Main Street Reads

November Living Large Bookclub: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
2022-11-15 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We’re looking forward to chatting about Hester this month! Open to all and treats will be served. Grab Hester at our 10% off book club price! NOTE: See below for downloadable discussion guide!
Named a Most Anticipated Book for Fall by Goodreads – Washington Post – New York Post – Buzzfeed – PopSugar – Business Insider – An October Indie Next List Pick – An October LibraryReads Pick
A hauntingly beautiful–and imagined–origin story to The Scarlet Letter. —People
WHO IS THE REAL HESTER PRYNNE?
Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Glasgow for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they’ve arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic–leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.
When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows–while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward’s safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?
In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country’s complicated past, and learns that America’s ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel’s story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a real American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of unusual women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Laurie Lico Albanese’s Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE DISCUSSION GUIDE

December Thriller Book Club: The Cloisters by Katy Hays
2022-12-13 18:30 - 20:00
Early buzz on this one (including an endorsement by The Lost Apothecary’s Sarah Penner) says we’re going to love talking about this psychological thriller, The Cloisters by Katy Hays!
As always, book club is free and open to all – we’ll have plenty of treats and wine for our last thriller gathering of 2022! The book will be available at the 10% book club discount – on sale date November 1 (you might want to reserve a copy early…
The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel following a circle of researchers as they uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.
Behind the closed doors of The Cloisters, shocking secrets and a mysterious deck of tarot cards spark a dark power game in a close-knit group of researchers–and not everyone will survive. Brimming with gothic appeal, steamy relationships, and unpredictable twists, The Cloisters is a brilliantly constructed literary thriller that will appeal to fans of The Maidens and Ninth House, blended with genre-bending novels with touches of the fantastical such as The Lost Apothecary and The Starless Sea.
A haunting and magical blend of genres, The Cloisters is a gripping debut that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

December Living Large Bookclub: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
2022-12-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
The remarkable, incomparable Barbara Kingsolver is back – with her new novel, Demon Copperhead, and we can’t wait to talk about it! We’ll provide the treats, you bring the conversation – and the book is at 10% off for book club price!
“Kingsolver is a writer who can help us understand and navigate the chaos of these times.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
From the New York Times bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behavior, a brilliant novel which enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity.
“Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose.”
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia. It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.

Thrill in the 'Ville: Thriller Book Club Reading The Resemblance
2023-01-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Our first thriller book club choice of 2023 is The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett. As always, treats will be served – come join the fun!
Lauren Nossett’s artfully written debut, The Resemblance is an exhilarating, atmospheric campus thriller reminiscent of The Secret History and The Likeness.
Never betray the brotherhood… On a chilly November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: the driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling.
Detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene. An Athens native and the daughter of a UGA professor, she knows all its shameful histories, from the skull discovered under the foundations of Baldwin Hall to the hushed-up murder-suicide in Waddel. But in the course of investigating this hit-and-run, she will uncover more chilling secrets as she explores the sprawling, interconnected Greek system that entertains and delights the university’s most elite and connected students.
The lines between Marlitt’s police work and her own past increasingly blur as Marlitt seeks to bring to justice an institution that took something precious from her many years ago. When threats against her escalate, and some long-buried secrets threaten to come to the surface, she can’t help questioning whether the corruption in Athens has run off campus and into the force and how far these brotherhoods will go to protect their own.

January Living Large Bookclub: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
2023-01-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Due to the horrible weather timing of last month’s club – this is now JANUARY’S pick – because we all can’t wait to talk about it! As always, treats will be served – please come on out and join in the fun!
The remarkable, incomparable Barbara Kingsolver is back – with her new novel, Demon Copperhead, and we can’t wait to talk about it! We’ll provide the treats, you bring the conversation – and the book is at 10% off for book club price!
“Kingsolver is a writer who can help us understand and navigate the chaos of these times.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
From the New York Times bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behavior, a brilliant novel which enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity.
“Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose.”
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia. It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.

