A VERY Special Stories on the Square with Martha Jaworowski: Trucks at First Sight
2023-07-19 09:30 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We have a visiting author for this Wednesday’s storytime, and a chance to grab a SIGNED copy of her incredible book at a discounted price.
Martha will be featured at Stories on the Square and you’re going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. It’s kid-smart in all the right ways – colorful, insightful, interesting, teaching counting, shapes, patterns along the way, and it’s FUN!
TRUCKS AT FIRST SIGHT is a children’s counting book filled with brilliant illustrations which combine art and trucks to fuel a child’s passion for numbers and learning. The dazzling illustrations leave young readers (and their caretakers) yearning to turn the pages as they search the patterned drawings for the next set of trucks. TRUCKS AT FIRST SIGHT features a variety of childrens’ favorite vehicles: scooping excavators, churning mixers, puttering tractors, and many more.

Come meet Martha (she’s a mom, too!) and learn more about her work, her writing, her art, and her passion for young readers 🙂

Christmas in July SALE!
2023-07-20 10:00 - 2023-07-22 18:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
All of downtown Summerville will be celebrating this special Christmas in July celebration – free parking, eclectic shops, plenty of sales! Here at Main Street Reads we’ll have selections at 25/50/75% off so come join the fun!

Third Thursday: Christmas in July
2023-07-20 17:30 - 20:30 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
This month’s Third Thursday kicks off Christmas in July weekend!
We’ll have treats at the bookstore and sales galore, including 1/2 price items, a $2 table, AND 20% off ALL local interest/local author items in our Lowcountry Cove.
See you on Main Street!

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

Book Signing - Indigo Isle!
2023-08-05 12:30 - 15:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us on August 5th for a special “Meet the Author” with TI Lowe and grab a signed copy of her new release, Indigo Isle. A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias. BOTH books will be available for sale and signing, and treats are on us!

About the Book

“Storms show up and there ain’t a thing we can do to stop them.”

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back. Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past… until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls.

Tax Free Weekend Ends Today
2023-08-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
South Carolina’s annual Tax Free Weekend is scheduled for August 4-6, 2023.

For 72 hours, tax-free items include school supplies, books, clothing and accessories, These tax-free items can be purchased in-store or online.

Did you know? Last year, South Carolina shoppers bought more than $26.2 million in tax-free items during the Tax Free Weekend! In past years, shoppers have saved between $2 million and $3 million during the weekend.

Books, clothes, school supplies, and a variety of other school-year essentials can be purchased free of Sales Tax during South Carolina’s annual 72-hour Tax Free Weekend. The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) reminds shoppers that the 2023 Tax Free Weekend runs Friday, August 4 at 12:00 a.m. through Sunday, August 6 at 11:59 p.m.

Eligible items can be purchased online and in-store without paying the state’s 6% Sales Tax and any applicable local taxes during Tax Free Weekend, often called the Sales Tax Holiday.

“With the increased cost of inflation, this year’s Sales Tax Holiday is a welcome relief for families. Everyone saves money during Tax Free Weekend, particularly on back-to-school essentials,” said SCDOR Director Hartley Powell.

Wednesday Stories on the Square
2023-08-09 09:30 - 10:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us every WEDNESDAY morning at 9:30 a.m. for “Stories on the Square, our outdoor storytime adventure – kids of all ages welcome! Treats served and student discounts to ALL attendees!
Storytime at Main Street Reads is a weekly featured event, held inside when the weather doesn’t permit. We have lots of chairs for younger listeners, hula-hoops for distancing and plenty of juice boxes and fruit snacks to munch while they listen.
In case of inclement weather, storytime moves inside – we move the furniture and place the hoops and chairs on the floor – we do ask that strollers park outside!

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.

August's Third Thursday
2023-08-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
On the third Thursday of each month Historic Downtown Summerville transforms into a special marketplace featuring local entertainment, craft vendors and artisans, to complement the extended hours of our eclectic shops, boutiques and restaurants.

