Current Newsletter: Small But Mighty and So Very Important

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi
• Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Julie Jarema from Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Patience Allan-Glick, Hills & Hamlets Bookshop in Carrollton, Georgia
• Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
• Bianca Eckhoff, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida
• Elizabeth Dowdy, Baldwin & Co. in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Jenna Lucas, 44th and 3rd Bookseller in Peachtree Corners, Georgia
• Keila Cone, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia
• Nyawira Nyota, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida
• Tori Finklea, union ave books in Knoxville, Tennessee
• Amanda Grell, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Jen Minor, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Book Buzz Feature: A Gardin Wedding by Rosey Lee
A Gardin Wedding allows readers to take an emotional journey with Martha—one where she drops her tough exterior and heals the hurt inside. While this heartwarming family and friendship drama with romantic elements is the second book in my Gardins of Edin series, it can also stand alone. I welcome readers who are familiar with the Gardin family because they enjoyed The Gardins of Edin as well as those who haven’t read it yet.

Rosey Lee is a pen name. I like to say that my “alter ego” is a physician. My commitment to empowering people with health information carries over to my creative life through the health themes in my stories. A Gardin Wedding highlights mental health, the connection between high blood pressure and dementia, and couple’s counseling. And because my “alter ego” works in community health, I know firsthand that it’s frequently easier for people to relate to physicians in community settings than it is in a hospital or doctor’s office. So, Martha, who is a physician, partners with a local library for a talk about high blood pressure, where she demonstrates how to use a blood pressure monitor, highlights the library’s blood pressure monitor lending program, and later joins the library patrons and staff on a community walk. I won’t spoil what happens at the events. I’ll only say that the attendees aren’t the only ones to learn something there. (Hint: Martha may have learned a little something too.)

― Rosey Lee, Letter to a Librarian

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
After two private school students are selected to be prefects, an anonymous bully starts sending text messages with revealing secrets about them to the rest of the student body. In this debut novel, suspense is expertly combined with interesting social commentary–perfect for fans of Courtney Summers, Maureen Johnson, or Karen McManus!
―Jen Minor, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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