Book hangovers have existed for a while, probably for as long as words have been around, but thanks to the Internet, we can define them, and actually do something to get over them faster. If you declare yourself a bookworm, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Urban Dictionary defines it as "the inability to start a new book because you are still living in the old book's world" and honestly, that's pretty freaking accurate.
I was never a reader kind of kid while growing up, mostly because I had a short attention span and a memory of a fish; so I didn't really experience this feeling until just a couple of years ago when I submerged myself in the books world and decided to never look back.
And as it turns out, I'm having my very first book hangover of the year right now. It's funny; I didn't exactly realize that until I kept starting books that I never even got to the second chapter; I just couldn't.
The character's of my recently finished book kept popping up in my head, and I also found myself relating them to the new ones. "Oh, okay, this June girl is like Molly in the other one!".
Because you see, book hangovers wouldn't be a thing in the first place if the author wasn't so skilled at presenting the world and the characters leading the story. They made you feel something, the writer somehow made you care about the people in the book, and now you just want more. And more.
And I guess that's why people write fanfiction in the first place, to fill a void that the author left after the story ended.
Something is missing, and as a result, you end up having the same kind of feelings you experience when a friend moves away; you don't want to make new friends, you just want your old friend back.
So, how do you deal with it?
Well, "you can always re-read it" my sister, also a bookworm, suggested but I feel like it can have an adverse effect on me because it will just be a reminder of a world that I can't have more of, no matter how much I want it.
Another option could be reading another book by the same author, and hope they were able to convey the same kind emotions that caught my attention in the old book. Different characters, different settings, but same feelings? Guess it could work.
The thing to keep in mind is, you'll eventually get through it. Because whether you can see it now or not, there's always room for another great book. And there's still time to start the cycle again.
What about you? Have you experienced book hangover? Are you getting over one right now? Tell me your tips! Please, I'm begging you.