Traffic

Third Thursday traffic is rerouted 4:00pm until 9:00pm. from the following streets ; Little Main Street, W Richardson to Central (closed for traffic). ​There is plenty of FREE parking throughout the downtown including the town garage located behind Town Hall.

Here at Main Street Reads we have treats and many featured authors… come join the fun!

Bookstore Romance Day!
2023-08-19 10:00 - 18:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Ahhh… the joy of a great romance. We’re celebrating all things romance on National Bookstore Romance Day with 10% off any romance title in the store (we’ll have a special display of them to get you started on our favorites) and we’ll discount our literary teas and chocolates that day too… isn’t it romantic?!

Book Talk with Sally Jacobs - Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson
2023-08-20 14:00 | Timrod Library, 217 Central Avenue, Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
The Timrod Library and Main Street Reads present author Sally H. Jacobs to discuss Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson, on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2 p.m. in the Catherine Stewart Room of the Timrod Library. Tickets are $40 ($30 for members) and include a copy of the book. A reception and book signing will follow.

Althea Gibson, who was born in Silver, South Carolina, was the top female tennis player in the world in both 1957 and 1958. She became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the second to appear on the cover of Time. Seven years later she became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

“A captivating book that brilliantly reveals an American sports legend long overlooked. Sally Jacobs tells the riveting story of Althea Gibson, my personal shero, who overcame daunting odds – on the tennis court and off – to stand at the world pinnacle of her sport and became an inspiration to many.” — Billie Jean King

In 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson first walked onto the diamond at Ebbets Field, the all-white, upper-crust US Lawn Tennis Association opened its door just a crack to receive a powerhouse player who would integrate “the game of royalty.” The player was a street-savvy young Black woman from Harlem named Althea Gibson who was about as out-of-place in that rarefied and intolerant world as any aspiring tennis champion could be.

Her tattered jeans and short-cropped hair drew stares from everyone who watched her play, but her astonishing performance on the court soon eclipsed the negative feelings being cast her way as she eventually became one of the greatest American tennis champions. Gibson had a stunning career. Raised in New York and trained by a pair of tennis-playing doctors in the South, Gibson’s immense talent on the court opened the door for her to compete around the world. She won top prizes at Wimbledon and Forest Hills time and time again.

The young woman underestimated by so many wound up shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth II, being driven up Broadway in a snowstorm of ticker tape, and ultimately became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the second to appear on the cover of Time. In a crowning achievement, Althea Gibson became the No. One ranked female tennis player in the world for both 1957 and 1958. Seven years later she broke the color barrier again where she became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). In Althea, prize-winning former Boston Globe reporter Sally H. Jacobs tells the heart-rending story of this pioneer, a remarkable woman who was a trailblazer, a champion, and one of the most remarkable Americans of the twentieth century.

Sally H. Jacobs is a former reporter for the Boston Globe, a winner of the George Polk Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting. She is the author of The Other Barack, a biography of Barack Obama’s father.

Book Signing: The Aliens Will Come to Georgia First
2023-08-26 11:00 - 14:00
Join us for a special book signing with Stephen Hundley, author of the debut fiction collection, The Aliens Will Come to Georgia First, releasing from North Georgia Press this Tuesday.

The Aliens Will Come to Georgia First showcases sixteen bizarre, hard-loving stories set in the foothills, pinelands, low country, and barrier islands of Georgia, and a few other places, too. In its pages, a boy and girl find a body on the marsh, a delusional nude model takes on the fight of his life, and a diver visits a sleeping nuclear bomb just a mile from the beach. Tourists eat shrimp and cheer for dolphins while a man falls in love with his television and a handy-woman sees jellyfish-like travelers from outer space.

Hundley’s men and women grapple with death, distant lovers, and damaged families as well as sharks, stray dogs, and man-eating tigers. This debut collection offers an intimate glimpse into a working class, American South populated by people who have made themselves acolytes of existential powers-weapons of mass destruction and alien invasions, the wide ocean and desperate love. This is a book for dreamers and space cadets, fighters and providers, and anyone who believes in a connection between the places we come from and the people we become.

