Hey Mishawaka, we are moving in! We are ecstatic for our new store in Mishawaka, IN. In this edition of Meet the Bibliomaniacs, we would like to introduce you to the HPB Mishawaka team. Take it away, guys!
What is your favorite part about working at HPB?
Robin: The atmosphere is very welcoming for employees and staff alike.
John: My favorite part is helping people learn about life through literacy.
Shane: The wide range of books, movies, comics, and more that change on a daily basis.
Katelyn: The varied responsibilities. No day is ever the same and I get to work on a wide variety of projects.
Bridgette: Seeing all the different books and items.
Stephan: Being surrounded by books.
Roy: The people I work with and the amount of new things I see every day.
Nicolle: I love how comfortable I feel. It feels like home away from home.
Jordan: Finding new books.
Jazmine: I love finding weird, unique and silly things I never knew could exist. I easily see myself developing new hobbies and collections every day I come in to work. I also really like seeing the personal touches so many people put in their books; little notes, interesting bookmarks, letters to future readers. I can’t get enough of it.
Chris: The people here are friendly and helpful and passionate about their job.
Justin: Seeing something new every day!
Erin: Getting to work with books!
Jaki: My ever growing list of all the things that I NEED to read.
What is your all-time favorite book, movie or album?
Robin: A Night at the Opera by Queen.
John: Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson, Ph.D, is my favorite book. It’s about the neuroscience behind meditation.
Shane: Oblivion by Sasha Dawn.
Katelyn: The Lion King. The original, animated version of course.
Bridgette: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
Stephan: Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette.
Roy: Metallica’s Black Album is the greatest album of all time. Can’t go wrong with any song on it.
Nicolle: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
Jordan: The Kate Daniels series; Magic Bites is the first one.
Jazmine: My favorite album is Ugly by Screaming Females.
Chris: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Justin: All-time favorite album would probably be Let There Be Rock by ACDC.
Jaki: The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien. It was the book I learned to read with.
What are you reading right now?
Robin: Annie’s Ghosts by Steve Luxenburg.
John: Becoming A Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett!
Shane: Insight by Jamie Magee.
Bridgette: Re-reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, also working on The Stand by Stephen King.
Stephan: Jay Bell’s Something Like Series. Check out the first one, Something Like Summer.
Nicolle: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon and IT by Stephen King.
Jordan: IT by Stephen King
Jazmine: The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson. It’s part memoir, part true crime. My two favorites.
Chris: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
Justin: I am currently reading I’m The Man by Scott Ian.
Erin: Beta by Rachel Cohn.
Jaki: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.
What TV show or movie are you embarrassed to admit you love?
Robin: Sister Wives
John: I’m not embarrassed, I fully embrace that Bridesmaids is one of the funniest movies ever made.
Katelyn: Hannah Montana. If it was still on Netflix, I would happily watch it again.
Bridgette: I’ve overcome a lot of insecurities about the things I love and am not ashamed to tell people what things are my favorites anymore.
Stephan: Reality TV, specifically the Real Housewives.
Nicolle: One of my favorite guilty pleasure movie is Legally Blonde.
Jordan: Big Brother.
Jazmine: Gosh. Hoarders? Perhaps in a cautionary tale kind of way, because I also collect lots of little things people consider garbage?
Chris: Enchanted.
Justin: I wouldn’t say I’m embarrassed to love the film Twister, however it may be a bit embarrassing to say that I can quote it nearly line for line.
Erin: I’m not embarrassed by anything that I watch… I may be embarrassed by how many times I will re-watch something. Let’s just say I know all the songs in “Coco.”
Jaki: I can’t think of anything I’m embarrassed about loving, but Supernatural has a very special place in my heart. And I love terrible true crime shows from the 80’s.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Robin: I’ve lived on every continent (except Australia and South America) before the age of 15.
John: My dream in life is to live in a van with my life partner and travel around the United States and world vlogging it all.
Katelyn: I studied Arabic for a few semesters in college. Unfortunately, I remember very little of it.
Bridgette: How much heavy metal I listen to, because the answer is a lot.
Roy: I took 2 or more math classes every year in high school. Also I spent my last two years of high school at a residential high school (Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities).
Nicolle: I’m not as scary as I look.
Jordan: I have 6 bunnies.
Jazmine: I have a massive collection of found grocery lists. Every trip to the store turns into a hunt, and I’ve filled an entire scrapbook of post-its, envelopes, napkins. It’s probably the hobby I am most proud of.
Chris: I’m an excellent cook.
Justin: That I own bookcases of music in all different forms. Yes even cassettes!
Erin: I used to be an English teacher.
Jaki: There are currently 12 bowling balls in my house.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Robin: Play ball with my Chihuahua, Harley.
John: Work out, meditate, and cook vegan food with my girlfriend!
Shane: Either hang out with friends or at home watching TV.
Katelyn: Lay on the couch with my cats watching TV.
Bridgette: Sew, play TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder.
Stephan: I enjoy live music a lot.
Roy: Eat, cook, play video/board games and play guitar.
Nicolle: I like to hike, camp, read and, most of all, sleep.
Jordan: Read and watch YouTube.
Jazmine: I like to draw and read. My favorite time out of the house, however, is going to local stand-up shows and open mics with my husband, Mike.
Chris: I love to watch movies of all types and read a lot of fantasy/fiction books.
Justin: Write music or watch obscure action and horror movies.
Erin: Spend time with my husband watching Netflix or read on my phone.
Jaki: Hang out with my husband and kitties, watch movies or get lost in a good book.
If you could write a book about yourself, what would the title be?
Robin: “That’s not how you spell my name.”
John: Embracing Humanness
Shane: Shaniel, the sequel would be Shane2.
Katelyn: Indecisive: Or How I Couldn’t Decide on a Title
Bridgette: Sometimes It’s Hard, but That’s Okay
Nicolle: Why Did I Leave California: A novel about regret
Jordan: How to Juggle It All: A Mother Who Works, Goes to School, and Doesn’t Lose Her Mind
Jazmine: I Have a Headache, And Other Things You’ll Learn about Me.
Chris: “I’m Sorry” The Chris Davis Story
Justin: “My ears can’t take much more”
Erin: “Life looks better while you laugh.”
Jaki: Free Fall.
When are you the happiest?
Robin: When I am spending time with loved ones or am at church.
John: When I am in nature on a beautiful day.
Shane: When I’m with my friends.
Katelyn: When I am fully involved with a book that I cannot put down.
Bridgette: When others think something I’ve made/done is cool or neat, or just when I’m hanging out with friends and we get to do something weird in our tabletops like invade Area 51.
Stephan: When I am with my friends or family.
Roy: When I am eating a really great burger and/or falling asleep with my dog next to me.
Nicolle: Probably when I am sleeping. It’s so nice and warm!
Jazmine: When my cat shows me even a little bit of attention.
Chris: When I’m with my friends and family.
Justin: When I have a record on the turntable.
Erin: Any time I get to be near the mountains. I got to spend a few days in Montana this summer and I even smiled in my sleep.
Jaki: When there’s food present, especially if there’s melty cheese.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Robin: Thank you everyone at HPB, past and present, for making HPB what it is today!
John: Be kind to the planet, to people and to yourself.
Bridgette: Books are great and I love them.
Nicolle: Shoes.
Jordan: Books are amazing!
Jazmine: Have a good day, friend.
Chris: So long, and thanks for all the fish!
Justin: Peace, love and Rock n Roll.
Stop by our new Mishawaka store and meet the team in person!