Reading in public

I know there's a LT event coming up this month, but I thought it would be fun to share what we've spotted folks reading in public lately.

I was at jury duty this week - ho, hum! - and here's the books I spotted:

To Kill a Mockingbird
Capitalism - Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged
Louis L'Amour, title unclear
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Ranger's Apprentice 8
Mister Monday
Lance Armstrong
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Choose to Learn
The Hunger Games
Rough Stone Rolling

There were a lot more I didn't get a good look at and I didn't really want be TOO obvious with my snooping. I wound up being dismissed, which was a big relief because it was a nasty sexual assault case. I took Wizards at War and finished the whole thing, we were there so long.

ugh! jury duty! Its cool to see what people are reading tho!

I've found that anyone carrying a book will talk about reading. I'm always asking people what book they have. (Not while they are reading though. That is just annoying!!)

I'm actually surprised that you spotted that many books. (And so many interesting ones, at that) It seems that reading is a dying art!

What a clever thought, cmbohn! I'm going to do some spying on the buses. Lots of people read on the buses here.

I work at a hospital, so people (employees) don't have time to read, at least at work. So we have lots of crappy tabloid magazines laying around to browse while you're shoveling food into your mouth. :o/ But we have things like US weekly, The Avon Catalog, Men's Health, Style Magazine, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, all the essentials to make it through life... LOL, Yeah right!

I think it helped that they suggested on the jury summons that we bring a book or something to occupy our time. A couple of people had brought magazines or crossword puzzles as well. But it was interesting to see so many people with books!

I tried to sneak a look at the book a guy was reading on the bus home, but all I got for my effort was a funny look. No, no, really, I was looking at your book! LOL!

well, you'd have to ask me, as I use an ereader. I have had a lot of people ask me about it though.

> 7 Keep up the effort, and we might be pleased to learn you're no longer single, Will! You never know who you'll meet when exploring common interests (a word to all us single people out there!).

My husband had jury duty this week and took Wilbur Smith's Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt. I gave it to him for his birthday two years ago. They have changed the system for calling people here. Fewer people are called each month but no-shows can expect a knock on their door by a sheriff! They called every other person down the list alphabetically and he managed to get skipped. He didn't pay attention to what other people took to read, however.

9 - Well, that or beaten up. :P One must be discrete (and discreet).

I took a book on jury service thinking I'd have loads of time to get through 2 at least and ended up on 2 trials during the entire 2.5 weeks so read nowt - Baah!

> 9 I would think the key is to get into the habit of glancing at everybody's book(s), making bookspotting your hobby. Then you will become so accustomed to it that you won't put off a weird energy because you are uncomfortable. People react, I believe, not just to what others are doing, but also to the energy they give off while doing it. And then of course it follows, you talk to everyone who is willing to talk to you about your hobby/interest, and you'll likely meet all kinds of interesting folk.

But then again, here I am, an old single woman, giving advice on how to meet someone! What do I know?

To make up for such foolishness, I'll remind folks of the sweet Hot Guys Reading Books blog: http://hotguysreadingbooks.tumblr.com/

I've seen people reading the sookie stackhouse books a lot on the train!

One of my favorite things to do when I'm traveling by airplane is to spy on what the other passengers are reading. It's a target rich environment!

I've gotten into some interesting conversations with folks comparing books.

I used to spot what people were reading but more frequently now (at least on my commuter train), folks are using Kindles or similar devices to read.

When I was on jury duty earlier this spring, it was fun to see what others were reading. (Not so many Kindles about there...) Of course, now I can't recall what they were enjoying.

I just learned about an artist called Sophie Blackall who has a series called Missed Connections. She takes real missed connections ads and makes them into paintings. So many of them refer to reading in public that I thought you guys might enjoy them as much as I did:
http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/

Also I read in public all the time. If there is even a hint of a chance that I will be waiting in line or waiting alone I'm bringing a book with me!

#11 So, does that mean, one at a time, quietly?

I'm glad to hear I am not the only one who likes to look at what people are reading. I was on a plane recently and I saw Stieg Larsson books, 6230241::Cutting For Stone and various romance titles. Then when at Myrtle Beach I saw more Stieg Larsson and lots and lots of Nora Roberts and several 654973::Eat, Pray, Love books. My family thinks I'm strange cause I love to check out what people are reading whenever we go somewhere.

I spot people with books a lot at our hotel, but I have to be careful about inquiring. Some seem to be very private and defensive about it. They aren't even reading anything that might be considered controversial/questionable. Maybe it's not good etiquette for a dumb clerk in a hotel to ask about books. Sorry, a little of my cynicism leaked out there.

The only one I've seen this month was a woman reading Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" while at a museum with her kids. :p

I spotted a teenage girl with The Tombs of Atuan earlier today. I was mightily pleased and thought about asking her what she thought about it (and perhaps to tip her off on others to read) but I was on my bike and the light turned green, so... (it was at a zebra crossing).

