P.A.B.D. has plagued me on and off for my entire life. I know many bookworms who are faced with the same problem. Please read on to see if you have PABD and see how you can help yourself or others suffering with this.
So what is P.A.B.D.?
Post Amazing Book Depression – The over-whelming sad feeling one gets after finishing a great book.
Signs of P.A.B.D.
- missing characters
- often includes talking about characters in day to day life
- ex. I wonder what Katsa and Po are doing.
- ex. Do you think Cat and Bones will get married?
- ex. If she doesn’t choose Eric, I don’t know how I’ll survive.
- (side note: If your friends do not understand the above phrases, you need new friends.)
- hearing songs that remind you of certain characters/scenes
- often includes talking about characters in day to day life
- constant rereading of the same book
- extreme cases can lead to the reading of fan-fiction
- stalking of the author
- constantly checking their blog for updates
- Googling interviews in which the book (or series) are mentioned
- joining multiple fansites
- lack of interest in other books
- finding yourself staring at your bookshelf and seeing nothing worth reading
- wandering around the bookstore/library picking up and putting back books
How to live with P.A.B.P.
- Reread the book!
- You can revisit your favorite characters while coming across details you may have missed.
- Find other books by the same author.
- Is there more in the series?
- Search for books with similar themes.
- Thanks to the hard work some dedicated book lovers, you can find sites that help you find books similar to those you love.
- Use Amazon to see what others are buying that liked the book.
- Have a rebound book.
- Keep a favorite book on hand to immerse yourself in.
- Force a friend to read the book
- This will give you a chance to experience reading the book through someone else.
- You will then have someone to endlessly discuss the book with.
Do you have PABD? How do you deal with it?
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Books, post amazing book depression, Reading
[...] now suffering from severe PABD — Wait, you don’t know what PABD is? Well then head over here and see if you have it and how to live with [...]
I must say that there has been many a time when I slow waaay down towards the end of a book to avoid a wicked case of PABD (of course, there’s always medication).
hahahahahah so true
Lol! I love this. Your picture totally fits, because the worst case of PABD I’ve ever had was when I read 4 or 5 Harry Potter over Christmas break a couple years ago. I had pretty much all the signs you listed! Yes, even hearing songs that reminded me of the characters
Urgh I know. I’m almost afraid to reread the series because then I’ll have to go through it all over again!
Great post! And I definitely suffer from P.A.B.D. from time to time — most recently after finishing Megan McCafferty’s five Jessica Darling books. They were amazing, and my absolute favorite series ever! I wasn’t sure what I wanted to read after finishing them; I knew nothing else would live up to what they meant to me. And I think about Jessica and Marcus often!
Thanks
I’ve never heard of that series before. I’ll definitely be checking it out!!
OHMIGOD!! my problem has a NAME!! hahaha
thanks for posting this. I suffer from bad P.A.B.D. to the point where my family laugh at me. I thought I was strange. Now I know that even if I am.. so are a bunch of other people and that’s ok! 
LOL No way you are not alone!! My family makes fun of me for it as well (Shane more than anyone)
good to hear! Although, I must admit, some books have had a profound affect on me. For example, I sunk into a depression while reading “The hour I first believed” by Wally Lamb because one of the main characters was so depressed that I really felt it and took it on as my own… took me a happy book after to get me out of it…. that’s one bad thing about being a hardcore bookworm.. or overly sensitive?
I do that too. My dad also does it. I love that books affect me so much. I actually feel sorry for people that don’t get to experience books the same way
I suffered from this after finishing the Time Traveler’s Wife!
Urgh me too! I was sobbing at the end and was so upset for days afterward.
So true! I get PABD sometimes, too. I don’t ever reread the book to get over it, though. Just keep trying to read another amazing book
I have a hard time jumping into a new book. Do you have problems letting go of the last story/characters when starting a new book?
[...] out! I’m now suffering from severe PABD — Wait, you don’t know what PABD is? Well then head over here and see if you have it and how to live with it. Possibly related posts: (automatically [...]
I just finished reading Fallen by Lauren Kate, and I have the exact same thing! I have something like 30 books waiting to read at home, and I can’t bring myself to even look at them!
Ooooh I might have to move that up in my TBR
This happens to me all the time! I have a house filled with books, but after I read one that’s really amazing, it takes me about a week to get going with another book (usually after I’ve picked up every book in the house and put it down with disgust).