Met a retired librarian at the bus stop 3 years ago who changed my whole reading life

Back in 2021 I was waiting for the 42 bus in Portland and this older woman started chatting about the book I was holding. She pointed out that I was reading bestsellers but missing all the smaller presses that put out amazing stuff. She actually wrote down 5 authors on a napkin for me right there. Last week I found that same napkin in an old coat pocket and realized I have read every single author she listed. It's funny how a random 15 minute conversation can steer your whole hobby for years. Has anyone else had a stranger recommend something that stuck with you that long?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.elliot3d ago

Man, that really hits... I used to be one of those people who only grabbed whatever was on the front table at Barnes and Noble, thought that was all there was. But things like that can really open your eyes, you know? Funny how a little push from a stranger can shift your whole perspective on reading.

jade_johnson3d ago

Oh man, that's exactly what happened to me too. I remember walking into a used bookstore in Portland three years ago and this old guy at the register saw me heading straight for the bestsellers. He handed me this beat-up copy of a sci-fi book from the 70s, didn't say a word, just pointed at it. I almost put it back but something made me buy it, and now I'm way deeper into that weird niche of vintage sci-fi than I ever thought. Have you gone back to that bookstore since or found something else that pushed you out of your comfort zone?

drew_bennett243d ago

Funny you mention that Portland bookstore. I used to live there and that sounds like Powell's, or some spot off Hawthorne. That old guy probably saw you coming from a mile away. For me, a friend at work dragged me to a little used record shop and I ended up buying a weird jazz album I never would've picked. @carr.elliot, you're right about that shift - it usually takes someone else to show you what you're missing. Now I try to let the bookstore folks pick out one random thing for me every time I go in, just to keep things interesting. Your mileage may vary, but it's worked out more often than not.