NL: Can you share a bio with us?
BM: An undercover arts-and-crafts aficionado cosplaying as a normal human—and a librarian. My love of reading and libraries grew out of my time in the children’s department, where I rediscovered my favorite books from childhood. I will forever love I Was So Mad  by Mercer Mayer. At home, I’m kept on my toes by my pug-mix, Fionna, and my even sassier cat, Thomas.

​NL: What are you currently reading? Do you like it?
BM: The Secret Life of Fungi  by Aliya Whiteley This is my bedtime read, quiet and calming, and just engaging enough to settle my mind before sleep. It sparks a gentle sense of curiosity without keeping me awake, the kind that can lull you into rest. And since I haven’t started dreaming about Alice in Wonderland –style mushrooms, it’s clearly doing its job. Under the Oak Tree  by Suji Kim This is a steamy fantasy romance and my first in the genre. It makes me want to race ahead, not because the prose is sweeping, but because I’m genuinely curious about the characters and their dynamics. There’s a graphic novel version, too, but I wanted to start with the novel to get some context and fully understand the world before diving into the art

NL: If you could have any author speak at Nyack Library, who would it be and why?
BM: I would love to host V.E. Schwab  for an author talk at the library. Their work spans multiple audiences, and I think they would have so much to share with a crowd of readers and writers alike.

NL: Which character in a book do you most identify with?
BM: I tend to gravitate toward books where the main characters are deeply concerned about the well-being of their friends or family, only to face events—often early or midway through the story—that force them to live for themselves and discover their own voice and identity. A great example of this is Mercy from The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy  by Megan Bannen.

NL: What books are on your nightstand?
BM: Word Search from my local Dollar Store, The Complete Sherlock Holmes  by Arthur Conan Doyle, Tempest  by Beverly Jenkins, Spirit Service  by Sarena and Sasha Nanua (Middle Grade, Children’s)

NL: Are there any books that you feel are overrated?
BM: My first reaction is “the classics”—especially if you already struggle to find something you enjoy reading. Shop around! Read for fun! If a book isn’t holding your interest after about 30 minutes, move on to something else. There are so many amazing books out there. Have fun exploring! The right one will find you, and it could spark a whole new love of reading and adventure. Keep your options open; you might even fall in love with a children’s book that’s only 32 pages long. Classics will always be there, ready for you to enjoy when the time is right.

NL: Do you have a literary “guilty pleasure”?
BM: Tiny paperback romances with cheesy covers. You know, the supermarket turnstile gems you couldn’t resist grabbing for a quick guilty pleasure.

NL: Are you a re-reader?
BM: No,

NL: How do you get out of a reading rut? 
BM: I read for only a few pages or 5 minutes at most. I remind myself “this is just for fun.”

NL: Thoughts on prologues? Epilogues?
BM: It depends on the genre.

NL: What’s your least favorite book?
BM: Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister. It was forced read for an event.

NL: If you were to own a bookstore, what would it be like? How would you arrange the books? Would you serve coffee and food? Play music? Where would it be? 
BM: If I had a bookstore, it would be organized by genre and audience, with books neatly alphabetical by author’s last name. But it wouldn’t just be about books! Yarn, knitting and crochet supplies, and mecha model kits or the Rolife miniatures would fill cozy corners. Light drinks and snacks would keep readers happy while they browse. Sometimes I imagine it on the road in an RV, bringing treasures to small towns and welcoming mint-condition used books along the way. My specialty would be romance novels from around the world, but the shelves would hold plenty of other surprises too—a place for wandering, discovering, and daydreaming.

NL: Are you a one-book-at-a-time reader? Or do you like reading multiple books at the same time?  
BM: I really should stick to one book at a time… maybe in my next life.

NL: Do you DNF (do not finish) books or always read until the end?
BM: DNF is liberating! On to the next one!