Not one, but TWO of our booksellers are in the Class of 2021. After a most challenging senior year, both Hannah Rose Summers (Cane Bay H.S.) and Emma Wood (Summerville H.S.) can celebrate summer as graduates! We’ll have a little shindig for them both next Saturday – come on out and wish them well!
We’ll also be celebrating DADS next weekend, so we’ve been putting together a great list of favorite reads for fathers. Ask us for suggestions or pick up a gift certificate so dad can do some book browsing.
Along with this week’s Main Street Writes (Monday at 6:30 pm via Zoom) and Wednesday’s Stories on the Square, we have a full lineup of incredible Summer Reading events coming up… we invite you to join us for one or all! See you on Main Street…
This Tuesday: Be in Good Company
Join us on our new day (moving from 2nd Tuesdays to 3rd Tuesdays) for AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick: Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney – on sale at 10% off book club pricing all month long!
Treats will be served (mimosas, anyone?) and we’ll decide on July’s read at the end of the meeting! Open to all so join us!:
Plumbs the depths of marriage, motherhood and friendship with warmth and wit. I devoured it in one gulp!” –Maria Semple
A warm, incisive new novel about the enduring bonds of marriage and friendship from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Nest
Flora Mancini has been happily married for more than twenty years. But everything she thought she knew about herself, her marriage, and her relationship with her best friend, Margot, is upended when she stumbles upon an envelope containing her husband’s wedding ring–the one he claimed he lost one summer when their daughter, Ruby, was five.
With Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s signature tenderness, humor, and insight, Good Company tells a big-hearted story of the lifelong relationships that both wound and heal us.
A Most Anticipated Book From: OprahMag.com * Refinery29 * Houston Chronicle * The Millions * Elle * Buzzfeed
Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller, The Nest, which is currently in development as a limited series by AMC Studios. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. More on this upcoming event HERE.
This Thursday June 17th
Zip Lines and a Live Book Launch!
We’re looking forward to an outstanding Third Thursday this month. Not only will we have Mike Kaltofen on hand, and not only will the town square be sporting an Adventure theme (complete with zip line!), but we’ll be hosting an adventure of our own: The authors of the debut memoir 100 Days in Vietnam will join us for an adventurous book launch; their book releases just two days before on June 15th!
Don’t miss this chance to meet co-authors Joseph and Matthew Tallon and grab a signed copy! Hint: the perfect Father’s Day gift!
“Joe Tallon scratched and clawed his way through Army training, ultimately finding himself in Vietnam by 1972. His resiliency and strength to overcome shine through in this poignant survival story told in tandem by father and son.”
– Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke University, West Point Class of 1969
“100 Days in Vietnam offers readers both a rare window on the final days of our painful national odyssey in Vietnam and a remarkable record of an individual’s determined quest to honor a fallen comrade.”
– Ken Burns, Filmmaker and Director of The Vietnam War, The Civil War, and many other films
As American troops continue their steady exodus on the last day of their ground war in Vietnam, Lieutenant Joe Tallon is shot down by an enemy missile. Forced to eject at a dangerously low altitude from their OV-1 Mohawk, Joe and his tactical observer, Specialist-5 Daniel Richards, land in the flaming wreckage. Lieutenant Tallon survives but Specialist Richards does not. Stateside, Lieutenant Tallon begins to heal and proceed with his life but the loss of his tactical observer is never far from his mind. Forty years later, Joe embarks on a quest to bring recognition to the sacrifice of Daniel Richards and secure a Purple Heart for his family.
Painstakingly recreated from wartime letters and remembrances and contextualized by contemporary news accounts, 100 Days in Vietnam is a collaboration between Joe and his son Matt-also an Army veteran. Learn more about the event and the authors HERE.
Monday, June 21st – Bring in Summer with “Talk Southern to Me!”
You’re invited to attend a VERY special evening discussing southern books and southern authors with author Joe Palmer (A Mariner’s Tale) and Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director and co-editor of Our Prince of Scribes, Jonathan Haupt!
