Book Signing: Cindy Curtis - When the Breeze Whispers
2023-09-02 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Spooktacular Book Launch! Mr. Albert: The Story of an Ex-Person by AF Winter
2023-10-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We’re THRILLED to host the book launch party for A.F. Winter’s latest release, Mr. Albert: The Story of an Ex-Person.

AND, if you grab your book that day, you’ll get 10% off your tab next door at Frothy Beard!!!

HINT: We’ll have a few food samples on hand at Main Street Reads from our Frothy Beard pals to whet your whistles…

Mr. Albert, who happens to be dead although his body for some reason has not gotten the memo, enjoys nothing more than getting plastered in seedy bars on the Jersey shore. In a moment of weakness, he saves Santo Murphy from committing suicide, as he’s about to hurl himself into the frigid Atlantic Ocean.

When he discovers Mr. Albert’s secret, Santo believes his savior must have a higher purpose than intoxication. Santo’s purpose becomes to find Mr. Albert’s purpose and he will not leave Albert’s side until he discovers it…

Meet the Author

Mr. Winter has won the South Carolina Playwright’s Festival for his play, The Colliers. He has three novels in print including the wildly popular Man in the Pandemic, and four that are yet to be published. His work has appeared in print and online magazines.

His poems have been published in several anthologies and he performs as a featured poet and author in the South Carolina low country. He lives near Charleston, SC with his dog, Millie, and is overjoyed when one of his three exceptional daughters comes to visit.

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.

Honoring Veteran's Day: Book Signing with Award-Winning Military Historian James M. Scott
2023-11-11 11:00 - 14:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
As we honor our military heroes on Veteran’s Day, we’re sharing a special signing with you (and perfect gift options before the holidays!) Brilliant author James M. Scott will be at Main Street Reads from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., signing his most recent (and many say best) book, Black Snow:

Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed.

Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose the war, we’ll be tried as war criminals.” James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later.

Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date.

A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, James M. Scott is the author of Rampage, which was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the editors at Kirkus and Military Times and was chosen as a finalist for the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History by the New York Historical Society.

His other works include Target Tokyo, a 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist; The War Below, and The Attack on the Liberty, which won the Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison Award. Scott lives with his wife and two children in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

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).

A Cozy Third Thursday
2023-11-16 08:00 - 17:00
It may be a bit chilly so grab your flannel or puffy coat and warm up with friends throughout downtown. It’s No Shave November with the Summerville Police Department AND shops will stay open late; food, music and fun galore, and we’ll have some cozy refreshments in the store – See you on Main Street!

Meet the Author! Steve Lazarus Signing Call Me Sonny
2023-11-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Join us for a special thriller book signing with Steve Lazarus, debut of the new thriller, Call Me Sonny.

About the Book

Shortly after a corrupt attorney pays a visit to an inmate in a maximum security federal prison, people from the inmate’s past start dying. Bryce Chandler, a retired FBI agent eking out a living as a private investigator in the Florida Keys, ties the string of killings to a shadowy murder-for-hire ring operating on the Dark Web. As Bryce digs further into the murders, he discovers the final name on the hit list is his own.

Meanwhile, a simple divorce case turns out to be much more than meets the eye, as Bryce’s investigation of the defendant leads him down a path of international drug smuggling, money laundering, and violent henchmen bent on keeping him silent. The two storylines run parallel to one another until they eventually converge in a final, bloody outcome.

“Bryce Chandler is a compelling addition to the pantheon of hard-boiled fictional detectives. Lazarus puts his experience as an FBI agent to good use in Call Me Sonny, and the book feels more realistic than most detective novels. Impossible to put down!”
—Joe Weisberg, Emmy Award-winning writer and creator of The Americans

Steve’s debut novel was inspired by one of his real-life cases. After arresting a subject who threatened to unleash a bioterror attack on the Atlanta subway system, Steve and his partner found themselves on the receiving end of a death threat from the soon-to-be convicted felon. And though that subject would spend the next 25 years in prison, Steve couldn’t help but wonder…what if he could make good on his threat, even from behind bars? The most logical solution would be if he hired a hit man, and…voila! A novel was born. Written over the course of a year in Abu Dhabi, the Florida Keys, and Texas hill country, “Call Me Sonny” was a labor of love incorporating the personalities, anecdotes, and experiences of Steve’s multi-faceted FBI career, and if things work out as planned, it will be the first in a series of Bryce Chandler crime thrillers.

