Kia ora, Welcome to McLeods Booksellers meet our friendly and helpful staff.
Prue (Owner)
Hi - Prue here - a Lifelong reader – the kid who could always be found (or not, depending on where she was hiding) with her nose buried in a book. Growing up as a farmer’s daughter, I had an hour-long school bus ride to school and back every day – yay, two whole hours reading time! My Dad was an avid reader (he actually built my school’s library) and my Mum, being a teacher, made sure that I had any book I wanted! My most treasured possession as a 12-13 year old, was my set of hardback “Anne of Green Gables” books – they have been read so many times (just by me)! I think what attracted me to reading as a child and has kept me “hooked” all my life, was the ability of a book to transport the reader to another time and place, experiencing different lives and different perspectives. I often think when I am reading “how would I have reacted to that event”? Sometimes you can really relate to the characters and other times you think “what – I would NEVER do that”!!! I also love the fact the readers attract other readers to create the most interesting conversations. Of course, you like to hear what books you have in common with other readers, but I really like to hear why another reader didn’t like a book – how they may have interpreted and reacted to events completely differently from myself – it’s really interesting. So – you can see why I am thrilled to own a bookshop – to be surrounded by books with staff who really know their stuff and are such an eclectic group of readers – add in customers who really appreciate an independent bookshop and are full of excellent recommendations -it’s a recipe for a happy working life!
Gaby (Manager / Buyer)
I was born and raised here in Rotorua; it is a beautiful city. We are immensely lucky to have access to so many amazing natural resources, the lakes, the forest and of course geothermal springs. I am really proud to call this city my home. I love being outdoors and when I am not at work, I enjoy gardening and being in nature. It feeds my soul.
McLeods has been a presence in my life since I was a small girl, my mum would bring me in every so often to choose a book and it was always a highlight. Over the years, we continued to love visiting the shop, it was always a beautiful oasis. I was lucky enough to be offered a job here in 2016. I have loved becoming a bookseller and eventually the buyer, and I love working in an independent bookstore. They are an essential part of every community; they offer so much more than just being a bookshop. I never have a day where I tire of books!
My reading tastes have always been eclectic, and I would say I am a mood reader. There are of course books which just demand to be read, but overall, I read based on what I feel like. I enjoy fiction and non – fiction, and love discovering new authors.
Randi
Randi is not only new to the McLeods team, but is a recent arrival to New Zealand as well, having just moved to the country this past year. Originally from Canada, Randi grew up in a small farming community in Southern Ontario before the internet was commonplace in Canadian households, and where the airwaves yielded only a few spotty television channels when the reception was just right.
This didn’t prove an obstacle for entertainment, however, as they had a dog to play with, sketchbooks to draw in, bikes to ride, lakes to swim in, and of course books to read. Randi’s favourite genres are fantasy, historical, romance, and young adult; even better, they’d say, when combined together in one story where all the best elements of each can contribute something to the narrative in a nuanced, multifaceted way.
Discussing elements of story and character is something Randi is particularly passionate about, as they incorporate their favourite tropes in their own writing, which occupies most of their spare, non-reading time.
Research reading has also become something of an obsession for Randi, as one topic often leads to another, and the rabbit hole that is non-fiction claims yet another victim; scouring the Internet for scraps of knowledge certainly has its place in a writer’s toolbox, but there’s something missing when pages are traded for screens, and bookshops are swapped for websites.
To be able to work surrounded by books has been a lifelong dream for Randi; they’re thrilled to be able to share that love of reading with other people who patron McLeods. Books are, after all, tangible manifestations of joy!
Maggie
Hi, my name is Maggie. I started working at McLeods in August 2022. I love art, history, rollerskating, music, and books – my favourite of which is Little Women. I mostly read fiction, but I am not too picky on the genre, as long as it’s an interesting or good story- although I do particularly enjoy Donna Tartt’s writing. One of my favourite things about working is a bookshop, is being able to see all the new books as they come in, and just being surrounded by so many books. It creates such a calm and comforting atmosphere and it’s just a really nice place to spend your day.
I moved to Rotorua in 2019 from Nashville, TN, but my family owns a property in North Carolina, where we live for three months of the year. I do correspondence schooling and travel a lot with my family. Despite my love of colder seasons and being curled up with a hot drink and a book, I love being outdoors, swimming in the lakes, and seeing new things.
Marie (Inward Goods)
I am Marie, originally from Auckland, I have moved here with my husband, kids and pets. We are a family of readers, except the dog and the cats, we are still teaching them....
I love history, reading, skiing, and doing puzzles, I spend most of my time reading or playing with my kids and animals.
My favourite book at the moment would be City of Brass (#1 Daevabad Trilogy) My favourite genre is fantasy followed by romance and then historical fiction. I am currently going through a phase of reading a lot of Greek myths retold, which have been fantastic thus far, while also tackling The Wheel of Time series.
What I love most about working in a bookshop is unpacking all the new books, opening each box is like opening presents on Christmas morning. It's also very interesting to see all the different types of books we bring in, most of which I would never have looked at before working here, so the process is very eye-opening for me.
Ella
Hi! My name is Ella, and I practically devour classic literature; as well as philosophy, poetry and art. I hold a very keen interest in the complex, and like what I read to offer me a new way of understanding the world I see around me. My favourite writers would have to be Virginia Woolf, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vladimir Nabokov and Marcel Proust; all of which have somehow each carved their way into my bones, never to forget.
I began working at Mcleods Booksellers in May of 2022, and have never felt so at home so fast. There is just something so beautiful about this bookstore. Looking up and knowing that the thing I love most in the world is all around me, it's something irreplaceable. Not to mention the customers who share this love, and the staff who understand what I mean completely. It's wonderful.