I was born in Cotabato City, the historic capital of the Sultanate of Maguindanao - the largest one in all of the Philippines.  Growing up, I had a pet monkey for my best friend, but since I couldn't bring him with me to boarding school, I started reading all the time, instead.  I ended up going to school all over the place: in Manila, in San Diego and in good old Yakima, before I finished high school. 

A few years ago, I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree.  It was a very fun place; my philosophy teacher was actually from Transylvania.  Oh, and you got to devise your own curriculum.  That was good, too, especially for someone whose wildest dream in life involved spending all day in the library, coming up with reading lists. 

When I'm not at work, I like to cook, which is something I'm actually pretty good at.  When I'm not doing either one of those things, I'm probably thinking about how I should start working out, or how my version of The Great American Novel is not, in fact, writing itself. 

My favorite book is Birds of America by Lorrie Moore.  Other top picks are: Young Torless by Robert Musil, Memoirs of HadrianChildhood by Nathalie Sarraute, The Swimming Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst, and Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir.  I am currently reading the Kirsten Lavransdottir Trilogy, by Sigrid Undset, and so far I love it!   Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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My name is Alicia and I have been working at Inklings for two years. Some of the things I like to do with my free time are taking pictures, being with my family, and helping out at my church. In time I hope to attend a massage school here in Yakima and one day own a day spa. Since I started working at Inklings I have become an avid reader. I love to read young adult and childrens fantasy. Some of my favorite books include: 

•   Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer
• Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
• The Chosen One by Carol Lynch- Williams
• Night by Elie Weisel
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  
• The Host by Stephanie Meyer   
  

To Read:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Lips Touch Three Times by Taylor

The 13th Rerality by James Dashner

The Propphecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

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  Susan's daughter, Carrie, has begun a new phase in her life.    She and her handsome beau, Patrik, married this past August.  The couple is now living in Vancouver, Washington, where she is working as an elementary librarian.

Carrie has been an on-again-off-again inklings employee since the summer of 2000, when she brought her English degree home from Wheaton College.  Immediately wondering what an English degree was really any good for, she decided to help her mother get the bookshop established.  In the years following, Carrie has been involved in sales, storytelling, events planning, purchasing and cheerleading.  Before returning to school for a Teaching Certificate in 2003, Carrie was the manager of inklings.  She has backpacked Europe, attended university in New Zealand, and floated the Orinoco River.

Carrie has loved stories and words for as long as she can remember.  As an elementary student, she frequently hid a book in her pants and excused herself from class for a few minutes of peaceful reading in the girl’s restroom. 

Asking Carrie to name a favorite book is like asking a mother to name a favorite child.  Since becoming a teacher, she has developed a voracious hunger for excellent children’s literature. 

A (very stunted) list of favorites, beloved since childhood:

• The Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
• The Blue Castle, by L.M. Montgomery
• Cheaper By the Dozen, by Frank and Ernestine Gilbreth
• Thursday's Child, by Noewl Streatfield

Recently Acquired and Admired:

• The City of Ember (and sequel The People of Sparks), by Jeanne DuPrau
• Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade, by Jack Gantos
• The Scrambled States of America, by Laurie Keller
• The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
•  Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

Carrie very much likes books for grown-ups, but she doesn’t get to read those nearly as often.  When not teaching or working in the bookshop, Carrie rides the roller coaster of emotion reserved for true Seattle Mariners fans.

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After 31 years of teaching in Yakima elementary schools, I retired in 2002, hoping to devour the huge stack of unread books by my bed.  SoonI came to work at inklings, primarily working with educators around the valley.   Although the bedside stack of books has grown even higher, I enjoy working with books and the people who love them.  I enjoys travel, quilting, and spending time with my family—especially my two granddaughters, aged 13 and 8.  

Some of my favorite books are:

Even though I am the Technical Support for Inklings, I still enjoy reading, and always have since childhood. I remember going to the downtown library and trying to read all the childrens books they had. I especially loved Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, Cam Jansen by David Adler, and books about knots, origami, and all craft books. Now I am mostly a technical reader, although I have to confess that The Finacial Lives of the Poets is on my bedside table.

I am married to another Inklings employee, Renee and we have a 8 month old daughter, Isabella. 

In elementary school I was given the chance in fourth and fifth grade to help out as either a crossing guard, food service and dishwashing in the kitchen, helping in the library or in the office. I think because my best friend was helping do food service, as well as the cutest boy in school, I decided to try that first. After burning myself and hating the smell of amonia I decided that I couldn't be bought by just a free lunch and a chance to look at the boy who wouldn't speak to me so I changed over to working in the library. It was like heaven. It was quiet and we were allowed to check out more than the regular seven books! (I used to ask people if they would check out books for me because I was always at my limit!) On Fridays we would get to choose a treat from a big bowl of goodies. I managed to lose a tooth in a Rollo! Ah, memories...

