Top Ten Book Geek Problems
I’m loving this week’s topic, as there’s so many Book Geek problems only other Book Geeks understand!! Looking forward to seeing what everyone picks! (PS I often tweet with #bookgeekproblems – join me in my whinging!)
1. When someone asks to borrow one of your favourite books…
Very few people are given the privilege of being able to borrow my favourite books. One person actually. My sister. And she’s forewarned each and every time to treat them like the beauties they are. If I really like you, and I’m pushing a book on you, I’ll just buy you your own copy 😀
2. When you pretty much fall in love with a fictional person…
We’ve all swooned over a fictional character and only other Book Geeks can truly understand that your unrequited love is a real emotion. Whyyy can’t they be real?! Why?!
3. When you say you’re going to read one more chapter before bed, but then the book gets really good and you stay up until the early hours to finish it, and aren’t mentally present the next day…
4. When you have to try not to judge people who don’t read/don’t understand why you read/who judge you for being a reader…
I know there are people out there who don’t read at all. I come into contact with them on a regular basis. But I get really irked when they find out I’m a reader and look at me like I’m an alien, or ask me why I read because it’s so “boring”.
5. When you witness someone dog-earring a page, or throwing a book around haphazardly and you just know they’ve creased the cover…
Do you even know what you’re doing?! Stop it! You’re wrecking the book!! YOU’RE HURTING IT!…
6. When you buy a book with a special offer/movie adaptation sticker on it, and don’t realise until you get home that it just will. not. come. off…
It’s inevitable that one of two things will happen in this scenario – either the top part will come off and leave that sticky papery mess behind (which fluff WILL find and stick to), or you are over-zealous and take half the book cover off with it (happens most often with beautiful matt covers).
7. When you go on a book buying ban and suddenly ALL you can think of is ALL THE BOOKS!
8. Loving authors, and signed copies of books, but rarely never getting to meet those authors, or acquire signed books because you live in the abyss where authors never visit…
Where I live isn’t even that obscure, authors go to the UK mainland all the time, but our little nook gets forgotten all the time and I don’t know why. The remaining book stores here could make a TON if they hosted authors as part of a tour and publicised it well!
9. When you read so much you become obsessed with grammar mistakes and HAVE to correct them…
10. When you’re reading and people constantly talk to you/distract you/ask you things because you’re “just reading”…
I LOVED this topic so much and could easily fill ten spots weekly for a year! What have you picked today? Link me up in the comments so I can flail with you!
Confessions of a Book Geek 
I loved this topic too! I could have have written a top 40 haha! When people judge you for being a reader when really they’re the ones who are weird!!!
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We could definitely make HUGE lists for this week’s topic! R x
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I hate when people dismiss reading as an almost “silly” hobby, or one that they can’t imagine you’d want to do for fun. Reading was always my thing when I was little, more so than other sports and extracurriculars, and even now I get people who are like “now that you’re out of college why would you ever want to read again?!” If anything, since I’ve graduated I read MORE because I have more time for pleasure reading!
My TTT
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I struggle with this. I really do. I don’t get how reading or being bookish can be seen as silly, when it’s surely the opposite?! Oh, I was/am the same! Give me two hours with a book over sports etc. any day! And I’m the same! In the college years I barely read at all because of the amount of uni-related reading I had to do, I couldn’t look near a book, and thought I’d grown out of reading for fun. It was liberating that the week I graduated I got lost in 3 novels straight away! R x
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#4 and #9! I’m so very annoyed by people acting like reading is a lesser activity or like there’s something wrong with you for doing it! It’s totally ridiculous and really rude 😦
I’m terrible about being grammar crazy! I’m so nitpicky!
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Exactly, since when did reading become a “lesser” activity?! Are you kidding me?! Lol R x
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Ha, great post! I can totally relate to lending people books (and getting them back after a year all dog-eared), having people judge you for reading, living in a place where authors never come, having book boyfriends, … all of it, really.
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Haha thanks! I loved today’s topic because we can all relate to each other! R x
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I agree, this topic is so great! I totally get what you mean about the judgment on being a reader/not being a reader. I can’t help but be disappointed when I find out that someone doesn’t read, which seems strange to a lot of people. It’s just a really big part of my life, and I love when I can enjoy books with other people!
My TTT: http://nutfreenerd.com/2015/02/17/top-ten-tuesday-oh-those-books/
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Thank goodness for the online community! When we fangirl over something we can feel pretty awkward about it because no one else in real life gets it, but now I can let my crazy out online instead 🙂 R x
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Oh, man. I hate it when people think I’m not doing anything just because I’m reading…..frustrating thing. Great list! Here’s mine https://ireadboooks.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/book-related-problems/
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That does my bap in!! I am doing something, I’m READING! Lol R x
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haha…these are great!! I HATE those damn stickers. Don’t they understand how annoying they are!?! I wish more authors came to little old Ohio, preferably close to where I live. It never happens. *sad panda*
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Thanks, B! I hate those ones that pretend to be stickers, but they’re not even stickers, they’re raised parts of the cover that can’t come off, even more though! They LIE to you! The last time I remember an author being here was at least 10 years ago and it was Cecelia Ahern, who’s from here. I googled the shit out of author events in Ireland/NI and nada… zilch… Haha what is a sad panda?! I love it already! R x
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Lol, just a phrase we use when we’re sad. 🙂
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Nice list, and I loved the addition of the photos! If you want, check out my list at https://bookishtendencieskatie.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/top-ten-book-related-problems/
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Love every single one of these! Stickers on books are the worst! I saw somewhere on tumblr that you can use a hair dryer to heat up the sticker which makes it easier to remove with a flat object. I haven’t tried this myself yet, but when I come across one of those demon-stickers, I’m willing to do anything.
