Current Newsletter: The comfort of good food.

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Jan Blodgett Main Street Books, Davidson, North Carolina
• Michelle Whittaker, Fonts Books in McLean, Virginia
• Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Amanda Grell, Pearl’s Books, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Krista Roach, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
• Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Emma Aprile, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
• Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi
• Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama
• Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Kenzie Karoly, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
• Olivia Schaffer, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia

Book Buzz Feature: The Rivals by Jane Pek
I’ve always been really interested in the idea of the detective as a character. That there is some unknown, some mystery, some secret, and the detective can put together the clues and uncover the truth. For me, the character of Claudia came first. I had always wanted to write a gay female because growing up, I had never come across these types of characters. I wanted a gay female character who is out there, having adventures, doing these things which are unexpected for someone like her. To be honest, I was hesitant about also making her Asian. When you write a minority character, you worry that everyone will think, “Oh, that’s you.” Those sorts of concerns about being pigeonholed. But ultimately, I had a clear sense about who this character was, and it was that she is a Chinese American, second-generation immigrant, and because of that, she viewed the world in a particular way. Setting it up that way, the way she moves and thinks is necessarily informed by who she is. This isn’t a novel about Asian or lesbian identity, but about someone who possesses these traits, and you therefore see the world from their perspective. ― Jane Pek, Interview, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
I like to imagine a world where this is required reading for high schoolers. Where kids know what is like for their life to be left in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand you and doesn’t try to. This is a hard read, I put it down several times just to breathe, but it is one that will stick me just as Hate U Give and Dear Martin did.
― Olivia Schaffer, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia

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