Current Newsletter: Reading goals and resolutions.

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Mekhala Villegas-Rogers of Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida
• Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia
• Tyler de Bose, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
• Baldwin & Co. in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia
• Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee
• Fiona McPherson, Givens Books Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia
• Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• LeeAnna Callon, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina
• Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
• Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

Book Buzz Feature: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
I love having a space to dump all the silly things running through my brain. I feel like living in my head is like sharing an apartment with five other personalities at any given time, and being a writer means not having to ignore them aggressively (and possibly vent about them to my therapist), but instead write them down, free them into the world, so to speak. Writing means the stories running through my head and the ideas that wake me up in excitement in the middle of the night aren’t just for me, but something I can share with everyone, in a sense, and that is just very cool to me.
― Lana Ferguson, Interview, Nerd Daily

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
The Grace Year is the year that all girls in the county must take before they are married off in order to burn off their magic. Tierney isn’t looking forward to this year, especially when she finds out she’s going to be married when she comes back. This book is advertised as a mixture of Lord of the Flies and The Handmaid’s Tale. That is a fairly accurate description, but it also made it hard for me to see it as anything else. I enjoyed the story and was kept on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed how things that you thought at the beginning were carefully planted to reveal an overarching truth in a beautiful and meaningful way. I feel like The Grace Year has the potential to be just as impactful as The Handmaid’s Tale.
― Kaitlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER LIST
For the week ending 1/5/2025

Edelweiss Collections:
(sort by "Catalog Order" to see each list according to rating)

Hardcover Fiction | Hardcover Nonfiction | Trade Paperback Fiction | Trade Paperback Nonfiction | Mass Market | Children's Illustrated | Children's Interest | Children's Series

SIBA Booksellers can look for a return of many of their favorite programs and services in the coming year. Registration for March Madness 2025 is already open. Catalog orders will open in February. The NVNR Owners Strategy Sessions (aka "Owners Retreats") are already on the calendar with the first scheduled for January 16th. Also on the calendar for January, SIBA will hold its annual Orientation on January 29.

Reflecting the preference of its members, SIBA will continue to develop opportunities for members to meet with each other in person. But members can also look forward this year to more webinar-based sessions with the staff on SIBA programs and member benefits. Booksellers will have a chance to talk directly with staff and program developers about how to make the most out of every SIBA benefit.

And perhaps the most exciting news is that the 2025 NVNR Annual Conference will be held in Atlanta, a chance to showcase Southern bookselling from the heart of SIBA's territory.

Booksellers will face many challenges in the new year, but if there is one thing indie bookstores excel at, it is rising to a challenge. SIBA looks forward to being a partner and support for its member stores in meeting the challenges that come.

NVNR Owners Strategy Session is 1/16. The topic is "Safety Strategies" for your store and your staff.

SIBA's Orientation is 1/29. SIBA hosts an orientation at the beginning of every year to introduce new members to the organization and to touch base with regular members.

The Southern Book Prize Ballot closes on 2/1.
It is a great way to engage with your customers and have them engage with your store. Readers can also take part in a raffle to win a set of the finalist titles and a $100 gift card to your store.

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. I’m absorbed in this fantasy set in a world quite different than ours, yet beset by the familiar struggles of colonialism, racism, misogyny, and religious oppression. About to start Orbital by Samantha Harvey for my book club.
Listening: To the quiet hum of our new heat pump, and silence. Blessed silence.
Watching: Binge-watching the newest season of Virgin River and A Man on the Inside. A Man on the Inside is funny and often quite moving, offering a look at aging and senior communities that we tend to avoid because, frankly, it’s often not easy. Lots of poignant moments.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: Finishing up my last 2024 books and making a TBR list for 2025!
Listening: The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri. Super excited to see how this series ends!
Watching: Almost finished binging Outer Banks on Netflix, and I'm really enjoying it! I'm also a big fan of Shrinking on AppleTV, which just ended season 2. And I'm soooo sad about What We Do in the Shadows ending.

