When we were in Seattle Carrie W was telling us about this trend on social media where two people go into HomeGoods and ask for something like “do you have painting of a duck wearing a monocle and top hat?” Then the other person says “yes we do!” and shows it and it’s funny because the items there are so random and how could anyone actually be looking for them specifically? (example reel here)

You know this story is off to a good start when I’m explaining why something is funny. Ha.

So that was brought up a few times throughout the trip, and we’d sometimes act it out when we were in a store.

Okay, on to the actual story.

So we’re at the Bainbridge Island bookstore, and I’m near the romance section with Val and Carrie, and Carrie goes “Do you have something that mixes romance and fantasy? Kind of like Twilight but for adults?”

And I say “Oh! Like romantasy! Yes! Yes I do!” and I start looking around…

Then this young woman who is in the aisle (with a man I am assuming is her father) all excitedly says “Oh! Right here! The ACOTAR series! A Court of Thorns and Roses. This series is so good!” (And ironically, that is what I was going to show Carrie)

“But this,” she continues, with a dramatic pause, while picking up Throne of Glass and holding it by her heart “will enchant you and become your entire identity.”

Folks, she was so heartfelt and sincere and serious and I was ABSOLUTELY there for her passion. I loved it.

So we chatted a bit about the books. I told Carrie if she does read ACOTAR she HAS to do it on Graphic Audio. Both Aisle Girl and I told her how you just “have to get through” the first book. I asked Aisle Girl what she thought of the spicy fifth book to see if I could get her to blush in front of the man I assumed was her dad. Ha. Her response was that she could “not do audio for that book because she did not want to be in that character’s head for certain scenes.”

Ha ha ha. The bookish world and people in it are so fun.

We browsed a bit more in that aisle, and Carrie ended up borrowing The Fourth Wing from her library on graphic audio and is loving it! So her kind of jokey question actually got her to a book she is enjoying!