We decided to play the Q&A game with the ABC staff, and asked all sorts of bookish questions. In the coming weeks we will be posting their (sometimes cheeky!) answers here on the blog, so you can learn a little more about us.
Enjoy!
This time around we talk to Renata, buyer for Kids’ and Philosophy books in The Hague and Science-Fiction and Fantasy books in Leidschendam.
What are your top 3 favorite books or authors?
Difficult to say… I used to love Marion Zimmer Bradley’s books (Darkover series) and Agatha Christie when I was younger, as well as a nice Brazilian YA series called “Coleção Vagalume.”
Nowadays, I really don’t have “favorite authors.” Consider me eclectic. I can say, though, that Terry Pratchett and Tolkien are some of the authors I like to read.
What is your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Crime Fiction, YA
In which literary world would you like to live/go on vacation?
Fantasy all day. Avalon, Middle Earth, just name it. Of course, I would like to have some skills, maybe a shield maid, a witch, something like that. I would love to meet Tiffany and Granny Weatherwax, or maybe be one of the girls training in Avalon.
What is your favorite bookish animal?
Pantalaimon (His Dark Materials), Appa and Momo (Avatar the Last Airbender).
Do you have any reading tips for our customers?
Well, I like to read on my bed, when everybody is sleeping, which means late at night. My mother calls me an owl (I wonder why…). Sometimes I read during the day, if I’m free, with a cup of tea and snacks. I’m a binge reader, which means that once I get really into the story, I read it until I finish the book, which can take anywhere from two days to a week. Then… I can go months without reading a single page.
If anyone is like me, I’ll give a tip I got from Sophie (colleague): try to read at least one page (or chapter) a day. It helps. ;)
What non-book item at ABC can you not pass by without looking at it?
The bags, some mugs and the bookmarks.
Which book changed your (look on) life?
The Mists of Avalon (spiritually) and The Open Veins of Latin America (opened my eyes as a Brazilian).
What is your favorite part of being a bookseller?
Buying the books I definitely would read (if I had the time), advising and helping customers, the whole atmosphere actually, which allows me to work (and learn) with nice colleagues who are as nerdy as me.
* Also, another favorite part of being a bookseller: choosing and making BBD’s (Blind Book Dates)
What’s your secret for choosing the books you buy for your sections?
Learning with my colleagues, listening to customer tips, trusting my taste, knowing the public, reading some blogs and following the publishers, that’s my recipe.
And a bit of intuition helps, too ;)
About the Author: Lilia
