Book Spotter London

What people are reading on the London Underground & beyond, as spotted by blogger Ashleigh Macro.

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 20 August 2015: The Queen of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

Remember a while ago I told you about a girl I see all the time at my station in the mornings reading awesome books? Well on 20 August I spotted her reading The Queen of The Tearling by Erika Johansen, which is a book I have yet to read myself but have heard so so much about. It’s a hugely popular book and I think it’s being made into a movie, too. I seem to recall Emma Watson being a big fan of this one, so it’s high on my TBR list. 

Goodreads says: 

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy. Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands. Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling. Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch." Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.

The Queen of the Tearling came out in July 2014 and you can buy it from Amazon here. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 19 August 2015: Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

On the way to work on 19 August I spotted a woman on the tube reading this bright book. It caught my eye immediately because it’s a little bright square of a book, and it’s unusual to see a non-fiction book of this sort being read on the train. 

Goodreads says: 

In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by stealing from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey getting known. Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time networking. It s not self-promotion, it s self-discovery let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive. In chapters such as You Don t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity what he calls the ecology of talent. From broader life lessons about work (you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it) to the etiquette of sharing and the dangers of oversharing to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it’s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.

Sounds good! 

Show Your Work came out in April 2014 and is available from Amazon here. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 18 August 2015: The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

On the journey home on 18 August, I spotted a man reading The Long War, which is the sequel to The Long Earth. 

Goodreads says: 

A generation after the events of The Long Earth, mankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by Stepping. Where Joshua and Lobsang once pioneered, now fleets of airships link the stepwise Americas with trade and culture. Mankind is shaping the Long Earth - but in turn the Long Earth is shaping mankind... A new 'America', called Valhalla, is emerging more than a million steps from Datum Earth, with core American values restated in the plentiful environment of the Long Earth - and Valhalla is growing restless under the control of the Datum government... Meanwhile the Long Earth is suffused by the song of the trolls, graceful hive-mind humanoids. But the trolls are beginning to react to humanity's thoughtless exploitation... Joshua, now a married man, is summoned by Lobsang to deal with a gathering multiple crisis that threatens to plunge the Long Earth into a war unlike any mankind has waged before.

The Long War came out in 2013 and is available to buy now from Amazon. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 13 August 2015: Bought and Sold by Megan Stephens

This represents my first non-fiction book spot, in the form of this horrifying true story that was being read by a middle-aged woman on the Northern Line. Here’s the description from Goodreads: 

A heart-stopping story of lies, brutality and fear. British girl Megan Stephens tells the true story of how an idyllic Mediterranean holiday turned into an unimaginable nightmare when she was tricked into becoming a victim of human trafficking and held captive for six years by deception, threats and violence. While on holiday with her mother at a popular Mediterranean coastal resort, Megan fell in love. Just 14 years old, naïve and vulnerable, she had no reason to suspect that the man who said he loved her would commit the ultimate betrayal of her trust. When her mother returned to England, Megan stayed with Jak, who said he would find her a job as a waitress and promised they would be together forever. But when Megan travelled to the city with Jak, his attitude quickly changed and instead of finding her work as a waitress, he allowed her to be raped and then sold her to a human trafficker. Abandoned by Jak but still unable to accept that everything he’d told her had been a lie, Megan was coerced by threats and violence into working as a prostitute in private homes and brothels. Then the trafficker threatened her mother’s life and it was Megan’s turn to lie: sending her mother the staged photographs that had been taken of her apparently working as a waitress in a cafe, she told her she was happy. Too frightened and bewildered to trust or reach out to anyone, Megan remained locked in a world of brutality and abuse for six years. In the end, there only seemed to be one way out. Megan’s powerful story reveals the devastating realities of human trafficking and the fear that imprisons its victims more effectively than any cage could ever do.

Bought and Sold by Megan Stephens came out in January and is available to buy now from Amazon. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 13 August 2015: Grey by E. L. James

I knew it would only be a matter of time until a Fifty Shades book was spotted on my travels, but I didn’t expected to be as soon as the third day in! 

I’ve actually seen the same lady, who I think is in her early 30s and travels with her husband on the C2C each morning, reading this book several times since the start of my book spotting adventure. She still hasn’t finished it yet! I’ve never read Fifty Shades myself but it only took a glance at the page she was reading to make me decide that I couldn’t read it on the train without feeling extremely self-conscious! Haha.

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 12 August 2015: Breaking Dawn (Twilight Part 4) by Stephenie Meyer

There are lots of people in my life that I think of as train buddies. I’ve seen each of them hundreds of times and have nicknames for most of them, despite having never actually spoken to them before (I always wonder if they have a nickname for me, too). There’s one girl around the same age as me (25ish) that is always reading whenever I see her, and often it’s books I’ve read or want to read soon. I call her book buddy (one day I’ll speak to her, I promise). 

I was actually slightly surprised to see her reading Breaking Dawn on my way to work on this particular day, not because it didn’t seem like a book she’d read but because I would have thought she had read it years ago. I have a feeling it was a re-read, and that’s fine with me! But expect to see more from my lovely book buddy here on Book Spotter London - she’s going to become a regular I suspect. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 11 August 2015: The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker

This book caught my eye immediately on the Northern Line on my sleepy morning commute, because it was a big hardback book with an incredible cover. Plus, the guy reading it, who I’d say was in his mid twenties, had the coolest Doctor Who bookmark! 

It sounds like this is a pretty frightening fantasy thriller. Here’s the description from Goodreads: 

The Scarlet Gospels takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Barker's most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time: The long-beleaguered detective Harry D'Amour, investigator of all supernatural, magical, and malevolent crimes faces off against his formidable, and intensely evil rival, Pinhead, the priest of hell. Barker devotees have been waiting for The Scarlet Gospels with bated breath for years, and it's everything they've begged for and more. Bloody, terrifying, and brilliantly complex, fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed by the epic, visionary tale that is The Scarlet Gospels. Barker's horror will make your worst nightmares seem like bedtime stories. The Gospels are coming. Are you ready?

The Scarlet Gospels came out on 19 May 2015 and is available to buy on Amazon. 

[bookspotterlondon]

Spotted on 11th August 2015: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Part 2) by Suzanne Collins with this brilliant blue cover. 

I spotted the reader of the very first I kept note of standing on the platform opposite me at Benfleet station, headed towards Southend. She was a middle-aged woman and she looked thoroughly engrossed. I absolutely love seeing other adults reading YA novels.