My Bookish Confessions (10)

My Bookish Confessions is a new feature here at Such A Novel Idea.  I started this weekly feature to reveal some of my secret quirks when it comes to all things books.

My Bookish Confession (10)

I relate to /obsess over fictional characters way TOO much.

Of course, though, if you ask me there is no such thing as too much…but according to the general populous—and my family—apparently there is.

I could say that I only live the lives of the characters in the books while I am reading them, but then we all know that that would be a bold face lie. No, I live the lives of fictional characters much too much.

Here is just a short list of “things” I do:

• I will take on the speech of any said character while I am reading and sometimes do not notice that my speech seems wonky until someone points it out. As with the speech, I will often take on the mood of the characters. I didn’t know I did this until I read New Moon (yes, you read correctly…your eyes do not deceive you). I became extremely depressed when Edward left and didn’t really feel anything until the clock tower struck.

• In certain situations, I will ask myself how said character would respond in this situation. Example and forgive me if I can’t quite remember what I was doing, but I do remember saying “I wonder what she would do?” I guess I said this out loud because my little brother asked who I was talking about and of course I had to tell him it was a character (I think I was speaking for Clary that day—it actually happens more often than I wish it would) from a book and he looks at me with a quizzical smile and says “really Loren? Really?” True story, I promise.

• I find that a little piece of me is in every book I read. Most readers can say that they identify with one character or another for numerous reasons…not me. I relate to each and every character I read because I find myself in all of them. Hermione Granger and I share a love of books and knowledge (though I never reach her grade marks); Bella and I are both brown eyed brunettes who can trip over the flat lines of the basketball court and we are both socially awkward (I’ve also had numerous friends come up to me and tell me that Bella reminds me of them, which I take as a compliment); Clary and I are both stubborn with a hot temper (I don’t think I really need to elaborate on that one); Sebastian/ Jonathan Morgenstern and I both have a dark side but want to be accepted and loved as we are (for the most part); Jace Lightwood and I, well, we are both extremely sarcastic and extremely good at it (plus, I think he is my fictional soul mate—it’s a thing, I swear) also, I felt a kinship to Jacob Black along the same lines as Jace.

It doesn’t ever matter how many times I’ve read the book, or whatever current book I am reading; all the characters leave an impression with me and all of them stay with me. There can be real life things that will happen and it automatically reminds me of a character from a book. And I always know exactly which character I am thinking about, how they would act and which book it is from—never fails.

So maybe I do obsess over my books and the characters a little much, but I’m not hurting anyone, I am? No, I think not. And if I am, well then you shouldn’t be friends with me. I won’t apologize for the fact. I am really close with non-real people and that’s okay. I am perfectly fine with not being normal, because my mother would most definitely say that this isn’t normal…

…but (though I hate this line with a great desire) It Is What It Is.

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So, that’s my eccentric quirk for the week.  What’s YOUR bookish confession?