Conversation with bookshop keepers

Whenever i go to airport i always visit the bookshop and spend most of the waiting time there. When i visited India last month, i got a chance to visit 4 different airports.My  journey started in Singapore Changi Airport, one of the best airport in the world.I think inside Terminal 2 there are 2 bookshop, bit costly but very well arranged collections.Books were categorized by genre, authors and best sellers. Now to the conversation :

Me : Can you suggest me a good book for 12 hr journey?
Staff : There are lots of classics available.
Me : Any new author or latest books?
Staff: You can try Mitch Albom's  "Have Little Faith".
Me:I already read his "The Five People You Meet In Heaven", it was a nice read.
Staff: Then , you can try this book, its really interesting and you can finish this book in 1 day.
Me : What about those best sellers?Have you read any one of those books?Any suggestion?
Staff : I have read 6 books on the top 10 list, but i think you can choose this book for your travelling.
(I browsed some pages of those books on the top 10 ,found all heavy and costly too!!!)
Me: Ok , let me try. Thanks.

I bought that book but i did not read that book. I started reading Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" and im still reading it. After reaching Chennai ,i went to Central Station to board the train to Vijayawada.I had almost 90 minutes for the train.I went to the nearby bookshop at the station and as usual started to converse with the staff.

Me: Was it rained last night?
Staff:Yes, bit.
Me:Can you suggest a Tamil book for my 8-9 hours train journey?
Staff:Any particular author?
Me:No, any author's book.
Staff: Ok, Sujatha's book are always good to read while travelling.Can you try?
Me: I bought one Sujatha's  book last year but could not read it. Always stopped reading it before 20 pages.
Staff: No.You have to read one book fully, then you will start like him.
Me: Ok.Let me try. What about this year's best sellers?
Staff: Not much , but you can try Nanjil Naadan's short stories collection,very nice read.
Me : I already read his "Soodia Poo Sudarga",yes his stories are nice.
Staff: Can i get some other books of Nanjil Naadan?
Me : Show me the books.
(He showed some books and kept on talking about each books, i liked his enthusiasm)
Me: Ok, i go for "Midhavai" .
(He started packing it)
Me:What about Magazines?
Staff:English or Tamil?
Me:Tamil
Staff: Ananda Vikatan sells well always.
(I bought Ananda Vikatan and paid the money)
Me:Thanks anna;

Boarded the train and continue reading "Anna Karenina" instead of "Midhavai". Leo Tolstoy kept on telling his stories through out the journey and I reached my destination one hour late and it was raining heavily.There is a kind of happiness when you read while travelling specially in train.I felt that happiness when i read for almost 5-6 hours continuously .

When returning back from Vijayawada to Chennai, i went to one of the bookshop at the Vijayawada junction.

Me : Can you suggest me a book for my travel?
(He showed the magazine sections and asked me to choose)
Me: No, fiction or non-fiction books?
Staff: These were the books arrived last week.
(He showed some books arranged in the shelves which had foreign authors books)
Me : Which book is selling well?
Staff:  "India Today" , oh Tamil, then you can try "Ananda Vikatan" .
(I showed the hands at the books at the shelves)
Staff: I dont know which book is best among them. All are best i think.
Me:What about Indian authors books?
Staff: ??
(I did not choose any books from the shelves)
Me: what about this magazine in green cover?
Staff: Only 10 copies comes every month.
(I took that magazine, the magazine name was "INK" )
Me: Looks interesting.
(I paid the money and boarded the train)

The bookshelves which the above shopkeeper contains books which i already read or i have.I started reading the INK magazine.I should say it was one of the best magazine i read during that whole travel.After reaching chennai, i was at Domestic Terminal to board flight to Madurai.I had almost 2 hours,i went to the only bookshop and started to talk to the staff.

Me : Can you suggest me a book for my travel?
Staff: Choose any one from the books ? (He showed me everything)
Me: Any Tamil books?
Staff: Ananda Vikatan and we have some Sujatha books.
Me:Do you have any books of S.Ramakrishnan.
Staff: Is he new writer?
Me : ???

I left the bookshop without buying any books. I always asks the same question to all the bookshop staffs at the airport to find out more about travel books and to spend time. If the bookshop staff gives good answer and show enthusiasm i will start talking a lot , end up with getting details of his family members.I still remember a old man and woman selling magazines at the corner of our school lane.He guided me which magazine to read and which not to read and most of the time he told me the exact articles which i have to concentrate.He never worried about his profit , he just gave or rather chose good magazines for me.

I was really shocked when the bookshop staff told that he did not know S.Ramakrishnan. In fact , its pathetic that these staffs do not know the difference between a fiction/non-fiction and a magazine(weekly/monthly etc).A good book shop at airport, railway stations ,bus stations and shopping mall with good knowledgeable staff will make my waiting time and my journey interesting.