Thrill in the 'Ville: February Thriller Book Club - All the Dangerous Things
2023-02-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us on Valentine’s Day for some cheer, treats and discussion of Stacy Willingham’s new hit, All The Dangerous Things – we’re super excited to chat about the book (and meet with Stacy and Grady Hendrix on February 25th too!)
We’ll see you on Main Street…
Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past in All the Dangerous Things.
One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her–literally.
Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.
Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster–but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

Living Large Book Club: February's Pick - The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
2023-02-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This was a sell-out phenom at the recent Pulpwood Queens international book club conference in Florida and our readers are raving, so we’re super excited to chat about Adriana’s amazing work! As always, the book is 10% off for book club pricing and we’ll have wine and treats the night of our chat… see you there!
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“[An] immersive saga. . . . A celebration of family and a paean to the power of storytelling.”—People, “Book of the Week”
“Trigiani conveys the beauty of Italy, the hardships of war, the taste of family recipes, and the enduring love of family.”—Library Journal (starred)
“The beauty of any book by Adriana Trigiani is her ability to interweave life and fiction. . . . Don’t miss your chance to take this unforgettable journey with the Cabrelli women!” –Lisa Wingate, Book of the Month
From “a master of visual and palpable detail” (The Washington Post), comes a lush, immersive novel about three generations of Tuscan artisans with one remarkable secret. Epic in scope and resplendent with the glorious themes of identity and belonging, The Good Left Undone unfolds in breathtaking turns.
Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. .
In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool–where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause–as Domenica experiences love, loss, and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for. But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect and weave together in unexpected and heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations and, ultimately, redemption.

Thrill in the 'Ville: Thriller Book Club Features The House in the Pines
2023-03-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Our March Thriller Book Club will feature The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes – already making waves as a Reese Witherspoon book club pick! Grab the book in-store at our 10% off book club price or get it on our online bookshop HERE.
As always, treats will be served! Want a headstart on the book club questions? Visit this handy guide HERE!
An instant New York Times bestseller!
“This is an absolute, can’t-put-it-down thriller…It’s truly a wild ride that had me flying through chapter after chapter–which I think is the perfect way to kick off your year of reading.” –Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club Jan ’23 Pick)
Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed….
Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.
Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer–the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.
At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….
Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.

March Living Large Book Club Discussing Beasts of the Earth by James Wade
2023-03-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
March’s Living Large (bestsellers) Book Club will feature an engaging discussion about James Wade’s newest book club hit – Beasts of the Earth!
As always, the book is available from our online bookshop OR in-store at 10% off!
James Wade, whose first two novels were praised as “rhapsodic” and “haunting,” delivers his most powerful work to date–a chilling parable about the impossible demands of hate and love, trauma and goodness, vividly set in the landscapes of Texas and Louisiana.
Beasts of the Earth tells the story of Harlen LeBlanc, a dependable if quiet employee of the Carter Hills High School’s grounds department, whose carefully maintained routine is overthrown by an act of violence. As the town searches for answers, LeBlanc strikes out on his own to exonerate a friend, while drawing the eyes of the law to himself and fending off unwelcome voices that call for a sterner form of justice.
Twenty years earlier, young Michael Fischer dreads the return of his father from prison. He spends his days stealing from trap lines in the Louisiana bayou to feed his fanatically religious mother and his cherished younger sister, Doreen. When his father eventually returns, an evil arrives in Michael’s life that sends him running from everything he has ever known. He is rescued by a dying poet and his lover, who extract from him a promise: to be a good man, whatever that may require.
Beasts of the Earth deftly intertwines these stories, exploring themes of time, fate, and free will, to produce a revelatory conclusion that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Thrill in the ‘Ville: April Thriller Book Club Features The London Seance Society
2023-04-11 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Our APRIL Thriller Book Club will feature The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner, author of one of our favorite tales, The Lost Apothecary. Grab either book in-store at our 10% off book club price or grab ’em from on our online bookshop HERE.
As always, treats will be served! Want a headstart on the book club questions? Visit this handy guide HERE!
“An atmospheric and evocative whodunnit steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion.” –Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid
From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…
“An explosive, immersive, time-bomb of a novel. Vengeance is never sweeter than in Sarah Penner’s hands.” –Laurie Lico Albanese, award-winning author of Hester

