Ever since I moved to New York and became a subway commuter, some of my best reading has been done on the subway.  It’s partly a defensive strategy, since it helps me stay focused on my own space when the train is too crowded to move.   I’ve developed a manageable technique for holding the book in one hand and grabbing on to a pole with the other.  When it’s time to turn the page, I let go quickly and  take my chances on staying upright while the car sways and jolts—this has led to some embarrassing staggers and collisions.

I’ve missed my stop more than a few times because I was so absorbed in a book I forgot where I was.   I’ve gotten stares when I laughed out loud, and last year a novel actually made me cry—it was Sue Miller’s LOST IN THE FOREST.  In a way, reading on the subway becomes the ultimate in escape reading.  On the other hand, some of the subway books I’ve enjoyed most were set in New York—books like EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, and THE HISTORY OF LOVE.  I felt connected to the characters by a shared place while my train rumbled beneath their streets.