59 Things Only True Book-Lovers Understand

Getty
Every editorial product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission.

If you've ever read until the wee hours of the morning, powering through drooping, bloodshot eyes and the threat of dawn, then you may be a real book-lover. True book nerds live and breathe the stories that radiate from the well-worn pages of their favorite novels and are often more emotionally connected to fictional friends than those in real life. Because reality? It's never quite as magical as the worlds books hold. Book-lovers cry (read: sob uncontrollably) when tragedy strikes a character who is dear to them, they smile with utter satisfaction when that final loose end is tied up, and they cringe at the cliffhanger that leaves them hanging until the next book in the series is released. Here a few things that only true book-lovers will understand.

01

Knowing that the book is ALWAYS better.

02

What a "workout" really means.

03

The intricacies of a perfectly bound book.

04

Knowing exactly where your happy place is.

05

What makes a true friend.

06

The satisfaction of color coordinated classics.

07

The utter certainty of endless companionship.

08

What "absolute perfection" is.

09

Feeling personally victimized by an author.

10

The definition of a challenge.

11

The enigmatic beauty of a book fort.

12

What "one more page" translates to.

13
14

The chills you get from this:

15

Trying to come to terms with "real" jobs.

16

The epic, beautiful, painful, exciting, dangerous, magical adventures you take every day of your life.

17
18

The inability to let obligations get in the way of reading.

19

What to do when life is just too much.

20

Seeking the smell of books in everything.

21

The daunting list of to-reads that constantly haunts (and tempts) you.

22

Prioritizing your hobbies.

23

What being a "fan" of a book truly means.

24

The alternative definition of "hungover."

25

The utter denial you feel when a beloved character dies.

26

The feeling of finding book art that perfectly captures the essence of a novel.

27

The process of trying to justify buying more books.

28

The knowledge of what your own personal heaven would be.

29

What a perfect gift is.

30

Establishing priorities.

31

The serenity of reading a book by a fire in the Winter.

32

The importance of maintaining balance in your life.

33

The smell of perfection.

34

The constant struggle of accepting that real people just don't measure up to fictional ones.

35

The giddy feeling you get when the next novel in a series is coming out.

36

Loving book porn — as in looking at beautiful images of books.

37

Feeling irrationally possessive over your treasures.

38

The evolution of filling up (another) bookshelf.

39

The certainty that there is no such thing as "too many" books.

40

The love you feel for a rainy day.

41
42

The fact that books > pretty much everything else. Sorry, human friends.

43

Being misunderstood.

44

What ranks as a REAL problem.

45

That plans to go out are just not that important in comparison to bigger and better book things.

46
47

The potential daily hazards that being glued to a book can present.

48
49

The timelessness of book love.

50

Getting behind on all your shows because you can't put down your book.

51

Feeling older and wiser than your years because of all you've learned and experienced . . . in stories.

52

How to vacation the right way.

53

Feeling jealous when a friend is reading your favorite book for the first time.

54

The emotional postnovel roller coaster.

55

Book quotes constantly summing up everything you believe to be true.

56

Not being able to relate to people who "aren't big readers."

57

Dressing up for midnight book releases.

58
59

The everlasting effect that one book can have on your life.

Be in the Know
Great. Thanks for signing up!
Sign up for astrology, pop culture moments, TikTok trends, relationship advice, and much more.
We'll see you in your inbox
By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Related