Generally Horrible Questions: Anne Kimbol

Look, a picture of Anne!

Anne Kimbol is the manager at Murder By the Book in Houston.  If Murder By the Book were the TV show King of the Hill, Anne is the Hank Hill of Strickland Propane.  She's not the loudest or most outrageous, but she's the steady hand that keeps the ship afloat.  Anne's a great reader and generally the type of person you want to hang around, even though she owns two pugs.  I have my issues with dogs that look like self-mutilators.

And another picture of Anne!

We sent her our silly little questionnaire and Anne kindly agreed to play along.  A note about the process--we send out a survey of 15 questions and ask for a picture to include.  Anne quickly answered the questions even though she's sick today, but she responded that "I don't believe in pictures of myself."  Gianna immediately called me to discuss this sentence.  I mean, Gianna doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny, and I don't believe in doing housework when there are books to be read, but we're both pretty certain that photographs exist.  Let's just say that our general opinions about Anne's sanity were drawn into question.  Let's poke some more holes in this mystery-loving bookseller's professional facade and see if we can dig up photographic proof of her existence.

Generally Horrible Questions: Anne Kimbol

1. How did you get into the bookselling business?

By accident. I was working at University of Houston Law School and became a customer at Murder By the Book. I was curious about the business and started working part-time to help with signings. Now I am full-time, and they are stuck with me.

2. What's the best experience you've had working at the bookstore?

Tie between meeting Jim Butcher and meeting Bob Crais. [I'm sure that Anne meant to include "...after the day that I met Liz and Gianna.  She's sick today.  The fever, I'm certain, made her forget this sentence.]

3. What book(s) changed your life?

This is humiliating
for any animal...

Ngaio Marsh's books gave me my love of mysteries. Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston and Urban Waite's Terror of Living reminded me of just how expansive and amazing the genre can be.

4. What are you currently reading?

Lauren Willig's Orchid Affair

5. What’s the deal with your pugs?  How much would we have to pay you to name one “Undergarment Varmint?"

...and I'd never place
Zorro in such attire.

Pugs are the best, most ridiculous creatures on the planet. Money would not be required, merely a funny story involving one of the boys and underwear. [Ummmm....Anne dressed her dogs as dinosaurs for Halloween; underwear shouldn't be a stretch for the little gargoyles.  Also, Anne believes in dressing dogs for Halloween, but not in pictures of herself.]

6. Would you rather....Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) or Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) or Tom Ripley (Matt Damon/John Malkovich)?

Man of Anne's Dreams

Robert Downey Jr. [According to a MBTB customer who called the store yesterday, Holmes's hat is called a 'cocksucker hat.'  I'm not joking about this.  Nice choice there, Anne.]

7. What's the biggest lie ever told by a sales rep?

Undoubtedly one I haven't caught on to yet.

8. What's your second favorite bookstore?

BookPeople in Austin

9. Gianna or Liz?

Robert Downey Jr. [Gianna: clearly she means Gianna ...she is the one with a dark past.] [Liz:  Everyone knows that 'Liz' is the correct answer to question #9.  Also, I'm obviously Robert Downey Jr. because I'm the straight one.  Gianna...is Tom Cruise.]

10. The most depressing book you've ever read?

The Old Man and the Sea. Love Hemingway, but the man could be long and depressing when the mood inspired him.

11. I've never read ____________.  And I'm so ashamed.

Dorothy Sayers

12. I once read ____________.  And I’m so ashamed.

Some of the Harlequins my mother kept around the house. [Yeah, you should be ashamed of that.]

Great book.

13. Worst job you’ve ever had. 

Re-alphabetizing all the files in a law firm's filing room.

14. I wanted to be a ________ when I grew up.

A kept woman.  [....Ummmm....I'm sure Gianna can help you with that.]

15. _____________ is my favorite book ever.

Einstein's Dreams