Carrying the right book on Muni

This is a true story: a single guy friend was sitting on the bus when he spotted two attractive women sitting across from him, both carrying the same book. He decided to strike up a conversation with them by asking them why they had the same book. They told him that they were in a book club and had just bought this book together at a book store for their next meeting. They told him all about the books they’ve read and what this particular book was about, and, well, digits may have been exchanged.

Well, what book was it, I asked him.

“It was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Juno Diaz,” he said.

Did it matter what book it was?

“Of course! I mean, if it were Eat, Pray, Love, I don’t think I could even talk to them!”

I actually know another guy friend who tries to carry an impressive or interesting book on BART so that, “just in case,” he can strike up a conversation with the right girl. He leaves the programming book in his backpack for the BART ride and busts out his more literary reads.

I too love books so I can sympathize, though I would hate to think that some random person is looking at my book choice in barely concealed disgust!

What do you read on the bus? Have you started a conversation with someone based on their choice of books? And what’s the book you’d be too embarrassed to carry around? (come on, who loves the Chicken Soup for the ______ Soul series?)