Interview with a Bookseller: Halie

Who are you? What do you do at the store?

My name is Halie and I am a new bookseller at Dog-Eared Books! I used to work at a bookstore in Wisconsin called Reads by the River but moved to Iowa to attend ISU and major in Genetics and hopefully go on to be a Genetics Counselor. Besides reading, I love drawing and playing video games or exploring the wonders of nature.

What genres do you read?

Fantasy, Young Adult, Sci-Fi, and Horror

What is your favorite book?

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I picked up this book on a whim at a Barnes and Noble when I was a freshman in high school and it completely blew me away. It made me love fantasy even more and it is considered to be my child.

What is the book that changed or affected you the most?

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. This is the book that taught me to read for myself rather than for others. As a kid I always had an extremely high reading level and was forced to read other books that were my level rather than the books my friends were reading, like the lovely classics that are Warrior Cats or Wings of Fire. This book made me realize I could read for fun and enjoyment. Also, fun fact, I still have the copy from my 6th grade teacher.

What’s a book that helped you get out of a book slump?

I've had multiple, but the most notable would probably be Legends and Lattes. I found it easily digestible yet fun and cute, that was easy to immerse myself in rather than the heavy fantasies I tend to go to more, and I felt like I could relax while reading yet get the full experience I wanted. It is now one of my favorites!

What’s a book that you read at the exact right time?

I always am a seasonal reader, (spooky books for fall, etc.) but a book read at the perfect time was Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. It was a book that I had unfortunately fallen into a slump with (not the books fault) and while I was reading it, I had met my English teacher for Junior year as it was the beginning of the school year. She was the one that helped me out of my slump and get through that mental block of anxiety and feelings.

Are there any books you own several copies of? Why?

The Girl Who Drank the Moon and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue I each have two copies of. I have the ARC copy of The Girl Who Drank the Moon I found at a secondhand store and the hardback from my 6th grade teacher. My two copies of Addie Larue are the illustrated edition and the Barnes and Noble edition.

What is your earliest book memory?

When I was in first grade and it was during the book fair, my grandparents came to school for grandparent lunch. After they purchased my books from the book fair, they went back to my classroom so we could read the books together. As we were first graders, it was expected that our grandparents would help us read. I was advanced for my age, so I read to them instead but, there was a boy next to us who was reading at the proper reading level for a six year old and was stumbling over words and needing help. This annoyed me so much I went over to him, snatched the book from him and read it out loud to him until my grandparents took me away from him.

What is your favorite place to read?

My bed or my fuzzy chair.

Show us your bookshelf! How do you organize it? What are the vibes?

Usually at home I do it based off genre and then alphabetical but in my dorm room it's kinda wherever there is space. At home I like to decorate them with candles and stack books up and make fun displays so I would say the vibes are usually very whimsical. Also, Sugar the Betta, resides on the one in my dorm and rules over it as its benevolent king.

What advice would you give readers? Non-readers?

Read what you want and only that. Don't feel pressured to read certain things because they are popular or because you feel left out, only read it if it truly interests you. I think this can apply to non-readers to. If possible, do things that interest you, don't follow a path that you aren't 100% sure you will like. Not always will everything be roses, but it's easier to go through it when you have a passion for it.

Tell us a controversial book opinion

Paperbacks are my least favorite style of reading.

Why do you read?

I read to escape. I love the stories built and I love immersing myself into different ones each time that let me forget about my assignments and the world around me.

Lastly…

What do you love about bookselling? About our store?

I love the idea of finding someone a book they love. Especially if it's a book you also love and can geek out about it together. The store is still new to me, but I love the cozy vibes it has.