3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place

[Shanna]

Karen wrote: "So far I've seen 3 books being read in public that I'm considering, two are sequels to others I haven't read: Me After You, A Storm of Swords. Any recommendations if either of these stand alone or ..."

Storm of swords is the 3rd book in the fire and ice series. You definitely need to read the others first.

[Megan]

At a 4th of July celebration I saw a man reading American Gods.

[Karen]

thanks Shanna!

[Laura]

Sarah wrote: "FINALLY! I was in the supermarket just browsing the book selection while waiting for a friend to finish ransacking the clearance. A stranger approached- so of course like a total creep I stood ther..."

Which, if you've seen Stand By Me, can also count for the "movie you've already seen" prompt.

[Teri]

Karen wrote: "So far I've seen 3 books being read in public that I'm considering, two are sequels to others I haven't read: Me After You, A Storm of Swords. Any recommendations if either of these stand alone or ..."

You'd definitely want to read "Me Before You" before you read "After You." It wouldn't really make much sense otherwise. Me Before You is soooo good, though, that you should read them both (as well as the last one "Still Me." They don't take too long to read and are quite good.

[Laura]

Spotted on the DC metro yesterday: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

[Teri]

Laura wrote: "Spotted on the DC metro yesterday: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail"

It's good.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Teri wrote: "Laura wrote: "Spotted on the DC metro yesterday: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail"

It's good."

I couldn't stand it and gave up on it, but I'm obviously one of very few people who felt that way about it...

[Laura]

Saw a woman reading Wonder in a waiting room on my way to work this morning.

[Milena]

Yesterday I finally saw a man reading something I would want to read: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. I've already fulfilled this prompt with Interpreter of Maladies, and I plan to read The Sun Does Shine anyway. If I count Red Sparrow that makes a total of 3 books I have seen people reading since January that I would want to read. Long Islanders have awful taste.

[Laura]

Another DC metro sighting: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

[Johanne]

currently sailing with the ferry from Jutland to Zealand and someone is reading New York 2140.

[Jess]

Not updated here in a while, this is what I've seen recently:

Digital Fortress
Richard III
Sleeping Beauties

[Kristie]

I was at the beach the other day and finally saw someone reading... To Kill A Mockingbird. Which I've already read.... sigh, back to being a creeper. :)

[Sarah]

Finally spotted someone reading something I'd like to read! Thank you random guy at the train station reading Dune. Coincidentally I bought a copy of it just last week. I'm happy now!

[Emanuel]

I saw a woman reading End of Watch at the beach; bought it and so I hope/want to read , Fim de turno em português.

[Sarah]

Emanuel just a heads up- End of Watch is third in a trilogy. I don’t know how much sense it will make without having read at least book 1, Mr. Mercedes. You could probably skip book two because it has little to do with book 3 if you are in a rush, but all 3 are great.

[Emma]

Hmm, I’ve kept thinking next time I’m in a cafe or at the library or on the train or even at the airport I’d remember to look out for someone reading, but I keep forgetting.

So I was having a google around the idea of people reading in public and found this little story https://www.standard.co.uk/news/trans...

The book she was reading was Our Spoons Came from Woolworths so I might read that, just going to see if my library has it.

[Laura]

Spotted on the DC metro last night: American Gods and Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

[Hope]

People reading in public need to hold up their books so I can see the covers... While I've seen a few people reading in public and stared creepily at them, trying to make out the cover, the only one whose cover I was able to catch was a kid reading one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books- the cover was purple, so I think it was The Ugly Truth. Might have to use that if nothing better shows up.

[Nadine in NY]

Hope wrote: "People reading in public need to hold up their books so I can see the covers... While I've seen a few people reading in public and stared creepily at them, trying to make out the cover, the only on..."

Honestly!! Do they have to make it so hard for us??!! :-)

Once, I overcame my natural social awkwardness and asked a woman what she was reading - she was so happy to talk about the book, and gave me several other recommendations (all books I'd read already unfortunately), it made me feel a lot better about stalking all those other strangers.

