My Problems as a Book Lover

Reading is great when you want to escape your life. Curling up in your favorite reading spot with some hot coffee or tea and living in another world for a few moments can simply make all those big and little problems disappear, if only for an hour or so.

But nothing ruins those moments like:

1) Tiny Books

I understand why small paperback editions of books exist. They are quite convenient for quick airport buys and can fit perfectly into purses. But some huge books should not be made into paperbacks no bigger than my hand. For example, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. I recently borrowed a friend's copy of LotR, but I couldn't read it comfortably because the text was so tiny, the print was all crammed in, and the words are so close to the binding that you have to be an acrobat to properly read.

And while I'm on that subject....


2) Borrowed Books

Living life on the edge with a book near water.

When I borrow a book from someone, I get stressed. I worry about bending pages or dropping them or somehow imbibing the books with negative feelings that will somehow lead to a haunted book. I know some people are really picky about dog-earing  book pages or bending the binding. But when you bought a paperback book, you settled for a cheaper copy that won't last as long.

I could just not borrow books, but I don't want to buy a copy of Lord of the Rings when I'm just desperately trying to like the series.

3) The Kindle/E-book vs. Paper Battle

This debate is really about whether or not you are a book snob. I admit freely that some books I look down upon, but that's about the writing, not the format. I love physical books and I also love my Kindle. Nothing compares to the amazing smell of a book, whether new or old. But have you ever tried holding a giant copy of Under the Dome while laying in bed? I could get some serious carpal tunnel with that five-pound weight.

4) Complaining About the Movie Version

I must be a complete anomaly in the literary world, because I usually enjoy the movie version of books. Of course not all of them are perfect, which I will forgive (or try to forget.) Some books just shouldn't be made into movies. But when people complain about the moving not including every single detail of the book, or not showing a specific scene, I want to yell at them.
Movies and books are two completely different media. Books have the beauty of being able to "show" a character's emotion in a way a movie never can. Books can go into as much detail as they want, and a movie is not typically longer than two hours.

5) Stacks of Books

I freely admit it. I'm addicted. When I get bored, I go to a bookstore and buy a ton of books that will probably take me a year to read. I have stacks of books sitting around my house that I still haven't read, some from five years ago. But I will read them... eventually.

I know I can't be the only person to encounter problems like these.