I’ve been reading a lot lately. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a huge reader since I was first able to read. My mom would often put books in my crib when I was an infant. She’d usually find me sitting in my crib most mornings, reading the books upside down.

This summer, after taking quite a hiatus this past school year, I'm determined to get back to my reading ways. All throughout elementary, middle and high school, I’ve loved to read. I mean, I’m studying to be a high school English teacher, it really is in my job description to read a lot. But this past school year, being that college is so busy, I wasn’t able to read as much as I would have liked.

So, since being home, I’ve realized how much of a book lover I really am. And after spending time with people who really love to read, I’ve compiled a list of quirks or traits that tend to come with the label of “book lover.” Take a peek at the list and see if you agree with my points. My list is imperfect, so you can be a book lover even if these points don't perfectly describe you. And if you’re not a book lover, but you know someone who is, take a minute to appreciate the bookworm in your life.

1. Book lovers love to smell books.

Ha. No, it’s true. Especially old books. Walking into a bookstore with a book lover instantly becomes a multi-sensory experience. The sights, the sounds and especially the smells are all things for a book lover to absorb when entering a library or bookstore. For a book lover, going to the bookstore isn’t an errand, it’s an experience. Smelling books is not only part of the experience, but the icing on the cake. It definitely sounds weird, but ask any book-loving friend and they’ll tell you the same.

2. Book lovers love to read more than one book at a time.

Reading more than one book at a time may be hard for some, and a few book lovers may not do that, but many dedicated readers tend to have their nose stuck in more than one. Being engaged in multiple books is entertaining; it allows you to be involved in multiple stories, read the plights of multiple characters and provides various options for reading based on your mood. Book lovers often take pleasure in the ability to leaf through the pages of many books at once.

3. Book lovers could spend hours at a library or bookstore.

Apart from the multi-sensory experience a library or bookstore offers, book lovers are easily excited by the shelves of books available at their fingertips. Genre after genre is offered, and at a library, getting these books is free. At a bookstore, book lovers have the opportunity to buy a brand new book to take home and add to their collection. Spending hours in a bookstore or library is a given quality for any bookworm, and could turn into a dangerous, time-sensitive habit given the geographical location of bookworm to bookstore.

These were just a few traits of a book lover. I hope you enjoyed either identifying with these traits, or took the time to think of and appreciate any bookworms you may know!