Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about. I don't take books into work for my breaks because I can't stand the 20 questions game I have to play with EVERYONE about the books I'm reading, and I also can't stand them "looking down" on me being antisocial. So instead, I stare into space, and pretend to check messages on my phone. Ugh.

If you listened to audio books you wouldn't even hear the questions....

See, what you need to do is make shit up about the book you're reading.

"Oh, is that the new Dean Koontz book?"
"Yup. And this one is real good. Ya see, Mary is a reformed hooker turned nun, and Steve is a transsexual serial killer who volunteers his time with 'Habitat For Humanity'. Now, is seems that Mary was convicted of killing Steve's husband from when he was a woman. But Steve doesn't know that. Mary's sister.... Hey, where ya going? Don't ya want to know.....?"

Generally speaking, if people encounter me in a reading mood more than once then they learn to decide if they're really that interested in what I'm reading. If you ask me about it, be prepared for me to talk about it.

I just saw this Cellar cookie. :lol2:

I read in the waiting room too, but no one ever approached me. Perhaps you're just pretty? ;)

It's hardly constructive, but if you've really got your bridge-burning mean on, you might say to them, with some emphasis, "I live to offend the stupid." Let it sink in for a beat or two, then, "Are you offended?" and ostentatiously return to the page. Now there is true, intentional rudeness, more or less in the Wildean mode.

Let's see:

Smart is the new thin

Whore is the new love

Bipolar is the new black.

I WIN! I WIN! I WIN!

que http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA