Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

Book - 2016
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"Filled with fun and quirky illustrations by the award-winning Brothers McLeod and featuring contributions from booksellers across the United States and Canada, as well as the author's native UK, 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores' is a celebration of bookstores, large and small, and of the brilliant booksellers who toil in those literary fields, as well as the myriad of colorful characters that walk through the doors everyday."--Back cover.
Publisher: New York, NY : Overlook Press, 2016
ISBN: 9781468308938
1468308939
Branch Call Number: 002.0688 C15W 23
381.45002 C1528W 2016
Characteristics: 208 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm

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KimmyRose May 06, 2017

A lighthearted read. It's a refreshing change of pace from a novel or nonfiction book. I appreciated that the author wasn't meant-spirited, hurtful, or condescending, but kept it in good spirit, which is an accomplishment for this type of book.

Recommended for book lovers.

c
Cecilturtle
Apr 21, 2014

A cute and funny collection of weird requests and appalling ignorance, this book shows that owning a bookstore is anything but boring work.
It's a very quick read and one I would recommend for the bus.

d
dprodrig
Mar 11, 2014

If you've ever worked with clients, these sorts of things will seem familiar to you. It's a very well-written, easy to digest book full of light-hearted fun of some of the very worst book store shopper.

g
GingerKaren
Jan 04, 2014

Some books can make you laugh, some books can make you cry. This one did both. And I have to admit, some anecdotes were a sour bit of deja vous, tossed with a sickly sweet sauce called "mama told me there would be days like this".

LaughingOne Oct 23, 2013

Laughed my way through this book. Sure, it's light and a bit of fluff, but it's funny, and true. I worked in a bookstore and could add even more anecdotes. These made me laugh in recognition of the similarities. As someone wrote, the same applies to libraries a lot of the time. And possibly to any service kind of job. It's definitely worth a read, especially if you're a reader yourself and know something about the books and authors that are being mangled by the customer.

ser_library Aug 22, 2013

fluff, but some laughs

ksoles Aug 14, 2013

Customer: I read a book in the sixties. I don't remember the author, or the title. But it was green, and it made me laugh. Do you know which one I mean?

In "Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops," British bookseller Jen Campbell provides a collection of exactly what her title implies: strange, hilarious, jaw-dropping and moronic sentences that emerge from the mouths of those in the market for reading material. Furthermore, some customers' actions speak louder than words; Campbell tells of those who ask to leave their children in her shop while they browse other shops, those who let children destroy books and think nothing of it and those who ask for cups of tea when they aren't shopping there.

Other anecdotes provide amusement simply because they ring so true, like the customer who asks, "did Charles Dickens ever write anything fun?" or the one who requests, "do you have a copy of Atonement? But not the film cover, please. Keira Knightley's neck makes me want to punch things."

A quick and heartily enjoyable read, perfect for any bibliophile.

d
darcerama
Jul 25, 2013

On a break from the toils of working in a book store or a library? This is the perfect read! No, you are not going crazy: non-readers can be infuriating! However with this book you can view them as infinitely amusing or use it as a sympathetic griping tool.

bookfanatic1979 Jun 25, 2013

Good grief, what a riot! This book could also have been called “Weird Things Patrons Say in Libraries.” I’ve heard variations on most of these countless times in my ten years working in libraryland. When I have a run-in with one of these comments, I always nod, smile, and imagine the size and strength of the drink I’ll need when I get home.

loonylovesgood Jun 24, 2013

Working in a library, I identify with a lot of these weird things customers say!

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