Meet Your Literary Matchmakers

Owner

Hi, I'm Michele. Page 1 Books was founded in 2017, by book lover, Brandy O'Briant, who formed the idea and started boxing subscription orders in her spare bedroom. The company flourished, survived Covid, and then I bought it because it's my fantasy business.

I'm that person who watches the Time Enough At Last episode of The Twilight Zone and identifies with Henry Bemis. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Henry, except that he lacked the foresight to stock up on reading glasses. I, too, would like to read David Copperfield at work, to the exclusion of all else. And now I can.

I was browsing descriptions of the first subscription book service started in 1926. The press predicted it would be "a bonanza to busy ladies and clubs that want 'to keep up.'  A selecting committee comprised of big names in the world literary, selects each month the book of the month which is mailed to all club members. If the book received is not really desirable it can be returned for another, selected from a list of several month's best books prepared by the committee."

We've come a long way, baby! Today, we don't want to send you the books we think best. We want to know what you like and, then, hand-select something tailor made to suit you. We're not selling you what we have. We're searching for what you want. Welcome aboard. We're glad you turned to Page 1.

Gerri Sciarra, Operations Manager and Organizational Guru

I’ve been enthralled by books my whole life. I feel giddy with the anticipation of cracking open a new book and getting lost in a story for a couple of hours. It’s a precious commodity in this world dominated by screen-time. As a graphic designer, I have particular interest in the printed word—title treatment, cover artwork, page layout, fonts used—it’s all so magical! And, as an avid reader, I’m fascinated and awed by the infinite ways that authors communicate with a simple, well-written sentence. I’m that person who reads the same paragraph many times over just to absorb the beauty of it. Ahhh.

These days, I find myself reading YA and graphic novels to keep up with what my kids are reading, and if you haven’t checked those genres out lately, you’re missing out. When it’s my choice, I go for historical and contemporary fiction, and there is usually a relevant non-fiction book I throw into the mix at the same time. How I wish I could read faster!

Rachel Rothe, Social Media Maven and Resident Millenial

I have always felt most comfortable when surrounded by books. The second I turned five, I was at the library requesting a library card and from that day on, I rarely left. I befriended all of the librarians and spent my summer breaks voluntarily restocking the shelves. My love for books started with Nancy Drew and Goosebumps and for a year straight, I read a Babysitter’s Club Book every single day. I could always be found carrying around a written list of every book I had read that year, a habit I continue to this day. 

Now with a non applicable Biology degree from Mizzou under my belt, I enjoy being Page 1’s resident millennial by running all things social media. Creating literary content and discussing books with subscribers is a dream come true. I love seeing subscriber’s reactions to their picks through unboxing videos and sharing bookish memes and quotes. 

My reading preferences have evolved over the years; I will read just about any genre although literary fiction and horror are my consistent favorites. Though I now reach for Stephen King instead of Goosebumps, I feel just as excited every time I open a new book and I still get butterflies every time I walk into a book store.