4 Things that Can Induce a Book Lover to Tears

A book lover isn't really the same as a bookworm because while the latter is generally fond of reading, the former is fond of both reading and the books themselves. She may even value the book more than the story in cases where the book is rare or when the copy is a special edition. And while she may not condemn e-book readers to the deepest level of hell for being phoney tools of evil that will never measure up to the value of printed books and may in fact even have one or two, she would prefer a tangible copy to electronic one. To her, reading is not complete without the concrete sensation of a book’s weight in her hand. Plus, she may also have the urge to breathe in the book's musty smell from time to time.

A book lover is easy to identify, especially in the places where she feels more at home: in bookstores and in libraries. If you spot someone acting generally creepy by sniffing books, crooning to them like they are her own first-born, or sighing/crying/fainting/gushing like a Beatles fan at a concert at the sight of a book one does not normally find in local bookstores, you have found yourself a book lover.

As well as being as being effusive, a book lover is also easy to enrage and frustrate when it comes to books. What are some things that can make a book lover cry? Here are four of them. 
1. Ruined books
Books, being made of easily destroyed-materials, are easy to damage if handled carelessly. The sight of a ruined book, especially one that is worth keeping, is sure to send a book lover to tears. To her, it’s a sacrilege. If the book is somebody else’s, a lecture on proper book care can be expected as well as hostility for being appallingly irresponsible. If the book lover is the one who owns the book, woe be to the one that dared to destroy what she considered sacred and precious.

2. Great finds
If a book lover unearthed from a bargain bin a longed-for book that used to cost as much as what she earns in two (or more) days, she'll feel as if Christmas has come early for her. Her exuberance will be a sight to behold to those who understand the feeling of finally getting something you’ve been dying to have; it will probably freak those who don't. Probably one of the reasons why book lovers like to go to second-hand bookstores is the hope of finding a great copy (at a cheaper price) to add their ever-growing collection of books.

3. Limited and rare copies
Some books, such as first editions and limited editions, are not easy to acquire. A cash-strapped book lover may have to sell an arm and a leg, and even throw in a kidney with the lot, and still won’t be able to have enough cash to buy, say, one of the very limited hand-written copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. In such a heart-breaking situation, what is the (literally and figuratively) poor book lover to do? Why, cry of course.

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4. Great books available only in other countries
Sadly, there are books that aren't released (read: banned) in some countries for reasons that range from moral to political and anything in between. Luckily, online shops make it easier to acquire such books. But a book lover may still shed tears of frustrations regardless. Why? Depending on where you are in relation to the book’s location, shipping could cost as much as the book itself, if not more. That can surely cause a hard-up book lover dismay and several sleepless nights.