The Books People Read on the MBTA


A good book and a long commute are the perfect combination: While the body traverses physical space, the mind can meander off on its own. When we asked people what they were reading on the T, we found some bestsellers. But in general, Bostonians prefer deeper cuts, with literary tastes that defy stereotypes. We found an 87-year-old in a baseball cap reading Dante, a 24-year-old in a pencil skirt reading The Incredible Hulk, and a middle-aged lady serenely engrossed in Thugs and the Women Who Love Them. Our inner selves, it seems, are on display to anyone reading over our shoulders.

Paul Woodworth, 22, Allston | 66 Bus
A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin

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Photo by Dominic Casserly

 

Edward Walker, 34, Boston | Orange Line
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander

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Photo by Dominic Casserly

 

Amanda Gaspar, 24, Brookline | Red Line
Possible Side Effects, by Augusten Burroughs

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Photo by Dominic Casserly

 

Christopher Chokrane, 19, Allston | Orange Line
Successful Telephone Selling in the ’90s, by Martin D. Shafiroff and Robert L. Shook

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Photo by Dominic Casserly

 

John Morton, 20, Quincy | Orange Line
A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin

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Photo by Dominic Casserly

 

Enoch Woodhouse II, 87, Boston | Green Line
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri

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Photo by Dominic Casserly