Searching for a Book

Yesterday, I made a quick trip to Barnes and Noble because I was looking for a specific book on nutrition. I did not find what I was looking for. However, it’s okay because I saw it first on Amazon and will order it from them.

During my visit, the employees were wandering around like they didn’t have enough to do. In the space of 8 minutes I was asked twice if I needed help. I tried to not show my frustration – “No, thanks. I am just looking.” I had my phone out at one point – turned on to silent to try to access my amazon account and look up the title of the nutrition book. For some reason I ended up explaining that to the second sales clerk that asked if she could help me! Anyway, no success.

I moved on from the Health and Nutrition section to fiction. As I  explained yesterday to a fellow slice of life blogger, I was in need of a new book for pleasure reading. I had one in mind but could not quite recall the author.  So, I ended up picking up one of Ruth Ware’s books, The Lying Game, since I had just finished The Woman in Cabin 10 and enjoyed it. Just about that time, the sales person who had most recently attended to me in the nutrition section, arrived again at my side to ask if I was still doing okay. To that I replied, “Well, actually, I am looking for a book by Laura Balfer (both names wrong) and I cannot seem to find it on the shelves. I am not sure I am spelling her name correctly, however. But, she wrote a book called City of Light I read quite a few years ago.”

The sales lady was very nice and looked up the author’s name according to how I spelled it.  No Luck. So, she put in City of Light and found Lauren Belfer. I had been spelling her name wrong! (So sorry, Ms. Belfer) But, it was enough to allow the sales person to lead me to her books in the fiction section. There, we found one copy of And After the Fire and a copy of A Fierce Radiance.  I explained how I had read A Fierce Radiance as well as City of Light and gushed about what a fabulous job Ms. Belfer does writing historical fiction. I grabbed the other book.

The sales person and I had a rapport. She immediately told me about  another historical fiction author, Kristin Hannah. The book she recommended by Ms. Hannah was Nightingale, a story about two sisters during WWII. Just as she told me that, a passerby – another customer, said “Oh, that’s one of my favorite book’s by Hannah.” The sales lady personally took me over to that book and ever so coyly placed a copy in my hands (to join the book by Lauren Belfer).  This action left me with a decision to make, or so I told her. Which one? But, before I took her advice and purchased both the book by Hannah and the book by Belfer, I told her of another historical fiction author who is also a favorite of mine – Mary Doria Russell.

I explained how Ms. Russell’s book A Thread of Grace also takes place during WWII and she does an incredible job of weaving true historical events with superbly developed characters. These books by Belfer and Russell are books you just don’t ever want to end!

In any case, my trip to Barnes and Noble was successful. I left with both historical fiction books, having returned the book by Ruth Ware for another day.  I was armed for my free pleasure reading for the next month…..or at least until I get bogged down with my grad courses again!  I guess it pays to go to the bookstore when it isn’t busy!