There are all sorts of men that women will look at twice. The man in the bow tie, the man with the chiselled jaw, the man in the Jaguar convertible. But there’s nothing like the man with a book in his hand, sitting alone at lunch, letting the chicken tikka go cold. That will make a woman do a double take and set her pulse racing. 
 

The women (one assumes) who have created the new Instagram account, Hot Dudes Reading (@hotdudesreading), are not alone in their weak-kneed obsession for the Boy with the Book. The account started on February 2, 2015, and with just 17 photos of men reading on their commute, it has acquired 233,000 followers and counting. If you are wondering why women flip for a man who reads, here’s the answer. 

* When you want to scream expletives at everyone who’s stepped on your toes in the crowded Metro, the only person you’re likely to forgive is the man who loses his balance because he’s turning the pages of a book. Even in dark times, he has found a way to be absorbed in a different world. He obviously has secret powers. 
* Exactly who doesn’t want to be kissed in the “restricted” section of a public library? 
* If he’s taken you out on a reading date — you know, where you just lie around in each other’s arms and read — you won’t mind that he didn’t bring you flowers. 
* His first crush was probably George from The Famous Five, which is great because yours was Julian and you’ll never have to obsess about the ex because you know all about George, as opposed to that cute girl next door who never had to wear braces. 
* Never judge a book by its cover but always judge a man by his bookshelf. And once he’s passed that test, there’ll never be any awkward silence again. 
* He’ll probably write you letters. Letters, you hear? While your friends try to decode cryptic WhatsApp texts, you’ll have our own little precious pile of billet-doux. 
* He’ll have all sorts of random facts tucked away in his head and when you’re having a bleak day, an unexpected email with a link to an article on the real Lolita will be the rainbow in your life. 
* You’ll always have a gift for him and it’ll never be the wrong size. 
* His sense of humour is probably spot-on and he might even be an excellent punster. Who needs diamonds when you’re laughing that hard? 
* When his nickname for you is a character you remind him of, there’ll never be a reason to cringe in public. Your friend, Januuu, on the other hand….

RS
What’s your reason for liking a man who loves books? 
Tell t2@abp.in