What are you reading?

Over the weekend I took several train journeys and everyone around me had their heads bowed in reverence over their phone. It happens everywhere – on a train, a bus, even in a restaurant.

Are they doomscrolling, catching up with social media gossip, maybe reading the news, answering work emails, sending cheeky texts to loved ones, playing a game, or checking their connection is running on time?

Of course, they could be reading something more substantial – although reading a novel on a small phone screen is very taxing on the eyes.

It’s far easier to read on a Kindle, because that is what it was designed for, but I much prefer a REAL book. In many ways I'm advertising the book in my hand and long for conversations with strangers about my choice of reading material.

"Is that any good?"

"Have you read their other novels?" 

"Such a great storyteller." 

"I cried at the end and the story has never left me" 

Anecdotally I heard once that erotic fiction really took off when people could read on a device without fear of being judged for their choice of genre. Maybe that sweet older lady isn’t reading Catherine Cookson as you might expect, but Jilly Cooper!

However I sorely miss the days when people cracked open a colourful paperback and you could see what they were reading. Getting a tiny glimpse into their world.

Maybe it's a favourite story of yours, the latest bestseller, or something more obscure you’ve been meaning to read for a while. You might not be brave enough to start up a conversation but there is be a real in person tangible connection for even the briefest of moments. Your paths have crossed before in some far flung corner of a fictitious universe.

On our phones we are connected virtually to online friends across the globe but disconnected with the person sitting opposite us.

There were a few people I sat next to who were reading a book and I was desperate to know the titles.

One man pulled a huge sci-fi book from his rucksack. I was at the wrong angle to see the cover. Then on the next train the man beside me was reading another weighty looking tome; a collection of someone’s letters, first name now escapes me but I think the surname was Wallis. The chap opposite had a novel with an intriguing title, which I’ve also forgotten, but the book cover was a dark blue - I think!

Meanwhile I was reading The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf, a children’s book about a 9-year-old refugee. I borrowed it from the friend I went to stay with as I’d finished the novel I’d taken with me for the weekend.

I don’t make a habit of reading children’s books but the subject interests me and it is the winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Award 2019 – what better recommendation could you have? Except maybe seeing someone else on the train engrossed in a copy!

Of course the ultimate joy for an author would be to spot someone in the wild reading a book they had written. Alas I am still waiting for that to happen...but maybe one day.