Book Hangovers // me getting drunk on fiction

Every once in a while, it happens, okay? You start reading a book, you finish it, you stare at the wall in utter silence for the next ten minutes and then go, “Well, shit.”

me @ good books

We’ve all been there.

At the scary rate I’ve been reading recently, especially, has me thinking hard about the train wreck I become after I finish a particularly good book. Thinking so hard, in fact, that I’ve come up with a perfect routine to share with all of you nerds because I’m generous like that.

I’ve decided to call this routine, “How Nimika Loses Her Shit Because Of A Book And Then Flails Until She Gets Over The Hangover From Reading By Reading Even More.”

I should be a scientist, clearly.

Allow me to break it down for you:

Step One: You Read That Book

 

When Ron is literally your spirit wizard

 

This is where I go, completely unawares, into a random book- not knowing that it’s going to totally wreck me.

Step Two: Finish The Book And Then The Whole Goddamn Series

Personally, I almost always get the worst book hangovers whenever I finish a trilogy or a series because of being attached to the same characters and the world for a long time. Oh, and if the first book pulls through? Dude, then I’m on a rampage to finish the rest of the series. Fast. Like, really fast. (Tip: your body and brain after the reading marathon will not thank you. I know. Rude.)

Step Three: Tumblr, Here I Come

 

Tumblr @ me

 

This is a very important step, by the way. Sometimes when a book has knocked you off your feet and on the ground, you need an army of other hopeless heathens to scream with you down there.

Actual footage of all of my fandoms crying in various corners of Tumblr

For real, tho, at this point, my Tumblr is literally just a timeline of all of my phases and obsessions, literary or not. Anyway, this is the part where you officially culminate the great book/series that you read and are now ready to move on to the next book on your tbr.

OR YOU THINK. 

Step Four: Book Drunk

Because this is where the Book Drunk phase comes in. I don’t know, I just don’t feel ready to read any other book during this period. I keep going back to The Book and rereading my favorite parts, skimming through it again and again, reliving it and wishing I could get temporary amnesia and read it again for the first time. This is what it means to be drunk on a book. Also, even though it’s technically a “phase”, it keeps coming back, even after a long time.

For me, such books are usually my “comfort reads” aka the books easiest for me to reread and feel happy and comfortable.

Me after I skim the book for the fourth time

Step Five: Le Book Hangover

At this point, you’ve more or less drained yourself of the whole rereading/skimming process; but you still can’t move on to just any other book because, hello, you’re hungover.

So, what is a book hangover?

Well, for me, it’s when I crave a book largely similar to the one I’m hungover on. I don’t even care, mostly, if the plot or the story line isn’t similar- but I need the characters to have the same vibes. I just can’t invest in any story immediately with different vibes. It’s a real struggle.

Note: A book hangover is not the same as a reading slump. I’ve actually never had a reading slump (right now, I desperately need one, actually). In fact, whenever I have a book hangover, I want to read more urgently but something similar to the last book I read. Which is not always easy to find.

Confession: This entire post was just an excuse to rant about some of the books that I’ve read recently because of a book hangover. And, yes, I COULD have just recommended these books normally but I like to be extra.

SPONTANEOUS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS BY YOURS TRULY:

(I swear all of the random themes in this post are somehow connected, bear with me).

1. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

So, you loved TRC but would kill for more Adam and Ronan? (I mean, same). By which, I mean, someone like Adam (modest, hardworking, intense) and Ronan (a dangerous mess, angsty, angry). Well, then, I’ve got you covered because if you liked this, you need…

2. The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic (All For The Games trilogy)

I know, I know, I’ve been screaming about this trilogy all the time now but I don’t even care because oh my god, you GUYS, THIS TRILOGY. THIS. TRILOGY. Neil and Andrew are everything, alright? Everything. I even did a (sort of a) book talk- I say that in the loosest of terms as what I actually had was a literary meltdown because of this book so if you would like to see me lose my mind, you can read it here.

Anyway, this trilogy was actually the series that gave me a huge hangover; I, of course, immediately proceeded to read another book with similar characters which sort of gives off the same vibes?

3. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon and Baz, am I right? Of course I am. I’m always right. This was way more lighthearted than probably any of the books that I’ve mentioned above but you will love it. You’ve got the enemies to lovers, hate to love trope with an Adam/Neil/Simon kind of a character and a Ronan/Andrew/Baz kind.

4. The Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

Oh my god, this trilogy was so good. I’m going to talk more about it in my monthly wrap up but believe me, it has the potential to give you a brand new hangover itself instead of healing it. Which is totally fine. I’d also like to mention that the first book requires a million trigger warnings as it’s highly graphic and adult so watch out for that, I guess.

Also, can you tell that I’m on a mission to read a lot of diverse books these days? (It is Pride month, after all.) And some of them are so underrated? What the hell?

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So, that’s it! Now you know every stage of a hangover; but, well, you know what they say- “the best cure to a hangover is to just read more.”

Or at least I say that. You should just listen to me.

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