Meet the Bloggers

Remember our Meet the Bloggers series? Today we are going to spend some "getting-to-know-you" time with Seija Emerson.

  

Seija encourages all of us to write recommendations for our favorite books and she is the one displaying them and keeping the whole section tidy. She also makes the art and architecture section shine. Besides being a whiz on the sales floor, Seija has a certain knack for skepticism and well-chosen adjectives.

What are 3 books that will always be on your bookshelf and why?

1984 by George Orwell, because when I read it at age 14 it was the first book that disturbed me on a deep, psychological level.  At the end of the novel, when O'Brien tortures Winston into betraying Julia, I started to realize that novels can help us understand human nature.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, because it's just a great story perfectly told.  Also it made me confront my feelings about feminism and Christianity in an unexpected way.  To balance it out, though, I have to put Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea next to it so that I don't get too carried away in all the naive romance.

Sophie's Choice by William Styron.  I think I've already said enough about that one.  

How do you choose your books? Recommendations? Reading Reviews? A long running list of titles that stand out?
I don't read a lot of new fiction.  I'm stuck in the first half of the 20th century.  Although I'm really getting into fiction from the 70's.  I like to alternate between books that are plot-driven and books that are idea-driven.  In other words, quick reads and slow reads.  I love getting YA recommendations from Anna, Kitri and Caitlin in Kids Books!  

Every reader has their favorite spot, where do you read and what do you need to have around you when you read?
Ideally, in bed with my cat, but more likely in a cafe.  The dangerous thing about reading in public is that I can't help but listen to other people's conversations, so the book has to be able to hold its own with those kinds of distractions.

What makes good fiction really good?
It's the same with music and food: you have to try everything to see what works for you.  I want to be challenged in some way by fiction.  I hate it when novels have no internal logic, or when an author's voice comes across as affected.  I like fiction that is unsentimental; I want to be shown original characters, narratives and philosophies.  Also I think good fiction has to make you feel a little uncomfortable.

Who is the creepiest character you've ever read?
Muldrow, the main character in James Dickey's To the White Sea.  From the very beginning, you're rooting for him and hoping he survives, and then as the novel progresses, you start to understand that you're not on the right side.  He's a xenophobic, ruthless murderer and you kind of like him.
Also, Jerzy Kosinski writes some truly creepy characters.

You can see all of Seija's posts here.

Meet the Bloggers

We are back again with our Meet the Bloggers series. Today I want to introduce you to Griffin Taylor.

Griffin is a jack of all trades in the bookstore world. He's worked at our Bellevue branch, in our events department and he currently is the master of shelving and information for most of our general non-fiction books. A proud English major, avid video gamer and enthusiast for Japanese culture, Griffin is super smart and funny. I'd recommend jumping at a chance to pick his brain.

What are 3 books that will always be on your bookshelf and why?

The Great Gatsby, because I was an English major, Breakfast of Champions, because it was my first taste of Vonnegut, and A Jello Horse, because it's an important reminder to chase after that dream.

What book blogs or websites do you frequently check in on?

Since I'm kind of a video game nerd, I'm frequently perusing IGN and Kotaku, sometimes Destructoid to keep up to date. In terms of more literary stuff, I used to check HTMLGiant rather obsessively (like, every 20 minutes, maybe), as well as the Stranger's book column.

Every reader has their favorite spot, where do you read and what do you need to have around you when you read?

You know, I'm not much of a ritualized reader. This is something that surprises me about myself, but it's true. Being a commuter of the bus riding variety, I find that I get a lot of my reading done in transit on one of those beasts. My personal favorite is the 540 to the U-District. Especially in the morning. It's usually pretty quiet, and quite empty if you ride at the right time.

If you could play one video game with one literary fiction author, who would it be and what game?

This is a difficult question for me, and I think you knew that it would be when you came up with it. I'm kind of split, and so I'll just share both answers. Tom Bissell is an awesome author, though I am only familiar with his personal essays about video games. Needless to say, as a fellow gamer, he's a prime candidate. As far as games go, I'm thinking something with implications and underlying themes that I wouldn't necessarily be aware of. I think I'd want to hear his take on Ico. So, with that said, the other scenario would involve Joshua Ferris. I know, I know, the guy's just blowin' up now that he's on the Top 20 Under 40 list The New Yorker put out, but he's one of my favorite literary figures. Why? The guy is an amazing speaker in addition to an amazing writer. The speaking part really blew me away at the author event we had with him last year. I'd want to play Red Dead Redemption with him. I wonder what he'd have to say about life and morality in the old west. Insightful and hilarious, this guy can do it all. Truly the sun and the moon existing as one!

