While She Knits - Amuse Us!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Everyone needs a laugh now and then.  Tell us a book-related funny story!

In the immortal words of Donald O'Connor, make 'em laugh.

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I have two stories.

First one--a D'oh! moment. A week or so ago, I got an email from the public library saying the book I had reserved was in. I went and picked up The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, and had no recollection whatsoever of having reserved it. No memory of why I wanted to read it. But, many times I reserve books after reading a review, and they come in months later, so ok. And I'm a little more than halfway through, and it's really good!

At my school, teachers have a little placard on their desks that says "Right now I'm reading..." and we're supposed to list our current book, a way to reinforce literacy throughout the school. So, I dutifully wrote The Cuckoo's Calling on my sign. Several kids asked if I had the book in the library and I'd say, "No, it's an adult mystery."

Yesterday, a parent volunteer came in to shelf books and commented, "Oh! You're reading J. K. Rowling's latest book!"

And I said "AHA! Now I get it!"

I was really embarrassed but it all makes sense now.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

And here's my second one. At my school, a kid was reading 50 Shades during silent reading time and, when asked, said he'd brought it from home. The principal called his parents and they both claimed they had absolutely no idea where he could possibly have gotten that book. :)

[archdyadove.livejournal.com]

One time I was reading a book so intently in the school library that I didn't realize that the class had come in from recess for about half an hour, even though they walked right past me to get to the class room. I was a small child at the time, but I could see the same thing happening to me today...

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Nothing coherent to add, except that I'm laughing so hard right now.

That's why you keep the adult books on the E-reader, mom. XD

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

The town I grew up in had a library with a large anti-chamber and a breezeway before you got into the actual library. This meant one had to open three separate, heavy doors.

Anyways, most library patrons and the librarians themselves used the handicap button to open the doors when their arms were full of books. These buttons were on posts in front of the doors at hip level for easy use if your arms were full. I eventually picked up this trick after nearly loosing a couple of armloads myself (heavy doors!). Once, there was an elderly lady behind me that I didn't know was there who was about to use the handicap button just before I (rather forcefully) bumped it with my hip. I scared her half to death. Yeah, it was little embarrassing. I blame all those darn doors! :)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

I was in high school and finished my social studies test before anybody else in the class, so I picked up my book to continue reading. It was a James Herriot book - pretty sure it was All Things Bright and Beautiful. Anyway, the chapter I was reading was the Ghost of Raynes Abbey story, which is hilarious. So hilarious that in the middle of this utterly silent classroom, with all the students diligently writing answers to their tests, I gave a loud snort and started laughing.

I got some really strange looks - I think they thought the test had finally made me lose my mind!

[agentmaly.livejournal.com]

Hey, an anti-chamber! Is that an anti-matter chamber, or is it the reverse of a chamber? It's got to be something more unusual than a wide-open space - maybe an atrium? I'd love to visit a library anti-chamber.

[agentmaly.livejournal.com]

Speaking of in-school reading, in my US History class in high school we had tiered seating, so the kid sitting behind me could overread anything that was on my book's page. One time I was reading Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith (which is really great and funny), and I reached the chapter entitled "Early Irish Pornography". It's really very innocuous - the main character, who's a philologist, gets roped into recording rare Old Irish profanity, and his landlady is so offended by the papers she finds on his desk that she throws him out - but it was sure an embarrassing chapter to be found reading in high school, and a difficult one to explain away when I was reading the book for the first time, and only had a sense from the rest of the story that it was very unlikely to be actually pornographic.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Keh, antechamber, obviously. I need to go easy on the chemistry. :)

[agentmaly.livejournal.com]

No but really, I want to experience an anti-chamber now. :)

Another fun one to alter: anti-dote. Something to prevent people from conceiving ties of affection for you?

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Anti-dote, now that I like! An anti-chamber does sound fun, but the question is what is it an anti of?

[furem.livejournal.com]

Only sort of book related: The first time I saw Les Miserables last December, I cried so hard that a random stranger stopped to actually pat my head (I had no idea that people actually did that outside of books) and tell me that it would be all right. For some reason I sat in the front row of the theater and I sat there and wept while all of these people filed past me to the exit. My sister was squirming with embarrassment next to me.

And actually, when I read the book for the first time a person that I know sort-of-but-not-really saw me and came over to say hi. I tried really hard to listen to what she was saying, but, again, I was crying so hard I really didn't track. I don't think she's talked to me since.... I guess that shows me that I shouldn't read that book in public.

[filkferengi]

Obviously it's outside, like the cool sculpture of books in a fountain outside the Chattanooga library where we would've loved to have loitered with mwt [except for that whole too cold thing].

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

When I finished the Amber Spyglass, I was in school. It was near the end of class and I was reading. I just burst into tears.
Everyone was very concerned as I absolutely sobbed.