Meet the Team

Get to know the people selling you your books

If you’ve been in or around Nooks for the past month, you’ll notice that we’ve grown. We opened a new room at the back of the shop that essentially doubled our footprint, which means you also might have seen some new faces around the shop. No matter what day you pop into Nooks, you’re bound to see a book-lover behind the counter, and while we know a lot of you know Shawn and Maile, you might not know the rest of the staff well.

Here’s a chance to fix that! Once a month (or so), we’ll be featuring a different member of the Nooks staff with their answers to some fun, bookish questions.

First up is Lauren!

How long have you been working at Nooks, and how are you connected to the shop?

I started working at Nooks early February of this year. I was a loyal customer as soon as Shawn & Maile opened up--I couldn’t have been more ecstatic to have such an amazing bookstore here in our little city! They asked me to run the classics book club (one of my very favorite things) and the rest is history. :)

What are your favorite or go-to genres?

Literary fiction, classics, dystopian/post-apocalyptic, narrative non-fiction, and memoirs are my favorites. I tend to gravitate towards darker stories but then pepper in some lighter things here and there for variety.

When not at Nooks, how do you spend your time?

I love spending time with my husband and our two young kids--biking, little hikes, and trips to the library and bookstore are some of our favorite things. If I have alone time, I like to snuggle up with our dog and read (shocker, I know!).

What is one book you can’t stop recommending?

Right now, it’s 84, Charing Cross Road. It felt like a warm hug of a book and was just what I needed.

What’s the last book you DNF’ed (or wanted to)?

Kin by Tayari Jones, which broke my heart! I loved Silver Sparrow and An American Marriage by her, but for some reason, I wasn’t emotionally connecting to Kin.

What book made you fall in love with reading?

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

What’s the best part of working at a bookstore?

Everything! Being surrounded by books all day is truly my dream come true. I love recommending books and being able to help customers find the perfect book for themselves or a loved one. It is such satisfying and fulfilling work that I am so thankful for.

What’s the worst part of working at a bookstore?

I don’t really think there is a “worst part” but I will say that my TBR (To Be Read) list has grown exponentially since working at Nooks, which can feel kind of overwhelming! So many books, too little time.

This or that

Re-read or read once?

Re-read (especially if they’re classics!)

Hardcover or paperback?

Paperback.

Bookmark or anything but a bookmark?

Anything but... scraps of paper, Post-Its, that millionth piece of paper from my kids’ school...

One book at a time or several books at a time?

Several books; I usually have at least three books going at a time (I’m a mood reader through and through).

Audiobooks are reading or audiobooks are cheating?

Audiobooks are reading ONE THOUSAND PERCENT!