Booklovers are usually one of two types; type one remember exactly what or who, when and how they were introduced to books and the second type have no idea why or how they started reading. Either way, both types rarely recall their lives before books; the phase before it (if it even exists) is likely referred to as the Dark Phase and every booklover has scrubbed it clean from their memory.
The booklover never truly lives too far from, or completely outside of, their book world. Their favourite book world is something that grows around their hearts and into their minds and is constantly nurtured. The book and its world is, of sorts, both their addiction and their comfort zone. Their thoughts often whirl and centre around a book (god forbid the dreaded cliff-hanger) and all the possible theories and worries about the story and its protagonists. This often leads to a large part of a booklover’s life remains unseen and thus they will forever be wholly mysterious and always wondered about.
Booklovers also have a knack to identify this subtle predisposition in another to get book-addicted and when they find this person, said person’s life is forever changed. Now, the question is why. Why would a booklover seek out another when everything they love is locked within the pages of a book? It’s simple; it’s because there are many times while reading, when a book has to be set aside for a minute so tissues can be blown into and emotion-filled messages can be sent to best friends or fellow booklovers before continuing.
Booklovers are both emotional and at the same time resilient, they’ve been through all kinds of experiences outside of their own; they’ve read about parents speaking about difficult things to their children, families making sacrifices for one another, protagonists facing humiliating difficulties and finding themselves despite it, and they’ve seen laughter and joy despite harrowing sorrow. They’ve seen themselves in typically at least one character in each book and they’ve learnt from so many lessons that perhaps one day will make itself known at the right moment.
Their lives aren’t truly counted by their birthdays as much as they’re measured by how long they have to wait for their next anticipated book’s release. Those who blog and read these books just a little earlier and share their joy, excitement, and thoughts on their platforms for others to read, gush about them, break them down, and discuss the million possibilities as that long awaited date finally rolls by. On the arrival of that date, eyes are wide open at 12AM, saved money spent, and all-nighters pulled as this book is devoured in one day (those with self-restraint last three days perhaps) and then the wait begins again or teary goodbyes and a series re-read commences.
No matter what kind of book one loves, their lives are shaped by the pages and pages of letters and the accumulated days of finding, reading, waiting, anticipating, crying, laughing, sharing, and growing. The worlds of us booklovers are deeper than we reveal, larger than it seems, infinitely welcoming of the new, forever reverent of the old, and always grateful for it all. At the same time, it only exists within us—just as perhaps it does for every other person who has a world of their own—ours just has some dragons in it.
Booklovers are beautiful people, warm and eccentric, strange and wonderful; but if you’re interested in puzzles, then you can see the pieces come together when you happen to glimpse this world.
