Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Funny Business: None of my business?

Guys Read: Funny Business arrived at the store yesterday, and I jumped at the chance to festoon the display with my staff rec. There are parts of this book that I just appreciate on behalf of the intended audience, but there are also parts that I personally found hilarious.

The shelf tag says, Bookseller Shoshana recommends Guys Read: Funny Business. See? You don't even have to be a guy.

I hope it helps sell some copies to readers of both sexes. Part of me wonders, though, if young male customers will see my recommendation and think, Oh, goodie, some lady thinks I should like this.

During the same register shift, I also wrote a staff rec for Songs for the Butcher's Daughter, a beautifully layered historical fiction novel that's in large part about the Jewish experience. Again, I wonder what the effect will be if customers happen to notice my name and realize it's a Hebrew one (not unlikely in this community). Will Jewish customers think I'm in the know? Will non-Jewish customers assume the novel's not for them?

Well, customers and others, I'm here to tell you that they're both good books, whoever you are. 

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