[Aimee Dars]

Nadine wrote: "Hope wrote: "People reading in public need to hold up their books so I can see the covers... While I've seen a few people reading in public and stared creepily at them, trying to make out the cover..."

I was at a concert not too long ago and reading a book on my iPad during intermission while my husband went to fetch drinks. The person sitting next to me asked about what I was reading and we had a nice conversation about books! I certainly didn't mind him inquiring!

[Ellie]

I had a lurk in Waterstones at lunch but it was mostly people browsing the tat gifts. I did see people reading the covers of I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death and Whistle in the Dark.

And earlier today on Twitter I saw Celeste Ng comment on seeing someone reading How to Stop Time on public transport and I have that on my TBR already. I think these are better options that any of the books I've seen people reading on the train so far.

[Emanuel]

I'll read Escrito na Água - Preview

[Sarah]

The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince spotted today on the train. I read it last year and it isn't the best in the series but it passes the time

[Cornerofmadness]

Saw this one today Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing

[Lin]

Finally:), I saw a stranger reading a book. And it was Atwood's book "The Heart goes last". So glad So glad

[Megan]

The woman on the bus this morning is reading The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats

[Nadine in NY]

Megan wrote: "The woman on the bus this morning is reading The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats"

That looks like a really interesting book!! added it!

[Rachel]

My recent sightings on the bus to work:

A Little Life
Middlesex
The Lovely Bones
Rebecca

[Ellie]

There's a woman who has started getting my train who sits right by the carriage door and reads paperbacks, holding them so I can see as I wait to get off! I'm saving this prompt till last in the hope I actually see something I want to read.

Burial Rites <--- maybe this one
Nemesis
One Day

[Nadine in NY]

Ellie wrote: "There's a woman who has started getting my train who sits right by the carriage door and reads paperbacks, holding them so I can see as I wait to get off! I'm saving this prompt till last in the ho..."

That's really thoughtful of her to hold them "properly" so the rest of us can see!! :-)

[Johanne]

Yes, so many strangers reading in public are inconsiderate book-holders, where no covers can be seen.

[Sarah]

Sorry guys. I'll admit I'm one of the inconsiderate commuters who holds the book out of view. :D I'll try to work on this

[Laura]

Anyone who still needs to fill this prompt, get ready because I hit the jackpot at the National Book Festival in DC this weekend. All the authors listed below presented and most read from their books. I saw almost all of their recent books being read at some point during the day!

Dave Eggers
Annie Proulx
Jeffrey Eugenides
Tayari Jones
Min Jin Lee
Ron Chernow
Roxane Gay
Sonia Sotomayor
Amy Tan
Madeleine Albright
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Jon Meacham
Andrew Sean Greer
Lisa Wingate
Jennifer Egan
Luis Alberto Urrea
Meg Wolitzer
Celeste Ng
Brad Meltzer
Hank Phillippi Ryan
David Ignatius
Joseph Finder
Deborah Harkness
Patrick McDonnell
Pénélope Bagieu
Tillie Walden
Leigh Bardugo
Jeffery Deaver
Louise Penny
Kate DiCamillo
Katherine Applegate
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Brian Selznick
Erin Entrada Kelly
Christopher Paul Curtis
Meg Medina
Chris Grabenstein
Jacqueline Woodson
Jason Reynolds
David Levithan
Sandhya Menon
Robin Benway
Brendan Kiely
Alexandra Bracken
Elizabeth Acevedo
Justina Ireland
Kai Bird
Adam Sisman
Joseph Kanon
David Ignatius
Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Steve Coll
Lawrence Wright
James Reston Jr.
Mark Bowden
Tara Westover
Sy Montgomery
Juli Berwald

[Jamie]

It was more than a year ago, but I remembered seeing someone reading You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein in the waiting room at the mental health office. I saw it at my library last Saturday and picked it up for this prompt.

