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.D.
- 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?
Feel free to steal the banner above to use in your reviews!
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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?
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Great post! I had P.A.B.D. twice in the past two weeks! First with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz then with When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I’m rereading both books now. I even both the audio and paperback versions of both books!
@ Vasilly : Thanks
I’ve heard of both book, but never read them. They are now added to my TBR list! Thanks!!
LOL I love that! we suffer from it, from time to time dont we hehe
I’ll def need the banner hehe =)
Great post!
@ Larissa : Feel free to steal the banner!
I love when a book is so amazing that you miss it afterward! I honestly feel sorry for people that have never experienced that
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I love this!
@ Marcie Turner : Thank you
Funny, and true!
@ Gaby : Thanks
Really cute post. I have definitely had those PABD moments. I think my last one was after Graceling, though Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books usually do it to me as well.
@ Simcha : Thank you
Graceling definitely had that effect on me too!
I have certainly dealt with P.A.B.D. before.
I love this! I’m definitely going to use this in books that cause P.A.B.D. I wish I’d found this for my Hunger Games review…but I still have to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay, so I’m sure P.A.B.D. will come in handy
I’m a new follower.
@ Julie : Thanks
Oh you’ll definitely have PABD after Catching Fire and Mockingjay lol
Thank you for giving a name to something I have suffered from nearly all my life. It makes me feel less alone.
Great freaking post! Shared it on FB! Along that vein, I’d love to see a share box at the bottom of your posts. One with Twitter, Stumble, Digg, FB etc. I may have a sharing addiction, and its so much easier to do if there is an easy to find button on the sidebar and at the bottom of each post.
FINALLY someone has put a name to my suffering
. Just finished the Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3) and I am lost… I have to wait until FALL for the next book!?!? What am I going to do with myself.
I’m also going to be the annoying girl who points out the “P.A.B.P” instead of “P.A.B.D.” It’s all out of love though!
Thanks for the post!
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THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Amanda directed me to this post today because I’m going through PABD right now after finishing Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series. It was amazing. Now, I’ve started 4 books over the week and have barely gotten into them because they just don’t live up to the EIT series.
I like the suggestion of a reread — I think I may have to do that!!
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Oh! Haha, It’s good to know. Some of the books I read and reread… and I forget that is so many new and interesting books. The most difficult case is “Gone with the Wind.” I’ll never know whether Rhett and Scarlett were destined to live happily ever after