BOOKtique Volunteer Profile: Cassie Platz

She was a self-titled BOOKtique “fan” and regular shopper for 25 years at the original Mercantile Village location. Now, Cassie Platz is part of the BOOKtique volunteer team, working as cashier at the City Hall store for the past three years.

“I was retired, had time on my hand and a love of books,” Cassie said. “Books have been my constant companions since I had ‘my nose in a book’ as a toddler.” Growing up, she was a “Navy brat” living in many states. Her school years were spent in Wilmington, California, Chula Vista, California, El Paso, Texas, Rockford, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. “One of my fondest memories of school is my fifth-grade teacher reading aloud to us after lunch,” said Cassie.

“I can spend hours in libraries and bookstores (especially used bookstores), visiting both wherever I travel. I'm currently in three books groups. One of them I joined 28 years ago when I moved to Lake Oswego. As a teacher, it was a joy to help youngsters learn to read, write their own stories, and become enthralled with their favorite authors.”

Out of the many books Cassie has read, she says the best, most recent reads were Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan and River of Doubt by Candice Millard.

Cassie is currently reading How We Learn to be Brave by Mariann Budde, Kindred by Octavia Butler and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

When asked, “Out of all the books read in and out of the book groups, which author would you like most to meet?” Cassie replied, “I’d love to spend some time with Brian Doyle (Mink River, One Long River of Song, A Book of Uncommon Prayer) discussing nature, spirituality and beauty of Oregon.”

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