Ha! This is the best. Didn't books used to be the universal symbol for "LEAVE ME ALONE"? Are kids not being taught that in school these days? The only exception I will make is if someone makes interesting conversation about the book I'm reading...otherwise, GET OUT.

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THAT?! Do you not SEE that I'm BUSY? Gah! I don't know what it is about reading a book that makes people think we're not doing something!

I'm social too, to my kids' embarrassment. I chat up the check out gal at the grocery story, etc. But sweet Moses. If I see someone reading I know that they are BUSY. Their mind is somewhere ELSE and they don't want to engage in meaningless small talk with a stranger.

So yea, I feel your pain. WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

Part of me agrees with you in principle and then another part of me says "No," but not "Hell no", just a quiet "no." That part is the one that thinks you might be missing on an opportunity to get to know someone, plus you don't know what kind of day that person is having either in that maybe the person just needs a bit of conversation, BUT I am in the minority, I know, when it comes to having to carve out reading time for one's self. I work at a part-time job (at a library, no less) and I have free time to read, such as today and even tomorrow (taking a vacation day). I agree with Shannon, though, that an exception can be made if the person is talking about the book or books in general. Then I wouldn't mind.

Haha! This is amazing, and very very true. If I am reading in public and someone comes over to me to talk about a non-book related topic they'll be lucky if I don't reenact a war scene from Game of Thrones.

Agree 100%. I don't know why people feel the need to fill silence when the other person is obviously giving a reason for it to exsist. Really, the most acceptable interruption would be to discuss the book, books, or reading in general (assuming life and death situations are unlikely).

Exactly. EXACTLY. If I'm reading, leave me alone. I generally have enough of a do not talk to me vibe going on that people leave me alone (blame it on one too many years living in Boston), but there are a few that don't take the hint.

Childhood Crush (and, honestly, adult crush too): Joseph Gordon Levitt

I probably don't read enough in public to feel the wrath of this fully, but if someone was reading I would never strike up a conversation with them knowing that if they are reading on a plane/train/lunch break/library they are probably really engrossed in their book (aka why they are reading in public). People need to be more perceptive nowadays as they are clearly not getting the "I don't want to talk to you" signals very well.

Has anyone had a person talk about a book you are reading and then spoil the ending? Yea happened to me once and I wanted to roundhouse kick them in the face Chuck Norris style. RUDE.

Totally off subject but regarding pet peeves. My current pet peeve at the moment is when another driver does something stupid/wrong yet gets mad at me or is yelling from their car or hand signals to state I am in the wrong--it drives me bonkers. Like I wish I had their cell phone so we could discuss they were in the wrong or follow them to a red light to argue my case they were in the wrong. It bothers me they think they were in the wrong and then on top of that pet peeve bothers me that it never gets resolved who was in the right. GAH! Okay vent over.

Not too touchy, not at all. I don't understand how (not among readers but in general) it's the reader who's considered the rude one in this situation, not the person who's doing the interrupting.

Amen sister. I was reading in our break room today, which I don't usually do, but I actually wanted to accomplish reading 50+ pages, and I can't do that if I'm within 10 feet of my office computer. Anyway, one of my colleagues came in and was getting her lunch together and actually held out and did not interrup until the latter half of her break room time. Better than I expected. Not perfect, but baby steps.

When I first started reading your post I thought you were annoyed at people who wanted to chat about the book you're reading. NO you aren't being too sensitive, what you describe is annoying! At the very least, you going back to your book should have been a clue that you were there for some alone time! Ugh.

Love your list! I read another post on similar lines a few weeks ago and it's weird because I totally understand it, but barring my family have never experienced it myself. Is there a specific kind of book you have to be reading that says 'hey, you can talk to me, this book isn't important?"... In these cases it's hopefully obvious that the reader isn't being rude, instead just wanting to chill out with the book. But I know the people who start the conversation probably don't see it that way.

No, you're not being a beyotch. I'm introvert central and more so when reading. DON'T. TALK. TO. ME. Unless it's you, of course, and then I would love to chat about what we're reading!

Agreed; unless you have something interesting to say about the book I'm reading (or warning me about a bomb, like you said, haha), leave me the hell alone! I'm clearly not interested in having a conversation. I usually listen to music while reading in public, though, and combining headphones with a book sends out a pretty successful "leave me alone" vibe. LOVE this post.

