The Buzz...About Books

Ever since April's Keep Toronto Reading month and the One Book Girls Fall Down ,I can't seem to escape books, reading and public transportation.

I stumbled across a fun website that documents readers on the New York subway. The Underground New York Public Library is a simple concept: take a whole slew of (usually) candid photos of engrossed readers passing the time on public transit. There are links to the books they're reading, and even a section for unidentified books that online visitors can'try and solve based on blurry book covers.

There's something kind of fun about seeing other readers on the train – especially if they're reading a book you loved (or hated!). If I'm sitting across someone on the bus reading, I tend to try and sneak a peek at what they've got; as a reader, it's second nature, right? (Catching what ebook readers are into can be a little bit more of a challenge, however…I'll let you know when I find a smooth way to do this.)

Julie Wilson's book, Seen Reading, collects more than a hundred fictions inspired by sightings of people reading on Toronto transit, each reader re-invented in a poetic piece of short fiction. You can check out the website for Seen Reading as well.

Exact Fare Only is another collection of transit stories that brings together all the wonderful, memorable and downright wierd experiences we have on public transportation. You can also check out the second installment if you can't get enough commuter literature.

So, are you a transit reader? Have you spotted anyone reading a book you loved on the bus or train?

Let's hope it's a fellow rider and not the driver or conductor, like this bus driver in Oregon who was caught reading his Kindle on the highway…!