About this quote

Reading a lot changes how your mind ticks and how people read you. It can make conversation slide toward references and leave you feeling oddly distant in everyday moments. Ask yourself if your books are helping you act or helping you hide. Try one small shift: put a book down and say something simple to someone, then notice what happens.

When to use it

• At our study group when Claire answers every question with a literary quote, I nudged her and said, 'She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.'
• During a design review where Tom kept explaining ideas with novel scenes, I laughed and told him, 'You're too fond of books, and it has turned your brain,' to pull him back to the brief.
• At home when my daughter skips dinner to read again, my mom joked, 'She's too fond of books, and it has turned her brain,' then handed her the plate and a time limit.
• At a small dinner party where one guest hid behind a thick novel, someone leaned over and murmured, 'She's too fond of books, and it has turned her brain,' and the ice broke.