What is your favorite section to shelve? 

My favorite section for shelving is history. Any kind of history. I think part of it is because I like all of the numbers (639, 678, 636.1), but it's also just a particularly interesting area in terms of what you can glean from covers. Such as the book Young Stalin. What did I learn from the cover? Young Stalin rocked the bohemian look, and seemed like kind of a pretty boy. I didn't see that comin'. 

You can see all of Griffin's posts here.

Meet the Bloggers

Hey blog readers! Today is Day 2 of our Meet the Bloggers series and we have the pleasure of hanging out with Tera Kelley...

Tera is our Esspresso Book Machine aficionado. She tinkers with tools, aligns pages, warms the glue pot, waits, and then starts all over again. Also, if you have any poetry questions, go to Tera.

What are 3 books that will always be on your bookshelf and why? 
Walden by Henry David Thoreau : a decade-long love affair with the New England gnome-man.

Arcades Project by Walter Benjamin : I'll never finish it.

Middlemarch by George Eliot : I have a soft spot for all things Eliot, especially Dorothea stumbling through the antiquities of Rome.

What are some creative ways the EBM could be used to self-publish?         I just figured out we can bind pre-printed pages—which means if you bring in color copies you can have a full color book!

What out of print book have you been really excited about the ability to print? 
I just found a Bicycling for Ladies book from 1896 with chapters on “Women and Tools” and “The Art of Wheeling.” The writer is truly sympathetic to the nervous ladies about to try out “an unaccustomed exercise.”

If you were stranded on a desert island with one book of poems, which would it be? 
Elizabeth Bishop's Complete Poems.

You can see all of Tera's posts here.

Meet the Bloggers!

Today kicks off the first installation of our 'Meet the Bloggers' series, a string of blog posts designed to help you know a bit more about us. You've seen our signature at the bottom of most posts, you've recognized the difference in voice between a post on kids books and a post on, say, Japanese translated books. But who are we really? Who is the person behind all those crazy-fun Espresso Book Machine experiments? And who collects photographs of bookstores big and small? For each 'Meet the Bloggers' post, you'll be introduced to a new contributor to this fun and fabulous blog. Once you've made their acquaintance, we'll hook you up with all the posts they've ever written. And that link we'll be on our sidebar from here on out.

To start things off, please meet Anna Minard.

Anna is a children's bookseller, an avid reader, and a literacy enthusiast. Here's a short Q&A with her:

What are 3 books that will always be on your bookshelf and why?
The Joy of Cooking, Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia, and my dictionary. My parents gave them to me around high school graduation (one of them may have been a birthday present). Other things are replaceable, but I think I would feel book-naked without those.

What book blogs or websites do you frequently check in on?
I check Bookshelves of Doom and the Slog every day, and I also browse around other book blogs (once I'm finished shelving, of course!), usually ones that are specific to children's and young adult books, like Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Some I go to for specific things: I use Common Sense Media a lot to see about the age appropriateness of a book I haven't read, I check American Indians in Children's Literature to get her perspective on things, and Guys Lit Wire is all about books that are good picks for teen boys (who can be hard to choose for!). I like reading author blogs too- John Green, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson.


Every reader has their favorite spot, where do you read and what do you need to have around you when you read?
When I really get into a book, there is nowhere I wouldn't read. I read while I walk, at the dinner table, at the book desk (busted) and I have to stop myself from picking the book up at stoplights when I'm driving. When I get the chance I'm a reclining reader- curled up on a couch or in bed is best. But I love reading on the bus, particularly. I love getting lost in it and then looking up and being in a completely different place. And I have to read while I eat, if I'm alone. I'll grab anything, cereal box or Dostoevsky, but I cannot just sit there and chew.

Who are  your favorite YA characters? Kids book characters?
Francie Nolan, from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Hassan Harbish, from John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. Scout Finch is a given, right? And Pippi trumps them all. Pippi Longstocking is the best character in the world.

You can see all her posts here.