A Terrible Book Hangover

You can't put the book you just finished behind you because you still want to live in it. You have a terrible book hangover, and it lasts three days. Ibuprofen does nothing for it. You're sad because whatever you read next can't possibly be as good as the book you just finished. You depair because nothing you read can possibly be as good, ever again.

Anne Bogel, I'd Rather Be Reading

This doesn't happen to me often but when it does it's terrible. And wonderful — to have read such a book, such wonderful writing, such depth of feeling. And so forth. But in the meantime, what does one read until one recovers? I mean, you've gotta read something. You can't just not read for three days. It's a tough way to live.