April Living Large Book Club Discussing Picture in the Sand by Peter Blauner
2023-04-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
April’s Living Large (bestsellers) Book Club will feature an engaging discussion about Peter Blauner’s new book club hit – Picture in the Sand:
As always, the book is available from our online bookshop OR in-store at 10% off! All are welcome to book club night and we’ll provide plenty of treats and a fun chat!
“On rare occasions I read a book that reminds me of why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place. This is such a book.” -Stephen King
Peter Blauner’s epic Picture in the Sand is a sweeping intergenerational saga told through a grandfather’s passionate letters to his grandson, passing on the story of his political rebellion in 1950s Egypt in order to save his grandson’s life in a post-9/11 world.
When Alex Hassan gets accepted to an Ivy League university, his middle-class Egyptian-American family is filled with pride and excitement. But that joy turns to shock when they discover that he’s run off to the Middle East to join a holy war instead. When he refuses to communicate with everyone else, his loving grandfather Ali emails him one last plea. If Alex will stay in touch, his grandfather will share with Alex – and only Alex – a manuscript containing the secret story of his own life that he’s kept hidden from his family, until now.
It’s the tale of his romantic and heartbreaking past rooted in Hollywood and the post-revolutionary Egypt of the 1950s, when young Ali was a movie fanatic who attained a dream job working for the legendary director Cecil B. DeMille on the set of his epic film, The Ten Commandments. But Ali’s vision of a golden future as an American movie mogul gets upended when he is unwittingly caught up in a web of politics, espionage, and real-life events that change the course of history.
It’s a narrative he’s told no one for more than a half-century. But now he’s forced to unearth the past to save a young man who’s about to make the same tragic mistakes he made so long ago.

May Thriller Book Club: Death of a Bookseller
2023-05-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This month’s thriller club will meet on the 3RD TUESDAY since it’s a five-week month, giving everyone more time to read the new selection Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater.
The book is in stock at Main Street Reads, available at the book club 10% off discount.
As always, this event is free and open to all; you bring yourselves and we’ll bring the treats!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Roach would rather be listening to the latest episode of her favorite true crime podcast than assisting the boring and predictable customers at her local branch of the bookstore Spines, where she’s worked her entire adult life. A serious true crime junkie, Roach looks down her nose at the pumpkin-spice-latte-drinking casual fans who only became interested in the genre once it got trendy. But when Laura, a pretty and charismatic children’s bookseller, arrives to help rejuvenate the struggling bookstore branch, Roach recognizes in her an unexpected kindred spirit.
Despite their common interest in true crime, Laura keeps her distance from Roach, resisting the other woman’s overtures of friendship. Undeterred, Roach learns everything she can about her new colleague, eventually uncovering Laura’s traumatic family history. When Roach realizes that she may have come across her very own true crime story, interest swiftly blooms into a dangerous obsession.
A darkly funny suspense novel, Death of a Bookseller raises ethical questions about the fervor for true crime and how we handle stories that don’t belong to us.

June Thriller Book Club: The Only Survivors
2023-06-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This month’s “Thrill in the ‘Ville” club will meet on the 2nd Tuesday to chat about the new thriller The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda. The book is in stock at Main Street Reads, available at the book club 10% off discount.
As always, this event is free and open to all; you bring yourselves and we’ll bring the treats!
About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and “master of suspense, Megan Miranda” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl), a thrilling mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident–only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.
Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remaining. Who would you save?
A decade ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine–a tragedy that claimed the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. The nine students who managed to escape the river that night were irrevocably changed. A year later, after one of the survivors dies by suicide on the anniversary of the crash, the rest of them make a pact: to come together each year to commemorate that terrible night.
To keep one another safe.
To hold one another accountable.
Or both.
Their annual meeting place, a house on the Outer Banks, has long been a refuge. But by the tenth anniversary, Cassidy Bent has worked to distance herself from the tragedy, and from the other survivors. She’s changed her mobile number. She’s blocked the others’ email addresses. This year, she is determined to finally break ties once and for all. But on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary attached: another survivor is gone. Now they are seven–and Cassidy finds herself hurling back toward the group, wild with grief–and suspicion.
Almost immediately, something feels off this year. Cassidy is the first to notice when Amaya, annual organizer, slips away, overwhelmed. This wouldn’t raise alarm except for the impending storm. Suddenly, they’re facing the threat of closed roads and surging waters…again. Then Amaya stops responding to her phone. After all they’ve been through, she wouldn’t willfully make them worry. Would she?
And–as they promised long ago–each survivor will do whatever he or she can do to save one another. Won’t they?
A propulsive and chilling locked-box mystery filled with the dazzling hairpin twists that are the author’s signature, The Only Survivors is New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda’s best novel yet.
Book Club Questions to Contemplate! (Includes Spoilers)

