Introduction: Are You Addicted to Reading
In the past month, how many books have you read? Seriously? Would you consider yourself addicted to reading? I’m addicted to reading books. I am the first to say I am a bookaholic! I love to read. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t enjoy reading. I pass through phases where I read one genre of books.
Not so much today since I am hosting and participating in the Strategic Reading Challenge. Therefore, to satisfy the requirements of the reading challenge, I am reading more broadly. While going through my Feedly stream, I saw a post, “10 Signs You’re Addicted to Summer Reading” by BookBub and thought I could write a similar post based on my experiences and actions that would be very different from the one they wrote.
Have you read?
45 Must Have Books for a Home Library
8 Books That Shaped My Thinking in 2016
My Reading Addiction: Signs You Are Addicted to Reading
Tell me if any of the following has ever happened to you? Be honest, we are talking among friends here.
Miss your bus and/or subway stops because you are reading:
I always have a book with me. And I have many e-books downloaded in the Kindle app on my smartphone, so I always have something to read. I have missed my subway stop countless times because my head is buried in a good book. Has this ever happened to you? To cure this addiction, if I have a long ride on the subway, and I have a seat, I’ll ask the person sitting beside me to give me a nudge when I get to my stop. Some people may think I am weird, but they soon discover that I have better things to do, like getting lost in a good book.
Keep your ride waiting:
This point is related to the one above. So I get off the subway, and more than likely, I am a bit early, so I decide to read some more. I get so caught up in my reading that I do not see my friend is there to pick me up. One Christmas Day while waiting on a friend at the subway stop, someone had to ask me if my ride was outside. And yes my friend was patiently waiting for me. It was a pick-up zone only, so he couldn’t get out of the car. He had been waiting five minutes, but I was contentedly reading. Has this happened to you?
Bookstores and libraries are two of your favorite places:
I love bookstores. And I love libraries. What do bookstores and libraries have in common? Oh lots and lots of books. I wander around in the bookstore, just waiting for a book to jump out at me. I stop at the displays, read the signs, and browse the books. I love the clearance racks because you never know what treasures you’ll find. I love book sales at the library.
Cannot go to bed until you know how the book ends:
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve stayed up until 3:00 am because I wanted to finish reading a book. I usually go to bed at 11:00 pm. Sometimes I was so tired that I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I had to go to bed. But I did the next best thing, wake up at 4:30 am, so I could finish reading my book.
Cannot wait for the latest installment in a series to come out:
“What the heck is wrong with you Dear Author! You said the next book in the series was coming out on March 15th. Well, today is March 15th and the book is not out. You promised…” I’m upset with quite a few authors who haven’t delivered on their promise to release a book by a certain date. And I get really annoyed when I am enjoying a series when suddenly there are no more books, and clearly the series hasn’t ended. Oh please don’t get me started. Has that ever happened to you?
Friends invite you out but you decline because of a previous engagement:
But what they don’t realize, (or they may know you quite well) is that your previous engagement is with a good book. I have a really good reason for making time for reading every day. I am always hosting and taking part in reading challenges, so I have to set the proper example. Don’t you think that’s an excellent reason for staying in to read? And then sometimes I plan outings around my reading time.
You love a book so much that you keep on reading several sections repeatedly:
I am notorious for doing that. The language may be so beautiful that I cannot get enough. Or the story may be so relatable that when an undesirable character gets his or her just rewards, I simply have to reread sections repeatedly.
People depend on you for book recommendations:
Because I am addicted to reading, others are always looking to me for book recommendations. And instead of reading the books for themselves, they expect me to give them the “Cliff Notes” version. Has this ever happened to you?
Bonus Signs of Reading Addiction
You have more unread books than you can count:
Your bookshelf is overflowing with books that you’ve purchased but haven’t yet read. The sheer number of unread books doesn’t stop you from buying more because there’s always that “next” book you just have to have.
You track your reading habits obsessively: Whether it’s through Goodreads, a reading journal, or an app, you keep meticulous records of how many books you’ve read, how long it took, and your thoughts on each. You may even set yearly reading goals and feel an immense satisfaction (or slight panic) depending on your progress.
You plan vacations around reading opportunities: It’s not just about seeing new places—it's about ensuring you’ll have long stretches of uninterrupted time to dive into your latest read. Your luggage is packed with books or your e-reader, and one of your first thoughts upon arrival is where to find a quiet reading spot.
You feel disconnected when you're not reading: If life gets busy and you haven’t picked up a book in a while, you feet out of balance. Reading is your go-to source of comfort, learning, and relaxation, and going too long without it just feels wrong.
Conclusion: Life and Addiction to Reading
I see nothing wrong with my addiction. What can I say? After all, I am a reading addict. What would you expect me to say? I am in total denial. In other installments of this series, I will develop an assessment tool to test your addiction to reading (purely for fun) and how to manage your addiction. But, do you want to?
Next Steps
Wondering what to do next, you can do all of:
If you want access to my Bookish Notes, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
