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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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30 Things Only Bookworms Understand

Being a bookworm is like having membership in an elite club. Not everyone can appreciate the joy, anguish, excitement, and emotional ache involved in loving books.
Zac Totah on Nov 29, 2016
4 comments
Image via Pixabay.

Image via Pixabay.

Christmas is coming. Which means presents.

Which means…BOOKS! Because if we’re honest, what better present is there?

Books are magical.

Composed only of paper and ink, and fueled by imagination, they act as portals to other worlds. For a time, we leave the confines of reality behind and travel to places where animals talk, wizards practice magic, or dragons roams the skies.

The sense of transportation we gain from reading is something rarely found elsewhere, which is one of the reasons books are so amazing.

george-r-r-martin-reader-quoteThere are many different types of readers, but today I’m talking to the bookworms—the voracious readers who count books as one of the joys of the world (you know who you are). 😉

Being a bookworm is like having membership in an elite club. Not everyone can appreciate the joy, anguish, excitement, and emotional ache involved in loving books. Finding a fellow bookworm is a delightful experience. Finally, someone you can geek out over the beautiful intricacies of written stories.

Living as a bookworm comes with a unique reality that sometimes the outer world doesn’t understand.

Things Only Bookworms Understand

  1. The emotional connection to and involvement in the lives of people who don’t exist (side effects include laughing, crying, worrying, and cheering).
  2. The joyful thrill of walking into a bookstore or library.
  3. The smell of a new book as you fan through its pages that are begging to be explored.
  4. A stalwart love of hardcover books.
  5. While sitting in bed, the realization that, despite your good intentions to go to sleep, you can’t put the book down even though it’s now 2 am.
  6. The tendency to fangirl (or fanboy) over favorite authors, sometimes to the extent of making people wonder if you signed an endorsement contract.
  7. When it’s impossible to let go of a story, you write a continuation of events that follow.
  8. The moment when you look up and realize your mom has been trying to ask you a question for an entire minute and you didn’t hear her because you were too absorbed in the story.
  9. An increased beat of the heart, similar to the pounding of horse hooves, as you approach the end of a chapter you suspect will be a cliffhanger.
  10. The temptation (sometimes carried out) to throw a disappointing book across the room.
  11. The ease with which you lose track of time when reading.
  12. The custom of telling yourself “just one more chapter” until you end up finishing.
  13. A habit of letting your eyes stray to the end of a chapter to see what happens (see 9) and therefore ruining the moment.
  14. An addiction to buying books—and the inherent dangers to your bank account.
  15. Image via Pixabay.

    Image via Pixabay.

    The overwhelming need to rave to others about a book you love, and keep bugging them to read it until they do.

  16. An unusual obsession (to the outside observer) over the arrangement of your bookshelves (because let’s be honest, you have more than one).
  17. The agonizing pain as you await the release of a sequel.
  18. The surge of emotions you experience when you finish a series you loved.
  19. Fondness of reading and re-reading favorite parts in a favorite book, in order to relive the experience again (I’ve done this multiple times with Lord of the Rings).
  20. The giddy excitement you experience when you find a limited or special edition book.
  21. The paralyzing indecision over which books to buy when you don’t have enough money to buy each one you want (see 14).
  22. Satisfaction gained in standing and admiring your bookshelves.
  23. The risk of turning blue from unknowingly holding your breath during a riveting part (see 9 again).
  24. The sheer delight of getting gift cards you know you can spend on books (note to family and friends of bookworms: said gift cards make excellent birthday and Christmas presents). 😉
  25. Image via Pixabay.

    Image via Pixabay.

    The odd yet comfortable feeling (and accompanying distress) that your best friends are fictitious.

  26. The skill of avoiding furniture and people while not looking, developed by simultaneously reading and walking.
  27. The grainy sensation in your eyes after having read too much.
  28. The sheer ecstasy experienced when you win a free book.
  29. Musing about how characters from other worlds would act if deposited into our world.
  30. An endless TBR list that continues to grow despite your best efforts (who doesn’t have one, right?).

What are some of your bookworm habits?

*Adapted from a post that originally appeared on zacharytotah.com in February 2016*

Zac Totah
Zachary Totah writes speculative fiction stories. This allows him to roam through his imagination, where he has illegal amounts of fun creating worlds and characters to populate them. When not working on stories or wading through schoolwork, he enjoys playing sports, hanging out with his family and friends, watching movies, and reading. He lives in Colorado and doesn't drink coffee. He loves connecting with other readers and writers. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, Goodreads, and at his website.
Website · Facebook · Twitter
  1. Audie says:
    November 30, 2016 at 1:47 am

    A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…

    George R. R. Martin

    …And I will kill all of them, HAHAHAHAHA!

    not George R. R. Martin, but should be.

    Reply
  2. Tim W Brown says:
    November 30, 2016 at 10:58 pm

    Articles such as this always put me in mind of Captain Kirk’s eccentric lawyer (Star Trek original series), who rhapsodized about good old-fashioned hardcover books (i.e., point 4 above).

    Reply
  3. Rebecca LuElla Miller says:
    December 1, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    My addition to your wonderful list, Zach, would be, The tendency to slow down when nearing the end, especially the end of a series when you know you’ll have to say good-bye to the characters you love, and may never see them again.

    Or how about this one, The occasional random thought, wondering what the character in the book you just finished might be doing now. (Similar to #7).

    Very fun, Zach.

    Becky

    Reply
  4. Karisa Noble says:
    December 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    Oh my goodness. I forgot how much of a bookworm I used to be as a kid and in highschool. Thanks for reminding me of the joys! Maybe one of these days I’ll let myself get back into it. 😉

    Reply

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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