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That could be a life-saver for me! We should do Bookish Tips for those sorts of things! Wonder would that still leave the fluff-attracting sticky residue? It’s not so bad on shiny covers, because you can use a SLIGHTLY damp wet cloth to remove the grubbiness, but if it’s a fancy cover you’re screwed. R x
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That’s a fantastic idea! Next time I buy a used book with one of those stickers, I’m going to try the hair dryer method.
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My top one has to be staying up late to finish just one…..or two…or three chapters! Oh so tired, but so want to read more! Great list, I’ll check out your Twitter #`s too. 🙂
Amanda.
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Haha – it’s worse when a book has short chapters, because you try to justify reading just one more, and then before you know it it’s 3am, your arm is dead and the book is finished… Thanks! I should start doing #bookgeekproblems more often! R x
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I’m always telling people not to be judgmental but not judging people who don’t read is really hard for me too. An exercise in practising what I preach, I guess.
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Very true. I think it’s a little tougher because readers are judged so much by non-readers, so it’s hard not to take an automatic defensive position? I also judge when I see other people’s bookcases (or judge when a house doesn’t have one AT ALL)… I need to get better at that… R x
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Your list is like you went into my brain. I can relate to every single one. However, there are a few that stood out. I don’t lend books to anyone except my husband (because I trust him, but also I can watch him like a hawk while he’s reading) and have been known to just buy a book for someone rather than lend it to them. I’ve had too many bad experience with supposed “friends” who should have known better but returned my books with broken spines and mysterious stains. NO. Also the grammar thing. I cannot handle when there are typos on every second page. It irritates me enough to take me out of the story. Also, speaking of “story,” what is with authors using “stories” when they mean “storeys” these days? It’s just WRONG but they all seem to be doing it.
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Haha! I actually have bought quite a few books for people in the past 12 months – I’ve become an official book-pusher! Usually people don’t understand why returning books in bad condition is so upsetting, if they return them at all! A friend of mine, I was tempted to lend her a book, but she came to my house with one of her own that was only a few days old, and you should have SEEN the state of it! The decision was instantly made not to lend! I do the grammar correcting in real life now too, like on Facebook comments lol I haven’t seen that yet, but I’ll pick up on it now! It’s not a grammar thing, but that “I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding” malarky – is there an annual secret author convention where they share this?! It’s EVERYWHERE, and while I “get it”, does it need to be used so often?! Now when an author goes out of their way to describe that feeling in a new way they get a mental hug from me! R x
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Oh those pesky stickers! Waterstones seem to enjoy putting stickers on everything. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been to an author signing. We tend to get mostly reality stars in our town but I should check the London bookshops more often. What’s the best Colleen Hoover to start with? I’ll give one a go.
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Yes, they do! Luckily though they usually come off easily? Ohh you should! If I lived close to somewhere that had signings I’d definitely go, but we don’t really get many in Belfast let alone Dublin, which are the two biggest cities, so I’m stuck lol.
Now. Colleen Hoover. So far, I’ve read three of her books – Never Never Part 1, Maybe Someday and Ugly Love. I’d probably not start with Never Never because the other parts aren’t being released yet, so that could drive you crazy (like it’s doing to me!). Maybe Someday is fantastic, I loved it when I read it last year, and reread it this year and STILL loved it. It’s her mixed media book that has a custom soundtrack written for it. SO good. Ugly Love is a little steamier and has slightly older protagonists, I adored it too, so I can recommend either of those to start with. Her new book Confess is out in March, I’ve preordered it, and it’s getting great reviews! It has images of custom art in it. I don’t know where CoHo gets her inspiration from, but it’s so original! Let me know if you read anything by her! R x
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Nice list of book related problems!! Here’s a link to my TTT for the week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2015/02/top-ten-tuesday-ten-book-related.html
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I love your list, especially 5 & 6! I HATE those damn stickers!!!
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Lol! Thanks for commenting! R x
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hahahhahahhaah #8 though! That’s PERFECT!
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Lol thanks! R x
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Oh, man, number 1 gets me all the time and I totally neglected to include it on My TTT ! I hate when people ask to borrow my books. It’s an innocent question, and I feel weird having to explain that my books are more than just books to me; they’re a part of a collection and also I love them, so no, you cannot borrow them. I stopped loaning out books when I never got my copy on new moon back from a friend before she moved.
