Spotted: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Where: Q-train
Who was reading: A bobbing head in a fluffy white hat, only occasionally visible above the seething hoards packed into the subterranean clown-car I rode for today's morning commute.
Wasn't there just a thing on NPR about how the NYC subway sucks more than ever? Yes, yes there was.
But don't worry, things haven't gotten that bad... "We take every derailment seriously," assured one MTA official.
And if you're really into silver linings, overcrowding on the subway just might be the key to counteracting the breakdown of the American Family: "Another shove, Madame, and I'll have to marry you," one passenger was heard to remark.
But for those who are less-than-eager to enter into matrimony with some random groper... reading remains an option (provided they can find a few inches of space near eye-level and free of human flesh).
The book in a nutshell: Mindy Kaling's Bossypants.
Mindy Kaling in a nutshell [via the publisher]: "the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress [noted for her work on The Office] prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers."
For what it's worth: I've heard first-hand that the book is pretty funny. And at a signing, Ms. Kaling complimented a colleague of mine on her fashionable handbag. So there's that.

Spotted: Sunny Chandler's Return by Sandra Brown

Where: A-train
Who was reading: A young woman with rigid posture and cat scratches on one hand.
To be fair... the scratches could have come from any clawed animal.
In Latham Green, Louisiana we lay our scene [an excerpt from chapter 1]:
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Robert Paulson Sunny Chandler."
"You know her?"
"Since third grade."
"Really?"
"Might have been second grade."
"So she grew up here?"
"Yep."
"Where's she been?"
"All your life?"
The first man frowned as he looked down at the second man...

Criminy! What an opening! Where HAS she been? And why does this mysterious "first man" want to know? Is he attracted to her sexually? The cover art certainly evokes flames of passion. And what about that "second man," he seems to know an awful lot about Sunny Chandler. A suspiciously awful lot. What actually happened in third grade (or possibly second)? And how will first man get his lasso around slippery Sunny, when the secrets that surround her make her harder to pin down than a greased pig?

Only one way to find out: Read the book! ...Or actually, check to see if they made it into a Lifetime movie. Wouldn't surprise me.

Spotted: Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes by William Kennedy

Where: Q-train

Who was reading: A bony brown-haired woman in a brown quilted coat. Her mouth had a pinched look, as though she was holding back a rather sour epithet. Something in "poor taste" no doubt.

Speaking of epithets... I was tempted to vocalize a few myself at this other random woman who kept creeping into my personal space. I'm used to being caught in a crush, but she had this gargantuan mass of itchy, floaty hair that kept drifting into my face, and dandling against the exposed skin of my wrist. By the end of the ride, I was all acrawl with prickly, imaginary lice.

Licelady wasn't reading. Of course. But if she had been, I assume the book would have been "Of Mice and Mange."

Moving on, Chango's Beads! 

Q: Is it just me or does that cover look weirdly tall? 

A: It is not just me, it IS weirdly tall. 5.98 x 9.01in to be exact.

As in, you must be this tall to read. Recommended for ages 18 and up--according to the publisher's website. 

Could this be a ploy to lure young readers to the book by infusing it with the heady thrill of that which is forbidden. I'm going to go with yes. Definitely.

From Cover to Shining Cover

Via

Step right up and take a gander at THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern!

Advance Reader Copy: Not for Sale. Which is a shame, because the hardcover edition of this book is freaking amazing. It's on glossy paper, with spots of uncoated stock that add texture to the [gorgeous] art. I think there might be embossing as well. And printed ends.
In a design duel... I really couldn't decide whether this would win or Murakami's IQ84.
Where: Q-train
Who was reading: A snub-nosed redhead in brown silk blouse with blue flowers, and chandelier earrings that looked like a child crafted them out of plastic beads.
Bonus round: Matching necklace.
But was she reading? Kind of. For the first half of the ride, the train was too packed to lift a book, but she did pick it up towards the end. For my own part, I didn't even attempt the loose manuscript pages in my bag. It was one of those days where I couldn't even reach the balance poll through the hoards of people, so shuffling a bunch of 8-1/2 x 11s around seemed like tempting fate.
My favorite quote about this book: "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern is the book every Neil Gaiman-loving girl with creatively dyed hair and authorial aspirations dreams of writing. —Laura Miller 
In point of fact, Ms. Miller's piece on Salon sums up the book much better than I could, so I recommend taking a look if you think you might be interested in reading it. There and elsewhere I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Morgenstern's debut, and being part-way through the novel myself, I'm inclined to agree with said wonderful things.

Blood Soaked Butterfly: Disturbingly Awesome or Just Disturbing?

