I take the subway every day. Most of my time, I’m either reading handouts for classes or finishing up a book, such as I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore on my Kindle. From crowded morning rushes to heading home after school or work, I believe reading on the subway is something of a New York ritual, and commuters read a little bit of everything. Last week, I decided to hop on different trains, and gain a sense of what, as well as why people are reading one particular book. Here's just a snapshot of what people are reading:
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
On the No. 2 train, which runs on the West Side of New York City, I started my journey after classes one night where I met a woman who was heading downtown to Times Square to meet some friends. She said she likes to relax on the train and is reading Dragon Tattoo trilogies on her Nook. She was taking her time with the final book in the series because she didn't want it to end. wanted it to last.
Jessica Magnuski, 30, from the Bronx, started reading the series on the suggestion of one of her friends. It was the last book delivered by Larsson, who died before its publication.
“You will find it extremely hard to put it down,” said Magnuski, 30, from the Bronx, who is halfway done with the book. “I read the first two books and I’m hooked like none other. So far, this last book starts off slow. It’s about being on the wrong side of corruption. The story has a series of conspiracies and how they come to cloud the Swedish democracy. Simply put, Larsson is a genius.”
I also did a little research on the status of a possible fourth book. Unfortunately, before his death, Larsson left about three quarters of a fourth novel on a notebook computer, but the novel may be difficult to reach the fans because of a bitter dispute between the writer’s family and his long-time partner, Eva Gabrielsson.
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
I got out at Times Square, which has eight different trains and transferred to the R, where I met Chester Thomas, 21, from New Jersey, who was heading to his job, which was ironically at the 14th Street Barnes & Noble. He was reading “I Am Number Four,” which I happened to also be reading.
“It’s my second time reading this book,” said Thomas. “It’s very visual, especially in the explosive action sequences. It’s different to read about a superhero without a costume. There was a surprising amount of emotion within the storyline, which made John Smith, the main character, easy to connect to. Things get really amped up during the final 90 or so pages.” From there, I cut the conversation short from him spoiling the ending, which he thankfully didn’t do. Thomas also added that he favored the book over the movie. I found this interesting because many I’ve talked to usually don’t favor both.
Have any books led you to seeing the movie versions? Such as the Twilight series, Harry Potter series, or maybe even one of Nicholas Sparks’ book-based movies? If so, why or why not? I’d love to hear people’s opinions on this.
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
The next morning, after getting my daily Starbucks fix, I took the No. 6 train, which runs on the East Side of the city, where I met Willie Nunez, 23, a senior at Baruch on his way home to Queens. He was reading The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, who also wrote The Blind Side. Nunez's black messenger bag was filled with textbooks on finance, but he wanted to learn more about the financial bailout that occurred from 2007-2008.
“(This book) is a fast-paced and straightforward book,” said Nunez. “It’s about how greed and corruption on Wall Street eventually led to the mortgage meltdown. The book chronicles several people who saw the crash coming, and bet against Wall Street’s mortgage back securities, and making hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.”
One thing that left an impression on me was that Nunez confessed to leaving copies of books he’s finished on the train, hoping someone can gain something from it.
What do you do with books after you’ve finished them? Do they end up collecting dust on your bookcase, or maybe you pass them along to a friend?
Committed: A Love Story by Elizabeth Gilbert
For those who have questions about love and marriage, Brooke Lopez, 34, a pediatric nurse from Brooklyn, was reading a non-fiction paperback on the F train (which runs from Queens to Brooklyn) called Committed: A Love Story by Elizabeth Gilbert, who is best known for the bestselling novel, Eat, Pray, Love. Lopez recently got engaged this summer. She explained that Gilbert’s book overcomes women’s ambivalence about marriage.
“This book touches me on a level that might not for other people,” said Lopez. “It’s completely different from the first book. It talks about transitioning from independent beings to being committed to one person. She discusses what makes a marriage more likely to succeed, and what makes it more likely to fail as well.”
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey Of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Lastly, for those who like real-life stories on war, Ryan Scott, 28, from the Bronx, was on the No. 5 train reading a book by Jon Krakauer, called Where Men Win Glory. Krakauer is also known for novels such as Into the Wild, which something I fell in love with during high school. As for the story of Pat Tillman, it centers on his life, a professional football player who turned into an Army Ranger, and whose death in Afghanistan in 2004 created a scandal around the government cover-up.
“It contrasts two kinds of lives,” said Scott, who was traveling from City Hall to his night classes at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. “The carefree life of an American boy growing up in the suburbs versus groups of boys being groomed by the Taliban to become terrorists. It’s definitely a depressing story, but it talks about truths behind military life.”