Stephen Hundley is the author of The Aliens Will Come to Georgia First (University of North Georgia Press, 2023) and Bomb Island (Hub City Press, 2024). He is a fiction editor for Driftwood Press, book review editor for Southeast Review, and his stories and poems have appeared in Prairie Schooner, South Carolina Review, The Greensboro Review, and elsewhere. Stephen holds an MA from Clemson, an MFA from the University of Mississippi, and is currently completing a PhD in English at Florida State University, where he is writing a book about the feral horses of Cumberland Island.

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.

Book Signing: Cindy Curtis - When the Breeze Whispers
2023-09-02 11:00 - 13:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Come meet local author Cindy Barrineau Curtis and grab a signed copy of her newly released When the Breeze Whispers: Find Your Truth!

Cindy Barrineau Curtis, a local Summerville resident, published her first children’s book, When the Breeze Whispers Find Your Truth, on July 23, 2023. The story is a tale of courage, finding truth, and mysterious friends. If you have ever experienced bullying, this book is for you!

About the Book:

The Velveteen Rabbit meets The Giving Tree in this poignant tale. Through this journey of friendship interwoven with mystery, you will find yourself cheering for Clarice, a young artist, who seeks to find her truth. With the help of an oak tree and an inviting bench where the breeze whispers wisdom, Clarice finds her courage. She stands up to her tormenter, Ana, and faces her self doubts.

When she writes to the tree for advice, she hides her note in a secret place. She meets Astoria, a fellow artist and muse, who finds the note and is full of surprises. In the searching, Clarice finds her truth and her friends.

About the Author

Cindy is a Master teacher, published author, and motivational speaker. Her career spans over 30 years in education, ministry, writing, and speaking. Her nonfiction writing offers hope and empowers readers with methods to manage the ups and downs of life with confidence and grace.

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.

Book Signing: Kristen Ness with At Loggerheads!
2023-09-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a special September book signing with Kristen Ness, author of the much-anticipated debut novel, At Loggerheads from Evening Post Books.

Meet At Loggerheads:

“Kristen Ness’s At Loggerheads is a thrilling debut novel intertwined with mystery, nature, romance, and betrayal. Set on a lush barrier island, Ness offers the reader a rich sense of place in a whodunit that reflects on the meaning of home. A must read—especially if you love sea turtles!” —MARY ALICE MONROE, New York Times bestselling author of 27 books, including The Beach House series

Murder on a South Carolina barrier island brings together a sea turtle biologist and a local detective to unravel a mystery that might impact the race for the White House.

In late May, loggerhead sea turtles should be nesting on Anders Isle and scientist Brooke Edens should feel more at home on the island where she grew up. But something is amiss. When a dead body surfaces along with other big crimes, Brooke finds herself entangled in a homicide investigation with detective Drew Young, her closest friend (and sometimes love interest).

At the same time, a favorite candidate is emerging for the upcoming US presidential election, and he happens to be the father of Brooke’s ex-fiancé, who just complicates matters with each visit to the island. While Brooke’s knowledge of sea turtles helps Drew discover and decipher evidence, the many revelations, betrayals, and secrets threaten not only the investigation but also Brooke’s closest relationships and her beloved turtles.

Will they be able to untangle the web of crimes and catch the killer before it’s too late?

Captivating, clever, and timely, At Loggerheads is a love letter to the barrier islands and coastal towns of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the often-opposing forces of Mother Nature and human nature influence what people will do for money, for power, and for love.

Meet Kristen

I’m tall. I write. I stay up late.

I grew up mostly in South Carolina, spending countless days with nature and falling in love with the ocean and its creatures on Isle of Palms, where, for the past ten years, I’ve walked the beach at sunrise each summer in search of sea turtle nests as a volunteer for the Island Turtle Team.

While practicing immigration law for twenty years, I’ve been moonlighting in pursuit of my lifelong passion for writing and my obsession with marine biology. Writing, real estate, politics, and even publishing run in my blood as the daughter of an English teacher and a land developer, and the great-granddaughter of the 14th Governor of North Dakota whose family owned and published The Bismarck Tribune.