DISCUSS.
(more info here)

Well I'll be damned! THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson

Subtitle: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.
You mean the Oregon Country Fair? No. 
Burning Man? No. 
The 1893 World's Fair in Chicago? That's the one!
Where: A-train.
Who was reading: A massively tall woman with her hair in a  bun sprouting tendrils like a potato too long in the drawer. She had on a 3/4 sleeve jacket (annoying!) and the sort of ankle-boots one wears when one is an elf going on a quest to a gallery opening on the West side of Bushwick.
Murder: The book tells the story serial killer Dr. H.H. Holmes, who used the World's Fair to lure victims to their death in his "World's Fair Hotel," affectionately nicknamed, the "Murder Castle." Instead of the premium channels and in-room jacuzzi tubs commonly found in today's upscale lodgings, Holmes outfitted his hotel with a gas chamber, dissection table and crematorium to dispose of the bodies. Skeletons were sold for a tidy profit to the medical community. 
Magic: Not sure where magic comes in, but here's a little-known publishing secret: stuff on the cover doesn't always have to make sense. 
Madness: Some people thought Holmes was a little unbalanced. And surprisingly, not all of his guests were 100% on board with giving their lives up to (mad) science. So things got a little dicey down Murder Castle Way.
Did I mention this is based on a true story? No? Well it is.
Anyway, good luck getting to sleep tonight. And should you indeed succumb to the sandman's lullaby, I ought to mention that the ghost of Dr. Holmes will be happy to give you a wake-up call....

Sink your Incisors into CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen

Advance Reader Copy! The book doesn't go on sale until March 2012.
Where: A-train
Who was reading: A scruffy-faced young man in a rumpled cowboy shirt with a banjo case resting at his feet. He gave off a wandering bard vibe.
Maybe Mamas should let their babies grow up to be cowboys. That is, if they all turn out so dashingly literate—and with such excellent taste, too! I absolutely love to see adult readers dipping into children's books outside of the usual Book Thief or Hunger Games.
To those unfamiliar with Carl Hiaasen's books for kids, they kind of totally rule.
Here's what makes them so awesome:
- They include kickass acts of eco-sabotage ala The Monkeywrench Gang.
- They have cool science facts!
- Ed Asner does the best audio-book narration I have ever heard ever, on Hiaasen's 3rd book, Scat.
- They pretty much define the eco-thriller genre.
- They're humorous. Like, LOL humorous.
Plus? This one has a reality tv survivalist attempting to eat a live bat... and failing spectacularly. Win win, and win.

i heart librarians

(this is a carpet!)

Spotted: Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson

Where: Q-train
Digital reader: Kindle
Who was reading: A beer-bellied man in an aqua dress shirt. His nails were whittled practically to the bone, and wedged into fleshy little recesses atop noticeably plump fingers. He had the right amount of scruff on his face, but it was more haphazard than sexy.
Has anyone else noticed how a bunch of cool shit seems to be coming out of Canada lately? Author Steven Erikson is from Canada too. I was amused that the book's write-up on Wikipedia links to an article explaining the concept of Canada: "a North American country consisting of ten provinces and 3 territories..." Helpful.
The wiki also features a totally killer book synopsis, explaining just a fraction short of nothing:

"Dire portents plague his nights and haunt the city's streets like fiends of shadow. Assassins skulk in alleyways but it seems the hunters have become the hunted. Hidden hands pluck the strings of tyranny like a fell chorus. Strangers have arrived, and while the bards sing their tragic tales, somewhere in the distance can be heard the baying of hounds. All is palpably not well."

OooOOooo, Spooky! And since this is book 8 in an epic fantasy series, you only have to read 7 other novels before you yourself can palpate the unwellness.

Real-life MOCKINGJAY Occupies Wall Street

Where: A-train
Who was reading: A large man in a sweeping black coat/cloak(?) sure to fire the envy of many a Neil Gaiman fan. From his mandible sprouted a rambling bramble-bush of beard and from his cranium, dyed black hair hung in rebellious waves.
Unsurprisingly for such a wild-haired gent, he boarded the train near the "Occupy Wall Street" encampment.
Suzanne Collins's Capitol vs. Wall Street Capital-ism:
The Capitol forces 24 children to engage in a fight to the death on live television each year. Viewing is mandatory, and serves as a tool to repress popular revolt.
Capitalism causes thousands to die of diseases that are easily preventable, and starvation where food is abundant, by allowing essential resources to concentrate in the hands of a few, while providing inadequate side-payments and/or social safety nets to support those in need.
Capitol is worse. Clearly. All those Hunger Games viewers should be reading a book—Lord of the Flies, say—instead of zoning out in front of the idiot box.
Violent books > Violent television. Always.

This train is headed... TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf

Cover of the 1st edition

Where: B/Q platform. Soon after I spotted this reader, she boarded a briskly running B-train while I was left waiting for the Q to saunter into the station 10 minutes late like a stoned highschooler.
Who was reading: A tall blonde with short floaty layers of hair that drifted around as though touched by an errant sea breeze. Of course any current in the air would have come from deep within the subway tunnels, so less "sea-breeze" than sewer's sigh.
Invisible breeze aside, what about her really blew you away? She toted a tote-bag emblazoned with an artist's rendering of the storefront of Shakespeare & Co. booksellers.
Did she really? Totes.
But isn't this supposed to be a post about a book? Why yes, yes it is.
So, Fun Fact: This introspective tour de force by Virginia Woolf stole 15th place on Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels, though it only ranked 48th on the companion list selected by readers.
3 books readers ranked higher: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Battlefield Earth by L. Ron. Hubbard, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
And that's why... we have boards of educated persons to tell us what's good.