Books from the E & F Trains

Living in Queens, and commuting to my internship in Manhattan several days a week, I can't help but notice just how many people choose to spend most of their subway time reading a good book.  Some are thumbing through paperbacks, drooling over a hardcover, or zoned in to their eReader.

I decided it might be fun to start talking to my fellow commuters about what they're reading.  Or, if they're not in the mood to talk...I could always just jot down what it is they're reading and in what format.

The first night I began to observe I met two women.

The first was a shy little lady, mid to late 40's,  reading a hardcover of The Inner Circle by Brad Metzer.  It wasn't a book I was familiar with at all, so I looked it up online to see what it was all about.

While searching Amazon.com for a description, I found this note by Davit Pitt from Bookmaster:

In this political thriller with historical-conspiracy overtones (or perhaps it’s the other way around), Meltzer creates his most engaging protagonist in years. Beecher White is an archivist with the National Archives, who stumbles upon an old book hidden away in a room used exclusively by the president. But did the president know that the book (a spelling dictionary that once belonged to George Washington) was there? And—almost impossible for Beecher to imagine—could it be that the president or someone close to him is willing to kill to regain possession of the book? Meltzer teams Beecher with an equally strong character, Clementine Kaye, a woman from the archivist’s past whose estranged father is, perhaps not coincidentally, the man who tried to kill the current president’s predecessor. Meltzer expertly develops the story, throwing in twists and turns at appropriate intervals, and he does an excellent job of putting us in Beecher’s corner and making us care about what happens to him. The story has a surprising and satisfying conclusion, and Meltzer leaves the door wide open for a sequel. --David Pitt

Another woman, a very friendly and upbeat lady in her late 30's was using her eInk Kindle to play a game.  Since she was sitting right next to me, I decided to ask her a bit about her eReader, and what kinds of books she enjoyed.  She told me that she LOVED her eReader, especially for the subway, because it was much less cumbersome than carrying a traditional book.  She shared that she had almost always had at least two books with her, and at times a back up for her back up! (No reader wants to be left with idle time.)  She also mentioned that in an effort to clean out her house, and make room for new things in her life, she had recently donated her very large collection of books to a charity.  She said it felt good to give those books to people who would actively enjoy them, and also get back the space in her house.  Now, she downloads new books ALL the time with her Kindle.  Her most recent download was Helpful Herbs for Health & Beauty:  Look and Feel Great, Naturally by Barbara Griggs.

I'll be sure to keep stalking the reading material of my fellow strap-hangers to bring you more great titles from the E&F Trains.

~Michelle In Turn