From self-help to the devil
This week's edition of "CTA reading habits" begins with a couple of self-help books. It's the first time I've seen riders reading self-improvement books. As usual, I provide the sex and approximate age of the rider. And as usual women readers outnumber their male counterparts.
Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff, by Lori Baird, read by a 55-year-old woman. You're never too old to get organized.
Excel 2003 for Dummies, by Greg Harvey, read by another 55-year-old gal. You're never too old to learn Excel. But I would avoid advertising to fellow CTA riders that I'm a dummy. That's why I've never bought one of those "Dummy" books. Not that I'm a dummy.
The Privilege of Youth, by Dave Pelzer, a 40-year-old woman. You're never too old to know that youths are privileged.
The Arabian Nights, translation by Sir Richard F. Burton, perused by both a 30-year-old woman and her same-age significant other.
Out, by Natsuo Kirino, 25-year-old woman. And no, it's not a "coming out" story. According to Amazon: "Four women who work the night shift in a Tokyo factory that produces boxed lunches find their lives twisted beyond repair in this grimly compelling crime novel, which won Japan's top mystery award, the Grand Prix, for its already heralded author, now making her first appearance in English." Interesting. Boxed lunches? Who knew there was a factory for that?
Too Many Cooks, a Nero Wolfe mystery, by Rex Stout, by a 35-year-old woman.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire, a retelling of Cinderella, read by a 30-year-old guy.
The Kite Runner, by Khalid Hosseini, who "manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on his first try," says Amazon. Read by a 25-year-old gal.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Read by a 30-year-old woman. I have a soft spot in my heart for this book, and for Francie Nolan in particular.
Blood Revenge, by Christopher Boehm, read by a 30-year-old guy. But you knew that.
And finally, my first sighting of someone reading The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, a 30-year-old woman. Well actually, it was the first time I saw someone reading "Devil" while chronicling the reading habits of CTA riders.
Great post, particularly your commentary. Very creative!
Posted by: Rob Merola | March 25, 2005 at 06:44 AM
That Japanese book sounds quite good! I think I'm going to pick up a copy this weekend!
Posted by: Jennifer | March 25, 2005 at 06:27 PM
last night, you totally had me spying on people's book choices.
i notice you don't take a stab at ethnicity. not saying you should, but i was taking note. am i a racist? or more of a sociologist? hmm.
Posted by: jocelyn | March 26, 2005 at 11:31 AM
I take extra care not to read self-help books on public transportation. I don't need everybody knowing what my problems are! (Or at least what I THINK my problems are!)
P.S. I have that Japanese book but I haven't read it yet.
Posted by: Kathy | March 31, 2005 at 03:48 PM
The Japanese book "OUT" is good. Some find it disturbing. It sucked me in but did not freak me out.
Posted by: Davethepa | March 31, 2005 at 04:35 PM
I haven't read The Privledge of Youth, but Dave Pelzer's books mostly all deal with the extreme abuse and, well, torture he went through as a child and how its affected him as he grew up. So probably not actually about anyone being privledged. Just saying.
Posted by: rabbit | April 05, 2005 at 12:19 PM
"It's a Mitzvah!: Step-By-Step to Jewish Living" read by a guy sitting across from me on the brown line yesterday around 6:30 pm. He held it 2 inches from his face so I couldn't really see his age. Conservatively dressed, perhaps in his 30s?
Posted by: M | April 08, 2005 at 11:24 AM
I once had a homeless man on the El try to sell me the self-help book he "wrote" (actually it was about five pages xeroxed out of a book). Seemed like a very specialized form of begging.
Posted by: Sredni Vashtar | September 19, 2005 at 11:55 AM