never used to see this kind of thing.
What about when the book lover moves far far away from all her bookshelves. The absolute worst day was donating hundreds of books because there was no place for the in the new house. I'm still grieving.
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..."I did it for the first time this week, started reading 3 books at once and it was exhausting! Finally, I avoided all temptations and read one book at a time, Finished the second one last night/this morning. Phew!!
Linda wrote: "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.)"
You really don't want to know lol lets say it exceeds 26gb
I's creepy how accurate these reasons are in describing my emotions. >_< ALL. 20. PROBLEMS. ARE. XD
You people who read in the bath should try waterproof e-reader Kobo H20.... I never read in the bath cause I seem to have just sat down when the water is already freezing.
Mine has always been going to the library and trying to force yourself to only walk out with 3 tops but you want to grab 4 more!
#2 describes me perfectly although lately the books I've read had characters I didn't connected with or cared for and that made me more sad.
Tammy wrote: "My other comment is needing to have all the book covers of your favourite book, resulting in multiple copies of the same book. Also, the book covers in a series need to match, so when they change t..."It is the WORST when they change cover styles. Or sizes? I had the Odd Thomas series in paperback, but by the time they got to the 5th book, the trade paper back size got taller and narrower for some reason, so the last 3 look wrong.
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 for."The trick is to stop about 3 paragraph before the end of the chapter. Why does every chapter have a cliffhanger? The whole book is in my hand! End chapters at a stopping point, not at a point where I have to keep reading! lol
For me it would be losing a book. One time I left a book in the bathroom at work and I went back to get it and it was gone. I had to re-buy the book because I had been right in the middle of it!Another is lending books and NEVER getting them back. That happened to me a couple of times. You think I would have learned the first time! I don't loan books anymore!
#12I have a clip which attaches to the pages and holds the book open so I can eat and read at the same time. Best gadget ever!
Having to turn to e-books because you have no space left for books in your house and because actual physical books are so damn expensive in your country.
