open book open heart

I am a chronic book-recommendor.  If you want a recommendation, you’ve come to the right place, but you may need to sit and stay a while.  Because I will go on and on.  I cannot be stopped.

I will need to know a little something about you but I’m pretty sure I can come up with a book you haven’t read that you will like, nay, love.

In school, we had to come up with an idea for a non-profit organization and write a business plan to launch it.  My idea was MatchBooks, an organization that would tip kids from the ability to read to loving to read by matching them with the perfect book.  For my organization, this would all be done with the magic of computers, a touch of school librarian, and a pinch of me.  I’ll launch it someday.  Another life maybe?  Anywho.  Such is my faith in the power of a good book recommendation.

There is only one sticky widget in my successful, non-paid career of giving book recommendations to anyone who will hold still long enough to listen.  Her name is Rachael.  She’s my sis-in-law and one of my very best friends and she is always asking for my book recommendations.  BUT!  She almost always dislikes what I recommend.  How can this be?  I know her.  I have a fairly good idea of her taste and preferences.  But I keep blowing the recommendations for her.

Maybe more amazing though is that she keeps asking me for recommendations – even though, when I ask if she read the one before she says, “yes and it was meh.”  This has happened at least 16 times and while I know I am prone to exaggeration (Who am I kidding?  Exaggeration is my best friend.), I’m not exaggerating here.  16 (at least!) failed book recommendations from me to her.

I keep trying to blame her for this malfunction but at the end of the day, I know it’s on me.  The other question here is why do I keep giving her recommendations?  I threaten to cut her off but then I just can’t help myself.  I am going to find a book she loves. by. dang.

And I’ll do the same for you and your little dog too.  Try me.