Date a girl who reads...

I found a stunning quote on why guys should date girls who read. It goes on to describe pretty much all the thoughts and feelings I've ever had. It made me wish I was, or at least had once dated a guy who understood this.

I'm a girl who reads. I've been known to get so swept up in a story that I don't hear people calling my name or trying to talk to me. I've laughed out loud and cried until my body ached over people I've never met from places I've never been to. I have favourite authors, favourite series, favourite books... so many that the word "favourite" loses most of its meaning. I pore over large volumes and caress the pages of old tomes. I gasp when I find collected works and my heart beats a little faster when I see pages trimmed in gold. I get lost in bookstores only to emerge as my sister describes "looking like a kid who can't remember how to try his shoelaces". I've discarded new clothes and shoes in exchange for books when travelling so that I'm still within my weight limit. No matter what, my strict rule of "I'll cap myself at seven" new books when travelling never quite works out.
I've made a living out of reading. I read every day. I go over and over the words written by others, marking and analysing, changing and sculpting them into something that others will read and taste, mulling over the message until they're fully saturated with whatever message they've taken away from it. I love words. They are like air to me.

And yet, I've never experienced this with a partner. I've dated guys who've "never picked up a book". I've dated guys with piles of books in every corner of their home. I've dated other wordsmiths and guys who shared some of their favourite authors with me. But that's the problem. I judge a man by what he reads so I always want to read something they love. Their favourite book or author. I love being introduced to new genres or series, hoping to desperately find that we have the same likes and dislikes in common. But not once has a guy I've dated ever asked about what I read.

Oh, they've asked what my favourite book is or author and I'll rattle off a list of names, but I can guarantee that had you asked them, they would have no idea what my favourites are. They just haven't cared enough. And that's the biggest problem I've had with my choice of boyfriends. I always seem to chose guys who are interested... perhaps something I've said or done has piqued their curiosity. But there has never been someone so enthralled by who I am that they want to know these little things about me. They would want to know which characters make me cry, or why I love a certain love so much. They would read through this list of reasons why you should date a girl who reads and thinks of me, nodding knowingly.

So I think my next best step is to use this as a sort of benchmark. Hold out until I find that guy who wants to know everything about me. Because when I finally find someone who asks me why I've left bookmarks in certain places or there's a little corner torn from a page in a book, he's going to be the one that was worth holding out for.

Date a girl who reads...