Why I Love... Title Spying

Some people might consider it being nosy, but I love spying on what people are reading. While I usually read my own material during my commute, I love keeping an eye out for what other people are reading. Sometimes, if the piece looks particularly interesting, I'll ask my fellow commuter what they think of their book.

Readers are a community unto themselves, and looking at what people choose to read on their commute is my daily form of cultural anthropology. You can tell a lot about an area, individual, or cultural trend by what people choose to read (and how the choose to read it). When the 50 Shades of Gray explosion happened, I would routinely see at least two readers a day with one of the books from the series. Some readers held the covers up without a care for if people saw them or not. Other readers chose to keep most of the book obscured in their lap or hidden behind a seat. I've seen people read classics, romance novels, sci-fi anthologies, philosophy, text books, law journals... you name it, I've seen it. I love that there are so many readers reading some many things. It shows how different we all are, but that we're all still readers.

It might be just me, but I also love seeing people read books that I, too, have read. It's makes me want to ask what they think so that we can start an impromptu book club. Somehow, seeing someone read stuff you like creates a sense of camaraderie. After moments like that, I always think my fellow reader and I should be friends.



To share my love of seeing what other people read, I post the occasional Seen on the Metro post. People are always reading interesting stuff during my commute and I love to share what I find. That said, The Underground New York Public Library does it waaaaay better than me. It's one of my favorite tumblrs and I highly recommend adding it to your daily reading.

Sadly, with the rise of e-books, it's becoming more difficult to spy on people's reading. Every now and then I get the urge to ask what's on someone's Kindle, Nook, or iPad. I've never actually followed through because I'm afraid of looking creepy, but the urge is still there.

Also, it makes my heart flutter when I see people reading books with library stamps or labels. I always walk away from those moments with an extra bounce in my step and a smile on face.

I think most readers (and librarians) can relate to this need to see what other people are reading. Am I right?