• Rustic Desserts  -  Delish!
• Time Travelers series by Linda Buckley-Archer  -  What a truly historic adventure.
• Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket  -  Off-kilter and funny
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas  -  A classic with a revengeful twist.
• Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller  -  Whew! This book changed my life.
• Magic Books by Esther K. Smith  -  Making magic out of paper
• Hayfever by Noel Coward  -  Coward is my favorite playwright.
• Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol  -  Such sweet, simple projects. Love her blog!
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan  -  Such an incredible, beautiful and poignent book...without words!
• Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian  -  A quiet, moving story about a boy and an old man learning to trust again. (My favorite since middle school.)
• The Principles of Uncertainty by Maria Kalman  -  Quirky illustrations to go along with the stories that make up her life.

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I am new to Inklings Bookshop, but I am very excited to work here! I am a cleaning fanatic and will be using my skills to get the dust and dirt out of the store. I have also recently graduated from the Perry Tech. Graphic Arts program. I love design, art, and  fixing old photographs, Anime and fantasy books.

Some of my favorite books are:

Seven Sleeper Series by Morris, anything by David Eddings, The Circle Opens Series by Tamora Pierce,  Wayfarere Redemtion Series by Sarah Douglass and, Harry Potter

I’m constantly singing, or at least humming to myself, most often at inappropriate times. I adore the internet and can use it to figure out just about anything you could possible hope to know. If I wasn’t working at inklings, I would be traveling all over the world, financing my endeavors by either working odd jobs or singing for my supper. I have a pretty good start, having lived in Venezuela, Hawaii, Thailand, and California. Other notable visits include Japan, NYC, Alaska and Cambodia.

Some books I’ve read lately include:

• My pet virus by Shawn Dekker
• Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
• Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke
• They call me Naughty Lola by David Rose
• What was she thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) by Zoe Heller
• Coffee, Tea or Me? By Trudy Baker and Rachel Jones (not of inklings fame)

Born and raised overseas, I love language and travel. I’m happy to be back in Yakima for a while after my recent accomplishment of graduating from Whitworth College. During my four years in Spokane, I studied biology and French, learned how to deep-fry oreos, and passably ‘mastered’ the dance of Maori Poi. Known for my whistling skills and the ability to snap with my ring finger, I try not to talk or sing to myself too much while I’m on the job.

Five Favorite Books:

• The Joy Luck Club ~ Amy Tan
• Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight ~ Alexandra Fuller
• The Kite Runner ~ Khaled Hosseini
• Housekeeping ~ Marilynne Robinson
• Schott’s Original Miscellany ~ Ben Schott

My husband and I lived in Mill Creek, WA and then on White Pass before moving to Yakima.  When living in Mill Creek, I worked at a bookstore in Edmonds, WA.  I have been a bookseller for more than 15 years.  My favorite genres are classics, poetry and fiction.  My favorite activities are reading and running.  I read alone but I run with my dog, Chase. 

   I have two adult daughters who also enjoy reading and running, as well as three precious grandsons: Jack, 6, and Connor, 8, and  Matthew, aged 1 1/2.  

Among my favorite books are: Anna Karenina-Tolstoy,  Possession-A.S. Byatt,  A Prayer for Owen Meany- John Irving, Shoeless Joe-W.P.Kinsella..  Other favorite authors :  Eudora Welty, Anne Tyler, Ivan Doig, Charles Todd, Agatha Christie, Martin Cruz Smith.  Favorite poets:  Basho, Gary Snyder, Seamus Heaney, Mary Oliver, Stephen Dunn, Mark Doty.

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I was born in North Bend, WA in 1953.  Having two older brothers, I was a surprise, and I guess, a happy one.  Living in Small Town, USA for the first 7 years of my life, I had hours of outdoor play and hours with some of my best friends - books!  My long hair needed tending each morning, so my Mom sat behind me brushing, braiding and teaching me to read when I was four.  After our family moved up to Snoqualmie Pass where our nearest neighbors were distant, that friendship with books and the North Bend librarian, gave me hours of imagination and companionship.

Attending a rural school with 100 kids in 1st through 12th grades, gave me a good childhood full of teachers who cared about me and my education.  Having no social life to speak of, I read all the time, worked hard as a student and didn't even mind long winters with six feet of snow on the ground.  While my Dad worked nights for the Department of Transportation plowing that snow, I watched my Mom keep the furnace stoked with coal and wood and enjoyed a wonderful companionship with her, a kindred book spirit.

I married that tall blond basketball player that my Home Ec teacher said looked like a Greek god.  He likes me to remember that.  We were only 18, so we kind of grew up the rest of the way together, and we've been married 38 years. We spent a few years in Chicago and Tennessee going to school and then moved back to Central Washington where we raised our four children and Jim started an aircraft rebuilding and manufacturing company called Cub Crafters.

We opened Inklings Bookshop in September of 2000 with no retail experience and a lot of optimism.  My business partner, Mandi, made up for all my deficiencies in education, organization and creativity and she made us look good from the start.  I am now the sole owner, but I use what I learned from her every day.  I can't believe that Inklings is approaching its tenth birthday.  What a ride this has been and continues to be.  I love what I get to do every day, the people I meet and the challenges that keep me growing! 

One of my other favorite roles is being Grandma Sue and spending time with my granddaughter, Sophie, a first-grader who reads like a whiz!  In the spring, we will welcome another granddaughter, who may be named Banjo.  Just kidding, I think.

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