About

Hi, I’m Mariela and I read books.

I can’t remember a time in my life I wasn’t reading.  As a small child my mother would read to me every night.  When I was around eight or nine years old, my father read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to me with voices for each character.  Visits to our local library were a weekly highlight and necessary to maintain my reading habit.  Needless to say, reading was highly encouraged in our household. 

I stumbled across The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende when I was too young to understand the book, but old enough to know I loved the writing style.  By the age of 10, I had discovered my two favourite authors, Tolkien and Allende. They have remained the same ever since.

In my early 20’s I volunteered in a middle school and high school library and it was then I realized I wanted to work in a library.  However, like any true millennial, my path took a roundabout way as I lived abroad and worked in adventure tourism, became a professional makeup artist and hairstylist, worked in the TV/film industry, worked in a hair salon, and ran my own business.  I have now come full circle and am currently a student in the Library and Information Technology diploma program at Langara College in Vancouver. 

Random Things About Me

  • I am Canadian
  • I was born in Peru
  • My father is from Scotland
  • Surprise! I was adopted
  • I played ice hockey growing up
  • I have two dogs, Osito (‘little bear’ in Spanish) & Mojito
  • I played the Scottish fiddle for years
  • I have a degree from Simon Fraser University
  • I speak English and Spanish

Bookish Things About Me

  • I’m a self confessed fangirl for Image Comics
  • My two favourite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien and Isabel Allende
  • I collect old etiquette books and find them hilarious
  • I enjoy rereading books from my childhood
  • I love vintage and antique books
  • I only use my e-reader for library books