Are you using your reader to hide your reading habits?

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Fair enough. But some people do like the fact that their book cover can be a conversation starter. I don't mind if someone strikes up a conversation with me based on the book I am reading - so long as they don't have any ulterior motives. If they really aren't interested in the book I am reading, but only want to use it as a foot in the door to talk to me about their tracts they want to hand out, I have a problem with that.

I feel that way only about selected books. I don't want to get into a discussion of , let's say, homoerotic Harry Potter/Alien crossover fanfic, especially what it is and why I am reading it, with a stranger on the bus. That's what the Internet is for--I can hook up with all the other people who I already know just LOVE homoerotic Harry Potter/Alien crossover fanfic without having to justify it.

Now I would be delighted to talk to you about the Vorkosigan or Liaden books on the bus.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by jersysman

I must admit that I do. I couldn't have people knowing that I am reading all these classics. That might ruin my reputation if word got out that I was reading Jane Eyre or Pride & Prejudice. They would be simply aghast if they knew I had read Little Men!

I usually say that I consider Jane Austen to write science fiction (paralllel world very different from our own)...

[plib]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Back off, you unwashed masses! My fetishes are my own!

But fetishes are so much more fun when they're shared!

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by plib

But fetishes are so much more fun when they're shared!

But doing it in a public transportation vehicle might get one arrested

[carld]

Originally Posted by Serpentine

How many of those people were reading homoerotic Harry Potter/Alien crossover fanfic tho?

The shortfall of non-checkbox polls.

Is "Link Please" considered an appropriate response here?

[maxiart]

No, not really. I use my reader for the overwhelming convenience of it. I would have absolutely no problem letting someone browse through my loaded library.

[NickyWithNook]

No, I don't read erotica or anything I'd be embarrassed by. On the other hand, I don't like when strangers see me reading a book and strike up a conversation about what I'm reading, and I like that people don't know what I'm reading so that can't happen. I wish people could figure out that if I'm busy reading, I probably don't want to chat. LOL. So no, but I appreciate that people can't see what I'm reading anyway.

[Joykins]

It's settled down a bit due to the increasing ubiquity of e-readers, but when I first started out with an e-reader in 2010, people stopped asking about what book I was reading but about the reader instead.

[barbara.kb]

I don't mind people knowing what I'm reading, although there are certainly passages, especially in my romances, that I would prefer not be shared over my shoulder. I do a lot of public transit, and that possibility kind of freaks me, but oh well.

[Bart Page]

I don't mind people knowing what I'm reading, but I DO mind people interrupting me while I'm reading.

I normally use an iPad because it's not immediately clear to the casual observer what you are doing so they generally just leave you alone.

[Dusky Rose]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Not everyone wants their morning commute to include descriptions of naked guys getting it on.

Some of us would! Lol

I voted "Yes", not because it's the main reason I use and eReader, but consider it one of the perks.

I have, in the distant past, received some not-nice comments about my reading choices. Family, some 'friends', co-workers, classmates... some people seemed to think I was reading the wrong stuff, and they'd talk me into changing my ways. Not a tremendous amount of bad responses, but enough to not want to even have the subject come up.

Then, when the kids were little, I kept an eye on what they could run into concerning book/zine covers.

Now, it's just nice not to have to worry about covers in public. When someone asks me what I'm reading, I just say "stuff". Then most people will jump right into what they're reading, or just read, and we have a nice conversation about that. Very few actually follow up with what my "stuff" is.

[cvkemp]

I am now 68 years young, for my whole life I have found cursing and pron to be disgusting. I do not like most TV anymore because of what it is going too. And I go to very few movies do to the sex and language. There are so much more to do in life. Oh yes I am married and have wonderful, grown kids, and even grown grandkids. I love to read, and I have to say some of the mysteries I read have more six and cursing in it then I would like. But at least while reading I can gross over it and go on.

[GlenBarrington]

I don't hide the fact that I will occasionally read erotic material, but I don't go out of my way to advertise it, either. I was raised to not go into too much detail or you risk being impolite.

It is a part of who I am, and those who don't like that part of me, might not like the other parts as well. So If ASKED, I guess I would say so under the proper set of circumstances, but it seems to be too much info for normal correspondence and social intercourse.

[tdonline]

I have impeccable taste so obviously my answer is "no."

I do read with a large font size so I'm pretty sure someone could easily read over my shoulder while I'm on the train.

[PurpleStar]

It's a good thing to "hide" what I'm reading, but not the reason why I use an ereader.