Thrillers often challenge readers to exercise their reasoning skills and guess twists and mysteries alongside the characters. Did you successfully anticipate any parts of the plot in The Only Survivors? Which parts caught you off guard and surprised you the most? How do you feel about trying to guess twists in a thriller – does it enhance or detract from your reading experience?
Throughout the book, references to luck and fate recur. Cassidy mentions that the survivor’s reunion house came down to luck, Amaya’s dad believed in making their own fate, and Russ asks Clara about her beliefs in fate. Do you think there is a difference between luck and fate? Which do you believe has a greater influence on the lives of the characters in this story – luck or fate? How do these concepts play out in the events of the book?
Cassidy is initially reluctant to reunite with the survivors for the 10th year, as she feels it’s hindering her ability to move on. If you were in a similar situation, would you choose to reunite with your fellow survivors annually? Do you think it would aid in your healing process or potentially set you back, forcing you to confront emotions you’re trying to move past?
Lies seem to beget more lies in The Only Survivors. Let’s trace the instances where characters withheld the truth or told significant lies. Which lie do you think had the most significant impact on the course of the story? If Cassidy had initially confessed to the group that she was standing in front of the bus during the accident, how do you think it would have altered the events of the story? Discuss the lies that had the greatest snowball effect.
Guilt is a pervasive theme in the story, with Amaya feeling burdened by the guilt of the trip being her idea and Cassidy struggling with the weight of inadvertently causing the accident. How do you think these characters can navigate their guilt and find redemption? Can you relate to their feelings of guilt in any way?
The characters in the story seem to grapple with tragedies on their own without seeking outside help. If the characters had involved the police or sought professional assistance, how do you think the story would have unfolded differently? Do you believe any of the characters deserve to face legal consequences for their actions, and if so, who and why?
Russ, though not directly involved in the accident, experienced his own tragedy with the loss of his sister and the subsequent neglect from authorities. How do you feel about Russ and his actions in response to his circumstances? To what extent do you sympathize with him, and do you believe his actions were justified or not?
Coping with trauma and loss can manifest in various ways for different individuals in the story. What do you think are some of the healthier ways the characters could have coped with the aftermath of the accident? If you could offer personalized advice to the remaining survivors, considering all that they have been through in the past 10 years, what would it be?
At the end of the book, Cassidy promises to “leave the past to the past and never look back.” Do you think this is a wise decision? Should the group benefit from another reunion to confront the new truth they’ve uncovered, or should they bury it and never speak of it again? Share your opinions on whether leaving the past behind is the best approach for the characters.
The premise of The Only Survivors revolves around a pact made by the survivors of a tragic accident. What do you think about the concept of survivor guilt and the ways in which the characters in the book cope with it? How do their actions and decisions regarding the annual reunion reflect their individual approaches to dealing with trauma?
Cassidy, the protagonist, is determined to break ties with the other survivors after a decade of commemorating the anniversary of the accident. Why do you think Cassidy wants to distance herself from the group?
The setting of the Outer Banks, with its looming storm and closed roads, adds to the sense of tension and urgency in the story. How does the setting contribute to the overall mood and atmosphere of the book? How does it impact the characters’ actions?
Amaya, the annual organizer of the reunion, goes missing during the impending storm, and the other survivors become increasingly worried. How does the disappearance of Amaya affect the dynamics among the remaining characters?
Megan Miranda is known for her hairpin twists and suspenseful storytelling. Were you able to predict the outcome of the story, or were you taken by surprise by the revelations and plot twists? How do you think the author crafted the mystery elements in the book to keep readers engaged and intrigued?
Throughout the book, the characters grapple with the concept of saving one another, as they promised to do in their pact. What do you think this idea of saving each other means to the characters? How does it evolve and change as the story progresses?
Let’s discuss the structure of The Only Survivors. How do the shifting time frames and points of view impact the story? Did you find Cassidy to be a reliable narrator while reading? Were there any other points of view that you distrusted or found unreliable? Explore the narrative structure and its effect on your reading experience.
The accident occurred during a pivotal time in the characters’ lives, as they were high school seniors preparing to enter the “real world.” Do you think the accident severely altered the course of Cassidy’s life? Where do you imagine she would be if she hadn’t gone on that trip? Can you envision vastly different lives for any of the other characters? Share your thoughts on how the accident shaped their futures.
The Only Survivors delves into the complexities of relationships among the survivors, as well as their relationships with the victim who died by suicide. How do the characters’ past and present relationships with one another shape their actions and decisions during the reunion? How do their dynamics evolve and change as the story progresses, and what do you think this says about the nature of trauma and grief in relationships?
The book raises questions about the concept of accountability among the survivors, as well as the choices they make in the aftermath of the accident. Do you think the characters take responsibility for their actions, or do they avoid accountability? How do their actions and decisions impact the outcome of the story, and do you think they find redemption or closure by the end of the book?