About the Author

Steve Lazarus is a first-time author, retired FBI Special Agent, and United States Air Force veteran. He served twenty-two years in the FBI, spending the first half of his career investigating drug trafficking organizations and violent street gangs. Later, he became a full-time bomb technician, an assignment which led him to Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan as part of the Global War on Terror. After retiring from the Bureau, he spent several years as a national security contractor in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Steve lives on the South Carolina coast with his wife Susan and their amazing wonder dog, Aspen.

Spirit Week for Our Four-Legged Friends In Need
2023-11-19 10:00 - 2023-11-25 18:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
Perhaps one of the most valuable, yet undervalued members of our community is Dorchester Paws. This is Summerville’s non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to providing shelter, care, and support for homeless animals in Dorchester County. As owners of many rescue animals ourselves, we can tell you they’re doing an incredible job with the very limited resources at their disposal.

But now they need OUR help. Due to constant flooding, evacuations (see right), and too many animals in crisis, Dorchester Paws requires a larger, higher-ground facility. The organization is now raising funds, assisted by a $1.5 million state grant, to construct a state-of-the-art shelter, furthering the organization’s mission to provide the highest level of care and support for homeless animals and the community.

The grant, provided by the State of South Carolina, represents a significant investment in the welfare of animals and the community as a whole. It’s a crucial start, but more is needed.

The new animal shelter, (plan shown above) which will be a cornerstone of Dorchester Paws’ operations, will not only benefit the animals under their care but also offer various services and resources to the residents of Dorchester County.

The grant will support private funding efforts and that’s where WE all come in. Lots of small donations will make up the bulk of the funding needed, so we’re jumping in for a Spirit Week in honor of our four-legged friends. A percentage of ALL our sales, from Sunday, November 19th, through Small Business Saturday, November 25th, will go directly to Dorchester Paws.

In addition, we’ll have a donation box in the store that will be up until the end of the month, when we’ll present a grand total to Dorchester Paws. We encourage you to give of yourselves, and in honor of loved people and pets, to help this very worthy cause.

FYI: The new animal shelter will be equipped with modern facilities to provide comfort, care, and support to the animals awaiting adoption. It will feature expanded kennel space, a public spay & neuter clinic, a dedicated adoption center, and educational resources to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership.

Dorchester Paws will be working closely with the State of South Carolina and our local community to ensure that the new shelter meets the highest standards of animal care and welfare. The organization is excited about the positive impact this new facility will have on the lives of animals and the Dorchester County community.

Thanks on behalf of Dorchester Paws for your support – let’s show ’em readers DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Book Signing: Reading Jane with Susannah Kennedy!
2023-11-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We’re thrilled to be a part of this eastern leg of Susannah’s tour – come join in the fun and enjoy refreshments and some stimulating conversation. The book will be available to be signed by the author that day!

Reading Jane: A Daughter’s Memoir and the book tour “Surviving the Narcissistic Mother”

As the estimation of narcissism and its impact on children grows, more people are identifying as the children of such an upbringing. They have been raised by a parent whose sense of self-importance overshadowed the child, the child existing rather as an extension of a parental self that lacks empathy and often exploits their child. It’s estimated that nearly 60 million people are damaged by such relational patterns. Children of such parents are vulnerable to poor self-esteem, lack of boundaries, and co-dependence.

Having emerged on the other side of this phenomenon, Susannah Kennedy, author of Reading Jane: A Daughter’s Memoir has launched her book tour along the East Coast. The tour includes a stop at Main Street Reads in Summerville!, where she’ll sign copies as well as address her path to healing. It wasn’t an easy one, and might not have been achieved at all had Susannah’s mother not inexplicably taken her own life at age 75. When Susannah discovered 45 years of Jane’s diaries, she had a portal into the narrative her mother created and lived.

Susannah avoided plunging in for three years, until she was driven to do so, to understand finally the mystery her mother presented. What emerges is Susannah’s own story in contrast to her mother’s, and ultimately leads her to finally shake off the constraints set by Jane’s need to control both the narrative and her daughter.

Previous events on the West Coast leg of the tour have demonstrated that Susannah is not alone. Nearly 5 percent or 1 in 200 people suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and the sons and daughters are showing up at book events — to take from Susannah’s story of healing the hope they might finally understand and heal their own.

