Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: the first book read by my book club. A fabulous read that has also taught me the joy of sharing books and found family.
The Scarlet Letter; it was the first book I read where I realized the layers a story could contain, and that felt like magic.
My favorite answer is my husband’s answer: “my second favorite character.” But my favorite character might be Grady Tripp from Wonderboys, or Arthur Less from Less, or Nordstrom from The Man Who Gave Up His Name, and all those men need a big martini and a good nap.
The Hobbit
Food science, ethnic cuisine, chaos
All things kids and schools.
Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock. I still love Nancy! A strong female character with a great group of family and friends, helping people, solving mysteries, and driving a blue convertible! Goals!
I can’t pick a favorite but I would love to have a chat with Ian Fleming. What range… James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
I’m a simple girl – a Cafe Latte and a Morning Glory Muffin.
Fries, boat rides, smiley faces, dogs, Paris.
I’m an expert level worrier, also very good at procrastinating, and overscheduling—the trifecta of fun.
My favorite character is the horse in Fallen Land… so…hay.
Inventory Manager
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Jane Austen, Lee Childs, Sally Hepworth, John Sandford
Curry Chicken Salad, chocolate chip cookies, rice crispy treats
Books of course, Bubble Baths, Music, Candles, and being with my family.
Sports, Autism, Music, specifically as it pertains to my family.
Lasagna
Store Manager
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Samantha Irby, Neil Gaiman, N.K. Jemisen, Jane Austen
Whatever Teryi and Leslie tell me to try. They are always making new amazing things!
My dog Rory, zinnias, freshly baked bread, slow mornings at home.
Fantasy films from the ’80s, buddy comedies from the ’90s, and why romance novels are good, actually.
I’d make Anne Eliott from Jane Austen’s Persuasion some toast and jam. She is so busy taking care of others and she needs someone to put her needs first for a change.
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Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tennessee Williams, Lindy West, Kate Hamill, and Edgar Allan Poe
The Dark Pines, always iced, and a chocolate chip cookie, usually fresh out of the oven. Lunch, on the other hand, is the Black bean Chicken Flatbread.
Spending time with my siblings (there’s eight of us), being in nature next to a river or just any water, and reading on decks that don’t belong to me.
Movies & TV trivia, all things theater, traveling (especially Europe and Southeast Asia), camping next to active volcanos, and bees and beekeeping (it’s the inspiration of my first play).
We’re eating Tempe Manis Goreng (it’s pretty much a heavenly spicy tempe and green beans in a sweet soy sauce) from my homeland (Indonesia).
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Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney is a gorgeous children’s picture book about traveling the world, living simply by the sea, and leaving the world a more beautiful place. As a kid, the illustrations and ideas inspired the way I dreamed about my life. Now, it reminds me that underneath all the big dreams, the little things like beautiful lupines are what make all the difference.
C. S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Shauna Niequist, Kristin Hannah, Sally Hepworth
Literally anything Chef Teryi and Leslie make is GOLD. My favorite thing to do is have them surprise me!
Besides writing and books, I love trying new restaurants, becoming a regular, learning about wine and whiskey, dancing at home, running outside, spending time with friends and family in the slow hours of the afternoon, and anything BBC. I love seeing live theatre, listening to a musician’s music until I know everything they’ve ever done, and watching movies once it’s dark. Also, Little House on the Prairie and Survivor. Forever.
The Christian life, Mississippi authors, C. S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, memoir as a genre, Jane Austen, Western film and lit, and BBC!
I would feed Anne Shirley Cuban picadillo! (I’m half Cuban.) I love her and her zeal for life, and I bet she’d love Cuban food and probably never had it.
Floor Manager
My Side of The Mountain. It inspired one of many of my runaway attempts.
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One book that changed my life, in the fact that it was one that impacted my love for reading while growing up, was The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop.
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Sabriel by Garth Nix – My mom used to take us to the library once a week, and this was the first book I found which truly made me realize what fiction could do. Not only were the characters incredibly vibrant, the world Garth Nix built was immersive and absorbing.
Mesopotamian History, Military History, Middle Eastern History
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Bookseller
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I read it in 5th grade and it truly sparked my love of reading.
Nelson DeMille, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Stephen Graham Jones.
Honey lemon mint tea. It’s good at any time of day, no matter the weather!
Hanging out with my two-year-old, baseball, traveling the world, leaf peeping!
Wind energy, sustainability, baseball, and random trivia!
I would feed anyone a giant garbage plate from my hometown of Rochester, NY. Sometimes you just need to sit down, eat too much, and enjoy the feeling of sitting still.
Bookseller
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