Today’s new member is a break from our usual author-mold–but don’t worry. She knows plenty (certainly more than us authors!) about the publishing/book world.

So please give a warm welcome to…

Rachel Seigel

Why? Because Rachel is a a book seller. Yep, for the last six and a half years she has been the children’s and young adult book selector at a Canadian National Book wholesaler, and loves having the excuse to keep reading children’s books!

Rachel has always been a booklover, and is never long without a book in her hand. From a young age, she had many career ambitions, including Doctor, Lawyer, Veterinarian and Magician (all at once) but ended up doing none of those, instead making a career in the book industry. Rachel got her first official job in a bookstore twelve years ago in the children’s section of Indigo (a Canadian bookstore chain) and has never looked back. In addition to Pub Crawl, Rachel also maintains a personal blog where she reviews what she’s been reading and can be found hanging around Twitter as @rachelnseigel.

1. So tell us, Rachel: what qualities do you enjoy most in a book?

Other than good writing, which is a must, it has to have characters I care about, and a story that I can become emotionally invested in.

2. We definitely agree with the emotional investment! So what book has such a character? What character do you most admire?

I’ve always loved Sara Crewe from A Little Princess and the way that she behaved with grace and dignity even when it seemed like everything was hopeless.

3. So what book, then, if you could jump into one, would you choose?

The Phantom Tollbooth so I could visit the Kingdom of Wisdom and conduct the sunrise.

4. Niiiiice. That’s a beloved classic!  Have you read any book recently that left a major impact on you?

I’d have to say The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It’s narrated by Enzo the dog, who begins at the end of his life and reflects back on everything he’s learned about life and what it means to be human. Whenever I recommend it, I tell people they will bawl their eyes out, but close the book with a smile.

5. Bawling + smiling? Yes please! Now, when you aren’t reading children’s books, what kind of books do you like to read?

I’ll read nearly anything that catches my interest, but I tend not to read much adult sci-fi or fantasy.

6. You’ve got a pretty eclectic palate, then. Let’s try to narrow it down some. 😉 In the movie Midnight In Paris, the main character walks into the roaring twenties, which is his favorite literary era. Which era would you walk into and why?

I’d visit Europe at the tail end of the 19th century when writers like Henry James and Edith Wharton were writing about innocents abroad. I love their books, and I’m fascinated by that time period.

7. What a glamorous (at least in hindsight!) time period! Okay, random question: you’re at the pub! What food groups would you want to order?

Ice Cream and Cookies.

8. Nom-nom-nom! Now final question: do you have a personal motto or a favorite saying?

Yes! To quote the wonderfully uninhibited Cookie Monster,” Too much of a good thing is better”- especially when you’re talking about books!

Rachel (and Cookie Monster), you are so, SO right! There can never be too much of a good book–we wholeheartedly agree.

To celebrate Rachel’s arrival to Pub Crawl, she’s giving away a copy of her favorite book, The Phantom Tollbooth!

That’s right–Rachel is giving away a copy of this classic children’s story, and she’s gonna pass it along to one of YOU. All you have to do is fill out the little raffle form below, and we’ll announce the winner NEXT WEEK (on Wednesday)!

But that’s not all! Because we are all so incredibly over the moon after reaching 1000 Twitter followers yesterday, we decided to also throw in an ARC of April Henry’s The Night She Disappeared!

And, be sure to tune in tomorrow, when we introduce our next new member (and offer more fun swag!).

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