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Almost done with Morante's Lies and Sorcery. It's been a beautiful ride. I have my winter issue of the Slightly Foxed Quarterly by my bed for reading-to-sleep material, and H.D.'s Helen in Egypt for my "oh I haven't read this in so long" pick, and A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter after a discussion about indigenous writers at my last book club meeting.
Listening: Still with Middlemarch narrated by Juliet Stevenson -- I don't really want it to end. I also, after a steady-heady diet of podcast episodes from the Folger Library, signed up for the Marquee channel, which runs all the Royal British Shakespeare Company productions. And it was there that I stumbled into Judi Dench in one of those "Masterclass on Acting" things doing Prospero's last speech, the one that starts, "Our revels now are ended..." And it was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.
Watching: Although I tend to stay away from Christmas movies during the holiday season, I did rewatch Simon Callow's one-man show The Mystery of Charles Dickens, which is fantastic and ought to count since Callow holds the patent on all things Dickens. And I finally caught up with the new season of Doctor Who over Christmas, appropriate since the seasons always start with a Christmas special. I always love seeing how each new Doctor makes the role their own. Ncuti Gatwa is, dare I say, a rather sweet incarnation.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I feel a little like the bookish version of the Ancient Mariner--post move, I am surrounded by my books, but not a word is being read. Here's to better things in 2025.
Listening: I've just arrived in Minas Tirith in the Andy Serkis-narrated audiobook version of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's been the perfect unpacking companion.
Watching: New Year's Eve always feels Hitchcockish to me, so to ring in 2025, I'm watching a triple feature of Vertigo, Rebecca, and Young and Innocent (which I'd never seen).

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Returning next week!

New Year, New Read This Next! for Young Readers! The January/February List celebrates our differences and honors our ability to face life's challenges

RTNext! Kids Bookseller Resources:
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic (image)

Read is why Southen indie booksellers love these books:

To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell
I love a story about a young girl's perseverance. Young Janie is singularly minded and deeply passionate about owls, all she wants is to see one, to witness "magic" that is real and here and accessible.
– Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Victor, the Wolf with Worries by Catherine Rayner
Victor, The Wolf With Worries, immediately stole my anxious heart. A beautifully illustrated book with an important message. Having the courage to share our worries can make us feel braver, and bigger, and fiercer.
– Mary Salazar, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Toto by Hyewon Yum
It’s lovely to encounter a story that focuses on learning to embrace what makes you different without hitting you over the head in case you’d otherwise miss the moral of the story. Yum’s evocative, warm illustrations and gentle prose deserve a place on your shelf.
– Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
Turning thirteen is a milestone filled with exciting possibilities: movies, treats, all-night giggles, and the promise of teenage adventures. For Sage, however, this time is overshadowed by the profound loss of her best friend...grief is not about forgetting the loved one but learning to live with the loss in a way that honors their memory while moving forward with life.
– VaLinda Payne-Miller, Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek, South Carolina

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor
You'll want to get your little ink-stained hands on this one as soon as possible! Maeve's father was a known murderer and everyone thinks Maeve is dead. But when she received a letter from seven years ago from an anonymous "friend" claiming that her father is innocent, she must find out the truth.
– Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa
Just how far are you willing to go for a bet? Would you kiss a cute stranger on the subway? I have followed this comic for so so long and I'm elated to see it in print! Team subway boy all the way!
– Lana Repic, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review

Things to do / Things not to miss

1. Check your SIBA Account and submit your store profile
Please take a moment to log in to your SIBA account and confirm that all the information is correct. This is especially important for 2024 because SIBA's membership has grown significantly this year.

Find your account | Submit your store profile | Add your emergency contact info (Why SIBA is asking for this information)

2. Update your Spring Calendars and Register for Upcoming Events
SIBA's event schedule is always geared towards bookseller development and giving bookstores the tools and resources they need to be successful businesses.

• 1/16 NVNR Owners Strategy Session: Safety Strategies for your store and your staff.
• 1/29 SIBA Orientation: For people who are new to SIBA, or would like to here what's new at SIBA.
• 2/19 SIBA Catalog Program Webinar: Learn how to make the most of SIBA's most popular member benefit.
• 3/3-3/19 March Madness: An event series hosted by booksellers for booksellers to network and share what works for them.

3. Promote the Southern Book Prize Ballot
The ballot closes on February 1. It is a great way to engage with your customers, and have them engage with your store. Readers can also take part in a raffle to win a set of the finalist titles, and a $100 gift card to your store.

4. Check available scholarships and financial aid
SIBA has a dedicated page for up to date information about available scholarships and financial assistance for booksellers. Currently applications are being accepted for the McCoy Grant for Bookseller Writers. Nominations for the Nancy Olson Bookseller Award will open in January. There are also a number of other subsidies and grants available to bookstores for things like attending the Professional Booksellers School.

5. Renew your SIBA Membership!
Your SIBA membership makes you eligible for a wealth of resources, education, and access to book industry connections. Now is the time to check on your membership status.

Membership is only $125 per year. Financial assistance is available via SIBA's Combined Regional Bookstore Banner Program (aka the "Banner for Dues" program), and payment installment plan.

