Read the Signs

I recently read an article entitled, "Are You a Shopaholic? Read The Signs." Sadly, I answered yes to almost all of the questions. But let's keep it to one addiction at a time, shall we? With this idea in mind, I decided to trace some of the steps that makes one a bookworm, or as I like to call, a book junkie. Here they are:

1. You feel excited or overwhelmed at a Barnes and Noble or Borders.

2. You enjoy the smell of books, old or new; paperback or hardcover, and you can easily sniff out the difference.

3. You feel compelled to collect books, and strive to do so.

4. You'd rather keep your text books than sell them back at the end of the semester. Unless of course the book contains more numbers than words, and in that case, you'd sell it back for a nickel and be happy with it.

5. You actually do the readings when assigned by professors. Occassionally, you will have to use the infamous Sparknotes, but in return feel a pang of disgust or guilt when doing so.

6. You re-read books. And look at people like they're crazy when they question why you do so.

7. You can't help but feel pity for people who claim they don't have time to read and/or don't like to.

8. You like to debate with others as to why a book was better than the movie. In the same breath, you have little patience for people who don't realize, The Chronicles of Narnia, Troy, O, and American Psycho were all based on outstanding works of literature.

9. You know that reading a good book will cause severe problems of insomnia and putting off of school work.

10. You've almost tackled the mailman trying to retrieve a highly anticipated Amazon package.

11. You've considered naming your first born after a character in one of your favorite books.

12. You have a blog about them.

13. You like to carry a book with you at all times, just in case you have a split second to read.

14. You form connections and/or relationships with the characters in your novels.

15. You've actually cried, laughed out loud, and/or gasped while reading.

If any of these applied to you, pat yourself on the back, call yourself a geek, and realize that you too are a book junkie. Take pride in the fact that you'd rather read a book than play a video game, chat online, or watch TV. Hey, at least we have something to do during a power failure. So bravo to you. At the rate technology is going, books may become extinct before our very eyes. It's a scary thought, but hopefully it would never happen. I don't think I could deal with having to read a romance novel on a computer screen. For all others who disagree, read a book.