This event will take place on Monday evening, June 21st, in lieu of Main Street Writes that night – as this is an event both writers and readers will want to attend and join in the conversation! We’ll be talking about why southern literature is even a “thing” – the origins and trailblazers, and who’s writing the best “southern stuff” these days. Following a fascinating talk with Joe and Jonathan about great southern books and authors, we invite you to weigh in with your own favorites and ask questions of the presenters.
Check it out from the comfort of home – Jonathan will join us from Beaufort, SC and Joe will weighing in from home in Fernandina Beach, FL. Main Street Reads’ Shari Stauch will moderate from Summerville!
Topic: Talk Southern to Me
Time: Jun 21, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82702196704?pwd=clNOMGZGNzBNaGU0SHZmQ0ZOYitndz09
Meeting ID: 827 0219 6704 Passcode: 355858
Your Presenters:
A native of Waycross, Georgia, Joe Palmer is an award-winning former newspaper reporter and longtime columnist, whose folksy newspaper column, Cup of Joe, ran for ten years in the Fernandina Beach News-Leader with a large, enthusiastic following. A sailor, he got the inspiration for A Mariner’s Tale while doing sweat labor one scorching August afternoon on an antique sailboat he and his wife painstakingly restored.
Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center and the former director of the University of South Carolina Press, where he created the Story River Books southern fiction imprint with Pat Conroy, named by Garden and Gun Magazine as one of the top ten things to love about the South. Jonathan’s book reviews, author interviews, and articles have appeared in the Charleston Post and Courier, Lowcountry Weekly, Beaufort Lifestyle, Savannah Morning News Beacon magazine, Pink magazine, the Southern Review of Books, and Southern Writers Magazine’s Suite T blog. He is co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, the winner of 17 book awards. In 2020, Jonathan was recognized with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award presented by the Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the U.S.
Our Prince of Scribes AND The Mariner’s Tale are available at the 10% off book club discount... Come grab copies while in stock!
June 24th Pulpwood Queens Bookclub: Outbound Train by Renea Winchester
Join us for a thoughtful discussion of Outbound Train by Renea Winchester, who’ll be joining us for the talk! (in-store purchases are eligible for the 10% bookclub discount).AND:
You can join the discussion LIVE at Main Street Reads (yes, we’ll have wine and treats!) OR via Zoom – Author Renea Winchester will join us that evening via Zoom so you can ask questions of the author! (Zoom info below)
In 1976, memories from a night near the railroad tracks sixteen years earlier haunt Barbara Parker. She wrestles with past demons every night, then wakes to the train’s five-thirty whistle. Exhausted and dreading the day, she keeps her hands busy working in Bryson City’s textile plant, known as the “blue jean plant,” all the while worrying about her teenage daughter, Carole Anne. The whistle of the train, the hum of those machines, and the struggle to survive drives Barbara. When an unexpected layoff creates a financial emergency, the desperate pressure of poverty is overwhelming.
Unbeknownst to Barbara, Carole Anne sneaks out at night to walk the tracks so she can work at Hubert’s Bar. She’s hoarding money with plans to drive her mother’s rusty, unused Oldsmobile out of Bryson City, and never return. She only needs one opportunity … if she can just find it.
When Carole Anne goes missing, Barbara finds herself at a crossroad–she must put aside old memories and past hurts to rely on a classmate for help finding her daughter. But this is the same man she blames for the incident years ago. Is she strong enough–or desperate enough–to do anything to keep her daughter safe?
The Parker women struggle to make frayed ends meet in a town where they never quite do … at least, not without expert weaving and a bit of brute force.
Time: Jun 24, 2021 06:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85688828708?pwd=eWNWaGYyWFlaVDFRWmpSenlxdmFZZz09
Meeting ID: 856 8882 8708 Passcode: 281677
Learn more about the event, the book and the author HERE
Saturday, June 26th: Summer Reading Spectacular w Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May, and Sville’s Jewel Sweeney!
