Something happened to me last week that has not happened in a very long time: I was commuting home on the subway, as I do every day, and it was a long and slow trip home that day due to weather and train delays. I didn't mind because I was deep into enjoying the book I was reading. I knew I was getting close to my stop, but I took advantage of the last few quiet minutes of my commute to continue my reading. I finished my chapter and looked up -- just in time to see the tiled wall that spells out the name of my stop flashing by as we continued on to the next stop. Whoops.
The book I was reading (and just finished this morning!) was Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin. Now that I've finished a book that literally made me miss my stop, I wanted to hear from other OOMers about the books that have captivated them so much that they lost track of space and time!
Mike: The Magicians by Lev Grossman. I was just at the point of a pivotal scene that I actually missed two stops!
Morgan: The Poisonwood Bible — I missed my stop going home and then, the next day, almost missed it coming to work.
Brittany: When I first read Harry Potter as a kid, I remember losing track of time and space completely! I would devour those books immediately after getting my hands on them and wouldn’t put them down until my mom forced me to eat or go to sleep.
Julia: The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I discovered this book about twenty years after everyone else, and became completely obsessed. I read it a few years ago now, and even just thinking about it, I wish I had a copy next to me so I could sneak just a few pages in right this very moment. And I did in fact miss my subway stop while reading it once, and then when I got off the train and walked home, I fantasized about casting the film version (which weirdly never came to be). Anyone out there want to talk about casting The Secret History?
Alex: When I was reading Mockingjay I would read it on the subway during my commute to work. By the time I finished the book I had literally missed my subway stop three different times! After the second time I missed my stop (Spring Street station) I was a pro at rerouting myself back up-town from Canal Street! Good thing I work at Scholastic… my boss was more than understanding! ;)
Book cover: Putnam
