Several Hellos and One Goodbye…

Eldonna Edwards

Tonight we say HELLO to a brilliant author, Eldonna Edwards, to discuss her novel Clover Blue at our Pulpwood Queens Bookclub meeting at 6:30 p.m. We’re excited to host this Zoom gathering (for those joining online) – and a few of us will also be at the bookstore — we invite you to join us either live or online! Eldonna will join our discussion via Zoom, so bring your burning questions – ALL ARE WELCOME!

Join Zoom Meeting HERE: Meeting ID: 810 2123 6106 Passcode: 869944 – Learn more about the book and author at our EVENT PAGE.

Goodbye to Sharon Browder

Sharon Browder, celebrating with us at our Super Hero One Year Birthday celebration March 1, 2020

When you’re part of the Main Street Reads community, you’re our family. So sadly, we’ve recently lost a family member. On Sunday evening, Sharon Browder headed to that sprawling bookstore in the sky.

Sharon was a wife, a mother, a teacher, a dog lover, an avid reader, and an aspiring writer. She wrote of family and dogs and God and dogs and overcoming cancer… and dogs!

A regular member of our Main Street Writes Monday night tribe, Sharon had her special bench – if Sharon was coming, the space was reserved for her. Sharon wrote of overcoming cancer and her unshakeable faith… but after the shutdown, she called us with her regular weekly book order and let us know that cancer and God had other plans for her. As Beth said in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, “If God wants me with him, there is none who will stop him.”

And so Sharon has gone to her maker and we’ll miss seeing her, but we’ll also remember always her hopeful words, her easy laugh, and her indomitable spirit as we honor this special member of our reading and writing family. Rest in peace, Sharon.

Here are a few of the comments left by other members of the Main Street Reads family:
“I’ll miss her quirky personality! She will be missed greatly!” – Elizabeth Grider
“I am so sorry to hear of Sharon’s passing. I will always remember her candid description of the challenges of teaching.” – Carol Webster
“I enjoyed sitting across from Sharon in our Monday night writer’s group. She always was involved in the lively discourse, offering me many words of advice that I have put to good use. Her stories were deeply personal, expressing her faith in God and love for her family. I will smile when I think of her and will miss her contribution to our Main Street Reads family.” – AF Winter

Indie Bookstore Day Saturday: Hello to Fun and Freebies!

This Saturday, August 29th, is Independent Bookstore Day, a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country.

For a full schedule of virtual events happening for readers of all ages all day long, please CLICK HERE! We’ll share them all day long on our social pages from the bookstore, too.

Here at the store, we’re offering up the following perks:

  • Gold Star specials throughout the store: Find a gold star on book and it’s 50% off the price marked!
  • For those shopping in-store, get a $5 gift card with any $25+ purchase. For those who’d prefer to shop from home at our Bookshop.org/shop/MainStreetReads online shop, you can email or call us with your receipt for $25 or more and we’ll reward you with a $5 gift card to use towards any future in-store purchase or curbside order!
  • Free mini-journal/notebook with ANY purchase. Choose from any of the designs shown here and enjoy making your book notes in these clever mini journals!
  • Kissing Booth! (Really?!) Well, in this now-normal of safe social distancing you can probably guess they won’t be THOSE kind of kisses… But a bit of chocolate always sweetens your time with a good book… Scoop up a few while you’re with us!

Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You…

On Sunday, we’ll share a preview of September’s events and club selections. ‘Til then, here’s a sneak peek at next week:

Main Street Writes

August 31 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St.

For the inner writer in all of us, our regular Monday evening writers group will meet in person and via Zoom for those who aren’t ready/able to venture out! See you soon — and Write ON! Find out more »

Wednesday Stories on the Square

September 2 @ 9:30 am – 10:00 am Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St. Join us every WEDNESDAY morning at 9:30 a.m. for “Stories on the Square, our outdoor storytime adventures with reading by Colleen Rackleff – kids of all ages welcome! Treats served and student discounts to ALL attendees! BONUS: September 2nd, popular local children’s book author Jewel Sweeney will be joining our Stories on the Square fun, and providing insights and advice for homeschooling moms. For those of you who’ve been asking about homeschooling resources, Jewel is the expert! Find out more »

Reader Meet Writer: Everything Sad is Untrue with Daniel Nayeri (Virtual Event)

September 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St. Join us Thursday, September 3rd from 7-8 pm for an exciting discussion about EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE by Daniel Nayeri! “A modern epic.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review “A distinctive voice. A rare treasure of a book.” —Publishers Weekly. Find out more »