Personalities: She chose it - you're reading it

Marissa Rhodes spends her days surrounded by books.

But, unlike the students who will retreat to Van Pelt Library during the next few weeks of studying before finals, it's Rhodes' job to think about what everyone else is reading.

As the Penn Bookstore's trade floor manager, Rhodes oversees all the non-textbook titles in stock - a collection that runs the gamut from the classic works of Jane Austen to celebrity chef Rachael Ray's popular series of recipe books.

Rhodes has worked at the Penn Bookstore since the 36th and Walnut location opened in 1998. Previously, she was a bookseller at a Barnes and Noble - which now owns the Penn Bookstore - in Pittsburgh.

She said her job allows her a bird's-eye view for observing the evolution of the book industry.

"The [Barnes and Noble] superstore changed the way people shop for books," Rhodes said; the advent of in-store arm chairs and cafes made for a whole new "book culture."

Rhodes's position makes her especially attuned to the literary tastes of the average Penn student.

"Students like to buy Magnetic Poetry. They like to buy science-fiction novels," Rhodes said. She added that the "chick lit" genre is also popular among a certain subset of students.

"Travel guides are always hot in February, March - when it comes time for spring break," she said.

Rhodes noted that the store's magazine rack is also a big draw for students.

"They come in Fridays for the trash - you can't get the People magazine out fast enough. And then they come in every Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. to get The Economist," she said.

But to Rhodes, the bookstore is more than a between-classes haunt for Penn students.

Aside from University staff and faculty members, "we have your West Philadelphia high-school students [that] shop here [from] University City High School. You'll have the crossing guard who will come in on her lunch break and shop here. So it's not just about the University per se."

So, what's Rhodes been reading lately?

"I just finished The Historian last week; . I'm on the third book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. . The next book I'm going to do is Anne Rice's Christ the Lord," Rhodes said.

But, because Rhodes works with books, sometimes, reading is the last thing on her mind when she wants to relax. For example, she started Zadie Smith's White Teeth two years ago and still has 75 pages to go.

According to Rhodes, "books get read when they're supposed to get read."

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