If you’re a bookworm you’ll probably understand and nod your head as you read on.
Acceptance of the bookworm title
I fully embrace the title, I never try to deny it.
Impatient
Sometimes I just can’t wait to get a book finished, just so I can get started on another one with a ‘clean slate’ feeling.
Greedy Reader
I usually have at least two books on the go at any given time and alternate between them.
Smell
When I get a new book, I always smell the pages – weird I know!
Touch
Paperbacks are my favourite, they feel softer and more comfy in my hand than a bulky hard back book.
Losing track
Once I bought a book, only to realise I already had a copy on my shelf after I’d finished reading the bought copy. To make matters worse, the copy on my shelf had been a free copy I’d received about a year previous – I’d forgotten all about it.
Preloved
Second hand books are the most comfy of all (paperbacks in particular). The spine is relaxed, page edges have softened and then there’s the element of knowing someone elseΒ has read ‘your’ book, and in some cases, they’ve left little interesting notes in the margins (preferably in pencil).

Small joys
Adding a new book to the shelf is deeply satisfying.
Segregation
Books I haven’t read yet used to be kept separate, ( should probably go back to this – keeping a ‘to read’ pile) they couldn’t join ‘the gang’ until they’d gone through the complete ‘beginning to end’ process. This was helpful in curbing my book buyingΒ – seeing all the books that still needed to be read at a glance.
Nowadays it’s a bit trickier due to the growing numbers.
Can’t Wait
I’m always on the look-out for new books long before I finish the one’s I’m currently reading. I always like to have books on standby – knowing there’s a queue adds motivation to get reading.
Books come first
If I’ve already seen the film, I don’t want to read the book. The point of the book is to get my imagination going and this is ruined once I’ve already got images from a film in my mind.

Digital – no thanks
I have not, and probably will not convert to the kindle. I’m an old fashioned bookworm; half the joy of reading comes from the physical experience of holding the book, admiring the cover, flicking through the pages and seeing the chunk of how much I’ve read so far, before seeing the book sit snuggly on the shelf with all the rest once I’ve read it.
Accessories
I love collecting bookmarks. Geeky yes, ashamed no.
Do not disturb
I like to be alone when I’m reading, no distractions or interruptions.
Disturbances that don’t disturb
Somehow, when on holiday, the distractions of others seemed to be less of a problemΒ – it must be a psychological shift in tolerance levels.
Healthy addiction
Once a bookworm, always a bookworm. Once you find books you’re into, they can become addictive. Whether it’s escapism you’re after, or just diving into a topic of interest and intrigue.
Overpacker
I’ve never travelled light. The four+ books I usually have in my luggage might be fractionally responsible for this.
Book nosey
I’m always curious about what people are reading, so don’t be surprised if you see me eyeing up your book cover. But I suppose there are worse things.
Order
I like to organise most of my book shelves by spine colours. Others are grouped by topic to make them easier to find – e.g. plants, gardening, health, travel guide related.
I’ve never tried an audio book. Technically they’re not books – more like a film with no visuals.

Dismissed
If I don’t like a book I don’t keep it. It either goes to the charity shop or I leave it at one of the books swap shelves you find in a lot of stations nowadays.
Targets
Joining the Goodreads annual book challenge got me even more obsessed with readingΒ books, in order to meet my target – I’m competing with myself here. I can’t believe how many books some people manage to read per year – must be their full time job!!
Withdrawal symptoms
A bookworm who goes more than a week without reading a book is like a healthy human that doesn’t eat any fruit or veg for a week. You feel a lack, a malnourishment.

Take note
I always have a notebook and pen handy when reading at home – never know when a thought worthy of note might occur, or perhaps the characters in the book are a bit hard to keep up with until you get deeper into the story – so an odd reminder note might help with who’s who.
Decisions Decisions
I’m quite choosy about my books, I can spend ages scouring reviews and reading back covers before making a precious purchase online or off.Β
Time well spent
Finding bargains can be time consuming, but a bargain book stand is hard to resist.

Hotels
I love having a nosey though hotel libraries, you never know what book gems you might find.
Are you sitting comfortably?
I’m convinced that deep sinking arm chairs were invented with bookworms in mind.
Delays are OK
Delayed train, delayed plane – no problem. More reading time.
Cringe
Watching someone bend a book page instead of using a bookmark gives me the same feeling of hearing a scratch on a chalk board.
Closest thing to mind reading?
A book can take you deep into the mind, heart and imagination of another human being,Β I think that’s pretty awesome. I’m being permitted to get into and intrude on a snapshot of someone else’s thoughts for a short while – quite a privilege really.
Home Decor
A reading room with all walls covered with book filled shelves from floor to ceiling, a rustic fireplace, cosy rugs, sinking chairs etc…. perfect. Books add a cosy feeling to a room as well as making interesting reading material, and all those books probably make good sound proofing too!

