Okay. The title of this post sounds kinda dirty but it FITS. Do YOU rec books to random strangers?
Tonight I had a fun experience of reccing books to a stranger and it was like the best book high ever. I mean, I love book pushing. When I love a book, I want everyone else to experience it too! Within the book blogging community though, we all have such massive TBRs that these recs usually get shelved somewhere and won’t get read for awhile. So when you have a blank slate to rec to? OH man. LOVE IT.
So I was at the library. It was closing in 15 minutes but I thought I’d run in real quick just to browse. I mean, we’re there. Why not? While I’m perusing the YA aisle, I overhear a lady in the next aisle asking for romance recommendations. The librarian tells her romance isn’t shelved in its own section and points her to the Fiction section. There are TONS of books in there, I never browse through that section, I have to look by author.
So I pop over to the next aisle and awkwardly hover by this woman as she peers uncertainly at the shelves. I obviously have to do something.
Me: “Umm… I couldn’t help overhearing you were looking for romance recommendations?”
Her: “Yes! Do you have some?”
She was so excited that I didn’t feel awkward anymore and told her to check out Lisa Kleypas’ contemporary and historical romance series as well as Jill Shalvis to start out with. She had me spell the names and was so happy for the recs. It was SO exciting to rec something and have someone be looking to read it RIGHT THEN. I was so freaking excited about it.
I tweeted about it and had some responses from people saying they’d done the same in B&N — to which I now want to go do right now! My problem is I usually feel awkward if it’s a teen with a parent — I don’t want the parent to be like… why’re you talking to my child? Haha. But gosh, that reccing high is amazing. I love putting an amazing book in someone’s hands!
I AM SO PROUD THAT YOU RECOMMENDED LISA KLEYPAS. But seriously, recommending books to people I see in bookstores is so much fun! I like pointing out my favorites, and even having a whole gushing conversation about it 😉
I always want to but am too nervous that they’d think I was crazy.
I love recommending books to strangers! I was in B&N the other day and a lady was shopping for gifts for her HS daughter – I ended up pointing out, like, 5 different fantasy series to her. It was so much fun. I wish I could do that for a living haha.
Haha. I like rec’ing to randoms too! If I feel comfortable enough to approach that is. It all depends on the person and the vibe they’re giving off. If they’re just browsing a section or are looking at a book I’ve read, I’ll probably speak to them. Sometimes I wish I could be a bookseller or work as a librarian. I think I’d love those jobs.