Hope you enjoyed my adventure through the city, and I hope to inspire you to take a look into one of these books mentioned above.
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
On the No. 2 train, which runs on the West Side of New York City, I started my journey after classes one night where I met a woman who was heading downtown to Times Square to meet some friends. She said she likes to relax on the train and is reading Dragon Tattoo trilogies on her Nook. She was taking her time with the final book in the series because she didn't want it to end. wanted it to last.
Jessica Magnuski, 30, from the Bronx, started reading the series on the suggestion of one of her friends. It was the last book delivered by Larsson, who died before its publication.
“You will find it extremely hard to put it down,” said Magnuski, 30, from the Bronx, who is halfway done with the book. “I read the first two books and I’m hooked like none other. So far, this last book starts off slow. It’s about being on the wrong side of corruption. The story has a series of conspiracies and how they come to cloud the Swedish democracy. Simply put, Larsson is a genius.”
I also did a little research on the status of a possible fourth book. Unfortunately, before his death, Larsson left about three quarters of a fourth novel on a notebook computer, but the novel may be difficult to reach the fans because of a bitter dispute between the writer’s family and his long-time partner, Eva Gabrielsson.
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
I got out at Times Square, which has eight different trains and transferred to the R, where I met Chester Thomas, 21, from New Jersey, who was heading to his job, which was ironically at the 14th Street Barnes & Noble. He was reading “I Am Number Four,” which I happened to also be reading.
“It’s my second time reading this book,” said Thomas. “It’s very visual, especially in the explosive action sequences. It’s different to read about a superhero without a costume. There was a surprising amount of emotion within the storyline, which made John Smith, the main character, easy to connect to. Things get really amped up during the final 90 or so pages.” From there, I cut the conversation short from him spoiling the ending, which he thankfully didn’t do. Thomas also added that he favored the book over the movie. I found this interesting because many I’ve talked to usually don’t favor both.
Have any books led you to seeing the movie versions? Such as the Twilight series, Harry Potter series, or maybe even one of Nicholas Sparks’ book-based movies? If so, why or why not? I’d love to hear people’s opinions on this.
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
The next morning, after getting my daily Starbucks fix, I took the No. 6 train, which runs on the East Side of the city, where I met Willie Nunez, 23, a senior at Baruch on his way home to Queens. He was reading The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, who also wrote The Blind Side. Nunez's black messenger bag was filled with textbooks on finance, but he wanted to learn more about the financial bailout that occurred from 2007-2008.
“(This book) is a fast-paced and straightforward book,” said Nunez. “It’s about how greed and corruption on Wall Street eventually led to the mortgage meltdown. The book chronicles several people who saw the crash coming, and bet against Wall Street’s mortgage back securities, and making hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.”
One thing that left an impression on me was that Nunez confessed to leaving copies of books he’s finished on the train, hoping someone can gain something from it.
What do you do with books after you’ve finished them? Do they end up collecting dust on your bookcase, or maybe you pass them along to a friend?
Committed: A Love Story by Elizabeth Gilbert
For those who have questions about love and marriage, Brooke Lopez, 34, a pediatric nurse from Brooklyn, was reading a non-fiction paperback on the F train (which runs from Queens to Brooklyn) called Committed: A Love Story by Elizabeth Gilbert, who is best known for the bestselling novel, Eat, Pray, Love. Lopez recently got engaged this summer. She explained that Gilbert’s book overcomes women’s ambivalence about marriage.
“This book touches me on a level that might not for other people,” said Lopez. “It’s completely different from the first book. It talks about transitioning from independent beings to being committed to one person. She discusses what makes a marriage more likely to succeed, and what makes it more likely to fail as well.”
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey Of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Lastly, for those who like real-life stories on war, Ryan Scott, 28, from the Bronx, was on the No. 5 train reading a book by Jon Krakauer, called Where Men Win Glory. Krakauer is also known for novels such as Into the Wild, which something I fell in love with during high school. As for the story of Pat Tillman, it centers on his life, a professional football player who turned into an Army Ranger, and whose death in Afghanistan in 2004 created a scandal around the government cover-up.
“It contrasts two kinds of lives,” said Scott, who was traveling from City Hall to his night classes at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. “The carefree life of an American boy growing up in the suburbs versus groups of boys being groomed by the Taliban to become terrorists. It’s definitely a depressing story, but it talks about truths behind military life.”
Hope you enjoyed my adventure through the city, and I hope to inspire you to take a look into one of these books mentioned above.
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