[Tracy]

I don't know if this works, but I don't get out much due to chronic illness .

Also I never see people reading in public ( so sad😢 ).

For this prompt I actually found this website featuring people reading in public :http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrar...

I browsed through the pictures and chose a book that someone was reading on the train :-)

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Tracy wrote: "I don't know if this works, but I don't get out much due to chronic illness and I never see people reading in public ( so sad😢 ).

For this prompt I actually found this website featuring people rea..."

I would definitely count that as fine! I had to do something similar because I’m from a really small town and nobody here is truly a stranger unless they’re a tourist. We also have no transit whatsoever and most of the beaches are private so even though we get a lot of tourists I never see them reading! 🙈

I found a few instagram feeds that track people reading on transit and just picked a photo from one of them 😋

Also, sorry to hear you suffer from chronic illness! 😢

[Tracy]

*For this prompt I actually found this website featuring people reading in public :http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrar...*

Thanks Stacy :-)

I scrolled through and found some interesting reading choices for sure lol.

I chose to read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, and I think it may be my favorite novel that she's written.

[Cornerofmadness]

Saw some this week on campus if anyone is still looking

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

Angel: After the Fall, Volume 1 by Brian Lynch

[Erin]

"Lucked" out with getting called up for jury duty - plenty of books to choose from there! The two that caught my interest were Pirate Latitudes and The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. Trying to read every Michael Crichton book by 2020 so will probably end up going with Pirate Latitudes.

[Johanne]

Right now on the train, the person sitting next to me is reading 'The Gargoyle' by Andrew Davidson.

[Hope]

Saw another kid reading in the library- this time it was The Long-Distance Dispatch Between Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang.

[Nicole]

I think its an awesome promt, but I just don't know what to do with it.

Sooo, my thought and question to you guys:
I volunteer at my local library. Not out front where I would see people reading, but in the back sorting the books that get returned.
Practically I don't SEE anybody reading, but most of these books have been read by Strangers just recently.
Does that count?
Actually its the reason I love doing it, I get to see just about EVERYTHING people return and always get some good inspiration what to read next :)

[Nadine in NY]

Nicole wrote: "I think its an awesome promt, but I just don't know what to do with it.

Sooo, my thought and question to you guys:
I volunteer at my local library. Not out front where I would see people reading..."


This is a very difficult category for most of us, so do whatever you need to do! I love the IDEA of reading a book just because you saw someone else reading it, but in practice it's so hard to spot one!!

[poshpenny]

Update:

Night Watch - Terry Pratchett
Three Among the Wolves: A Couple and Their Dog Live a Year with Wolves in the Wild - Helen Thayer
The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne
Home Front - Kristin Hannah
Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters - Annie Dillard
The Hellfire Club - Jake Tapper
Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
Are You Sleeping - Kathleen Barber
Faust - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The Lost City of the Monkey God - Douglas Preston

[Laura]

DC metro weekend sighting: What Alice Forgot

[Eujean2]

More books seen being read in the wild (including some unusual ones):

Less
The Sympathizer
The Woman in Cabin 10
Sweet Little Lies
I Found You
The Hunger Games
The Open Society and Its Enemies
Courting the Abyss: Free Speech and the Liberal Tradition
The History of Love
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them Now
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior

...and my favorite:
I saw a kid sitting at the counter of a taqueria reading the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook - Spielerhandbuch. I watched him for awhile and he wasn't just looking things up, he was reading from cover to cover. (I'm not sure I linked the correct one, but I picked the cover that looks like mine.) I've already completed this category, but it would be very funny to read this for the challenge.

[Johanne]

That's awesome Eujean. It sounds familiar: My 15 year old reads Warhammer codexes cover to cover...

[Nicole]

Laura wrote: "DC metro weekend sighting: What Alice Forgot"

Loved that book :)

Yesterday I saw a a girl reading Kafka on the Shore in the munich subway.