You've felt it: that itch, that burn, the realization that the real world doesn't matter, because the fictional world is calling you.

Sometimes, I really need to read. It's a bit of a desperate thing. I go a little crazy if I'm deprived from my book when I need it.

Obviously, it is essential to always keep a book handy. That being said, here are some warning signs for when I really need a book.

• When I finish a book. You know those cliffhanger endings? I die a little at the thought of waiting a whole year for the next book.

• When my thoughts are running wild. I'm an overly analytical person with a mind that won't shut up sometimes. I need the distraction to give myself a break.

• When I feel too quiet. I'm as moody as anyone is, and when I'm in one of those awful moods where the world feels like a blur that's supposed to matter but doesn't, I need to retreat and read.

• When I'm angry. Most people don't realize it (or maybe they do and I just don't know it) but I get very angry very fast. I can also let it go very quickly too, but when I'm in a foul mood, I need to read to let it go.

• When I'm bored. Well, duh! There's never enough time to read all the books in the world and both for the blog and my mental well-being, I try to read as many as I can. This reason works very well during commutes. Being the 21st century kid that I am, I can not stand the thought of doing nothing with my previous time. That means that I'll fiddle with my phone and Twitter if I must, but mostly I'll want to read anything I can.

• For review. Whoops. I can't believe I forgot about this until now. While most books are read on a "when I want to" basis, review books are given priority and read as soon as I can. There's a reason I don't accept too many of these; they can burn me out extremely quickly.

I've probably missed a few reasons. When do you really need to read?

-P.E.