Hi, {{first_name | friend}}!
Welcome back to Insider Pix, where we uncover what entertainment and culture insiders are watching, reading, and listening to! Next up:
Barbara Hagen
Barbara Hagen is a senior marketing executive with more than 16 years of experience across retail, CPG, and technology. She has spent the past seven years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ThriftBooks, leading the company’s marketing strategy across brand, media, and growth.
Read more. Spend less.
ThriftBooks offers quality used and new books at everyday low prices, so you can read more and spend less! Plus, they offer free standard shipping on U.S. orders over $20. Build your TBR!
Barbara’s 5 Picks
A hidden gem you wish more people knew about?
I am a product of the ‘80’s and love classics from those years, with a special place in my heart for series like The Hardy Boys and Sweet Valley High. They are classic books that I encourage people to go back and reread. You can be assured that AI did not write those books! Plus, it is fun to remember (or read for the first time) what life was like without internet and cell phones!
Best TV show you’ve watched recently?
I’m a big fan of Taylor Sheridan, so I am having my fill with Dutton Ranch and Lioness Season 3. I’ve also enjoyed some of the newer series this summer like Off Campus, Elle, and then some thrilling book-to-screen adaptations like I Will Find You!
Best movie you watched recently?
The Odyssey was spectacular. I studied Latin through college, and my high school Latin teacher also taught us Greek and Roman mythology. I remember reading The Iliad and The Odyssey in high school, and I always enjoy a big-screen adaptation, and Christopher Nolan didn’t disappoint with this one!
A 5-star-worthy book you’d recommend to anyone?
This is like asking for your favorite child! It is a difficult task to pick “just one”. Instead, I will point to the Top 250 list ThriftBooks recently compiled. It is a wonderful list of reader favorites that have real staying power, from classics and classroom staples to book club picks, modern favorites to genre-defining series. Have a look and see if you can pick “just one”!
Pix: We’re in the thick of summer; what are your top 3 picks for the ultimate beach read?
BH: I’m currently enjoying Yesteryear, like most people this summer. Earlier this summer, I read Purple State, which was a fun slow-burn summer read, and next up is Judge Stone, a legal thriller collab from James Patterson and Viola Davis.
Pix: The 500 Billion Page Challenge at ThriftBooks encourages people to get in some reading every day. What are your tips and tricks for making sure you get your pages in?
BH: Like most things, starting small is always a good way to get some success under your belt. Set manageable goals—like reading three pages a day—and before you know it, it will become the part of your day that you cannot miss!
Pix: In an age of audiobooks and eBooks, what do you think keeps readers coming back to physical books?
BH: Reading a physical book is one of the last truly single-tasking activities. There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment every time you finish a section; you can see the progress you have made in the book, and being able to touch and turn the pages allows us to be active participants in the journey and not just passive receivers. Physical books have a sense of permanence to them as well, showing up as the author originally intended and not digitally scrubbed after the fact.
And of course, there is nothing like having bookshelves overflowing with books of all shapes, sizes, and colors! One of the most fun things to do when you visit a friend or family is to see what is on their bookshelf. It begins to tell you a little bit more about that person. You just cannot get that with an audiobook or eBook.
Pix: What's something you wish more people knew about ThriftBooks?
BH: ThriftBooks is definitely a bookstore for book lovers, but we are more than that. We are a dedicated team of people working hard to provide affordable access to books for all people. We are not owned or affiliated with Amazon. We are proudly independent, providing our customers with the widest selection of used, new, and collectible books around. Every purchase earns points in our best-in-class loyalty program—ReadingRewards—and those points redeem for free books. After all, who doesn’t love free books?
We are not perfect, and there may be an occasional error with an order or a book, but our US-based customer service team is always happy to assist to make it right. We have deep partnerships with libraries across the U.S., we have a free-to-join educator’s program, and we donate hundreds of thousands of books to charities across the country and the world.
Yes, you can find a book and a book can find you at ThriftBooks. But more than that, you will find a brand and a company committed to its mission of finding homes for all books, and supporting readers in the ultimate exercise for our mind and spirit.