Ever wanted to be that mysterious person at the coffee shop everyone’s curious about? The secret weapon is what you’re reading!

Here’s a list of conversation-starter books guaranteed to turn heads and spark questions.

1. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski – With its bizarre formatting, colored text, and pages you have to hold up to mirrors, this book practically begs for attention.
2. S. by J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst – Looks like you stole a library book and filled it with notes. Comes with actual loose items tucked between pages!
3. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace – Nothing says “intellectual” like juggling this 1,000+ page behemoth and its two bookmarks.
4. Any Haruki Murakami with a provocative title – “Kafka on the Shore” or “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” prompt instant questions.
5. A vintage hardcover classic with a beautiful cover – Bonus points if it’s in another language you actually speak.
6. The latest controversial bestseller – Before anyone else has read it.
7. Anything with an outrageous cover – Think romance novels with dramatic embraces or vintage sci-fi with aliens.
8. A massive biography of someone unexpected – “Wait, you’re reading a 700-page biography of Benjamin Franklin? Why?”
9. An obscure philosophy text – Nothing starts conversations like Kierkegaard in public.
10. A cookbook that doesn’t look like a cookbook – “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” with its colorful illustrations looks more like art.
11. Poetry that makes you emotionally react – Visibly laughing or tearing up is guaranteed attention.
12. A graphic novel that adults don’t expect – “Persepolis” or “Maus” challenge assumptions.
13. Something thematically connected to where you are – Reading about coffee history in a café is peak conversation bait.
14. The most recent Pulitzer or Booker Prize winner – Before it becomes too mainstream.
15. A book written by a celebrity people wouldn’t expect to be an author – “I didn’t know they wrote books!”

The real secret? Make sure to look up occasionally with a thoughtful expression. Works every time!