I have a BA in English from Duke University, a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and I serve as an appointed member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Coral Advisory Panel. I live in Charleston, SC, with my husband, our two children, and a cat.

At Loggerheads is Kristen’s first novel.

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.

Book Signing: Ona Mae's Deli & Bait Shop w/Renee Hodges
2023-09-16 11:00 - 13:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a special signing with author Renee Hodges and her new release, Ona Mae’s Deli and Bait Shop!

Immersive, warm and utterly appealing, Hodges makes you feel as if she has pulled up a chair and is relaying a story to you as an old friend would. Renée Hodges is an author to watch. — Rachel McMillan, bestselling author of The London Restoration and the Mozart Code

Bekah’s Sunday-school faith is no match for her grown-up problems. With her fledgling marriage breaking up, she opts for a do-over. Whitman, Alabama, the town of her college alma mater, seems like a good choice. New degree. New friends. New life. Bekah 2.0.

Life on campus and her work in Ona Mae’s Deli & Bait Shop introduce Bekah to a surprising range of diverse voices. Each offers appealing promises of truth and peace. Growing up, she had been taught that God would give her those things, but he seems like a fairy tale now. She plunges headlong into reinventing herself, opening up to new people and experiences.

Whitman is in the midst of its own makeover, exchanging railroad tracks for bike trails and hushpuppies for hummus. As Bekah navigates her choices, the town is forced to deal with fifty-year-old wounds when the mystery of the disappearance of five missing Civil Rights workers is unearthed.

Healing is needed for Bekah and Whitman. Sounds simple. Right?

A sensitive look at interracial understanding and the challenges of conflicting world views, Ona Mae’s Deli & Bait Shop is perfect Christian Book Club fiction told through the lives of a community strengthened by forgiveness and grace.

Renée Hodges made a friend in the radiation center waiting room during a skirmish with breast cancer who inspired her to write a short story and that reignited her love for writing. With her three children out of the nest, she’s concentrated on completing her first two novels, Ona Mae’s Deli and Bait Shop and Caragin Farm. In downtime, she and her husband enjoy traveling, having friends over, and hanging out in their easy pants watching cop shows and cooking competitions.

Third Thursday Book Signing: Hey Coach, I Gotta Pee!
2023-09-21 17:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
One of Summerville’s own will be here on BOTH Third Thursday AND for Saturday’s Sweet Tea Festival to celebrate the new release of “Hey Coach, I Gotta Pee!”: A Collection of Amusing Stories from a Youth Coach by Vincent R. Burruano!

One of the best parts of coaching boys aged 11 to 14 is you never know what they are going to do or say. Every interaction is a surprise. And while not every surprise is a treat, it is still an amazing time to help influence the life of another person for the better. Growing up is not an easy journey. youth need the help and support of parents, family, teachers, and coaches.

Yes, the job of a youth coach goes beyond leading a team. It is about helping children grow, develop, explore, learn, fail, succeed, and eventually become the person they have the potential to become. As John Wooden says, “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.”

Meet the Author: Bob Spearman
2023-09-23 12:00 - 15:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Come on out Saturday, September 23 to meet Bob Spearman and grab signed copies of his latest two books, or the whole collection!

Writing on the beaches of South Carolina has proven a productive environmentfor this author, and on a breezy, warm afternoon, you may find him sitting on the sand under an umbrella. His favorite Carolina haunts are Edisto Beach, the Isle of Palms shoreline, or on an isolated stretch of Pawleys Island. The relative solitude, the breath of salt air, and the rhythm of the sea provide inspiration for plot lines often based in the Carolina Lowcountry.

Bob Spearman grew up in rural South Carolina and now lives with his wife,Barbara, at Edisto Beach. Although a son of this area, he has lived in Georgia,Texas, Florida, and Utah while working as an engineer. After moving back toCharleston, he started writing fiction as a hobby. He works with several localwriter groups, and has published five novels, and a collection of short stories. He is currently working on his sixth novel. Bob is a graduate of The Citadel and holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas.

