I often wonder if I am TOO emotionally invested in the books I read.

Whatever book I am reading affects my mood. Action/suspense – anxious. Romance – giddy. If I’m interrupted while I’m reading, I’m cranky. If my parents tell me to put the book away at the dinner table, I’m cranky. When I finish a book – when I read the last line and put it down – I usually cannot move/function for several minutes afterward.

When I read, I’m completely immersed in the world the author has created. The characters are my friends. When a character I love is killed, my heart grieves.

I find myself thinking about the book days after I’ve finished it.

If I’ve borrowed the book from the library, there is a part of me that does not want to return it. Lately, many of my books have been overdue (gasp!) because I just couldn’t bear to take them back. (However, the fine of $.10 for every day the book is late is usually motivation enough to return the book).

So, is this silly? Weird? Slightly pathetic?

No.

Because being emotionally invested in a novel is probably the greatest compliment you can give a writer. Why do authors write books? I know why I write – to give others the same joy I feel when I read. I want to make people laugh, or smile, or cry. It’s an incredible gift, to emotionally influence others.

It sounds sort of cheesy and cliche. But if you’re anything like me, I would just like to let you know that you ARE NOT ALONE.