Dr. Deadly's Book Club

Dear reader, August 9th is National Book Lovers Day! Whatever books you love, I encourage you to think of them right now and feel that glow.

And now think about the love itself. What’s your particular relationship history? Bookworm since birth? Adulthood discovery? Was there a certain special book or series that captured your attention, or your heart?

The relationship is with books, and they definitely do talk to us. But – even Dr. Deadly must admit this – books aren’t people. Sometimes (am I right, dear reader?) that’s a great thing! But even introverts need other people, and it’s normal for book lovers to want to talk to other people about books.

Here’s the central question of this post: What has your relationship experience been in sharing your love of books with others?

I happened to be a bookworm since birth. It never bothered me that my closest friends didn’t share my favorite pastime. It still doesn’t, but my psychologist brain enjoys analyzing why I didn’t attract or find book-loving friends, especially as I’ve met other adult readers in the same boat.

It was a short leap to a theory, but I also know there’s usually more than one pathway to a particular destination. I’ll tell you my path, and I’m curious to learn about others.

Have you seen the memes, dear reader, humorously noting that introverts’ friend lists are usually full of extroverts who made the friendships happen? Opposites attract…yin and yang…hand and glove; introverts and extroverts complement one another.

A quick internet search – in other words, get out your biggest grain of salt – suggests that informal polls show about two-thirds of regular readers identify as introverts. Keep in mind that the definitions can be fuzzy; introverts need more alone time but aren’t necessarily quiet or shy, though quiet and shy people are probably more likely introverted.

Going back to Dr. Deadly’s childhood…in early years I was both introverted and shy. I remember enjoying it if fate sat another Flowers in the Attic or Lonesome Dove fan next to me on the school bus, but I certainly wasn’t going to start a book club or do even a single thing to promote a continued relationship beyond that bus ride. And so my best friends were more movers and shakers, and they didn’t happen to be extroverts who were into books.

The internet also says that the extroverts who do love books are probably more likely to be the ones to start book clubs, organize book festivals, and get all the bookish conversations going. And, to my more extroverted book-loving brethren, I say thank you.

It’s been a joy for me in recent years to connect more easily to the reading community with the help of technology. The internet guides me to book signings and other events I might not otherwise find. My favorite podcasts are bookish. Social media has me seeing, hearing, and interacting with people who share my love and show it in ways that touch my mind, heart and soul.

And for all that, this particular introverted book lover says thank you. On National Book Lovers Day, Dr. Deadly says thank you to the books and their authors, and also to the people out there – all along the introverted-extroverted spectrum – who make this love no longer lonely.

What about you, dear reader? Has loneliness been part of your literary love life? What has your relationship experience been in sharing your love of books with others?

If you’d like to join in on my book discussions on Fable, find Dr. Deadly’s Book Club here.