Relaxing
When fully immersed, a book steals your mind’s attention away from all other distracting thoughts, stresses etc. It’s a mind vacation of sorts.
I’d love to hear your bookworm confessions below!
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Rachel Hayashi Aki
OMG! You have just described me! Bookworm here too haha…especially the part where you say you’ll never read the book after watching the movie, me too! I thought I was the only weird one haha. Thanks(>_<) Love your post. Keep writing, keep reading! XD
Cherryl
Lol π you are not alone! Thanks for reading.
The Voracious Bibliophile
Amazing post! My bookworm confessions are as follows:
1. I, too, cannot bear folded pages. Sometimes when I find an old book with all corners folded, I can sit down for an hour, just unfolding all the pages.
2. I get a book hangover every time I finish a brilliant book with a lot of plot twists. I try reading the book again to get over it, but it doesn’t work.
3. I really don’t like lending books, even to my closest friends because… they’re not me. So I can’t trust them with my precious books! What if a page ends up… folded?! Or what if there’s food on it? I’m sure you understand…
I’d love for you to check out my bookish blog! Here’s the link: https://thevoraciousbibliophile.wordpress.com
Cherryl
lol – there are lots of risks involved in lending our books to people and don’t get me started on food….I agree, trying to read a book again doesn’t work – the feeling is flat because you already know much of what’s coming…..give it a few years and then read it again maybe! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, fellow bookworm π
LunaL377
when your friends ask you what you plan on doing this summer and your like, “try to read as many books as i can before school starts?”
meriamathew
Hi cherryl,so glad to meet you .I am a bookworm too and I can strongly relate to many of your words. I am such an ardent reader that even my family is so pissed off with me becoz while they will be discussing hard about things and i will be busy reading …..the moment they see a book in my hand their facial expression changes……..”why do you read so much?” “cant you talk instead “, “what is there to read so much?”,”How can you read like this ?”thus goes on the comments…
# I too share exactly the same thought as you regarding audiobooks.
#I love walking through and scanning books in a book shop and libraries though i wont take or buy any.
#I even love the images..yes i mean photos of people reading especially with a coffee and wearing glassess. and the images of piles of books,open books etc .so funny right?
#I am so envious of people reading when i dont happen to have a book with me.
When i see someone reading,am so curious to know what it is
#At times while reading certain books,i am so sad that it is gonna finish and more often am so eager to start the next .
Cherryl
Hi there, thanks for sharing your thoughts…only fellow bookworms truly understand lol πππ
quercuscommunity
I have a few audio books for the car – they were cheap. I also have a Kindle with about 350 books on it – mainly 99p or free – and no storage problems. However, all my important books have to be proper books, and they have to go on a bookshelf – it’s the proper way to read!
Cherryl
Books are definitely the proper way to read for me too, there’s no substitute ππ
Sharvina.y
You’re so right! Books are great in so many ways.
The Traveling Gingerbread
I love this and am a fellow book worm. I agree, audio books are not books. Someone else reading it to me takes the magic away.
Cherryl
Bookworms united lol – thanks for reading this ππβ
Antonio V.
I am totally a bookworm. I have SO many books I have not even touched yet:)
Cherryl
Hi fellow bookworm!! I think it has to be one of the healthiest and harmless addictions to have…..surely! ππ
my30somethingadventures.wordpress.com/
Nodding along with this! I’m also doing the Goodreads challenge π
Confession 1: I get a book hangover when a brilliant book is finished. I take a day to get over the fact the book is finished and then I put it on my bookcase and move on.
Confession 2: I’m a hesitant book lender because I love my books and they aren’t always returned (or returned in the condition they left in).
Confession 3: the bookcase my husband built is my favourite thing in our study. I don’t love furniture very often but I adore the bookcase.
Cherryl
Thanks for sharing these, I’m glad you’re nodding to mine, I’m not alone then!! In particular I absolutely relate to confession #3 and have lost books in the past when people didn’t give them back – then I have to buy the book again. Plus that awful feeling of knowing there’s a book missing from the shelf while it’s on loan…ππ
Stuart L. Tutt
I too love books. I can’t stand the folding of pages as a bookmark either. But I do prefer hardback over paperback. My daughter loves reading as much as I do…but my son is a work in progress…lol
Cherryl
Lol, you’ll make a bookworm out of him yet, just got to get him hooked! ππβ
Stuart L. Tutt
I hope so!
Anonymous
I use both a Kindle and real books. The Kindle is for my escapism novels and then I have βrealβ books to keep and treasure
Kurian
Interesting confessions Cherryl. Thank you
samuelsonandscott
I too am a book aficionado. As a child I read so much. Jack London’s Call of the Wild was particularly fascinating. I was right there beside him. I’m starting to read again. Mysteries are a big draw, especially Robert B. Parker novels. The Promised Land was very good -He got the Edgar award (I wonder if that was Edgar Allan Poe) …and I can see why. The classics are the best!
Cherryl
Thanks for sharing this – I think it’s great to catch the bookworm bug when you’re young. Just googled Robert B Parker, he’s written a good number of books and I like a bit of mystery/psychological thriller – might be one to try out πβ
samuelsonandscott
Parker’s books are simple books like Agatha Christie. Woven with a master’s hand. Different style -an easy read.
mstevensphotography
I love to see people reading in public, especially young people.
Cherryl
I agree, it makes a nice change from seeing people engrossed with their phones, frantically tapping and scrolling away! ππ