Join us Saturday, June 26th for an amazing event featuring authors Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May, debuting their middle-grade novel, The Islanders, available for pre-order now at Main Street Reads, plus Summerville’s own Jewel Sweeney, debuting her newest middle grade novels!
The morning will feature an intro to these wonderful authors as well as free treats, AND an open mic for middle graders to share their own writing! If you know a middle school student who wants on stage that day, drop us an email at [email protected] to get on the list! Open mic readers will be given up to five minutes to read their essay, poem or short story, staying on key themes from The Islander: friendship, inclusion and conservation. Students selected to read will also receive a gift from the authors!
Co-written with first-time author and friend Angela May, The Islanders introduces Monroe’s trademark passion for the environment to a new generation of readers as they follow eleven-year-old Jake and the summer he’s forced to spend on tiny Dewees Island with his grandmother.
Everything in his life is turned upside down: Jake does not know anyone, the island is a nature sanctuary with no cars or paved roads, no stores or restaurants, and to make matters worse, Jake’s grandmother doesn’t believe in cable or the internet. When Jake meets new friends Macon and Lovie, the three embark on island adventures until one mistake changes everything. Ultimately, Jake discovers a deep love for the island and the healing power of nature.
PLUS! Summerville’s own Jewel Sweeney will be launching her two newest middle-grade books, Blueberry Ballerina and More Than a Jock. Jewel will join in the festivities at 11 a.m. (and she can be found at the Summerville Farmers Market each Saturday morning. HINT: Stop and visit her and get a book buck to spend at Main Street Reads!)
From the More Than Surface Level series: More Than a Jock features Alex Findman, the self-proclaimed “King of the Nerds” at Eastside High School. He is ready to take on the eleventh grade and reign as the top student in the entire school, if he can handle AP Chemistry. Alex finds out that his chemistry class won’t just be difficult because of the material, but also because the teacher has chosen their lab partners for them. Alex has been paired with a senior and varsity quarterback, Brad. Alex fears having to do work for both of them and maintaining his soaring GPA. In just a few short weeks, Alex begins to see that not all athletes are dumb meatheads like he thought. And Brad proves to him that he is more than just some jock.
In Blueberry Ballerina, Lacey Hudson is a bright and beautiful high school dancer in the upstate. Her parents own a small farm with fruit and horses. Lacey loves her farm almost as much as she loves dancing. Lacey’s skills earn her a spot with a summer program in Kansas City to dance with a professional company. She soars above and beyond what anyone would ever expect of a small-town farm girl to overcome the jealousy of others. Lacey’s hard work and positive attitude bring her face to face with the best ballerinas with the worst attitudes.
We look forward to seeing you at this special Summer Reading Spectacular to grab signed books from these amazing authors and enjoy treats, future young writer stars, and community on Hutchinson Square. Learn more about the event, authors and books HERE.
This Week’s Teacher of the Week!
Welcome to our Teacher of the Week program, honoring our town’s great teachers! This week we’re honoring Ms. Ann Bennett from Rollings Middle School of the Arts, nominated by teacher and prior winner Vicki R. Taylor!
Said Vicki in her nomination, “Ann loves to read and shares her love of reading with her students and colleagues. She is a fantastic teacher, leader, and friend. Ann is constantly seeking to learn about the world; she is inspirational!!”
From all of us at Main Street Reads, THANK YOU for everything you do!
Latest Book Lists to Shop and Share!
Click on each image below to access our specially curated lists. Order the books for home delivery right there, or call/email us (843-875-5171 or [email protected]) to reserve your book(s) for in-store pickup!
And… Summer Reading Group Faves!
Click on any of the images below to learn more about these stunning summer selections! They can be ordered right from our bookshop page, or contact us at 843-875-5171 or [email protected] to reserve and in-store copy!
