pick up a book

[Englishlanguage]

Hello,
Can we use the verb to pick up metaphorically in an expression such as to pick up a book to mean to start reading a book?
If it does not convey that kind of meaning is there any other phrasal verb which may do so?

 

[David L.]

We say, referring to books:
"It's a real thriller. Once you pick it up (- meaning, start to read it) - you can't put it down." (Also referred to as a 'page-turner'.)
"Now, class, turn to page 10 and pick up where we left off yesterday."

" I picked up a book in the newsagency in the Departure lounge to read on the plane." - but this is not 'starting to read a book'.

 

[Englishlanguage]

We say, referring to books:
"It's a real thriller. Once you pick it up (- meaning, start to read it) - you can't put it down." (Also referred to as a 'page-turner'.)
"Now, class, turn to page 10 and pick up where we left off yesterday."

" I picked up a book in the newsagency in the Departure lounge to read on the plane." - but this is not 'starting to read a book'.

Thank you David L.
I think the meaning in sentence 1 is pretty much similar to what I wanted ton convey. It seemed to me I'd heard that expression but I couldn't find the right entry in the dictionary.
The only entry which has a similar, ableit different, meaning is pick up meaning "to start again after an interruption; to return to something", which seems to be the meaning of pick up in sentence 2.