Books in the wild - seen or heard

    Have you ever discovered a book by eavesdropping - either unavoidably or perhaps more deliberately - on a conversation?

     Mr. C. was dining alone in London last week and couldn't help but hear a very animated discussion at a neighbouring table about the book On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening without Boundaries by Richard Reynolds. He hadn't come across it before, but was quite intrigued by all he was inadvertently hearing about it from the couple opposite, so there's an idea, book publicists - go out and about in pairs and discuss the latest releases over coffee or a drink, with a copy of the book prominently on the table in front of you; you never know who may pick up the chat and pass it on!

    At the end of this post you'll find an overheard exchange about a book (yes, it was a book - the man himself wasn't in evidence!), but as to catching sight of books 'in the wild', I can't pass someone reading without surreptitiously trying to see the title or author. One instance I remember particularly was when the man I was sitting next to on a plane was reading The Da Vinci Code and making copious notes in the margins and marking lots of passages. The book hadn't been out very long then and I was only vaguely aware of it, but seeing how engrossed the chap obviously was - and it was all the annotating that did it - made me go and look it up at the first opportunity (I haven't read it yet, though).

Comments

[Ros]

If he was making notes and marking passages in the Da Vinci Code he was either reviewing it, or more likely, writing a rebuttal of it.

[Janet]

I once sat next to a couple of ladies at a John Lewis fashion show, who were discussing Jennifer Donnelly's A Gathering Light, which I had recently read for the seconf time. I'm also fascinted by what complete strangers sitting next to me on a train or bus is reading - will I like it too, or why are they reading that are questions that spring to mind in that situatiion. Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways of publicising a book.

[Audrey]

I agree with Janet - surreptiously looking at what other commuters are reading is a great source of ideas on what to read next ... and once in a while, a chance for a good conversation about books.

[LizF]

I'm always fascinated about what people read in public and always try to have an unobtrusive look although round here the reading matter is very rarely anything out of the ordinary. It used to be that everyone was reading a Harry Potter (particularly popular with taxi and bus drivers I recall) but now it is usually Stieg Larsson or a vampire book of some description - not that I am against either I hasten to add!
I usually have a book with me at all times - one of the reasons I can never cope with having a small handbag - but the only time that anyone ever asked me about what I was reading was when I had a copy of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. It seemed as though I could barely open it without someone asking about it although that could have had something to do with it being one of Richard & Judy's Book Club selections which were hugely influential at the time!

[Alex]

I also can't avoid looking and making snap judgments :) Will that all be over when Kindle takes overthe world? have you heard of Spy Cover? http://coverspy.tumblr.com/

[Barbara]

Ha ha, I hadn't seen that previous post. No one has any right to look as good as Nigel Havers does at his age.
You've inspired me to a silly little post about this (earwigging, not Nige).