Everyone has a few pet peeves: someone chewing with his or her mouth open, talking on the phone on public transport, letting the dishes pile up in the sink for weeks. But for a book-lover, there’s no greater pet peeve than someone attempting to talk to you while you’re reading. It’s like yanking headphones out of someones ears, or deciding to discuss your drama in the middle of a midnight showing of a brand new movie. In other words: it’s rude.
Sure, someone reading a book may not look like they’re doing all that much. You might think: She’s just sitting there, and she’s just holding a book in her hand — what’s the big deal? What you can’t see is that person’s mind sucked into a completely different world, full of characters and suspenseful plots and so much more. It’s sort of the worst thing to be sucked back out for a conversation that nine times out of ten can wait, at least for a few minutes while I finish up the chapter.
Granted, I understand there are some conversations that can’t wait. I’m a reasonable person, but at the same time, I like my book time. If you take public transport, read while you’re on lunch break, or have a few roommates who don’t grasp the idea of “quiet time”, then you’ve definitely had these 14 thoughts when someone tires to talk to you while in the middle of a really, really good book:
1. “Can you not?”
2. “I wonder if he’ll stop talking to me if I raise the book higher?”
3. “I should’ve put headphones on.”
4. “Did this person forget the whole ‘reading means quiet time’ lesson in Primary School?”
5. “I bet you’re the type of person to talk in a movie theater, too.”
6. “I wonder what would happen if I just respond to this conversation with only the dialogue from this book…?”
7. “Is it rude if I ask him to stop talking? Does this make me a horrible person? Am I the worst listener in the world?” (Technically 3 thoughts, but hey.)
8. “How many shrugs does it take for you to get the hint I’m not interested?”
9. “What did I do to deserve this?”
10. “Pretend to care, pretend to care…”
11. “Nope, I just can’t.”
12. “I’m going to invest in Audio Books from now on.”
13. “I think he’s finally taken the hint — Victory!”
14. “Now I can’t find the sentence where I left off…”
Hopefully this gave you a giggle, and anyone reading it will realise in future not to interrupt – or maybe you can ‘accidentally’ leave it somewhere said person can read this – hint hint!
***
Writer's Blog 
I’m currently reading “The Glass Castle” and I absolutely love it. But, I live in a house of non-readers (they can read, they just don’t enjoy it). This is a little embarrasing but I literally have to go to the bathroom in order to read. People will talk to me if I’m downstairs. And my husband can’t sleep with my bedside light on. It’s crazy!!!!
No doubt you have often had these thoughts then… poor you!
Yes, I have. I also give them dirty looks. They’ve not once gotten the hint.
Maybe leave this post open on their computer / laptop / tablet where they can see it 😉
Hahahahaha! That’s a fantastic idea!