I am a bookworm and proud of it. Today, I am talking about my 20 bookish confessions. So, read on and be shocked, aghast, stunned or may be amazed at my bookish confessions.
1. I was that girl who believed in the smell and feel of a new book, loved caressing the glossy cover with my fingers, and arranged and re-arranged the books by genre, size, colours… but all that has changed. I have become an ardent Kindle fan. Kindle has truly transformed my reading habit and has made me more addicted to the written word.
2. Books are number 1 on my list of things to give as gifts.
3. I’ve actually read the first four books in the Harry Potter series (in 2000) by calling Hermione’s name wrong. I was calling her Her-Mee-Own in my head. Yes, you can laugh at that! When I saw the Harry Potter movies in 2006 and I heard that her name is actually pronounced as Her-My-Oh-Knee, I was blown away. Similarly, I have read so many Agatha Christie’s book and have been calling Poirot as Poy-Rot. I came to know that his name is Pwa-Row only when I saw the Murder on the Orient Express movie recently.
4. I do not step out of my home without my Kindle. I read everywhere and anytime is a good time to read books.
5. I love collecting paperbacks but I prefer reading ebooks. I have 272 physical books (fiction and non-fiction) in my book cupboard and 710 books on my Kindle. These 272 books do not include our cook books, encyclopaedias and children’s books. Last year, I donated some 150+ books, so these 272 books is my coveted and curated collection. I cannot resist myself from buying books and browsing through Kindle books on Amazon is my favorite way to spend time. No marks for guessing that I am not spending all the time just looking at the books. 710 speaks for itself!
6. I am a librocubicularist. It means a person who reads in bed. The bed is absolutely my favorite place to read.
7. I do judge a book by its cover when browsing through in a bookstore. If it is not striking enough to draw my attention, it will be passed over for something more interesting on the other shelf.
8. While, I love book jackets on my hardcovers as they make the book look so pretty and dignified, I do remove them while reading so that they won’t get damaged and stay as good as new always.
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9. Once I finish reading a book, I have to pick the next book immediately.
10. Sometimes when I’m reading something really exciting and the urge to know what’s going to happen just gets too much… I just read the last page. I HAVE to know that the main characters are ok in the story and I just can’t help myself!
11. I hate to see labels/stickers on the front of my books, as they totally ruin the look of the book and removing them is a painful exercise.
12. I read book recommendations before picking a book, but I accept them with a grain of salt. While my friends and I may agree on some books but it is not necessary that I’ll love/hate the same books as them.
13. Usually, I read page by page unless a part of the chapter really drags. In such a case, I skim through the pages that follow until the story picks up again.
14. I stop reading when the words stop registering for a not so great book. But with interesting books, I always stop reading when the chapter ends.
15. I prefer reading one book at a time.
16. There are days when I don’t read a single word and there are days when I read from morn to night and do just the bare necessary work/chores.
17. The memory of the times that I have lent my books and never got them back or got them in a mess, will haunt me forever. So I have a hard time lending people books. As a policy, now I don’t lend my books, and I don’t borrow either.
18. I have a LOT of unread books in my book cupboard and Kindle.
19. I cry while reading especially when there are some sad things, or heartwarming moments or just emotionally resonant things. I cried buckets a few weeks ago at 2 in the morning while reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
20. When I reach a funny part in a book, I can’t keep my laughter in. I have laughed out loud in public spaces while reading, only to get weird looks and rarely knowing smiles from people around me.
Do we share any of the same bookish confessions? What are some of your bookish confessions that you’d like to share?
38 Responses
We have a lot of similarities in our attitude and love towards books. I have recently taken to kindle and now, I can’t even think of leaving the house without my precious e-book reader.
i identify with most of your confessions, specially removing the cover of hard jacket books while reading
Great idea for a topic. I’m a book hoarder too though am trying to get my collection of unread books down to less than 260. Having 710 books on my Kindle would freak me out – I would never find anything!
My first book that I enjoyed reading was Nancy Drew and later I started with Agatha Christie series. I haven’t shifted to Kindle yet but I know its picking up. And yes, I also remove the cover and again out it on once done with reading.
Wow Shilpa, I am highly impressed with your love for books. Indeed it is really inspiring. Calling Hermione with another name, was funny incident and I also had similar kind of experience during my teen age days. I love reading books, but honestly nowadays get less time. Your posts inspiring me, to start reading seriously.
Impressive things about your love affair with books.
I so understand the point about unread books… have 100s of them both in physical format and ebook. which makes it even weirder that i go and re-read old books again!
Enjoyed reading your bookish confessions. My favourite place to read is bed. I didn’t know there’s a term for it.
Yes, book cover and title play a role when I’m buying a book. And when I finish a very good book, I don’t feel like reading anything for some time. I also read one book at a time. Reading multiple books at a time doesn’t work for me. And, I never thought I would say this, but I too feel comfortable reading on Kindle device (not on mobile).
Very impressive! Loved your flair for books. Keep it up!
Wow, they’re all true for me too! I loved most point number 6. I also love to read on bed, with earphones on my ears playing a fav song in track, and in loops. Ahh, book is love! It was a lovely read. Waiting for more.
