Bookworm Stereotypes

Reader Clichés

       What do you think of when you think of a bookworm? Glasses? Tea drinker? Intelligent? Introverted? Whether we know it or not, people outside the book community are making these assumptions about our personality just because we read. Crazy, right? We also know that most of us fit into a few of these molds. I thought it would be fun to share 10 of these stereotypes, and whether or not I believe that I apply to each one. A thank you is owed to Cait over at Paper Fury, who was the one from which I got the inspiration for this post. Go check her blog out when you’re done here for her answers.

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Bookworms Wear Glasses

       Starting out this list with the age-old stereotype. I think this is funny because if you ever see a reader in books, movies, or on TV, there’s a 99% chance that they wear glasses. I guess that glasses have always been connected to intelligence, and people consider bookworms smart (As a spokesperson for the bookish community, we’re flattered.). Also, I guess reading ruins your eyes...does that make glasses

the shields of reading?
       True or False?
       Hahaha, this one is painfully true. I have awful eyesight. Most people don’t know this, though, because I wear my contacts 98% of the time due to being involved in multiple sports. (Glasses and athletics are not a desirable combination.) Bad eyesight is a genetic thing for me on both sides of my family. Coincidentally, both sides of my family are readers...

​Bookworms Drink Tea While Reading

       I think that this one is a little funny. Does anyone else think that this stereotype makes us readers sound a bit snobby? (Spoiler Alert: We are.) It’s also very common to be associated with coffee and other fancy drinks.
       True or False?
       This one is false for me. I tried green tea a little while ago, and I wasn’t a big fan. My mom has promised to fix me a cup of Chai that she thinks that I’ll like, with milk and honey added. It sounds good; I just don’t believe that I have found 

the kind that I would enjoy. On a similar note, I haven’t ever had a regular cup of coffee, either (I’m not counting Starbucks. It might as well be a milkshake with a dash of coffee.). Even if I did ever try it, I would probably drink decaf. I can only imagine myself hyped up on caffeine. Nobody wants that.

Bookworms Think About What They Read and Get Very Smart

       I guess people assume that since we read a lot, we are exponentially smarter than everyone else? I’m flattered, really, but I don’t think that this is a fair assumption. Books for bookworms are the same thing as movies are for movie buffs. Entertainment.
       True or False?
       False. I read to relax and get away from everyday life for a little while. I’m not going to bore myself with an extensive analysis of a book. There are probably bookworms out there that do this all the time, I’m just not one of them. All I want is a good story.

Bookworms Hoard Books

       ​Yep. Next question.

Bookworms Have No Other Hobbies or Life, Just Books

       I could see how this stereotype could be formed. Reading takes up much of my time, especially if you love it. There are times when I have to schedule in reading time or put it on my to-do list so that I take the time to sit down and do it.
       True or False?
       Nope. Not even close. I am currently in my junior year (the 11th year out of 12 for those outside of the US) in high school, and I participate in just about every extracurricular in my small town. I play five sports: volleyball and cross country in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball and track & field 

​in the spring. Along with athletics, I play in the band, sing in the honors choir, act in the fall play and the spring musical every year, and participate in SADD, student council, and FBLA. Long story short, I keep busy. I’ve been lucky enough to have a family and school that allows me to pursue these things and maintain this little blog for all of you.

Bookworms Want to be Writers

       It’s pretty typical for readers to aspire to become writers. If there is something out there that you love, you probably dream about creating your version of it at some point or another.
       True or false?
       This is true for me! I would love to write some YA or middle-grade book. It’s on my bucket list. Another dream of mine is to create a children’s picture book. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved picture books and storytelling through art. I would treasure the chance to share that love with the next generation. 

Bookworms Prefer Physical Books to Ebooks

       Before we get into this, does it matter? Books are books, no matter how one chooses to consume them.
       True or false?
       True...and false? I know, it’s probably cheating. However, I have my reasons! I like physical books for the sheer fact that I can hold them in my hand and turn the pages. They also make for great pictures. I enjoy ebooks because they don’t take up any physical space, and they’re cheaper than physical books. If I didn’t have a bookstagram, I would 

​probably only buy ebooks. However, physical ones have a special place in my heart.

Bookworms Are All Introverts

       This one makes sense. Us bookworms hole ourselves up sometimes and ignore interactions with other humans to read and finish books. Of course, non-readers assume that we’re introverts.
       True or false?
       I’m going to take another stance in the middle. Initially, I am very extroverted. I love to make people laugh and to talk 

to others. When I’m faced with this question, I usually answer it like this: I’m extroverted until I’m not. I like interacting with people, but I have my limits. When I reach that limit, all I want to do is be by myself and not talk to anyone. I don’t know if that’s common or not, but that’s just the way my personality works.

Bookworms Love Going to Bookstores

       Surround yourself with the thing you love most. For bookworms, that just happens to be books.
       True or false?
       True. 100%

Bookworms Think the Book is Better Than the Movie

       It’s interesting that this would come up because I just saw the adaptation of The Death Cure, and there are a bunch of new adaptations coming out soon.
       True or False?
       Not always, but most of the time. The exception would be The Maze Runner trilogy. The book series was okay at the start but got progressively worse the more books that were released. I LOVED the books, however. The changes they made were so great and added so much to the overall plot. The people involved made the movies so much better than the books.

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       What’s your stance on bookworm stereotypes? Which do you fit? Let me know in the comments!

Your stereotypical bookworm,
Ashton

I​ feel free and strong. If I were not a reader of books I could not feel this way.

— Walter Tevis