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| - As someone who used to work in a bookstore, I know what a challenge it is to recommend books to customers. It is so hard to gauge someone's taste and there are just so many options to choose from. It's not like working in a clothing store, where you can pick a sweater off a table and know instantly if the color is going to suit the customer perfectly.
So, when I was in the Worlds Biggest Bookstore and I asked a woman who worked there about an author whose name I couldn't remember, I expected a two-word reply and then figured I'd be on my way to find the book amidst the many rows of fiction. Instead, she answered my question (impressively from memory) and then asked to see what books I had in my hand (I was carrying a stack of about 8 books, planning to sit and start reading each one to see which grabbed me the most).
She knew something about every single book. Not in a weird, annoying, or judgmental way. In this really cool way. Perfect sound bites that seemed catered to me and what I was looking for. Based on what I was holding, she also recommended a few books I had never even heard of and then she gave me alternatives to the ones she didn't think I'd like. I felt like I was witnessing what Amazon does electronically. "If you like this, we think you'll like this too..." And I also had images of myself stalking the "staff recommends" shelf, looking for her name, a la Elaine at the video store in that episode of Seinfeld.
In any case, I love her recommendation so far and I have a list of books to read, based on her other suggestions. If you are ever in Toronto and looking for a new book to love, don't be afraid to ask someone at the Worlds Biggest Bookstore for a little help..
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