The Reading Jane: Surviving the Narcissistic Mother Eastern Seaboard Tour will encompass 12 cities in October and November 2023: Boston and Gloucester, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; Owego and Woodstock, New York; Washington D.C.; Montrose and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Charlotte, North Carolina; Hilton Head Island and Summerville, South Carolina; and Savannah, Georgia. For details on dates, times, and locations, please visit www.sibyllinepress.com or www.susannahkennedy.com. Main Street Reads at 115 S. Main Street in Summerville will host Susannah on November 19th from 1-3 p.m.

About the author: Berkeley and Oxford-educated anthropologist Susannah Kennedy was born in India and raised in the United States. Later, she traveled extensively on her own, first in Italy, and then through the Middle East and India, settling for two years in Egypt before becoming a reporter in Dallas, Texas. At Oxford University, she specialized in Arab culture and politics, receiving her DPhil in social anthropology. She and her psychoanalyst husband lived and worked in Germany, raising three children in a thatched-roof farmhouse in the countryside outside Hamburg. Her mother’s suicide and its aftermath brought them back to California in 2017. They now reside in Marin County.

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…

Sunday Afternoon with Authors: Meet Five Christian Fiction Gems
2023-12-03 15:00 - 17:00
Five authors – five amazing books – a fun-filled Sunday afternoon at Main Street Reads! Treats will be served and all are welcome – here’s a wonderful chance to meet the authors and grab signed copies of their work, just in time for holiday gift giving (or a wonderful gift for yourself!)

Here’s Who’s In the Lineup!

`Outer Bank Christmas` by Christina Sinisi: As the daughter of missionaries, Kerrie Alexander has lived on Hatteras—an island in the Outer Banks—longer than any other place she’s been. When her parents inform her the family is slotted to go overseas again, she balks. Her life on the island—her job, her friends, even the handsome hero in her Sunday School class—makes her want to put down roots. But to do so, she’ll need to find a place to live, and face being on her own, separated from any close family—something she’s never done before.

Firefighter and EMT Wade Hampton can face pretty much any emergency, except his matchmaking grandpa threatening him with disinheritance if Wade doesn’t get married in just three months. Not that Wade objects to the idea of marriage, but how does a guy who has no problem running into burning buildings find the courage to ask a girl like Kerrie out for a date? She’s a role model for everything good, and he comes from a rough and broken home. Not to mention, Christmas is right around the corner!

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and the American Title IV Contest where she appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. By day, she is a psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her husband and two children and loves a good cooking challenge. Please visit her at Christina Sinisi-Author on Facebook and christinasinisi.com.

Licky the Lizard is one nice lizard and just like you and me, he’s one of God’s own creations. Unfortunately, we sometimes forget that we’re really all the same—- because He created everything in our world.

Licky the Lizard offers parents, grandparents, and educators a tale that teaches young children a simple, yet important message: There is no need to fear any of God’s creatures because we are all created by Him—and He loves us all.

Award-winning author Melissa Henderson writes inspirational messages sometimes laced with a bit of humor. With stories online and in print publications, Melissa hopes to encourage readers. Melissa is the author of “Licky the Lizard” and “Grumpy the Gator”. Her passions are helping in the community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon and Stephen Minister. Learn more at http://www.melissaghenderson.com

In Her Secret Desire, by Laurie Larsen, a shy theater manager with a controlling family dreams of moving into the spotlight but lacks confidence. A ruggedly handsome Latino man’s violent past makes him unwilling to accept help from anyone. Monica and Carlos are opposites in every way, but love doesn’t always strike when it makes sense. Is Carlos, with his violent past, the key to Monica achieving her greatest dreams? 2023 Silver medalist in the Illuminations Award!

Beachy, heartwarming and inspirational, Laurie Larsen’s love stories contain a message of faith in addition to the Happily Ever After. Her beloved Pawleys Island Paradise series gained fans, not only because of the stories and unforgettable characters, but the “arrogantly shabby” real-life island setting. A multi-award winning author, she’s won the EPIC Award for Best Spiritual Romance, the Illumination Book Award for Inspirational Romance Fiction and the eLit Award for Religious Fiction.

In 2021, Patra Taylor rediscovered a stack of notes she’d scribbled during many happy hours reminiscing with her mother, who had grown up in Frankfort, Indiana during the first half of the 20th century. A story of Christmas miracles emerged. The author found herself falling in love with Christmas all over again as she wrote about an era she had only experienced through her mother’s memories. By the time she completed One Christmas, Taylor had also outlined two additional novels, and more than a dozen short stories.

With these memories of her beloved mother ever near to her heart, the Sister Series was born, paying homage to the colorful people from her mother’s life who inspire Taylor’s characters. One Christmas, released in late 2022, is the first novel in the series.