#22 - You have herds of wild zebra where you live? We have deer crossings here, but they never cross by the signs, they just jump out of anywhere into the road. ;)

You know what I mean! ;-)

Literally speaking we should properly have moose crossings, deer crossings, fox crossings and badger crossings... and so we do. For real. Where I live we also have a frog crossing (in effect it consists of the police temporarily closing a road when a certain kind of rare frog migrates).

But as I said - you do know what I mean ;p

Badgers? We don't need no stinking badgers!

Well, they certainly start to stink when they turn up as roadkill, which is the way we usually get to see them around here...

OK, I'm going to have to go get a photo of my Fish Crossing sign. Sometimes when the rains are particularly plentiful some of the creeks and steams get so swollen that they over take a crossing road and then the fish on on the road on their way down stream. Its true...seen it on TV news. Now I have one near my new house. Wonders never cease.

Wow, a FISH CROSSING!!!
The world never ceases to amaze me.
Which is a good thing :D

We also have duck crossing signs, and we used to have a golfer crossing sign on a road that bisected one of our golf courses. That sign's now gone which means the poor golfers are left to fend for themselves.

Q. Why did the golfer cross the road?

A. Par Five.

#22-24 And now we present ...

ta-daa ....

a Zebra Crossing!

;P

This morning during playground duty I saw a student standing on the basketball court intently reading The Princess Diaries while her friends played wildly and loudly around her. Maybe it was homework she didn't do over the weekend, but she was so wrapped up in it I have to believe it was for pleasure.

Busifer - Yesterday, we saw the perfect image. A deer crossing sign, big buck with antlers, and just beyond it, as if posing, a real buck with antlers, poised to cross the road. It's the first time I ever saw an animal obeying one of those crossing signs!

Sadly, my son had my camera in his car, and so I have no image to post.

#34 That sounds like a beautiful moment. Even without the photograph you will have that image for ever.

#34 - Fantastic moment!

#34, MrsLee, that must have been so beautiful!

We have turtle crossing signs here. I love it.

Well I'm not registered for the LT reading in public but this morning I sat on a window seat at home and read. Not many people about on a Sunday morning but a few passed by. I am now going to sit out in the garden as miracle of miracles the sun has come out and finally finish The High King's Tomb.

#39 Now that you mention it, I sat in the garden reading for a few hours in the sun. Appropriately, I was reading Sunnyside by Glen David Gold.

I was reading on the bus.

The other day there were four people (including me) adjacent to each other reading on the bus. The guy on my left was reading Troy by David Gemmell, on the other side was a man reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. In front of us there was a man reading First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was reading Hero by Perry Moore, which I finished last night.

I read in public yesterday at Jiffy Lube, but didn't get a chance to today. Work was non-stop agony going through all the audit reports which happened while I was on vacation and finding all the mistakes. :(. Not fun. Oh well, maybe the next time.

#13
bookspotting, I love it! I also visit that blog regularly, especially when I'm feeling down. Staring at hot guys (and those reading books, to boot) is a wonderful picker-upper, I've found! :P

#17
I always, always have a book in my bag/backpack. Even if there isn't the slightest hint of a chance I will have time to read it. It's like a comfort blanket for me. Thus, even though I own a few small handbags I always go out with the larger ones because they have to fit at least one book!

#25
*snort*

#27
Fish crossing, for real? Cool! :D

Which reminds me of a cute story I like to tell (might have told it before here, I don't remember). Once, a few years ago, my sisters and a friend and I were on a road trip. My friend was driving my car and I was sitting in the front passenger seat. Then, I see him stop the car suddenly (we were the only ones on the road at that moment), open the door and get out.

What was he doing? He had spotted an oso perezoso (*) crossing the road, but since these animals tend to be suuuuuper sloooowwww, my friend lifted the little guy up and carried him across the street to deposit him safely in the woods. Otherwise, another car passing through could have killed the poor fellow.

Cute story, right? :)

(*)this cute little fellow, don't know the English name... a sloth?



Darn, the reading in public LT event thingie was today? Well, I did sit for about ten minutes at the bench in front of my building, reading Fragile Things while waiting for my taxi. I think maybe the security guard and two neighbors saw me, oh and the cabbie too.

It's not very common to see people reading here. Or maybe I'm not paying much attention. But I will do so in the future. Got some bookspotting to do! :D

Yep, that's a sloth alright. They're kind of cute in an odd way. I bet they smell terrible.

I always think they look vaguely extra-terrestrial.

There were 11 people reading poolside while I was swimming. I zoomed around with pencil and paper and was delighted to collect titles. Perhaps some will look LT up, and maybe join.

My reading in public was rained out. So I spent an hour or so at a bookstore browsing.

An acceptable alternative. I envy you.