While reading is a perfectly normal activity, most readers are anything but normal when it comes to these precious objects.
Certain habits that seem normal to readers tend to come across as weird, and even downright creepy to folk who don't read, or aren't as crazy about it as the avowed bibliophiles.
Here are five of the weirdest habits that avid readers regularly display:
While many readers exhibit this trait, they do so to varying degrees. It's common to enjoy a work of literature or even watch a movie adaptation while reading.
However, for some, it's become more than an infrequent habit and has instead become a ritual. Indeed, some readers (myself included) swear that food tastes better while one peruses the pages. Whether or not this is true, reading while eating is undoubtedly one of the most addictive and weirdest habits of readers.
Call it a fetish if you like, but it's impossible to resist the urge to sniff the pages of a book, especially if it's new. As a rule, I sniff every book I buy the minute I open it for the first time, and this habit is peculiar to nearly every reader.
The scent of crisp pages is one of the most unique in the entire world, and, while I do not know the psychology behind the act, it's definitely one I won't be stopping anytime soon.
Book hoarding is one of the more expensive, yet obsessively weird habits of book lovers. Yes, stock up the shelves as much as you can with books you'll probably never get to.
It's an act of true ostentation, nothing more! Book hoarding is the true flex among readers, and quite naturally, belongs to the realm of the wealthy. Don't be deceived by their seeming humility! Anyone who stocks their shelves ceiling-high is rich!
After all, books are definitely not cheap.
Books are fragile objects and should, therefore, be handled with care. However, the most avid bibliophiles take this to entirely new levels with their weird obsession with handling the pages like literal eggs.
In fact, there's an art to flipping pages and opening books. For the former, it's all about ensuring that there are no dog ears or creases even years after reading the book. Regarding opening books, care has to be taken to ensure that the binding remains intact and isn't broken.
But that's the easy part. The gods help whoever's unfortunate enough to spill liquid on or stain in some way, or even worse, tear the pages of a book owned by one of these weird folk. At best, you can say goodbye to your friendship...
Avid readers regularly discuss fictional characters as though they were real. This is perfectly normal in book club discussions and within the book community.
However, a non-reader will find such a habit weird and even creepy.
Beyond this, readers will often get legitimately angry at authors for something as simple as killing off their favourite characters.
If thoughts and sentiment could kill, authors like G.R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss would probably be dead, given how much anger and hate are channelled their way daily for their failure to release subsequent books in their ongoing series to date.
This is probably one of the more extreme habits of avid readers. But don't expect any apologies from them.
Many readers are eccentric, and to non-readers, some of their habits can seem completely unnecessary or extreme.
But, it is what it is.
Do you have any other weird bookish habits? Let me know in the comments.
