(humorous story)

It was a typical afternoon at ‘Book Lion,’ our cozy little bookstore located in the heart of the city. I was standing behind the cash desk, surrounded by stacks of novels, biographies, and the ever-popular “self-improvement” section that everyone loved to revise but rarely bought from. The doorbell rang, and in walked a man who looked exactly as if he had been sent by the universe to test my patience.

Customer: “Hi, I need to buy a book.”

Me: “Great! What kind of book are you looking for?”

Customer: “Uh, it’s hard to say. I don’t remember the title or the author, but I know it’s a good one!”

Me: “Alright, any details you can recall? Fiction or non-fiction? Maybe poetry?”

Customer: “Uh oh, yeah. Definitely a book.”

Me: “Oh, god, we’re on the right track then. What was the book about?”

Customer: “I think it had a red cover.”

Me: “Okay, a red cover, if you think so. Anything else? Maybe the genre?”

Customer: “Maybe a mystery? Or a romance. Or it could’ve been a cookbook… I’m not really sure.”

Me: “Okay, let’s narrow it down. Was it a recent bestseller or an older book?”

Customer: “It was definitely published at some point in time.”

Me: “Hmm, thanks, that’s helpful. Let me think… Could it have been a book you saw on display recently?”

Customer: “Could be. Or maybe I heard about it from a friend. Do you have a book like that?”

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was just another day in the world of customer service. I led him to the mystery section first, hoping something would refresh his memory.

Me: “How about these? Any of these look familiar to you?”

Customer: “Hmm. Nope, none of these.”

Next, we went to the romance section, then to the cookbooks, and finally back to the cash desk, empty-handed.

Customer: “Well, this is harder than I thought. Can you just recommend something good?”

Me: “Sure thing. What are you interested in? Besides red covers.”

Customer: “I’m open to anything, as long as it’s good.”

I handed him a copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ It’s a safe bet, a classic everyone should read at least once.

Customer: “This one looks interesting. What’s it about?”

Me: “It’s a profound tale of racial injustice and moral growth set in the Deep South during the 1930s.”

Customer: “Sounds heavy. Got anything lighter? Maybe with some pictures and less text?”

I swapped it for ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ a childish book with a bright colorful cover and lots of illustrations inside.

Customer: “Wow! That’s perfect! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!”

As he headed to the counter to pay, I couldn’t help but smile. In the world of book recommendations, sometimes it’s not about finding the right book, but about finding the right book for the right person. And if that person happens to be an adult looking for a children’s picture book, who am I to judge? Just a bookseller.