NEW Fab Fantasy Book Club! July's Pick: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
2023-07-06 08:00 - 17:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We’re dubbing our newest club “Fab Fantasy” and it will take place on the first THURSDAY of each month.

In order to give you time to grab and read the first selection, this club kicks off in July, July 6th to be exact. We’ll be reading Tress of the Emerald Sea by none other than #1 New York Times Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Fan of The Princess Bride? (Um, who isn’t?!) Then you’ll love this one…

1 New York Times Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us deeper into the Cosmere universe with a rollicking, riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes,

Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

July Thriller Club: You Shouldn't Have Come Here
2023-07-11 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us to chat about the new sensation from Jeneva Rose, You Shouldn’t Have Come Here. As always, our Thrill in the ‘Ville Thriller Book Club is free and open to all – and we’ll bring the treats!

See you on Main Street…

About the Book

“Everything I want in a thriller. Sexy, shocking, and tense with an ending I never saw coming. Jeneva Rose is the queen of twists.”–Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The highly anticipated new thriller from the USA Today and #1 bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and One of Us Is Dead

You’ve opened up your house and your heart to a total stranger … What could possibly go wrong?

Grace Evans, an overworked New Yorker looking for a total escape from her busy life, books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. When she arrives at the idyllic getaway, she’s pleased to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells–and he’s eager to introduce her to his easygoing way of life. But there are things Grace discovers that she’s not too pleased about: A lack of cell phone service. A missing woman. And a feeling that something isn’t right with the ranch.

Despite her uneasiness, the two bond and start to fall for one another. However, as her departure date nears, things change for the worse. What began as a playful romance soon turns into a complicated web of lies. Grace grows wary of Calvin as his infatuation for her seems to have morphed to obsession. Calvin fears that Grace is hiding something from him–including her reason for staying at his ranch to begin with. Vacation flings typically end in heartbreak, but for Grace and Calvin, it’ll be far more destructive.

About the Author

Jeneva Rose is the internationally bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and One of Us Is Dead. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and optioned for film and television. Originally from Wisconsin, she currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Drew, and her English bulldog, Winston.

Living Large - Bestsellers Book Club This Month: The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel!
2023-07-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us Tuesday, July 25th for an exhilarating discussion around Kristin Harmel’s latest hit, The Paris Daughter. As always, our clubs are free and open to all. Treats will be served and Kristin’s book is available at Main Street Reads at the 10% off book club discount – see you on Main Street!

About the Book

From the bestselling author of the “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People) The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.

Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.

When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life–her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves.

When a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it. More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble–and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York–and to Juliette–one final, fateful time. An “exquisite and gut-wrenching novel” (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author) you won’t soon forget, The Paris Daughter is also a sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love.

Fab Fantasy Book Club: Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
2023-08-03 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join your fellow readers for fun discussion, 10% off book club pricing and free treats on book club night! This month, Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe is up for discussion – we’ll see you there!

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK!

“Astonishing and pristine, the kind of debut I love to be devastated by, already so assured and sophisticated that it’s difficult to imagine where the author can go from here. . . . It’s simply a delight from start to finish.” – AMAL EL-MOHTAR, New York Times Book Review

“Follow where this novel leads and you will be lost in a bewitching spell, a book of magic about books of magic . . . extraordinary.” – MARLON JAMES

In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection–a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements–books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue–and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.

“Ink Blood Sister Scribe is so many things at once: an adventure, a puzzle, a twisty thriller, and a tender romance. . . . I adored it.” – ALIX E. HARROW

“If, like me, you’re a fan of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo, pick up this book at once.” — KELLY LINK

Thriller Book Club: Bad Summer People
2023-08-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This month’s Thrill in the ‘Ville will take place on August 15th – and we’ll be chatting about Bad Summer People (the book, not the neighbors!) Everyone is welcome and we’ll supply the treats!