A long-time contributor and former managing editor of the Charleston Mercury, Patra Taylor continues to write a regular column for that newspaper entitled, “On the Edge,” based on interviews she conducts with inspiring people from across South Carolina. The column recently featured Dr. Don Wilton, the pastor to Billy Graham.

In addition to the next book in the Sister Series, Taylor is working on a biography about the life and times of Lowcountry legend, Sidi Limehouse. The mother of three adult sons, Taylor lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband, Stephen Bucher, and their Australian Terrier, Olive. She may be reached at patra@patrataylor.net.

Kelsey R. Budd is an avid reader, creative writer, young adult author, and detailed book editor. Currently, she’s writing a Christian nonfiction on how to manage emotions in a mature and godly way and expanding her young adult speculative romance short story into a full-length novel. For her day job, she’s a substitute teacher and a private English tutor for students of all ages. “For fun, I sketch my characters, make earrings, and paint landscapes inspired by Charleston. My soul comes alive whenever I share a story, whether it’s my own fiction stories filled with adventure, my testimony of what God has done in my life, or the Bible itself.”

You can follow Kelsey’s writing writing blog on Instagram @TheArtsyEditor and at MyBookBuddyEditor.com – Kelsea is one of the contributors to the Anthology on offer:

A winner in the 2023 Golden Scroll Award, sponsored by AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association)

Tales of Light and Love: A collection of faith-filled novellas all inspired by Charleston Light, the wonderfully awkward-looking lighthouse that sits on the shore of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. The stories range from sweet romance to time travel to fantasy to a modern retelling of a beloved fairy tale. You will definitely find something you love on these pages!

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

Meet the Author! Angie Mizzell Signing "Girl in the Spotlight"
2023-12-09 11:00 - 13:00 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
We’re hosting a special book signing on December 9th when TV journalist Angie Mizzell will be at Main Street Reads to sign her fascinating new memoir, Girl in the Spotlight. Especially excited about this one, readers, since Angie and I had the privilege of serving on Charleston’s Center for Women board together – and she’s fantastic!

By age 25, Angie Mizzell was a morning news anchor at a top-rated television station. She had married her college sweetheart, and scenes from their wedding day ran on the evening news. She’d achieved everything her mom had wanted for her and what she thought she wanted for herself.

But after signing with an agent who promised to take her career to the next level, Angie began to realize that a future in the spotlight would not dim a past filled with childhood trauma and loss. As a television journalist, she’d made a living by exploring and reporting other people’s stories; it was time to examine her own.

In her coming-of-age memoir, “Girl in the Spotlight,” Angie shares a heartfelt and hopeful story of arriving at a crossroads, getting lost in the darkness, learning to let go, and finding her way back home.

Angie Mizzell is a writer, a mom and a former local TV news anchor. She’s the author of “Hello Friday,” a weekly newsletter on Substack where she explores ways to feel at home where we live, in our relationships, in our work and within. She lives in West Ashley with her husband and their three children.

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

RESCHEDULED: Thrill in the 'Ville Book Club - The Paleontologist
2024-01-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St., Summerville, SC, 29483, United States
DUE TO TUESDAY’S STORM’S, WE’VE RESCHEDULED TO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10TH, 7 PM – APOLOGIES BUT KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE!

Our first thriller book club of the year will be dishing on The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas! As always, the book is at the 10% off book club price in-store, and we’ll have treats and libations to lubricate the conversations 🙂

About the Book

USA TODAY BESTSELLERA haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit in this chilling novel.

Curator of paleontology Dr. Simon Nealy never expected to return to his Pennsylvania hometown, let alone the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. He was just a boy when his six-year-old sister, Morgan, was abducted from the museum under his watch, and the guilt has haunted Simon ever since. After a recent breakup and the death of the aunt who raised him, Simon feels drawn back to the place where Morgan vanished, in search of the bones they never found.

But from the moment he arrives, things aren’t what he expected. The Hawthorne is a crumbling ruin, still closed amid the ongoing pandemic, and plummeting toward financial catastrophe. Worse, Simon begins seeing and hearing things he can’t explain. Strange animal sounds. Bloody footprints that no living creature could have left. A prehistoric killer looming in the shadows of the museum.

Terrified he’s losing his grasp on reality, Simon turns to the handwritten research diaries of his predecessor and uncovers a blood-soaked mystery 150 million years in the making that could be the answer to everything.
