What are you reading? “I just re-read a book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni. He’s actually from Bakersfield, where I’m from. I found that out after I read …
February 11, 2015
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Stories by Sonia Eliot
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Hard-nosed and heartwarming stories
What's that you're reading?
Name: Adriana Millar Age: 19 Occupation: Student Neighborhood: College Area Interviewed at: College/Rolando Library What are you reading right now? “Mostly textbooks. So, the other stuff is not really high quality; it’s just something fun …
November 26, 2014
Jimmy Carter and People magazine (shh...)
Name: Crystal Sloan Age: 49 Occupation: Administrative assistant at a nonprofit Neighborhood: College Area WHERE INTERVIEWED: Barnes & Noble, Grossmont Center What are you reading? Rational Recovery: The New Cure for Substance Addiction, by Jack …
August 27, 2014
Newspapers, no...The Colbert Report, yes
Age: 28 Occupation: Digital Marketer Neighborhood: Ocean Beach Where Interviewed: Barnes & Noble, Hazard Center What are you reading? “On my phone, I’m reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s just a way …
March 19, 2014
Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo
What brought you to this bookstore? “I found it on the internet and thought I’d like to come.” Have you found anything interesting? “Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. It looks like a Russian story. …
The Second Empress, by Michelle Moran
What are you reading now? “I’m one of those people who reads seven books at a time. I’ll read things from different genres. I’ll think, I need to feel good. I need a good romance …
September 25, 2013
Glass Castle and Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
What are you reading? “I’ve read two books lately that my wife turned me on to: The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, and Half-Broke Horses, which is also by Walls. The Glass Castle is a …
July 24, 2013
The pull of J.R.R. Tolkien
What are you reading? “I’ve been poring over military history books — those big coffee-table reference books you see in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble. I have a huge one on tanks, one …
March 27, 2013
The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy
What are you reading? “The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy. It was made into a movie with Barbra Streisand. I’ve never seen the movie, but I’ve read great things about the book.” Tell me …
January 30, 2013
Desmond Smith on Grisham's King of Torts and numerology
What are you reading? “Two books, actually. I’m finishing up The King of Torts, by John Grisham, and I’m reading a book on numerology.” Tell me about the Grisham. “It’s about a lawyer. He’s, like, …
December 5, 2012
The Ultramind Solution
What are you reading? “The UltraMind Solution, by Dr. Mark Hyman. It’s about a doctor who had a very good diet when he was in college and medical school, but after he graduated and got …
October 3, 2012
Keep the Aspidistra Flying, by George Orwell
What are you reading? “Keep the Aspidistra Flying, by George Orwell. It’s a novel set in 1930s London, and it follows mostly the interior life and misadventures of Gordon Comstock, a former copywriter turned poet/bookstore …
July 25, 2012
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Name: Allie Carrera Age: 22 Occupation: Teaching abroad (Guatemala) Where Interviewed: Barnes and Noble, Hazard Center What are you reading? “The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I saw the movie, and I was really interested …
June 12, 2012
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, by Haruki Murakami
Name: Daniel Earnhart Age: 20 Occupation: Pharmacist's Assistant Neighborhood: El Cajon Where Interviewed: Barnes & Noble, Grossmont Center What are you reading? “Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, by Haruki Murakami, the Japanese …
March 28, 2012
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini
What are you reading? “Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. This is the last book in his Eragon series, and it just came out today. I started reading the series because my brother read the first one, …
November 22, 2011
Sold, by Patricia McCormick
What are you reading? “I recently read a book called Sold, by Patricia McCormick. It’s about the trafficking of girls from Nepal to brothels in India. I spent a summer in Nepal doing research — …
September 21, 2011
Annapurna, by Maurice Herzog
What are you reading? “I just finished Turning the Tide: How a Small Band of Allied Sailors Defeated the U-Boats and Won the Battle of the Atlantic, by Ed Offley. I thought it was fascinating. …
August 3, 2011
Rereading The Joy Luck Club
What are you reading? “I’ve just been re-reading The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. It’s about four women from China who are immigrants to America trying to wrap their heads around their American-raised daughters …
May 25, 2011
We Hold These Truths, by Matthew Spalding
What are you reading? “We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future, by Matthew Spalding. He’s a historian who works for the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation. It’s one of my …
March 23, 2011
Graphic Novels — Marvel or DC?