Emma Rosenblum’s Bad Summer People is a whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island.“This roiling beach community satire serves up wicked, clever fun that is White Lotus sharp.” –Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and VanityNone of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder? Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro–or someone else’s husband.

But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other. Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk. Stylish, subversive, and darkly comedic, this is a story of what’s lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.

Living Large Bookclub: The Summer of Songbirds
2023-08-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a lively discussion of the new hit from Kristy Woodson Harvey, The Summer of Songbirds. As always, treats are on us and all are welcome. The book is available at Main Street Reads for 10% off book club pricing!

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series. Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life. June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties.

But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past–and a confidential issue at work becomes personal–she is faced with an impossible choice. Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most. But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood–and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.

Fab Fantasy Book Club: Immortal Longings
2023-09-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a lively discussion about this month’s Fab Fantasy pick: Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Immortal Longings is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming.

Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for–her lover or her kingdom.

Thriller Book Club:
2023-09-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a lively discussion this month about Taylor Adam’s The Last Word! All our book clubs are free and open to all; you bring the chat, we’ll bring the treats!

After posting a negative review of a horror novel, a woman staying at an isolated beach house begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy–or very, very dangerous–in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written–but gruesome–horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Displaying his trademark command of rapid-fire pacing, unnerving atmosphere, and razor-sharp characterization, Taylor Adams once again delivers a diabolically disturbing–and deadly–game of cat and mouse.

7th Annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention (Road Trip!)
2023-09-30 09:00 - 15:30 | Culinary Institute of the South, 1 Venture Drive, Bluffton, South Carolina, 29910, United States
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host the 7th annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention on Saturday, September 30, at the Culinary Institute of the South at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, SC. Ideal for book club members, those interested in joining a book club, or anyone who simply loves the joy of reading, the Lowcountry Book Club Convention is presented in partnership with NeverMore Books and the Technical College of the Lowcountry, and made possible by the generous support of the Pulpwood Queens Books Club, the largest book club in the U.S.

Tix are $40 with gourmet lunch or $15 w/out lunch. A group of readers and book clubbers from Main Street Reads will leave from the bookstore at 7 a.m. if you’d like to car share – come join the fun! We will ALSO have books at the store from below’s featured authors. If you’d like to get them in advance from us, you’ll get the 10% book club discount AND we’ll donate 10% of sales back to the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

This year’s presenters include musician, educator, and bestselling novelist Brendan Slocumb, author of The Violin Conspiracy (A Good Morning America Book Club Selection) and Symphony of Secrets; master entertainer and chef Johnathon Scott Barrett, author of Cook & Celebrate: A Collection of Southern Holiday & Party Culinary Traditions; and teenage entrepreneur Sidney Keys III, creator of the Books N Bros Book Club (featured in Forbes Magazine). The Convention will begin this year with a panel discussion highlighting five lowcountry novelists with new or recently released books: Donna Keel Armer (The Red Starfish), Laura Elizabeth (All Is Now Lost), Nancy Ritter (Slack Tide), Lynn Seldon (Carolina’s Ring), and John Warley (Jury of One).

A gourmet box lunch will be provided by Catering by Debbi Covington. Books by presenting authors will be available for sale and signing. The Culinary Institute of the South will also be offering guided tours of their facility for the convention attendees. The registration fee includes all-day access to all three author events and a tour.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (Saturday, September 30)

9:00-9:30 a.m. Check-in Begins

9:30-10:30 a.m. Lowcountry Novelists Panel Discussion, featuring Donna Keel Armer (The Red Starfish), Laura Elizabeth (All Is Now Lost), Nancy Ritter (Slack Tide), Lynn Seldon (Carolina’s Ring), and John Warley (Jury of One), moderated byPat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt

1﻿0:30-11:00 a.m. Book signing break

11:00-12:00 p.m. As featured in the Good Morning America Book Club — musician, educator, and novelist Brendan Slocumb (The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets) in conversation with Jonathan Haupt

1﻿2:00-12:45 p.m.Book signing break & lunch: Gourmet box lunches by Catering by Debbi Covington. (Register by September 20 for lunch)

12:45-1:45 p.m. Master entertainer and chef Johnathon Scott Barrett, (Cook & Celebrate: A Collection of Southern Holiday & Party Culinary Traditions) in conversation with Mary Martha Greene (The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All)

1:45-2:15 p.m. Book signing break

2:15-3:15 p.m. As featured in Forbes Magazine — Sidney Keys III, author of Books N Bros and founder of the Books N Bros book club, in conversation with local students.

