Books are magical.

Composed only of paper and ink, and fueled by imagination, they act as portals to other worlds. For a time, we leave the confines of reality behind and travel to places where animals talk, wizards practice magic, or dragons are real.

The sense of transportation we gain from reading is something rarely found elsewhere, which is one of the reasons books are so amazing.

There are many different types of readers, but today I’m talking to the bookworms—the voracious readers who count books as one of the joys of the world (you know who you are). 😉

Being a bookworm is like having membership in an elite club. Not everyone can appreciate the joy, anguish, excitement, and emotional ache involved in loving books. Finding a fellow bookworm is a delightful experience. Finally, someone you can geek out over the beautiful intricacies of written stories.

Living as a bookworm comes with a unique reality that sometimes the outer world doesn’t understand.

What is it like to live this strange existence as a bookworm? Read on to find out.

Things Only Bookworms Understand and Empathize With

1. The emotional connection to and involvement in the lives of people who don’t exist (side effects include laughing, crying, worrying, and cheering)
2. The joyful thrill of walking into a bookstore or library
3. The smell of a new book as you fan through its pages that are begging to be explored
4. A stalwart love of hardcover books
5. While sitting in bed, the realization that, despite your good intentions to go to sleep, you can’t put the book down even though it’s now 2 am
6. The tendency to fangirl (or fanboy) over favorite authors, sometimes to the extent of making people wonder if you signed an endorsement contract
7. When it’s impossible to let go of a story, you write a continuation of events that follow
8. The moment when you look up and realize your mom has been trying to ask you a question for an entire minute and you didn’t hear her because you were too absorbed in the story
9. An increased beat of the heart, similar to the pounding of horse hooves, as you approach the end of a chapter you suspect will be a cliffhanger
10. The temptation (sometimes carried out) to throw a disappointing book across the room
11. The ease with which you lose track of time when reading
12. The custom of telling yourself “just one more chapter” until you end up finishing
13. A habit of letting your eyes stray to the end of a chapter to see what happens and therefore ruining the moment (see #9)
14. An addiction to buying books—and the inherent dangers to your bank account
15. The overwhelming need to rave to others about a book you love, and keep bugging them to read it until they do
16. An unusual obsession (to the outside observer) over the arrangement of your bookshelves (because let’s be honest, you have more than one)
17. The agonizing torture as you await the release of a sequel
18. The surge of emotions you experience when you finish a series you loved
19. Fondness of reading and re-reading favorite parts in a favorite book, in order to relive the experience again (I’ve done this multiple times with Lord of the Rings)
20. The giddy excitement you experience when you find a limited or special edition book
21. The paralyzing indecision over which books to buy when you don’t have enough money to buy each one you want (see #14)
22. Satisfaction gained in standing and admiring your bookshelves
23. The risk of turning blue from unknowingly holding your breath during a riveting part (see #9)
24. The sheer delight of getting gift cards you know you can spend on books (note to family and friends of bookworms: said gift cards make excellent birthday and Christmas presents) 😉
25. The feeling (and accompanying distress) that your best friends are imaginary
26. The skill of avoiding furniture and people while not looking, developed by simultaneously reading and walking
27. An endless TBR list that continues to grow despite your best efforts (who doesn’t have one, right?)

What are some of your bookworm habits? I’d love to hear your thoughts.