Interviewing the Interviewer--Librarian Rachel Muniz on our Fierce Reads Visit--Leigh Bardugo, Emmy Laybourne, Jennifer Mathieu, and Ava Dellaira, Saturday, June 12, North Shore Library.

Tomorrow is our event with the Fierce Reads authors at the North Shore Library. The library, located at 6800 North Port Washington Road, will be hosting a panel discussion at 2 pm, moderated by North Shore librarian Rachel Muniz. I decided to turn the table on Muniz by asking her some questions.

Daniel: a. What's your first young adult fiction read? Most memorable? Sequel you're most looking forward to?

Rachel:So… I’m not really sure about first young adult fiction book, but my most memorable is definitely Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce. I still remember the first time I saw the spine in my local library when I was in my teens and I have read all of her books since then. I have recently been avoiding books that I know are part of a series until the end of the series, but I still read Rick Riordan books as they come out. There is still one to go in the Heroes of Olympus series and I am very much looking forward to it. When it comes out, I will probably have to read all of the other books again.

Daniel: How long have you been at North Shore Library? How did you get there? Rachel: I have been working at the North Shore Library for 7 years now. I started just working the weekends, and then I was lucky enough to get a full time position. When I started here, I was working on my Master’s Degree in Library Science, which I finished several years ago. My favorite part about working in a library is interacting with our patrons. My second favorite part is seeing the new materials! (Ava at right)

Daniel: One of my closest friends, who is the deputy director (I think that's his title, it's what he would be in Milwaukee) at a major public library system, started with a part-time, non-librarian job at a suburban library to supplement his record store gig, and slowly worked his way up. It's the American dream, writ large!

I seem to remember that Leigh Bardugo was the author that caught your eye when we pitched the Fierce Reads tour to area libraries. How did you come to read her first book? (Emmy at left)

Rachel: Shadow and Bone has such an interesting title and a beautiful cover. From the beginning, it caught my eye. I admit, I held off on reading it because I am tired of waiting for series to finish, but when I heard that she was part of the Fierce Reads Tour, her books were the first I read. I am definitely looking forward to the conclusion!

Daniel: Wait no more! The concluding title, Ruin and Rising, released this Tuesday, June 17.

What question are you most excited about asking tomorrow?

Rachel: I am excited to ask the authors “What were your favorite books growing up?” I feel that what we read as kids can really inspire us as we get older, especially if you dream of becoming an author yourself. Some of my favorite books are still the ones that I read when I was 9 or 10. There were some that made such a strong impression and I can still remember how they made me feel.(Jennifer at right)

Daniel: What question should I have asked, but didn't?

Rachel: "What am I reading?, of course. I am currently reading The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I generally know her as a young adult author, but this book for adults got such good reviews, I figured I’d better try it out. The book is very well written, engaging and entertaining.(Leigh at left)

Daniel: We are also fans!

 Thanks, Rachel.  Don't forget, the Fierce Reads Tour!, at the North Shore Library is tomorrow, featuring Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth about Alice, Emmy Layborne, author of Monument 14: Savage Drift, Ava Dellaira, author of Love Letters to the Dead, and Leigh Bardugo, author of Ruin and Rising. The North Shore Library is just north of Bay Shore Town Center. You can take any bus to Bay Shore and transfer to the 68, but it's really not a bad walk either, only a mile.

See you tomorrow!