Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores, #1

by Jen Campbell

Hardcover, 188 pages

English language

Published by Overlook Hardcover, Abrams Press.

ISBN:: 978-1-4683-0128-1
OCLC Number:: 778419267

View on OpenLibrary

(13 reviews)

Customer: Have you read every single book in here?

Bookseller: No, I can't say I have.

Customer: Well, you're not very good at your job, are you?

A simple Twitter question posed by John Cleese-"What is your pet peeve?" -inspired Jen Campbell to start a blog collecting all the ridiculous conversations overheard in her bookstore, everything from "Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?" to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year’s weather; from "I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter" to "Excuse me ... is this book edible?"; and from "Can books conduct electricity?" to "My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?"

If we didn't know it already, this irresistible book is proof positive that booksellers are heroes, the world over.

5 editions

Auntie Terror reviewed Weird things customer say in bookshops by Jen Campbell

Review of 'Weird things customer say in bookshops' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

I don't think people will believe that all the entries in this book are taken from real life unless they've worked in a bookshop for a while. As a bookseller, I can swear they are. I've actually had quite some of these conversations live, with real customers - only in German, mostly.
I'd almost recommend this as a trainee guide because for the few first times you get this weird moments, you are just stunned speechless, and the booksellers in here have brilliant answers now and again. :-D

Gossamerchild reviewed Weird things customer say in bookshops by Jen Campbell

Review of 'Weird things customer say in bookshops' on 'Storygraph'

3 stars

Funny and relatable, but probably works better as a blog. Side note, "relatable" is not in GR's dictionary. What. the. hell.

patchworkbunny reviewed Weird things customer say in bookshops by Jen Campbell

Review of 'Weird things customer say in bookshops' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Plenty that made me chuckle but also some stuff that didn't seem all that weird to me. Nice, short read for bookish people though.

MarianneBrix reviewed Weird things customer say in bookshops by Jen Campbell

Review of 'Weird things customer say in bookshops' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Hilarisch en triest tegelijkertijd

Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed Weird things customer say in bookshops by Jen Campbell

Review of 'Weird things customer say in bookshops' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I have to say this was such a joy to read; as a book lover I really appreciated all the weird things customers say in bookstores. I would love to be a bookseller for many reasons but to experience this kind of silliness would really make my day. Well worth a read. You will get some great laughs from these customers with ones like;

“Do you have this children’s book I’ve heard about? It’s supposed to be very good. It’s called Lionel Richie and the Wardrobe.”

“Do you stock Nigella Lawson under ‘Sex’ or ‘Cookery’?”

“Is this book edible?”

“Did Anne Frank ever write a sequel - I really enjoyed her first book?”

Plus many, many more.