So, another week of cold and rain and no doubt we’re all ’bout ready for spring, eh? But first let’s send our thoughts and prayers out to our friends in Texas struck hard by record cold and power outtages and wish them a quick recovery. For those of us who are able, now’s a great time to appreciate the chance to curl up with a good book, even with the rain outside, especially with the rain outside…
Tonight is Third Thursday and, rain or shine, we’ll have Mike Kaltofen entertaining us with some great guitar as we stay open late for eager readers. Please do stop by and say “hi” — grab a book, and a hot cup of coffee if you like!
Meanwhile, we’ve included some award-winning books to explore below and don’t forget to mark your calendar for upcoming events, including our second birthday celebration coming soon!
See you on Main Street…
Bookclub Pick and Southern Book Prize Winners
Order below or call the store to reserve your copy and pick up at your convenience. The four selections below include next week’s book club pick, AND the newly announced 2021 Southern Book Prize winners!
021 SBP Fiction Winner: The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
Hub City Press, May 2020
“Intimate and, at times, heartbreaking, Sickels has written a powerful novel that turns the wonderful trick of creating unique characters and telling under represented stories to delve into the universal themes of family, of coming home, of what it means to simply be.” –Land Arnold, Letters Bookshop, Durham, NC
2021 SBP Nonfiction Winner: Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
Ecco, July 2020
“This is an incredibly personal and obviously painful story but it is also one that is well crafted, beautifully written, and unforgettable. Trethewey demonstrates once again that she is a fierce and fearless writer who is one of the best we have working today.” –Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS
2021 SBP Children’s Winner:
I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James (Illus.)
Nancy Paulsen Books, September 2020
“This book is exactly what we need in the world right now. Uplifting black boys that they are beautiful and can be anything they want to be! A wonderful book!” –Deanna Bailey, Story on the Square, McDonough, GA
Next week’s Bookclub pick – The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles – Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Library Journal and GoodreadsBased on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.
Third Thursday: Music and Fun for All!
February 18 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St.
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 eclectic shops, boutiques and restaurants. Enjoy partying out on the square, sales and treats at Main Street Reads, and singer/ songwriter/guitarist Mike Kaltofen keeping it all festive as we enjoy our downtown community and plenty of book love. Find out more »
Reader Meet Writer: The Fortunate Ones
with Ed Tarkington (Virtual)
February 18 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Join us for an engaging discussion with author Ed Tarkington. Email us at [email protected] for your free link to attend this special virtual event! A Winter 2021 Read This Next Title! at The Southern Bookseller Review “The Fortunate Ones feels like a fresh and remarkably sure-footed take on The Great Gatsby, examining the complex costs of attempting to transcend or exchange your given class for a more gilded one. Tarkington’s understanding of the human heart and mind is deep, wise,…Find out more »
NEXT WEEK:
Pulpwood Queens Book Club: The Paris Library
February 25 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
In February we’ll discuss the much-anticipated new The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles This event will take place LIVE and on Zoom for those who’d like to join from home (hint: we’ll have a surprise or two in store for you!) Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for…Find out more »
Reader Meet Writer – Economy Hall
by Fatima Shaik (Virtual)
February 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Email [email protected] to join us for this important discussion of Economy Hall with author Fatima Shaik! Free to Main Street Reads readers: It is impossible to imagine New Orleans, and by extension American history, without the vibrant and singular Creole culture. In the face of an oppressive white society, members of the Société d’Economie et d’Assistance Mutuelle built a community and held it together through the era of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow terrorism. Economy Hall: The…Find out more »
And More to Come In March:
Main Street Reads Turns Two Years Old!
March 1 @ 10:00 am – March 7 @ 6:00 pm
Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St.
Ah, remember our first birthday? Yep, last March 1; and just days later, well, yeah, THAT happened. Because we still can’t safely jam us all in for a standing-room only super-hero party, this year’s Anniversary Celebration is going to look a week bit different. We’ll still cut a cake on Monday, March 1st, and we’ll have lots of individually wrapped slices to pick up that day and throughout the week. PLUS, it may be our birthday, but we’re giving YOU…Find out more »
Reader Meet Writer: Love at First with Kate Clayborn
March 4 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
“The most delightful cast of characters I’ve met in ages…a modern romance masterpiece.“ —New York Times bestseller Christina Lauren From Kate Clayborn, the acclaimed author of Love Lettering, comes a sparkling, tender novel, Love At First about bickering neighbors, surprise reunions, and the mysterious power of love… Sixteen years ago, a teenaged Will Sterling saw—or rather, heard—the girl of his dreams. Standing beneath an apartment building balcony, he shared a perfect moment with a lovely, warm-voiced stranger. It’s a memory…Find out more »
Living Large Bookclub: MARCH Pick
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
March 16 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The Third Tuesday of this month will see us having a live and or virtual discussion of the amazing The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind. –Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing From the number-one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great…Find out more »
Author and Speaker Chris Singleton Returns with His New Release: Your Life Matters
March 20 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Main Street Reads, 115 S. Main St.
We’re so excited to announce that speaker Chris Singleton, author of the already wildly popular Different, will be at Main Street Reads on March 20th to celebrate and discuss his newest book releasing in March, Your Life Matters. Empowering and validating, Your Life Matters teaches children of all races about Black History and reassures black children everywhere that no matter what they hear no matter what they experience, no matter what they’re told, their lives matter. Written by national speaker Chris…Find out more »
Book Fair Picks with Signed Bookplates
Here’s how it works: Begin by browsing the booklist at https://mainstreetreads.com/pulpwood-queens/ You can click on any title to learn more. THEN fill in your order details in the Google Form at the right on the same page. We will contact you personally to complete your transaction and arrange to send you the appropriate bookplates and free goodies.
More Featured Reads:
Click on a Book to Learn More!
You can also view the full list of favorite picks at our online shop HERE. Enjoy browsing online, or call 843-875-5171 to pick up your choices at the store.
Your Personal Wishlist/Book Registry
If you see a book or books in the store you’re not ready to take home yet, or just want to share your Goodreads “want to read” list, we can add those to your personal wishlist, too. No more forgetting what that book was you just had to read! The form below will let you get started right away, or visit the store and we’ll set up your initial list in seconds!