Words Spoken Softly

I was passing some time in the Reading branch of Waterstones today – not the beautifully converted United Reform church on Broad Street, but the rather more modern branch (with embedded Costa Coffee ) in the Oracle shopping centre – and was impressed by this.  I’ve seen staff recommendations before, but in this branch there was a full section of recommendation.  Each of four members of staff had, under a printed sign, 6 or 8, yard-long shelves of recommendations, each shelf with  4 or 5 books on a topic.  Thus, Michael’s Recommendations, under “My Music” includes Bob Dylan’s Chronicles and a biography of Joe Strummer.  Above that, was his shelf of  recommended food and cookery books.  Rachael has a taste for dark horror and fantasy, along with female rockers like Joan Jett and Patti Smith.  Every book, has a hand-written recommendation by the staff memory

It’s an array, impressive in its scale, which speaks quietly of passion and expertise.