Short, cute and entertaining, though it did make me wonder about people...

I was looking for something to read last night after finishing Notes from a Public Typewriter and found this in my stacks.  I have no recollection of buying it.  In fact, not only was I prepared to swear I didn't have it, I actually did say, not 48 hours ago, that I didn't have a copy.  Excellent organisation skills I have, no?

Anyhoo... this was just the thing after reading Notes from a Public Typewriter - it was a similar subject, but much lighter, funnier and absolutely not philosophical.  I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars because I'd have liked the collection to be a little longer.

A few of the many examples that 

... made me chuckle:

Customer: Do you have Agatha Christie's Death in Denial?

... made me laugh out loud:

Customer: Oh look, they've got a section on dictionaries.  Perhaps we should get your brother one for school, for Spanish, what do you think?

Her daughter: Can we get one for when we go to Scotland for our holidays?

Customer: They talk English in Scotland, too, sweetie.

... made me rage:

Customer:  I'm just going to nip to the supermarket to do the weekly shop.  I'm going to leave my sons here, is that ok?  They're 3 and 5.  They're no bother.

and 

Customer (holding up a copy of a Harry Potter book): This doesn't have anything ... weird in it does it?

Bookseller: You mean, like, werewolves?

Customer: No, (whispers) - gays.

Bookseller: ...right.

A quick, easy and enjoyable read.

As much as I may like books, the (very romantcised) idea of working in a bookshop has never appealed to me, ... because the thought (based on my memory) of having to deal with the general public is enough to cure any illusion one may have about being surrounded by books and readers all day.

And what further proof that the general public is nuts does one need other than Jen Campbell's slim volume of reported exchanges between customers and booksellers? 

Not all of the exchanges made me laugh out loud, but there are some crackers in there.

Two of my favourites, and I'm sure everyone will have their own:

Customer: Do you have a book with a list of careers? I want to give my daughter some inspiration.

Bookseller: Ah, is she applying to university?

Customer: Oh no, not yet. She's just over there. Sweetheart? (a four year old girl comes over)

Customer: There you are. Now, you talk to the nice lady, and I'm going to find you a book on how to become a doctor or a scientist. What do you think about that? (The girl says nothing.)

Customer (to Bookseller): Won't be a sec.

Bookseller: So, what's your name?

Child: Sarah.

Bookseller: Sarah. That's a beautiful name.

Child: Thank you.

Bookseller: So, Sarah, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Child: ... A bumblebee.

Bookseller: Excellent!

----------

Customer: Do you stock Nigella Lawson under 'Sex' or 'Cookery'?

Bookseller: It's a tough call, isn't it?

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell is very reminiscent of I Work in a Public Library which I reviewed early last year. Both books include true stories of interactions and incidents that occurred in places which feature books as the main attraction. Jen's book talks about people who are so improbably strange I don't know how they were let out of the house much less let loose in a bookstore. Also, Ripping Yarns is a confusing name for a bookstore so I don't know why it's that unusual that people calling to find out if they sold yarn was so kooky it deserved its own subsection. (A yarn is another name for a story and 'ripping' is a term like 'awesome' hence Ripping Yarns.) Some of the things that stuck out for me were the customers that didn't seem to understand what is actually sold in bookstores. No, you can't buy hardware materials in a bookstore. That would be a hardware store. There were some true LOL moments like the lady who came in and couldn't remember which Danielle Steel books her mom had/hadn't read and asked the bookseller if SHE knew. *face palm* The chapter on parents and kids especially reminded me of what it's like being a Children's Librarian (there are a lot of interesting interactions, ya'll). One thing that really surprised me were the number of people who would approach the desk and ask about possible jobs but would be super weird about it. For example, telling the bookseller that there job looked super easy and then asking if they were hiring. If you're looking for funny anecdotes about what it's like to work in the book trade then you couldn't get more spot on than this book. It's a quick book that you can dip in and out of when you're looking for a laugh or if you just want to check if it's not just you that get involved in super weird conversations with strangers. 8/10

What I'm Currently Reading: Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey