Over the Shoulder

I hate when people read over my shoulder.

Not because I dislike sharing the book- I have no problem lending books to friends when I'm done reading them.

But I hate when they read over my shoulder. It's like I'm so focused on them reading it that I can't concentrate on it myself.

When someone's reading over my shoulder, I get realy paranoid about turning the pages, because I'm not sure at what pace they read.

I'm a fast reader, so I get really annoyed when an over-the-shoulder reader asks, "Can you flip back for a second so I can finish the page?"

[I always make a big show of my annoyance, too, so that maybe they'll go away]

But I get even more annoyed when an over-the-shoulder reader reads a page at light speed and then waits impatiently for me to turn the page.

Come on, buddy, you can't be serious- you totally just skimmed the page. I'm actually reading the words.

[I always make a big deal out of it and read even slower, so that maybe they'll go away]

Seriously, though. And if you say, "I'll let you read it after me if you want" they're all, "Nah, that's cool. I just wanted to read a little bit of it over your shoulder."

... Really? You wanted to annoy me that badly?

Over-the-shoulder readers are just annoying, because reading is a solitary enjoyment, and you can't enjoy the book if you're focused on getting rid of the nosy person behind you.

Sorry, little sis. It's not you that's annoying, it's your over-the-shoulder reading habit.