Lillian Ficarra Reitz

The Bodacious Bookselling Babe of B&N

Important things to know about Lillian Ficarra Reitz: She keeps her RN certification current, she's a rabid Yankees fan, and she loves books.

"My most satisfying moments have been as a hospice home health nurse and here," says Lillian, standing outside Barnes & Noble Champions in Houston, where she's been CRM (Community Relations Manager) since 2000 -- and an undisputed book event bangin' goddess since the epic day she hosted a signing for Jenna Bush in the morning and another one for Kinky Friedman that same night. In 2008, she was promoted to Community Relations Training Manager for the entire Houston area.

Even more impressive: Lillian and the rest of the staff at B&N Champions have managed the rare feat of making a chain bookstore feel like an indie bookstore.

"It's a community store," she says, and she backs that up by getting involved in community and charity activities like Houston's Race for the Cure.

Ferociously optimistic about the future of books and tirelessly supportive of local authors, Lillian is the kind of bookseller the industry needs now. If you friend her on Facebook, you'll see the credo she lives by: "Each day is one of indescribable joy!" And if you stop by B&N Champions, you'll immediately feel better about publishing in general. (Photo: Lillian Ficarra Reitz with Houston artist Kelly Gale Amen and staffer Dana Wright.)