I’ve never written a review for a book I haven’t read before, but something tells me that this one will be worth it. Ever since I discovered a book exists called ‘Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops,’ I knew that that was one I was going to have to invest in. The book is a compilation of comments from booksellers worldwide, who commented on a blog about the weird things customers had said to them. From working in Waterstone’s, I can guarantee that the comments in the book are one hundred per cent true, as I have been asked many of them!
Some of the weird things I have been asked include:
- “Do you have to sequel to The Diary of Anne Frank?”
- “I’m looking for this book, I don’t know who wrote it or what it is about but it has a blue cover.”
- A man commenting that it is ‘ridiculous’ that we only have one customer toilet…in a bookshop…which technically belongs to the cafe. He didn’t even buy anything from us or the cafe!
- A woman rang the store…just to find out what time it was!
- A customer asked me if I knew if the man who invented email had died. When I said I didn’t know he got angry and started shouting that we should know this sort of information because he thought we were somewhere you could come to ask for general information.
I will definitely be picking up a copy of this book. I’m pretty sure a lot of them I will have heard but it’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only bookseller out there who gets bizarre requests! From the snippets I have seen it looks hilarious and it’s amazing to see what clueless comments customers come out with!
Handmade by Hannah 