Helter Skelter. A Year On The Killing Streets(Although, yes, I talk about that one like a missionary does her Bible, and mention it on my dating profile.) Although strange(as in unknown to me) dudes in particular do mention that they've taken my reccommendation of it.

The Odyssey. Perhaps it was the way I was chuckling at times as I read it. Then people would ask, "What class are you reading that for?" and they were baffled when I said, "Oh, I just wanted to read it."

Most recently for me it's Hunger Games. Just yesterday at Panera 2 people stopped me to tell me how good it was and the girl at the register, who always wants to know what I'm reading (our tastes do not intersect usually) just said "ooohhh that's a good one". I haven't had this much comment since Deathly Hallows came out.

I haven't had this much comment since Deathly Hallows came out.

It does seem to be the buzz book of the year. I expect it'll be a movie series very soon.

Also points if anybody can guess which book I was reading. You clue is that it was a novel that was translated into English in the early nineties and it's the sort of book you might expect hip waitresses and bartenders to comment upon.

Please tell me it wasn't Houellebecq.

Please tell me it wasn't Houellebecq.

Gladly! It was not.

Though you do seem to have a lot of conversations with strangers, P-Cow. Particularly in line for events.

Then there was a time I struck up a conversation with a stranger on BART because of Foucault's Pendulum. Oh, and that cute girl who commented on Feed except she was thinking of the other one. Talking to strangers is fun! For an introvert, I'm kind of ridiculous.

Books are one of the only things which will prompt this kind of discussion. Where it's somewhat socially acceptable to breach the privacy envelope and comment.

Which I personally like, though I know most people prefer their shields up and at full power.

Yeah, I welcome comments on what I'm reading, as long as they're not annoying. Reading in public is a spectator sport.

I was reading an early book on nanotechnology and being very impressed with myself for understanding it. This was on the bus, and when I got off the bus, the guy who had been sitting in front of me said, "I was going to say something about your book, but you looked so into it that I hated to interrupt."

Also, when I was trying to teach myself calculus from a Dummies book, I got lots of almost frightened looks on the bus, especially when I commented to someone that I wasn't reading it for class.

You know I don't talk to strangers, and that was just reinforced the time I was sitting on the train reading a book, and the guy standing in front of me was reading the same book, and I made some gesture of solidarity and he totally blew me off! People, man.

I made some gesture of solidarity and he totally blew me off!

What was the gesture? Because the shocker just puts people right off.