I agree with you to a degree. While Bryan makes a good point, who knows the woman could become your boss tomorrow or your BFF and a few minutes of niceties could be worthwhile. The lukewarm response from you should have been her sign.

I am guilty of talking to people reading cause I really want know about the book and they are just a means to my bookblogging obsessed end. i think a younger guy (in his 20's) thought i was checking him out today at the pool cause he was holding his book's cover down and I could not see what it was. There were 3 people reading at the pool today and I was jealous but had a great time with my kiddos instead. I am very used to being interrupted when I read but it makes me no less grumpy unless someone wants to talk about the book.

This is something that drives me insane!!!!! It happens at the pool ALL the time! I'm getting frustrated because I love reading at the pool, but I'm dreading going because people won't shut up even when I try to read there!!!

-Rebecca @ Love at First Book

Even worse than this is when *family members* want to talk to you while you're reading a book! I really try to be respectful when we're in social settings and I rarely pull out my book even if we're all just relaxing on the porch at the lakehouse, BUT if I do pull out my book, it's not because I all of a sudden want to talk to you! It's because I want to read! Ugh.

Although...sometimes when I see strangers reading it takes every ounce of self-will not to ask them what they're reading.

I really don't think I could love a blog post more! I come across this issue far too often, and it's one of my biggest rant session topics to my guy. During my lunch breaks at work, I go off campus because our college is limited on quiet spaces even for the students. I go to a local park to read, and even though I stay baking inside my car - people actually interrupt me. Whether it's the person walking to a trail by my car and feeling the need to chat for a few minutes about the weather, or it's someone who pulls into the parking space next to me, clearly sees I am parked off by myself in a shady spot with my book in full vision, and they proceed to shut off their car, but blast the radio. Really? It seems so rude! I always just smile to someone in passing when they're reading a book and then promptly pat myself on the back for not nerding out with questions or interrupting their enjoyment.

Agree! I don't usually have the nerve to send off as many shut-up signals as you, though, and would usuall end up spending my break making incredibly boring conversation and being the one to leave the gazebo first. Good for you!

I totally understand. Like you, I'll talk to anyone. Anywhere. But NOT if they are reading. Unless, of course, I read the book and want to say, OH EM GEE. But that's never actually happened to me, so I can't say that I would do it with certainty.

I find that more people interrupt me when I am on my ereader than if I'm holding an actual book. Maybe this is because they can't see what I'm reading and assume it's trash or not important. Not that ANY book that I read is unimportant, but still....

Oh my goodness, I love this. It's never actually happened to me (I get car sick so I can't read in cars/trains/planes. I am lame and do almost all my reading at home). But seriously, who are these people? I think the closest I've ever come to that was asking a random lady how she liked the book she was reading, because it was one I wanted to read. And then I promptly left her the heck alone! :)

Ugh, I hate it when people do this. It's like they assume that the only reason you're reading is that you have nothing better to do with your time, and you're desperately waiting for some kind of human interaction. Well, that's not true at all. If you keep your answers short like you did, that person is more likely to GO AWAY. I also love talking to people, but not when I am trying to read. :/ (Unless they want to talk about the book).

This is hilarious! I can totally relate to that, and it's usually my family that interrupts me. Of course when that happens, I don't have to mask my irritation because you know.. they're my family. But does that make them stop? OH NO! They keep going and going and going and distracting me. And it's usually within the last few pages when I am trying to really get in the zone because some important stuff are happening in the book.

The exception you listed are hilarious. And I think the only time I might interrupt a reader is if I've read the same book they're reading (although that has never happened to me) but then again I'll keep it short. Oh, and a little confession? Since I can't resist a book stand, sometimes I walk over there without even intending to buy something, and if someone is looking for a book, I start suggesting titles, since the bookseller is in most cases clueless. But that doesn't count as interruption, right? They're not actually reading a book ;)

Ha ha! This is so true. It has happened to me on the train, even once in the QUIET CAR! Ugh!

LOL I usually don't comment but this post is HILARIOUS!!!
I've had this happen to me lots of times and I get so very annoyed while internally I express everyone of those gifs you posted. Definitely feel yo pain gurl ;)

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