Jodie Brandt is the curator of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and games here at Brilliant Books.  He's been with us since the Suttons Bay days, and helped us make the transition from our little store there to our slightly less little store here.  Jodie's also one of our book group hosts, a selector for Brilliant Books Monthly and the game master for our monthly game nights, which include everything from board games to trivia nights to full fledged Dungeons & Dragons campaigns!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I have been a Michigan native my entire life and a bookseller on and off since 1995. Books are life for me. I spend most of my time surrounded by them. In fact, my wife says that if at any time I am more than five feet away from a book something must be wrong.

You’re not allowed to read for 24 hours!  What would you do?

Not having the ability to read, or write, for any amount of time is excruciating for me. When I am not reading I am usually spending time with my family or creating worlds of my own.

What's one book that changed your life?

Early on I would read whatever I could get my hands on, but once I was gifted a copy of the Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks my path was forever set in stone. Some of those literary characters are still to this day my favorites.

What’s your favorite thing about being a bookseller?

The thing I love most about being a Bookseller is the interaction with other readers and those who enjoy the same kind of tales that I do, as well as introducing new generations to the amazing worlds of Fantasy fiction. There is nothing more uplifting than having a reader come back to the store, or even stop me on the street, to tell me how much they enjoyed a particular book that I recommended for them. Bookselling can be a demanding field to work in, as any retail career can be, but it is by far one of the most rewarding I have ever participated in.

Jodie is also one of our Brilliant Books Monthly book selectors.  Learn more about how he chooses books for sci-fi and fantasy fans!