What are you reading?“I’m just looking at different things from Marvel Comics. I’m a big graphic-novel fan. I like the Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men series. I like the Marvel characters more than the DC …
February 2, 2011
Teen Readers Talk Crank and Go Ask Alice
What are you reading? Monica: “Crank, by Ellen Hopkins, and Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous. Crank is about a girl who went from living a normal life, being a straight-A student, to being an every-day …
December 1, 2010
Black Elk Speaks, by John Neihardt
What are you reading? “Black Elk Speaks, by John Neihardt. I picked it up because I had taken some eco-theology courses at my university a while ago and had read some small excerpts from it …
September 29, 2010
Stumbling on Happiness
What are you reading? “Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. It’s a psychological perspective on how people conceive of happiness and why that conception is false. We try to predict what will make us happy, …
July 28, 2010
Game Change
What are you reading? “Game Change, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. It’s about the last presidential election. I normally avoid politics, but my fiancée bought it, and she said I had to read it. …
May 12, 2010
My Life in France
What are you reading? “I just finished My Life in France, by Julia Child and her great nephew Alex Prud’homme. She told him all her stories, and he put it together.” What did you like …
March 17, 2010
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What are you reading? “Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. My wife gave it to me. Basically, [the author] asks the question, ‘Why did the Spanish conquer the Aztecs …
January 27, 2010
As a Man Thinketh
What are you reading? “I just got a book by James Allen called As a Man Thinketh. The main thing in it is that your thoughts pretty much determine the outcome of your life. If …
December 23, 2009
War as They Knew It
What are you reading? “War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest, by Michael Rosenberg. It’s about the Ohio State–Michigan football rivalry during the era of those …
The Fabric of Faithfulness
What are you reading? “The Fabric of Faithfulness, by Stephen Garber.” Tell me about it. “I’m trying to remember the subtitle — I think it’s Weaving Together Belief and Behavior.” [He left off During the …
November 4, 2009
The Art of War
What are you reading? “The Art Of War, by Sun Tzu. I was joining the Marines, and I was in here for a book on the history of the Marines. I saw The Art Of …
August 26, 2009
The Pretend Wife
What are you currently reading? “As usual, I’m reading too many books at once. I’m reading Lost by Jacqueline Davies — it’s a new YA [young adult] novel about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I …
July 29, 2009
Twilight Series
What are you reading? “I just started the first book of the The Twilight Series. My sister has been telling me to read them. I’m actually a Harry Potter fan — I just finished all …
June 24, 2009
Because of Romek
What are you reading? “Because of Romek, by David Faber. It’s a Holocaust memoir. David Faber is a Holocaust survivor, and he lives in San Diego. Essentially, it’s about how his brother Romek saved him. …
May 27, 2009
Ms. Hempel Chronicles
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum’s first novel, Madeleine Is Sleeping, was nominated for a National Book Award. Her second, Ms. Hempel Chronicles, was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Tell me about the writing of Ms. Hempel …
March 25, 2009
Sister Carrie and The Magic Mountain
What are you reading? “Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser.” Tell me about the plot. “It’s about a young girl who moves to Chicago around 1890. She’s from a small town, and she finds out how …
February 25, 2009
Breaking Dawn
What are you reading? “Breaking Dawn [by Stephenie Meyer]. It’s the fourth installment in the Twilight series.” Tell me about it. “I’m only about 20 pages in, but it’s really good. It’s about a younger …
January 28, 2009
The Ten Roads to Riches
What are you reading? “The Ten Roads to Riches, by Ken Fisher. Also, 50 Prosperity Classics, by Tom Butler-Bowdon. And Seinology, by Tim Delaney.” Tell me about them. “Ken Fisher is one of Forbes’ 400 …
December 23, 2008