An Introduction

When I take the bus to work each morning, it can be hard not to fall asleep. It's quiet, there are not as many crazies and there's something peaceful about the steady lull of the wheels. This, of course, only lasts until the morning commuters file in and cram the bus to its full capacity.

In my immense boredom, I stare at my fellow commuters. Not in a creepy way, but in a curious-to-know-about-their-lives kind of way, which I guess can be creepy.

The most interesting thing to me, however, isn't some weird minute detail about their face or their clothing. I've noticed that the first thing I look at is what they're reading: I check out the covers of their books, I try to see if they're reading a newspaper I'm familiar with, or sometimes, I'll admit, I peer over their shoulders to read a line or two from some interesting-looking passage.

I guess I've always been curious about what people read. I look at people's bookshelves when I first am invited over; I feel like you can tell a lot about a person based on what's on their shelves.

So anyway, I've started this blog to satisfy my curiosity and give me a reason to stare at people's books some more. Each week, I'll pick one book that I've seen someone read, look into the history of the book and the author a bit, and probably digress horribly somehow.

Thanks for reading. Up next, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

http://thedaily.washington.edu/blog/2008/07/15/bus-books-blog-curious-and-avid-reader-introductio/