We all have books that we’ve become emotionally attached to. Depending on our mood, we know exactly which book to grab to complement that specific mood. Some books are perfect for a good laugh, others a relieving cry, or an insightful revelation. But what happens when we let our emotions get the best of us and find ourselves sitting on the subway sobbing loudly and we just can’t control it? Or that awkward moment, that seems like an eternity, in which our laugh breaks the silence of a library?

Many of us feel self-conscious, and possibly obnoxious, for our public display of emotion and reaction toward a book. But isn’t that the mark of a good book? Reading would become almost pointless if the stories didn’t evoke some sort of emotion from us. To me, there is nothing better than staining the last few pages of a novel with heartfelt tears, nodding in agreement, or chuckling at a character’s wittin.

Josie Levitt explores crying in public and allows for readers to post responses about their own embarrassing public crying sessions and what books made them tear up. Check it out here, at: http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/shelftalker/?p=1704&cpage=1#comment-8309