I’ve always felt guilty about skipping over some pages that were dragging, so I’m not the only person doing that. :p And at least your mispronunciations were names. I’ve mispronounced general English words for years before finally hearing someone speak them out loud correctly. Loved your list!
Point 10- haahaa- a spoiler alert u are doing to yourself. How cud u?
I m so far happy that despite being a book lover – I have not ventured into Kindle.
Not a single book read on Kindle so far
and after reading this- i guess i wud stick to book shelf.
I could relate to so many of them, especially pronouncing names wrong and reading on bed. Enjoyed reading the post
I believe that we don’t choose books, books choose us. So when a book keeps appearing, I know I must read it Enjoyed your confessions.
When I read your theme reveal, I knew that there would be some out of the box thinking about the things related to books, reading et el and it won’t be just about book reviews. And I was proved right.
Thanks Shilpa, with every post, you give me fodder to think out of the box about the topic. There is so much of fun in reading your posts, including the latest post. Every day I visit your blog to pamper myself with a new surprise which is a non-fiction!
Enjoyed reading your post shilpa:) can see the passion in you and number of books you have read. I take time to read and sometimes yes I do get emotionally involved and I get a feeling that the author is talking to me, that way I never feel lonely if there’s a book in my hand. I am reading a E book as its a lock down…taking one page or sometimes one chapter at a time. Thanks for sharing:)
An avid book lover; almost cynical to another level… could relate to this post in so many ways… have penned my binge reading babe confessions too on my blog!
I enjoyed reading the post and can identify with your behaviour and relation vis-a-vis books. I, however, have not been a kindle fan and mainly stick to read paperbacks. Also, never knew librocubicularist was a word. Thanks to your post, now I know. 🙂
I have been reading your AtoZ posts for I don’t know for how many years now and am always blown over by your choice of topics and yes I made the same mistake with hermoine
1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 19,20..on these points we are twin souls..I am not yet an e-book lover. However, I think it is time I start reading them.
I could identify with so many of your points here! Don’t worry, I pronounced it Her-me-own too till she spells it out for Viktor Krum in the fourth book!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading the confessions! I still love the smell and feel of books…
We are a lot similar when it comes to books, Shilpa. This was a fun read. 710 is quite a number. I too prefer reading ebooks, and now audiobooks.
I laugh and cry when I read books. I love the smell of the paperback books. I don’t like to make dog ears on the pages. I love to read in bed and I have books all over the house including the bathroom.
Seems bookworms have similar characteristics.
Btw, your point 17 reminds me of my father’s saying that rare books are those which are returned by friends after reading.
Maybe, you should do something about judging the book by its cover.
My oldest daughter was a voracious reading all through Middle and High School. There were many words she learned from reading and when she would say them out load she would mispronounce them. She had read them in her head the wrong way for so long that the mispronunciations made sense to her. Weekends In Maine
Truly loved reading your confessions, I am almost like you in many ways except that I am still crying for a new bookshelf. I judge a book by its cover and reading the last page is the first thing I do. Sometimes it brings only disdain but this is what I can’t help.
Oh, we definitely share many of those confessions. I love the smell of books. Whenever I pass by a book store, I have this strong urge to go just to get a whiff of that smell! I have a lot of unread books too. Sometimes, I too, skip to the last chapter just to know that my favourite characters make it till the end! Btw, did you know that JKR purposely included that scene in The Goblet of Fire movie (where Hermione teaches Krum how to pronounce her name) just so that for the audience. 🙂
These are sweet confessions any bok worm would agree too.
From the smell of paperbacks and caring our books as treasures to keep them from getting damaged to Gifting books which are a big yes. Hermoine I had somehow cracked but thanks for telling about pwa-row.. was not aware seriously. I even have habit of underlining the fav lines or jotting them if I feel connected to.
Even I used to love the hard bound books so much that I even used to smell them… After a point I got so obsessed that I stopped sharing the books that I read with others for some strange reason that I felt ownership will be lost… Now, with Kindle all those days are gone!!
My biggest book confession would be I have become a HUGE fan of the Kindle and now prefer it over a paperback.
This brings up so many emotions of my own love affair with books! From very early on Ive loved books and spent a great deal of my child hood sitting in my local library. I think you and I have several of the same confessions when it comes to books!
I loved reading your post as I am a book lover too; and very possessive about my books. Being reader is an emotional roller coaster ride; a different lifestyle in itself. Could identify at lot of places. Have posted a book binge reader blogpost. Do check it out!
i’m similar in many points that you’ve shared although I always judge a book by its name not cover which is equally bad I suppose. i decide about the book by the first chapter. I’ve left so many books hanging coz 1st chapter was not engaging enough.
I love how we all have our own quirks when it comes to books and reading. I do not like people making pen/ink marks in books. Seems like sacrilege. And oh yes, to reading in bed and just about anywhere I can think of. And now, that’s possible thanks to digital books!
Your confessions are even better ! Loved it
Kikzbee
What a delightful collection of confessions. I’m a kindred with you on many of them, but I’m especially proud to be a librocubicularist. 🙂