Friday, January 14, 2011

This Is a First for Me

I've been carrying around John Grisham's little football-in-Italy novel from one office to the next for the last two days.  Like most of you, I always have a book with me for use during those otherwise-wasted minutes waiting for someone to actually see you for the appointment you've booked with them.

For the first time I can remember, three different people took a look at the front dust jacket and commented about how much they had enjoyed reading the book: an estate attorney and officers at two different banks.  Two things are kind of cool about that: first, that people actually noticed what I was reading and felt moved to comment, and, second, that the comments came from male readers (what seems to be an endangered species in this country - but, of course, the book is about football).

What were the odds, I wonder?

11 comments:

  1. I don't think I've ever had anyone comment on what I was reading, so that's pretty nifty. There are times when I've wanted to comment on a book I saw someone else reading, but commenting would have meant disturbing them, and I'm never sure how well a stranger will take that.

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  2. I bought that book at a yard sale because it was a 1st edition. I read it for the heck of it and was also pleasantly surprised!

    But I've never had a bank manager comment on my reading material. SOmething to aspire to, I guess :)

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  3. You are one of only two male blogging friends I have among the reviewers and writers that I follow. It's interesting though that some of the most avid readers in my life were men. But it certainly doesn't seem to be very common that men like to voice their opinions! We really are a minority in that respect. Lets look at it as being elite! :)

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  4. My friend Leigh met her husband when she commented on the book he was reading.

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  5. I've reluctantly commented on the books of others, Library Girl, and can't remember ever getting a negative reaction. I think any kind of comment like that is a pleasant surprise to most people unless they are set on isolating themselves via their reading.

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  6. Sean, strangely enough I found this one in the library at the assisted living facility my dad lives in...have to return it tomorrow, in fact. The biggest surprise to me was the fact that THREE different men commented on the book within just a few hours.

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  7. Andy, in the sense that "minority" can equate to "elite," we have it in the bag. :-)

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  8. Wow, factotum, that story will put a little smile on the face of every nerd in the audience...

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  9. Sam, Leigh is this very cute Southern blonde and her husband is definitely a nerd. Books can help even the nerdy guy (I love my nerdy husband!) get the hot girl.

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  10. I suspect you've just made the day for a whole lot of book-loving guys out there, factotum.

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