I read about a book a week on my daily commute to/from work in London. My commute isn't that long (about 45 minutes), but it gives me some vital time to just relax and read a book. I am thankfully not blessed with a Blackberry, laptop or any other electronic shackles. I'm able to just be in my own world for 45 minutes (each way) everyday. Lovely.
As a result, I get through a fair few books.
Generally, I read across varied genres (mostly fiction) and lately I've been on a YA kick. I just finished the fabulous Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (more on this in another post, I suspect) and picked up Gayle Forman's If I Stay. I'm only about one hundred and fifty pages into this book, but already I can tell this is really not a book suitable for commuting. The book is about a teenage girl and her family who go off one snowy morning to visit friends. Along the way, their car is hit by a truck. Most of the family is killed instantly, but the girl lingers on in a coma and she has to make the choice do I join my family? Or Do I stay? What is there to stay for? The book is brilliantly written and moving, but I can constantly feel the threat of tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I've sobbed over a fair few NFC (Not for Commuting) books before like The Book Thief (I cried and sniffled to the point of embarassment). I love books that make me feel deeply-- but I also know that they are not the best ways to begin my day (or end it). While I only have around 100 pages of If I Stay left, I'm hoping to finish it this weekend-- because I'm pretty sure starting my Monday morning sobbing is not the best omen for this week.
What about you? Have you read any books that have made you cry while commuting, on a plane, train or bus?
I have several. But some books, you never know until you're into it, and then the most interesting thing is to note the way your fellow travelers handle your weeping. I've had everything from frightened staring to people actually trying to soothe me, thinking it was that I got some terrible news from home.
ReplyDelete