There’s nothing quite like being able to live a thousand lives, travel hundreds of miles and experience a wide array of emotions, all without moving. For those of us who are completely addicted to their portable magic, life can always be an adventure. People who read regularly are better emphasizers, have impressive vocabularies (obviously) and are consistently learning new and interesting things. But it isn’t always easy being a bookworm. Here are 28 things only book lovers get to experience.
1. The mental hangover you have the day after you decide to stay up all night to finish a book.
2. Getting strange looks or being ignored when you quote a book none of your friends have read.
3. Hearing the words “I don’t read” and being instantly turned off.
4. That panic attack you have when you start running out of shelf space.
5. Falling in love with fictional characters.
6. And subsequently being disappointed when real people fail to meet the standards set by literary characters.
7. The struggle of waiting for the next book in a series.
8. Always having to explain why the book was better than the movie.
9. Constantly being interrupted while reading and dealing with people who obviously can't take a hint.
10. Forgetting that the real world exists beyond the paperback world you’re immersed in.
11. Crying or laughing in public over a book and not giving a damn about all the judgmental stares you’re getting.
12. Being asked by friends and family members if you’re okay after you have experienced some severe, emotional trauma from a good book.
13. Forgetting to eat or sleep because you’re so completely invested in a story.
14. The strange mixture of excitement and sadness you feel when the cashier at the bookstore tells you the total of your book haul.
15. The blind rage you experience when someone ruins the ending of a book for you.
16. The mischievous urge you have to tell someone the ending of a movie or TV series because they didn’t care enough or want to read the book.
17. Being called antisocial by someone who thinks you read too much.
18. The realization that you prefer books over most people.
19. The comforting smell you inhale like a drug when you leaf through a book.
20. The longing you feel when you see a really awesome library.
21. Being dragged out of a bookstore or library after what is technically hours but feels more like minutes.
22. The betrayal you feel when a book doesn’t live up to the hype surrounding it.
23. The excitement you feel when you lend someone a book because it's a tiny piece of your soul.
24. Not getting that book you lent out back or getting it back in horrible condition.
25. Being overjoyed when getting books or gift cards to Barnes and Noble as presents for your Birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc.
26. That delightfully rebellious feeling you get from skipping out on doing homework to finish a book.
27. That horrible feeling you get when you forget to bring along a book you've been reading.
28. And finally, the never-ending struggle of deciding what to read next.
