The Never-Ending To-Be-Read Pile and Other Book Nerd Problems

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If you’re reading this post, I’m sure you know that I use the term “book nerd” in the most loving way possible. I’ve recently started posting some of my observations on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag “booknerdproblems,” and figured it might also make a fun topic for a blog post.

As part of my research, I spent some time perusing Pinterest, Twitter, and Tumblr and found plenty of material to pull from, which some might consider a book nerd problem in itself. Read on to see if you’ve ever experienced any of the “problems” below:

The book hangover. A few weekends ago, I desperately felt liked I needed a mental health break. Even though I had a zillion things to do around the house, I made the choice to download a book from one of my favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand, that I hadn’t read yet. I parked myself on the couch until I finished the book several hours later, and after my kids had wandered through the room a few times and even brought me a box of tissues at one point. The result was that I had what I like to call a “book hangover” for the next two days. It’s a cross between a headache and eyestrain, and simply not being able to stop thinking about what you just read. It’s awesome.

When you take a letter written by a fictional character personally. Have you ever read a letter in a novel or memoir that either takes your breath away or leaves you wide-eyed and clutching one hand over your chest? It’s happened to me several times. One that stands out in my mind vividly is the letter Will writes to Lou at the end of “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes. I won’t give any spoilers if you haven’t read the book, but wow.

When your TBR pile is taller than you, but you keep buying new/used books and checking them out from the library. Ah, yes. I know this one well. I have a slight problem with entering book giveaways (I swear I get a rush of adrenaline every time I come across a Rafflecopter form!) and I’ve been blessed with good luck. I have so many copies of books that haven’t even been read on my bookshelves. I've never met a book section of a thrift store that I didn't love. Also--when authors find out you like to review books, they often reach out to you and offer you free copies in exchange for reviews. And who wants to turn down a free book?

You feel guilty if you watch a movie without first reading the book. I’m not sure why this is, but I feel dishonest if I make plans to see a movie without first reading the book. There have been so many cases where I didn’t read a book when it first came out, only to break down and read it a few years later after the movie trailer had been released. I did this with John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, One Day by David Nicholls, and Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, to name a few.

So now I'd love to hear about your own book nerd issues. Share in the comments below!

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who is also obsessed with books new, old, and digital. At any given time you can find her reading three to four books simultaneously. When she’s not reading, she also writes fiction, articles for regional magazines, and works as a blog tour manager at WOW! Women on Writing. Visit her website at www.finishedpages.com.