What is Your Neighbor Reading?

Book Buzz is a blog produced in collaboration with neighborhood librarians from Houston Public Library, Harris County Public Library and the Bellaire Library.

I always look to see what other people are reading. It could be just because I am nosy, but it could also be that I am always sure that there is another undiscovered gem out there that I need to pick up.  Anyone else have a huge pile of books on their nightstand waiting to be read and a desire to always search for more?

It was easier when everyone read print books – a quick glance at the reader next to you on the plane or at the stack of the person next to you in line at the bookstore would let you know if they held anything of interest.  Now that people often read e-books in public, a quick glance could run into the creepy zone before you discover the title of their book.

The public library’s reports can make it much less intrusive to discover intriguing books that your neighbors are reading. Here are the top 10 most popular eBooks for the past month in Harris County’s catalog:

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
3. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
4. The Whistler by John Grisham
5. Night School by Lee Child
6. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
7. The Last Mile by David Baldacci
8. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
9. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
10. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Not many surprises, but some good reminders of great reads if you haven’t browsed in a while. What about e-audiobooks? I am always on the hunt for a great listen.

1. Untimely Death by Elizabeth J. Duncan
2. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
3. The Fever by Megan Abbott
4. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
5. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Now we’re talking. A classic I always meant to read and several intriguing others I know little about. What about you? Anyone else feel the peer pressure of reading suggestions?