WORD UNDER THE STREET
You know when you see a stranger on the subway immersed in a book and you’re just dying to know what they’re reading? We asked for you.
Andrew Miller, 40, works in finance
Book: The World at Night by Alan Furst
Stop: Eglinton Miller, whose wife is Russian, says he’s fond of Russian classics such as Tolstoy and Bulgakov. But on the subway at the end of the day, he prefers to unwind with a breezy “page-turner” like The World At Night. Set in German-occupied Paris during the Second World War, the book tells of a French film producer whose romantic side leads him to accept a mission with the British secret service. “It’s a little fluffy maybe,” Miller says, although well researched and entertaining.
Chinmaya Madan, 24, IT analyst
Book: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Stop: Bloor-Yonge Herman Hesse’s story about a Brahmin’s son, Siddhartha, who leaves home seeking enlightenment has encouraged Madan to ask himself meaningful questions, too: Am I doing the right things with my life? Am I in a job that makes me happy? “I can identify with it to some degree,” he says. “It talks about stories of him going through adulthood, and the way he saw his life. Now he’s just passed 40, and he thinks, ‘What have I done?’” Madan says he may be asking himself introspective questions because he’s experiencing a quarter-life crisis, but he thinks it’s more likely just “part of the human condition.” In the remaining 61 pages, he’s excited to see where the story leads and what Siddhartha discovers in the end.
Melissa Reeves, 23, nursing student
Book: 2nd Chance by James Patterson
Stop: King Reeves, who’s in her last semester of nursing school, was riding home still wearing her purple scrubs and grasping a thermos after a 12-hour shift on the cardiology medicine unit. She usually drinks three green teas to get her through the night shift. No coffee because the caffeine high is followed by a crash. Even after a very long day, 2nd Chance is an easy read. The thriller follows Homicide Detective Lindsay Boxer as she tries to solve a series of murders. “It constantly leaves me on the edge and wanting to read more,” says Reeves, whose mom recommended the book.
Michael T., 40, works in advertising
Book: The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown
Stop: College Michael, a self-described introvert, discovered Brené Brown through her TED Talk on the power of vulnerability, a video with 33 million views. “She found that people who are the happiest are open and willing to give up control,” he says. That may be why he agreed to this interview. In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brown, a research professor of social work in Houston, teaches readers to embrace their imperfections while letting go of perfectionism and concern over what others think. “She talks a lot about living wholeheartedly and loving yourself,” says Michael, who finds the book inspiring.