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Not giving copies back is just SO rude! I don’t understand Book Geeks who are comfortable lending – my dad has a series he ADORES and he’s had to buy so many copies over the years because every time he lent it out he’d never get it back. R x
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yeah, I’ll ocassionally lend out a book that I’m not too fond of (like right now my friend is borrowing my copy of Mockingjay) and I’ll be okay with running the no-return risk because I know I wouldn’t really miss the book anyways. But my favorites (or even just the ones I like at all) are never being lent out again.
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I read the three Hunger Games books about… 2 years ago now, maybe more. And I gobbled them up! The third one was a little disappointing, I felt it should have been 4 books really. But, I’d love to reread them to see what I think now having read so many great reads in the past year of blogging. Don’t think I could lend that one out! But I do that too, if someone wants to lend a book they can have one I’m not too fussed on, great way to cull the TBR pile too really, because if I never see it again I won’t know what I’m missing but when it’s staring me in the face I need to read it. R x
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I’m convinced that people who don’t like to read have some sort of reading related “trauma” – their parents didn’t read to them, or they struggled learning to read, or were only given really boring books as a child, etc.
Off topic, but I saw that Kathleen Hale book in Barnes and Noble the other day – I really wanted to hide it in the bathroom! If I hadn’t had my kids in tow, I might have.
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I definitely wonder if the – people who don’t like to read just haven’t found the right book – thing is true, or if some people are just genuinely wired differently.
Is her new one out already? I haven’t seen it anywhere in the blogging community, and doubt I will to be honest. I wonder will the impact even be felt? The general public may not have followed what happened, but it’s still very fresh in my mind! R x
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Well, my husband has never been much of a reader. He has no memories of his parents (both fairly big readers) reading to him, and he was put in remedial reading as a child (when he moved from our state to Pennsylvania for awhile – one of the reasons I homeschool). For him, reading felt hard, so he didn’t enjoy it. Recently, he has started reading graphic novels and he LOVES them!
The book I saw was No One Else Can Have You. I don’t think her new one is out yet.
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That’s strange/sad, why would two reader parents not read to their child?! I can see why things like remedial reading would put someone off, the system isn’t quite right yet! Graphic novels is something I still haven’t tried yet, but I’m getting more and more curious as time goes on! R x
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My guess is that they read to him when he was little but stopped once he learned to read. I’ve always believed that you should read to children early (I read to mine in utero) and continue at LEAST until they reach their teens (my mom read to me until I moved away to college!). Read things that are too hard for them to read themselves, but which they can comprehend, explain words they don’t understand, share your childhood favorites and discover new favorites. Reading to / with my children is one of the best parts of my day!
I am not a big fan of graphic novels for myself – because of their nature, they are very dialogue heavy, which I don’t enjoy – but I’m thrilled that my husband is reading!
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That’s an interesting point, about when parents stop reading to you. I was a pretty independent reader fairly early on, but I think maybe I read on my own from around… 7 maybe onwards? I was always told I had a pretty insatiable appetite as a kid for being kept entertained, but I’d happily lose myself for hours in a book. I definitely think reading things to kids that is above their level of comprehension is a great idea, I think it would encourage more critical and mature thinking, maybe I wouldn’t struggle so much with the classics now if I was introduced to them at a younger age! Any reading is good reading, I guess! Do you think the in utero part makes a big difference?? R x
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I read on my own too (as do my children) but my mom read a LOT of classics to us. I also read classics to my kids – we finished The Sword and the Stone recently, and we’re going to start Anne of Avonlea soon. This quote captures it perfectly:
I doubt the in utero part made a big difference. I only did it a bit with my son and he is an insatiable reader. With my daughter, I was reading aloud to my son (he was 2 at the time) while I was pregnant. She loves books too. 🙂
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Beautiful quote, and very true! I like the idea of the in utero part though, maybe it means more to us to feel we’re passing something on, than it does scientifically! R x
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OMG. Those damn stickers! I just want to go up to the cashier and give them my most unhappy face. Grrr.
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I don’t know how anyone thinks they’re a smart idea?! There was a store here called Bargain Books and they used “easy peel” labels, I could have kissed their feet! R x
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Damn I hate those stickers! And yes I hate when people interrupt me while reading thinking I’d rather talk I stead…grrr….and those people who think we are weird because we read and have no idea what TV show they are talking about.
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Haha – is thinking someone is weird for reading a new thing? Where has this come from?? It’s strange. It’s one of the best hobbies you can have in my opinion 🙂 R x
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Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooood I hate those shitty sticker that never come off, they bug me so fucking much! HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY PRETTY BOOK WITH YOUR SHITTY STICKER? Gah! I hate when people interrupt me when I am trying to read. Sometimes, when the boyfriend keeps doing it, I eventually just have to snap and tell him to leave me alone until I’m done. I barely find time to read any more, so I get even more annoyed when I get interrupted.
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Hahah!! Sticker Rage! Constant interruptions when reading is infuriating though, especially when you’re in the middle of a really good book and you keep being pulled out of it. R x
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