Confessions of a Bookworm

10Nov
by Cherryl

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 else  has read ‘your’ book, and in some cases, they’ve left little interesting notes in the margins (preferably in pencil).

Decisions, decisions

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 buying  – 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.

Are you sitting comfortably?

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 problem  – 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.

Engrossed

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 reading  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.

Please do not disturb

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. 

Time well spent

Finding bargains can be time consuming, but a bargain book stand is hard to resist.

Bargain books

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,  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!

Better than wallpaper

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!

28 thoughts on “Confessions of a Bookworm”

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  4. 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

    Reply

  6. 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 .

    Reply

  11. my30somethingadventures.wordpress.com/

    Nodding along with this! I’m also doing the Goodreads challenge 🙂
    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.

    Reply

  15. 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!

    Reply

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