Bookworm Struggles That Are Just Too Real
7/20/2025
Let’s be honest — being a bookworm is a beautiful thing… but it also comes with its fair share of tiny tragedies. The kind of struggles only fellow readers truly understand.
From shelf drama to emotional damage via fictional characters, here are some undeniably real bookworm problems that will make you say, “Okay, yes. That’s me.”
1. Running Out of Shelf Space… Again
You tell yourself you’re going to slow down on book buying. But then you see that one book with the sprayed edges, the foil cover, and the magical synopsis that whispers read me.
Now you’re playing Tetris with your books… again. Floor stacks? Acceptable. Kitchen shelves? Not off-limits.
📚 Book math: If I buy three more books, I’ll… need to move out.
2. Forgetting Everything About a Book You Loved
You rave about it. You five-star it. You call it life-changing.
And then someone asks what it’s about, and your brain just goes: “Um… feelings?”
3. Falling Asleep Mid-Read and Losing Your Page
You were just going to read one more chapter. But suddenly it’s 2AM, the book is on your face, and now you have no clue where you left off.
Bonus points if your bookmark slipped out and you get to play “let’s reread half the book to find my place.”
4. That One Book That Emotionally Destroyed You
You finished it three weeks ago. You’ve started other books. You’ve tried to move on.
And yet, there it is — that one line, that one scene — haunting you in the shower.
“It’s just fiction,” they say. Sure. And I’m totally fine. 😭
5. Being Crippled by Too Many Choices
So many books. So little time. So much paralysis.
You spend 45 minutes scrolling through your TBR, only to end up rereading a comfort book for the fifth time.
📖 Bookish Break
Hey—just wanted to share something I created with bookworms in mind. Take a look, I think you’ll feel seen.
6. Book Hangovers Are Real
You finish a book that completely rewired your brain and now nothing else hits quite the same. You try to start another one, but it’s like eating plain toast after gourmet dessert.
7. Judging Book Covers… and Then Getting Betrayed
That gorgeous cover? Pure deception.
That bland, minimalistic one? Secret literary masterpiece.
It’s a gamble every time, but let’s be honest — we’ll still judge. Always.
8. When Someone Borrows a Book and Doesn’t Return It
You lent it out with trust. You even gave them the good copy. Now it’s been six months and they’re “totally still reading it.”
No, Jessica. You're not still reading it. Hand it back.
9. Trying to Explain a Book to a Non-Reader
You get excited. You try to summarize. You’re waving your hands and quoting dramatic lines.
And they just stare like you’re reciting the ingredients of cereal.
It’s fine. We’re fine.
10. That Overwhelming Need to Talk About a Book… Immediately
You close the last page and sit there in stunned silence. And then you NEED to talk about it — but your friends haven't read it, and you're not allowed to spoil anything.
So you scream into your pillow… or better yet, start a blog.
Bonus: You Might Be a Bookworm If...
You’ve bought a book just because it smelled good.
You’ve fallen into a reading slump and questioned your entire identity.
You’ve carried a book in your bag “just in case” and it was the size of a brick.
You have a shirt that says something like “One More Chapter, Then Sleep” — because books and fashion? Yes, please.
📚 Before You Go
You might also enjoy checking out the bookish designs I’ve created. They're comfy, fun, and totally reader-approved.