Saturday Book Signing: "Hey Coach, I Gotta Pee!"
2023-09-23 12:00 - 15:00

Summerville Sweet Tea Fest!
2023-09-23 14:00 - 19:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
The Sweet Tea Festival is a celebration of the birthplace of sweet tea, right here in Summerville SC. Our Historic Downtown is transformed into a massive open house / street fair with different food trucks, artisanal vendors and entertainment.

Of course, there is plenty of sweet tea and you can help select the Tea of the Year by sampling and voting for your favorite!

Here at Main Street Reads, look for literary teas and plenty of related reads!

Living Large Book Club: The Connellys of County Down
2023-09-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for our best sellers book club, this month discussing The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange! As always, our book clubs are free and open to all – we’ll bring the treats, you bring the fun!

From Tracey Lange, the New York Times bestselling author of We Are the Brennans, comes The Connellys of County Down: a story about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems.

Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now. While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place.

But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever. The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.

About the Author

Tracey Lange was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

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…

Third Thursday: Pirates & Princesses!
2023-10-19 17:30 - 20:30 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Come one, come all – come costumed if you like!

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.

Hanging on the Porch: Special Salon Readings From...
2023-10-26 18:00 - 19:30
We’re celebrating the written word with our friends at Summerville’s own South Porch Artists Residency. Each month, hosting artists and entrepreneurs Brad Erickson and Brian Protheroe bring in budding artists from around the country to create art and community at their historic property (516 Central Ave).

They (and we!) believe that artists, writers, scholars and clergy – while often undervalued – provide essential services to our society, and to each of us as human beings. They uncover the universe, reveal our common humanity, expose injustice, point to reconciliation, and nurture our hearts, minds and spirits.

And this month, we have a VERY unique opportunity to bring their visiting writers to share with YOU at Main Street Reads!

This will be a Thursday evening event on October 26th (Fourth Thursday), and refreshments will be served. We invite you to come hear their words and mix and mingle with these bright young minds!

Featured Writers

Wisconsin author and poet Carrie Voigt Schonhoff has self-published two books of poems titled, ‘The Liminal Space’ and ‘The End of the Beginning.’ She was widowed in 2012 and that life challenge has taught her many things, some of which she writes about in her books. She completed her first Book Tour of over 24 local and international events in 2022. This year, she released audio books for both of her poetry books.

Having just started her writing journey a couple years ago, while maintaining her full-time job, Carrie wants her readers to know that you’re never too old, too young, too busy, or too burnt out to follow your passions and what makes you truly happy. And for her, that’s sharing her art with the world. You can learn more about Carrie and find her books at liminalartistry.com.

Melora Fern writes fiction about birds, emboldened women, and life’s complicated relationships. She recently moved to Hillsborough, NC and thoroughly enjoys her writers-critique group, hiking and making new friends.

She’ll be reading the first chapter (about 2000 words) of Whistling Women and Crowing Hens, her debut, soon to-be-published historical fiction about a woman claiming her independence during the tumultuous 1920s. When a naïve concert whistler escapes her overbearing sister by joining a traveling troupe, she experiences forbidden lesbian love and discovers self-empowerment can cause heartbreak.

Kate M Carey enjoys farmers markets, beach walks, Buckeye football, and exploring the politics of everyday life. Her fiction and essays have appeared in the anthologies Things We Carry Still Anthology (Nov 2023) from Middle West Press, County Lines Journal, Savanna Writers Anthology, and the journals Reckon Review, Noctua, The Tishman Review, and Panoply.

She’ll read from her essay One Sheep a Herd Makes, which was published by Reckon Review in July.

LA Hawkins is a practicing lawyer, so (surprise surprise) dreams of a career as a writer. A private poet since the age of 8, she writes to make sense of a mixed-up world, and began sharing her words with others only in the past few years. Her first novel, Ribbons of Guilt, is very much in process and the focus of her time at South Porch.

She will be reading a short story, entitled “Four Eyes” which centers on a young girl whose new glasses bring color as well as clarity.
