Reading over shoulders.

I spend a lot of time on trains, so I figure I might as well get some reading done. The problem is, I don't currently have any books I haven't read. So I read other people's. 

Luckily, there's also a never ending supply of newspapers.

I like to see if I can figure out what book it is just by the first few sentences of wherever they happen to be in the story. I usually can't. But every so often, I figure it out before they turn the page.

After a while, I started keeping track. Here's some excerpts from what commuting Londoners are reading these days. See how many you recognize.

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He ought to have explained more fully about the Dementors, about how he had fallen over, about how both he and Dudley had nearly been kissed.

Maybe I'll do a shout-out to Willow.

Could she only bring herself to dispense with the lot of them?

More days than not, he's out there fighting someone.

"That's very broadminded of you."

Dozens of faces immediately buried themselves back in their work.

"Poor Liz," I say and I am suddenly overwhelmed with pity for her.

Si vous faites la moindre résistance, je vous tue avec les pistolets que voici.

"But you do not consider how it may appear to the Coles."

As soon as Petra finished talking I stood up and took her in my arms.

She'd had to force herself to stick to the rules of the grounding.

I was beginning to feel very tired and emotional.

Crying is not an option.

Royce and Hadrian glanced nervously at each other.

"Even them," Professor Martin said, sounding sleepy from all the wine.

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I only knew like 3 out of all those, but I was still pretty proud. How many did you get? 

(And Googling is cheating, people).

 

  

Books.

Since I don't have any coursework to do, I'm finally getting to read for fun! Now, that might not sound like a big deal to you, but I'm one of those crazy people who actually likes to read. A lot. Last year (like 2010, not 2011...time flies) all I wanted for Christmas was books, and I read about 20 over the next seven months.

So now that I have time to read, I'm really happy.

I wanted to read this book, mostly because I love Mindy Kaling:

But they didn't have it in the bookstore. It was also kind of embarrassing to request (because of the title), and I'm pretty sure the clerk guy judged me. Whatever. They said they'd order it for me, but knowing I had less than 2 weeks of freedom, I decided I shouldn't waste any time and started on a different one.

So I borrowed this classic from Hannah:

I hadn't read it in years. Probably not since I was about thirteen. It's even more depressing now that it makes more sense to me. And I still hate the ending.

That one only took a couple of days, so then I borrowed this one:

I'd never read it, and so far it's...well it's okay. That might be blasphemous, because it's supposed to be one of the all-time greats. Oh well. It's a quick read, though. I started this afternoon, and I've only got about 70 pages left. I read fast. It's kind of a bummer sometimes.

But that's fine, because Lisa said I could borrow this one next:

I've been wanting to read it for a while now. And I haven't seen the film yet, because I feel like I've got to read it first. (Side note: I hate buying books that have covers from the movie. I don't really know why, but it feels like I'm cheating on the book or something.)

Anyway, that should last me most of the next week. And then classes will be starting up again.

Perfect.