When Book-Lovers Go Back To School...

It's that time of year again. Going back to school is a bittersweet time for book-lovers. On one hand, you get to return to the place of learning (AKA: reading). On the other hand, the days of lounging on a beach burning through one book after another are over, sadly.

Autumn has always been my favorite season, and part of that is because it’s the time of year for returning to school. Everything from purchasing fresh notebooks to looking over syllabi to see what books are on the schedule makes my literary heart skip a beat. And my fellow book-loving friends usually feel the same way.

The truth is, though book-lovers may have mixed emotions about going back to school, most of us have similar things we do when it is that time of year. Admit it: you’ve noticed that many book-lovers have a lot of weird habits in common. And many of those weird habits come into play the minute it’s time to go back to school. From the habits you had as a kid when it was time to go back to elementary school, to the weird things you did in college, every book-lover has done the following things when it’s the back-to-school time of year.

1. You Try To Finish Reading All The Books You've Acquired Over The Summer

Over the summer months, you read a LOT. But somehow, you bought more books than you actually read, and now you've got a huge stack of unread novels. Naturally, you try to read them all before school starts. Even if you know you're doomed to fail, you're going to give it a go anyway...

2. You Buy More Books

... And in the meantime, as you're trying to cut down that TBR pile, you buy even more books. You don't know exactly how it happened — you went into the store with a very clear list of school supplies, and somehow ended up with a stack of novels instead. Funny how that happens.

3. When People Ask What You Did All Summer, Your Answer Is Simple

Maybe you went on some interesting vacations, did an internship, visited relatives... but before talking about that you really need to discuss every single book you read.

4. You Buy Literary-Themed School Supplies

Is there anything better than shopping for school supplies? The fresh pencils, the notebooks full of possibilities, the folders just waiting to be filled with literary notes... But you know that there is something better than shopping for school supplies: shopping for book-themed school supplies.

5. You Do Your Required Reading

Most people assume that book-lovers are the first to do the required reading, but the truth is that you sometimes procrastinate. After all, you have a huge stack of books that you want to read before delving into the classic that you were supposed to be reading all along. Sorry not sorry.

6. Forget Textbooks... You Shop For Backpacks That Can Fit Your Books

Textbooks might be heavy, but your school supplies have nothing on your book collection. You need something sturdy so you can carry around your own books.

7. You Read Books About Going Back To School

I always read Betsy and Joe before going back to school, because at the beginning of the book, Betsy is getting ready to begin the school year. Harry Potter was another top choice, since pretty much every book begins with the end of summer and the start of another year at Hogwarts.

8. You Set Reading Goals For The Year

Maybe you want to read a certain amount of books during the year, or finally tackle that super long classic you've been meaning to get to. Either way, the time of light beach reads has passed. You're ready to do some serious literary work.

9. You Read Ahead On Assignments

You know you're supposed to wait and read the books on the syllabus in order, but sometimes you can't help reading ahead. Luckily, you've mastered the "of course I didn't read ahead" innocent face by now.

10. You Somehow Make Time To Read Constantly

Even with the added time constraints of a new school year, you somehow make time to read constantly. Sure, you're not on the beach steadily reading through a suitcase full of books, but that doesn't mean you can't find a way to read every day. Where there's a will, there's a way.

11. You Still Do All Of The Above... Even When You're Done With School

Even after you're done with school, when you see those fresh notebooks and unsharpened pencils hit the shelves, you can't help feeling a rush of love for the days you've spent doing all of these things. And you'll keep doing them, because you'll always be a book-lover at heart.

Images: Giphy (11), Warner Bros Television (1)