Top 10 Bookworm Delights

Part of Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and the Bookish

As a reader, we all have little things that we love. Explaining them to non-readers earns you some funny stares but in this bookish community, they are welcomed and understood. We have combined a list of our Bookworm delights -

• The smell of a new book - who doesn't, upon cracking the spine of a book, check the coast is clear and then stick their nose between the pages? (I hope it isn't just me.) The smell of a new book is one of the best things about reading. Also, when it gets to a point of extreme book hoarding that your bedroom starts to smell of them too!
• Finding that perfect quote/paragraph - when you come across something that just has to be underlined, highlighted, bookmarked etc in a book. When it explains everything you're thinking but can't articulate, that makes your heart cry with the sheer genius of it. Yeah, you know what I mean don't you? Closely followed by then plastering it all over your social media.
• Receiving a book in the mail - the amount of times I have nearly broke something running down the stairs when I see a book on the doormat or nearly ripping the arm off a postman as he hands it to me is too many to count. Tearing off the packaging and just seeing that new, untouched book is worth getting up early, every time.
• Books with maps - if a book has a map in it, Becky has to stop herself from automatically giving it 5 stars. It allows you to become even more immersed in the book but it can seriously injure your pages as you constantly flip to the beginning to see where your beloved characters are in the world.
• Reorganising your bookshelves - pretty much a daily (okay, monthly) routine. Should you go for alphabetical order? Colours of the rainbow? Favourite to least favourite? The possibilities are endless. Many times I have moved my books around just to put a new favourite at the top. It is all fun and games until someone moves one though. Not a good idea.

• Book merchandise - the reason why half of us have no money. Raven Cycle tarot cards? Take my credit card. Pretty posters? You can never have too many. Having all the Harry Potter characters in Funko form? Completely acceptable. Also a good way to find some very talented artists. 
• Meeting fellow readers - there is no better feeling than meeting someone based on your love of books. Seeing someone enjoy a book you recommended and then proceeding to scream at each other in message form is the most satisfying feeling. Just like the characters in our beloved books, we too have made lifelong friends thanks to the written word.
• Finishing a book - I know a lot of people will be like "how is finishing a book good? It means it's over??!" I see your point but it is also incredibly satisfying to get to the end of a book, whether it is good or bad and especially if it's very long. It is a sense of accomplishment... for about two minutes before you start another book.
• Finding a new favourite character - there is no greater feeling than meeting a character in a book that you grow to or instantly love. Whether it is because they remind you of yourselves or they are someone you aspire to be, it really is a magical feeling. What is not so magical is then having your heart torn to shreds when something bad happens to them. Unfortunately, that is what you signed up for.
• Sitting down with a good book & a cuppa - such a British sentence, but it is true. Add rain, cosy blankets and a nice snack to the mix and you're in heaven. When you are sad or stressed, I recommend doing this. Relax and find your home between the pages. 

What are some of your Bookworm Delights?

Let us know in the comments!