STAFF PICKS
MK
Mary Katharine (MK which is just fine anytime!) grew up as a river rat on the Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa, finding exploration of the world through her hometown Carnegie library (think Hogwarts). Childhood terrors of the night were dispelled by The Secret Garden & Little House on the Prairie and the youthful search for meaning was fueled by The Razor's Edge & The Lord of the Rings. Coming from the birthplace of The Sand County Almanac, observations of land and how we connect to it were expanded by The Solace of Open Spaces, Epitaph for a Peach & With a Measure of Grace. Mix in a little War and Peace with IT, add some inner musings of Being Peace, Their Eyes were Watching God, Anam Cara, and finding home at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains with One Foot in Eden. Authors she'd love to have a beer with: Jim Harrison, Elizabeth Strout, Hafiz, Thich Naht Hanh, Wendell Berry, Isaac Dinesan, Wiliam Least Heat Moon, Edna Ferber, & Hildegard of Bingen.
JANIE
Insert bio here
KATHLEEN
​Obsessive compulsive book buyer, reader, seller and sniffer. Kathleen voraciously reads everything from literary stunners to poetry, philosophy, nature essays, even legal documents—she loses time in the Code of Virginia, municipal codes and case law, all delightfully confounding and intriguing.
Outside of work, you will find her hiding from her kids, dog, husband and domestic duties so that she can do the following without interruption: read, stare out windows (mostly at trees), hide outside, mainly getting lost in the weeds (literally)— the trick is to reach in the dirt and grab the sucker, roots and all, bare fingers, and stare at berry bushes, obsessing over which berry is ripe enough to pick. It's exhausting. To relax and achieve catharsis, Kathleen writes strongly-worded emails and the occasional speech to public officials.
​
If you want to be cool like her, read the following: Figuring by Maria Popova, Walden and Civil Disobedience by HDT, Complete Writings of Thomas Paine, the entire bibliography of Ali Smith and Emily Austin, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill, and last and greatest, The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. She can recite it on command, with theatrics.
ARI
Ari is a cave-dwelling creature whose favorite genres are fantasy, horror, and science fiction, or some unholy combination of the three. Outside of bookselling, she can be found drawing, gaming, or contemplating her novel. Sorry, navel.
AGGIE
Aggie has been reading books as long as she can remember. She likes reading cozy mysteries, romance, general fiction, and some psychology books. Some of her favorite books are The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery, Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler, and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
SADIE
Sadie is a local high school student who enjoys reading pretty much everything (except sci-fi—she’s sorry). Outside of her work, she can be found painting, playing the violin, watching anime, or cheering on the Phillies.
ALLEN
Insert bio here