Most of the time, your book obsession is under control. Sure, you spend too much money at bookstores, expect your dates to be as dreamy as Mr. Darcy or Arwen, and frequently miss your train stop because you were frantically finishing a chapter, but rarely does one book totally seize hold of your life and turn it inside out. Some books, though, will do that to you.
It's okay to feel a spark with certain books -- to get caught up in their unique magic. Becoming too monomaniacal poses certain risks, however. If you fear driving away your friends and loved ones with your single-minded passion for The Hunger Games, or if your devotion to The Goldfinch has become a distraction at work, it may be time to cool things down. If you're unsure whether things have gone too far, never fear: We've compiled a list of telltale signs that you've developed an unhealthy fixation on one book.
Here are 22 signs a book has totally taken over your life:
You've started a new book, and you're immediately sucked in. You realize that it's got something special.
You can’t focus on minor things -- your job, your crumbling relationship -- because the new book you're reading is all you can think about.
You consider calling in sick to work, even though you have that big presentation today, to keep reading the book.
You at least manage to sneak in some more reading during your commute by walking and reading at the same time.
You blow off your friends because you'd rather head home and dive back into your book.
You find yourself narrating your own life in the style of the book -- silently, of course. Usually.
You start dressing like your favorite character and even imagine you really are that character -- just on Halloween. Probably.
You read every sentence twice because you don’t want it to end.
Finally, you finish, and you're devastated.
Your obsession, still strong, you scramble to read everything else the author has written ...
... then fanfiction.
Having exhausted the options on offer, you even dabble in writing your own fanfiction for the first time.
People recommend new books to you, but you’re not ready to move on to another author.
You stalk the author’s social media accounts constantly and line up for their readings hours in advance.
You bring up the book in conversation more often than that ex you've never stopped talking about wistfully.
You discuss the characters' lives and habits casually, as if they’re your real-life friends.
You start giving the book as a gift ...
... and get angry at your friends when they haven’t read it yet.
You keep recommending it for book club even though it’s continually vetoed by unsympathetic clubmates.
Finally you recognize that it's time to let go and try to move on to a new book ...
... and hope to find one that has the same magic.
Because let's be honest, books rule your world, and you just want people to understand that.
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