The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme with a prompt featuring a book related question. The hop begins on a Friday and ends on a Thursday and should hopefully give people the opportunity to learn something new about the blogger.
The Book Blogger Hop can be found on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer and obviously my answers can be found here!
Ugh.
Talking to…. people??
Don’t you know that us readers are an introverted anti-social lot that only like to communicate via pigeon or smoke signals?!
In all seriousness this answer is going to be a tad on the brief side.
Technically yes, I do talk to strangers about books – you! Although nowadays there’s a fair few of you that I don’t consider strangers at all, just friends I have yet to meet in person. I said ‘yet’ guys…
In the English Literature and Creative Writing courses that I’ve taken the topic of books does come up – it’s pretty darn inevitable. And if books weren’t discussed I’d be worried about the quality of those courses.
I’ve also spoken with librarians and booksellers about books because again – inevitable. And really they’re not strangers strangers but book buddies you don’t know the names of.
In truth, the one time I actually had a conversation with a random person about books it fizzled out pretty quickly.
I was buying something from this guys market stall and mentioned that I could put my cupcake (of course that’s what I was buying) into the bag of books I’d just bought. He asked if I liked reading, I said I did and he confirmed the same.
Then he proceeded to talk at great length about a non-fiction book he was currently reading on World War Two military tactics and had I heard of it?
Yeah, I had nothing to add to that discussion aside from a polite smile.
It’s fantastic that so many books exist but the fact that so many do exist means you’re not necessarily going to enjoy reading the same thing as that polite reader you’ve struck up conversation with.
This weeks question did remind me of a time I updated my Facebook way back in 2014 with this status:-
Oh dear.
This was a quick and simple one this week ahead of a not so quick and simple one next week which asks my opinion on bibliotherapy.
Disclosure: I had no idea what that was so I had to do some quick research.
Would you/ have you/ do you talk to strangers about books? Delete where appropriate and give me your valid excuses. I mean, reasons. Give me your valid reasons.
The BookNook UK 
I always want to talk to people about books (obviously), but it always seems awkward so I just don’t
I did have a few good chats with my local librarian though! That’s why I’m blogging haha, so I can talk about my favorite subject. 😀
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I think local librarians are a safe bet for talking books because that’s their area and they’re more likely to be well read so you’re likely to find a quicker common ground! I find talking books with fellow book bloggers so much fun especially when you like the same books because that way you don’t feel so odd when you openly share the love for dark fantasy and fairy tale retellings 😉
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Haha so true! I’d feel really weird discussing some books with friends 😅
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This is a great post! I’m also very much in the “talking to people? me? never” group. But I do sometimes talk to strangers about books. Not so much anymore, but I worked in a doctor’s office where we did pretty lengthy procedures and I would try to make it a point to ask people what they thought of the books they’d bring in. My favorite was always when I’d get a really old woman who would rant for a good five minutes about how bad it was and how she didn’t know why she was wasting her time with it. I do love a good rant review!
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Oh I think that’s lovely though, having a chat with people in doctor’s offices about their books because it would also relax them or at least take their mind off of the procedures and onto something else! Oh I love a rant review, honestly they feed the goblin side of my soul.
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Oof. I have to admit that my first reaction when I read the prompt was close to how you opened your discussion. Talking to people 😅??
Don’t get me wrong though—I’m not opposed to it! My ~ excuse ~ for not talking to real world strangers about books is that the opportunity rarely shows itself (except for the library and bookshops like you mentioned 😁).
But, I think you basically brought up a good point that there’s a good number of friendly bookworms who would love to talk about books, even if it’s just to bookish strangers online. So, there’s that 🙂.
Nice post, Gerry!
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Thank you! Yes, I’m very much not a talking to stranger type! There’s also the issue of how to wiggle oneself out of an awkward conversation and I think making intense eye contact and walking backwards would only add to the awkwardness! I enjoy talking books with fellow book bloggers, I think it’s because we all have a massive open commonality!
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