I am a bookworm. And I must confess.
I hate sharing my books.
No, no, not lending my books. That’s a different story that I will tackle another time. I hate sharing the stories.
— wait, wait, let me rephrase. Not all the time. Of COURSE I want people to read the same books as me. Because, let’s face it, I read the best books.
But I mean…. erm. Well when a particular person starts raving about the characters… it makes me jealous.
Like, um, excuse me, missy, those are MINE.
It’s like how I imagine girls who have unhealthy obsessions with celebrities. They like to think they know absolutely everything about their particular celebrity crush and he’s theirs alone. When the truth is, he belongs to his friends.
It’s like that. With characters. And… the truth is, they belong to their authors.
Or… you know, you’ve got a best friend. Right? (I do! *waves* hey mom!) 😉 Well picture someone stepping in and snatching your best friend and being all “Oh my gosh she bakes the best brownies and her room is adorable!” and you’re all defensive because, well, you know. You know very well and for a lot longer than them… *scoff*
It’s like that. With the books. And… the truth is, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known the characters, because now you and the person you lent your book to are both in square one. It’s an even playing field, and it can be hard.
I don’t mean to say all this to be selfish, but it’s confession time and it’s true. Sometimes, a teeny part of me likes to think I am the only one who knows these little people on paper. I DON’T LIKE TO SHARE.
sharing isn’t easy.
I’ve never had to lend my book to anyone! (Yay me!) But if I were to lend my book to anyone though it’d honestly feel werid screeching over books with IRL friends (well don’t I just sound like quite the social hermit) It’d feel weird saying *insert characters name here* out loud and just being excited in that way with my friends….is this weird? Not sure, but Id much rather recommend the all the books to all the people and fangirl with them….online? Idk, but that’s sound better to me.
ALSO
I spy with my little eye, one of my childhood favorites in the featured picture!! (Take a guess 😉 )
Yes, yay you! (But you know, there are pros and cons.)
Haha YES! I know what you mean. But if you all lived near me IRL (I love using IRL instead of just saying in real life because I feel like I, R, and L are nice letters together but that’s totally random and weird. ANYWAY.) I’d soooo love to talk to you in real life. Talking to Brooke on facetime was a dream come true but it took a few times for me not to feel so shy. 😉 It’d be amazing to do that with everyone on my blog.
OMS WHICH ONE?? TLC? Tell me! 🙂
I totally agree, sharing is definitely not easy. I mean, parting with my babies? It’s not gonna happen. Needless to say, I love your post!
Sorry I didn’t reply to your email. I’ll get right on it. Well, after I’m out of school that is.
Okay, so I took a little break from the Selection series, but I got Happily Ever After from the library so yay!!!
Haha IKR? Thank goodness someone gets it. 😉 Thanks T!
Okay great. I can’t wait to get it! I love emailing with you.
Yay! It’s adorable but check Goodreads to figure out which ones to read in the order you read The Selection okay?! RESIST IT TRISHA! XD
Um, yes! I have my books that as much as I want to let other people read, I want them for myself. I want to sit in a corner and cry over fictional characters that I love. Because THEY’RE MINE. Honestly, one of my very favorite books is not very well known. But I have placed a claim on the main girl, because she is me. She and I could be identical twins, almost, because we look so alike. She knows gymnastics, I do too. She does martial arts, I do too. When I was five, I wanted to change my name to hers (ten years before the book came out!). And as much as I want to share the book with other people, I feel like she and I are the same, and I don’t want other people to have that same connection with her. We have similar personalities too. So selfishly, I font want to share the stories that change me. I don’t want other people to fall in love with the same characters I did. It’s hard. It’s so hard to share.
*I don’t want to share the stories that change me.
I know absolutely, positively what you mean.
Haha wow! That’s crazy awesome!
Thanks for putting that into words so eloquently. I know. Believe me I know! Glad I’m not the only bookworm. 🙂
I have the same issue (psst, in kindergarten my teacher wrote a letter of concern because i didn’t like to share … Personally I don’t think it is a concern but whatever xD)
Sharing books is kind of tedious for me. It’s not just sharing the story, it’s sharing the actual property too lol. Once I lent my friend the whole Chronicles of Narnia, and I got book one back all bent by accident, after she lost it in her bedroom. I was like “why”. But you’re right, sometimes you feel like “hey, I discovered this first, how dare you talk about it with me. it’s mine” (when legally it’s not LOL) but I think for bookworms it’s normal. You know, when you read a book before others, you feel like it’s your baby, and then the hype storm hits and you’re angry, because now everyone’s discovered it and treating it like they discovered it first too etc. A few girls in my class who read the Hunger Games series WAY before anyone else was, of course, angry at everyone constantly talking about it in 2012, because it used to be just their thing, not everyone else’s xD If anything you hit the nail RIGHT on the head with the whole square one thing. Now you’re no longer in on the secret by yourself, everyone else is and it doesn’t matter.
Lovely post, Emily, I don’t think it’s selfish to think such things xD Way to be honest!!