3:15-3:45 p.m. Final book signing break and tour of the Culinary Institute of the South.

Fantasy Book Club: Godkiller
2023-10-05 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join in the lively discussion of this month’s Fab Fantasy pick, Godkiller by Hannah Kaner! As always, our book club selections are 10% off, and we’ll provide treats on the big night. Here’s more about this month’s pick:

“Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages. . . An extraordinary journey.” — Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

“Beautifully imagined and intensely felt . . . Godkiller is a bone-rattling fantasy thriller that flies by in a breathtaking rush.” — Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Locke & Key

Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes–the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world–but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows.

As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it.

“Epic and intimate, tender and sharp, Godkiller is a triumph of storytelling.” — Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

Thriller Book Club: The Block Party by Jamie Day!
2023-10-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Raves for the hottest thriller of 2023! “This is wicked fun.” –Publishers Weekly

“Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR

Yep, readers are raving about The Block Party by Jamie Day – and we’ll be talking about why! As always, our book clubs are free and open to all – you bring your thoughts, we’ll bring the treats!

This summer, meet your neighbors. The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other. On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder. But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold–discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing–and no one–is ever as it seems…

Bestsellers Book Club: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
2023-10-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for an engaging evening discussing our latest book club pick, Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. We’ll supply the evening’s treats and the book is eligible for our 10% book club discount.

Here’s more info – grab a copy, get reading, and join us!

From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home. Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is.

To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them. Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

Fab Fantasy Club: VE Schwab's Fragile Threads of Power!
2023-11-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
YES, we still have some signed copies available – come grab yours and then join us on book club night for fun discussion and free treats – open to all!

V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic. Prepare for tangled schemes and perilous adventures with friends old and new in The Fragile Threads of Power.

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory–Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years–and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own–but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown it instead. And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

These two royals from very different empires now face very similar struggles: how to keep their crowns–and their own heads. Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds. Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together–or unravel it all.

Thriller Book Club: Bright Young Women
2023-11-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Our Thrill in the ‘Ville Summerville thriller book club is back with a real spine-tingler this month, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll!

As always, our book clubs are free and open to all. The book is available for 10% off (book club discount) and we’ll provide treats and wine… you bring the conversation!

Two women from opposite sides of the country are brought together by violent acts of the same man, and become allies and sisters in arms as they pursue the justice that would otherwise elude them in one of the most acclaimed, highly-anticipated thrillers of the year. Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll–author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis–delivers a new and exhilarating thriller in Bright Young Women.

The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer–and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.

Blisteringly paced, Bright Young Women is “Jessica Knoll at her best–an unflinching and evocative novel about the tabloid fascination with evil and the dynamic and brilliant women who have the real stories to tell”
(Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me)

“a compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion”
(Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True).

Bestsellers Book Club: The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman - WED This Month!
2023-11-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This month, because of Tuesday’s tree lighting and festivities in the square, the Living Large Bookclub has decided to meet on Wednesday, one day later, November 29th.

We’ll be chatting about the newest hit by Alice Hoffman, The Invisible Hour. As always, book clubs are free and open to all, and the book is eligible for the 10% book club discount. Refreshments will be served, come join the fun!

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community–an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you. As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time.

But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die? Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” This is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true…

Fab Fantasy Bookclub: Iron Flame!
2023-12-07 08:00 - 17:00
Ahhh…Iron Flame, the much-anticipated sequel to Fourth Wing is here and it’s the December book club pick! As always, book club is free and open to all – we bring the treats, you bring the lively discussion!

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” –Xaden Riorson Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College–Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance.

It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is-unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits–and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College–and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.Reading Order:Book #1 Fourth WingBook #2 Iron Flame

Fab Fantasy Book Club January 2024: Bookshops & Bonedust
2024-01-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for the first Fab Fantasy gathering of 2024 when we’ll be diving into Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree, author of another mega-popular fantasy book at Main Street Reads, Legends & Lattes!

As always, you bring the chatter, we’ll supply the treats – and our book club selections are always 10% off retail price, so come and grab yours soon!

About the Book:

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek. Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand books.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk–so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

“Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. This is a low-stakes fantasy that delivers exactly what’s advertised: a wholesome, cozy novel that feels like a warm hug. This is my new comfort read.”–Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch’s Heart, on Legends & Lattes
