We chat with bookseller Kate Campbell about her penchant for organising bookshelves and the parallels Frankenstein draws with cosmetic use in the twenty-first century.

Why do you work in books?

I love my job at Readings for so many reasons. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by beautiful books at work; oh, and it’s always exciting, albeit a little overwhelming, to see the new releases come through each month. Predominantly, it’s because I like speaking with customers and helping them find books they’re looking for. I also really enjoy my colleagues at Readings – they’re an interesting bunch, you know! Best of all, I like the atmosphere of collegiality which exists between staff and customers – there’s a sense that we’re in this thing together.

What book would you happily spend a weekend indoors with?

I know it’s very old fashioned, but P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster books are my comfort reading. While I have read these stories many times, they never fail to cheer me up and frequently give me the giggles. Wodehouse really knew how to craft a story and he was extremely clever in the way he used and manipulated the English language. I find his books a good balance of light reading, while still being well-written.

Your job entails recommending good reads: how do you balance personal taste with customer nous?

I enjoy discussing books with customers. It’s usually a matter of trying to get on their wavelength so as to understand which books they’ve loved, hated or were indifferent to. We (the staff at Readings Hawthorn) discuss books all the time, so we share the benefit of one another’s reading. This gives me a wealth of knowledge to draw on when making suggestions to customers. If I can’t help, it can be useful to pass the customer to another staff member who shares their taste.

How would you describe your own taste in books?

I mostly read modern fiction and enjoy beautiful, concise writing. I also read quite a lot of children’s literature, which I initially began reading to help with recommending books, but quickly realised how rewarding children’s books can be.

Name a book that has changed the way you think, in ways small or large.

I can remember being genuinely thrilled the first time I read Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I love the humour, intelligence, insight and lack of conventionality of this book.

What’s the best book you’ve read lately?

I really enjoyed Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead because it was intriguing. It is a nicely paced, cleverly constructed mystery set in New York City. The characters are believable and the story contains some excellent surprises. It can be found on the young-adult shelf but should by no means be limited to younger readers – people of any age would enjoy it.

Who has the best book cover?

Hmmm … Difficult to choose one, but at the moment it’s hard to beat Community by Hetty McKinnon, which is a salad cookbook from the Arthur Street Kitchen in Sydney. It looks delicious.