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Opinion

When You Like Books More Than Anything in the Whole World

Preeti Chhibber

Staff Writer

Preeti Chhibber is a marketing manager for HarperCollins Children's Books. She usually spends her time reading a ridiculous amount of Young Adult (for work, she swears!), but is also ready to jump into most fandoms at a moment’s notice. Her woefully neglected blog: Hurling Words Twitter: @runwithskizzers

View All posts by Preeti Chhibber

To celebrate Book Riot’s second birthday on Monday, we’re running some of our favorite posts from our first two years.

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When I was about 9 or 10, I had the following conversation with my cousin:

Him: What do you want for Christmas?
Me: The Babysitter’s Club Super Special #5.
Him: You want a book for Christmas?
Me: Yeah!
Him: That’s weird.

And I guess it was… for kids who didn’t like to read. For the rest of us, what was better than a stack of paperbacks under the tree? (… Probably a new video game console, but my point stands.)

As I’ve grown older, there are conversations that have happened or experiences I’ve had where my love of books has actively caused me to react in a way that could maybe, possibly be construed as, well, weird.

booklove

So here are things that happen when you like books more than …

… Going to a party:

Hey, do you want to go to this party?
I only have like 15 chapters left in this book, so, I’m… going to stay home.

 

… Fashionable Accessories:

Why don’t you get that awesome clutch to go with your new dress?
It’s too small. I can’t even fit a mass market in that. No thanks.

 

… TV Must-sees:

Have you read the book that that new hot show is based on?
Yeah, eight years ago, when it came out. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT MY FEELINGS THEN?

 

… Commuting:

Was that your stop?
What? ::Closes book and looks around in confusion:: Where am I? Crap.

 

… Books:

Hey, you should read this book that I just finished; it’s awesome!
Really? Ok! I’m going to add it to my list. I will probably get to it in… about eight months. Maybe ten.

 

… Sleeping:

Man, you look rough. Party a little too hard last night?
I just wanted to read a few chapters, but ended up staying up till the crack of dawn to finish.

 

… Chatting Normally:

Do you want to calm down on the caps lock? I get it. The book was good. I get it.
NO THE BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE YOU DON’T GET IT.

… Space:

Hey, I’m going to IKEA, do you want to come?
I do need more bookshelves. But I also need a bigger apartment. My roommate says I can’t buy any more books until I figure this out.

… Conversation:

So… I can’t talk about books anymore.
::Silence::

 

And this is what our world is like. Share your books-trump-all experiences! 

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