Thank you to Maria Myre (mytinygreenliving.com) for being a Guest Blogger!

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Readers are a special breed of people. I would know.

Passionate, inquisitive, and eager, a reader is often viewed as a somewhat desperate individual with a propensity for the inanimate “other-world” found within the pages of a book.

And that’s not a bad thing.

Perhaps you can relate: I was rather mischievous as a child, and often gave my parents cause for concern. When there was due cause for retribution, the go-to punishment involved confiscating my reading material. I thought I’d die.

But then, I was a reader.

For your self-reflection and clarity, here are 7 signs that you, too, might be a book addict…

1: Social events are a disruption to your reading habits

We all love being around people – even we who are introverts, to some extent, enjoy the company of other humans.

But when social events begin to irritate to you simply because it cuts into your reading time, you might be a book addict.

2: You’re tired of hearing the line “How many times have you read that book?”

It’s an insensitive line by those other people.

I don’t know, how many times have you listened to your favorite song? Probably way more than I’ve read this book, so quit being so juvenile and let me read!

Books are delightful. Almost more so the second or third time through. In fact, in his book An Experiment In Criticism, C.S. Lewis explored the idea that the only true readers are those who read the same book multiple times. Each time brings a new discovery that continues to enrich the mind and soul of the reader.

So there.

3: You buy multiple copies of the same book…to keep for yourself.

With each trip to the bookstore, you find yourself heading for your favorite titles … that you already own.

Sure, you already have a perfectly readable copy of Pride and Prejudice, but not a leather-bound copy with gold lettering! Copy #5…here we go!

4: You own an entire library of printed books … and a Kindle/Nook/whatever filled with the exact same titles.

Nothing compares to the feel of a printed volume in your hands, and you might have even vowed to never invest in digital reading for the mere sake of preserving the industry.

…but you just bought Kindle/Nook/whatever because, seriously, your whole library can come with you.

And it’s totally just for a backup, in case something happens to your bookshelves.

5: Traveling calls for a panicked assessment of which book will accompany me?

Each time you know you’ll be in a car/bus/plane for any amount of time, you’re scrambling to find the best reading material for the trip.

Do you go with a lighthearted novel? Dostoevsky? A dystopia? Aristotle? For heaven’s sake, time’s running out!

Better just bring 3 … and your Kindle.

6: Your favorite place to go on a night off is … the library.

The sight and smell of thousands of books is heavenly. Sure, you could go out with friends, but (see #1).

An evening alone calls for the delicious solitude and welcome of a library. And if it’s an academic library filled with all imaginable reading materials, so much the better.

7: You know far more about the characters in your books than you do about your friends.

This is an embarrassing fact to admit, but we might as well admit it: the personal lives of book characters are far more relevant at times than the details in the lives of our own friends.

Do I know the middle names and ancestral heritages of my friends? No…But I could tell you the paternal line of Peregrine Took and probably a story about each one of his ancestors.

Bonus #8:

Oh, and I forgot to mention: if you’re a book addict, you can probably add another dozen “signs” of your condition.

Read on boldly, my friends!

M.J. Myre is a writer and watercolor artist who delights in Nature and all things simple. Her philosophy centers around the truth that the pursuit of simplicity can open up a wealth of richness in life. She lives with her husband and dog in Northern Minnesota. When she’s not passionately scribbling down stories and tales, Maria can be found hiking, fishing, or training horses.