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: Just finished Booked for Murder by P.J .Nelson. A charmingly cozy mystery set in an against-all-odds thriving bookstore in semi-rural Georgia. Beginning Samantha Harvey’s Booker Prize-winning Orbital for my book club.
Listening: To holiday music, and the sounds of increasing traffic as Asheville continues to recover and receive visitors.
Watching: As we await the holiday episodes of the Great British Baking Show, and the newest season of Virgin River, we watched two episodes of Later Daters, which was so painful to witness that I’ve officially stopped. Will instead re-visit the final installment of LOTR, since we all know THAT ends well.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: Just trying to finish up all the books I've started so I can begin the new year fresh!
Listening: Holiday tunes while I drink hot chocolate and wrap gifts.
Watching: Finished Finding Mr. Christmas, which was delightful (although I wasn't happy with the winner). If anyone else watched it, please reach out, I'd LOVE to discuss! Also watched Sabrina Carpenter's holiday special on Netflix, and it was exactly what I expected.

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Winter is my time for deep dives and doorstops, so...
Reading: I am in the 300s of the nearly 800-page Lies and Sorcery by Elsa Morante. It is quite a journey. I've also got my reading notebook open to write down the things I love about Summer Will Show, which I read last month but book club got delayed, so we're discussing it next week. Revisiting Sylvia Townsend Warner is never a hardship.
Listening: Middlemarch, read by Juliet Stevenson, It's glorious. I'm in hour 12 of its 35+ and I think I'll finish by Christmas. Then probably start reading it in print.
Watching: Bosch from start to finish. You know, I don't think I'd ever want to live there, but I love seedy, gritty Los Angeles scenery.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: The only thing happening with books lately is putting them in boxes!
Listening: I have read Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy more times than I can count but I've never listened to them on audio. My daughter recommended the version read by Andy Serkis, and they have been a perfect companion in all my moving tasks. Fair warning: he sings ALLLLL the songs.
Watching: A seemingly unlikely double feature of two of my favorite holiday movies: The Ref and Remember the Night. At first glance they couldn't be more different (a foul-mouthed, irreverent 90s comedy and a bittersweet 40s Hollywood classic) but watch them together and you'll get it.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I just devoured You Wanna Be On Top, a memoir about Sarah Heartshorne's time on Cycle 9 of America's Next Top Model. It was so juicy and funny!
Listening: Holiday music on repeat at the store. I'm not quite sick of it yet but it's getting close.
Watching: Still into all the holiday joy I can find! Next up is Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (I loved that book so much as a kid)

Good morning, friends.

We hope you are all busy with holiday sales and holiday plans.  Be sure to tag us at @siba_books when you post what your stores are doing. Not only so we can share what’s happening with our member stores but also because we really just like to see what’s going on with each of you! 

We also want to remind you that SIBA’s office will be closed from December 25 to January 1, so responses to queries may be delayed. Here are some of the most important things from last week’s newsletter we want to make sure you don’t miss:

• You can find the schedule and detailed list of store presentations for the March Madness 2025 Bookseller Series. Every bookstore has something they feel they do exceptionally well. These presentations are where hosting bookstores share their expertise with their colleagues.  Find out more and register here. 

• The Read This Next! January list is out. These are the books coming out next month that SIBA booksellers are really excited about.  Find resources here: Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic.  And read the SIBA Bookseller reviews. 

• SIBA is looking for booksellers to be Influencers for 2025. Influencers give SIBA feedback on emerging ideas and ongoing projects. Your participation as we create and evolve our programming is invaluable.  Email lindamarie@sibaweb.com by December 23 to participate (booksellers only, one bookseller per store please!).

As always, please let us know if you have questions, want to offer suggestions, or just say hello. We’re here for you!

Sincerely,
Linda-Marie Barrett
Executive Director

The 2025 March Madness Bookseller Series features nine events at nine different bookstores in nine different states. Each event starts with a presentation by the hosting store on something they feel they do well such as customer service or inventory management, or on a successful program they have developed, like a community book festival or a profitable subscription program,

After the morning presentation, booksellers have lunch with an author followed by a booksellers idea share and networking session. All March Madness events are free to SIBA member booksellers and open to nonmember booksellers for a small fee to cover the cost of lunch.

March Madness 2025 registration is now open.
See the complete schedule and register

Publishers: Submit an author for the program via the SIBA Call for Authors page.

2025 March Madness Bookstore Educations

March 3: Snail on the Wall, Huntsville AL
From Pop-Up to Brick & Mortar: Building a Community of Readers

Snail on the Wall, whose mission is to offer specially selected books that readers will love, began as a pop-up and recently made the transition to a permanent location. Through their evolution, they built up a community of readers that supported them through numerous community partnerships.

March 4: Plenty, Cookeville TN
Storytelling on Display

Plenty Downtown Bookshop will present on how they integrate storytelling into their store's marketing, in-store displays, shelf-talkers, and more. As a hybrid non-profit, a nonprofit, and a community-sponsored shop, Plenty is not simply selling books: they are crafting an experience for their customers.

March 5: Square Books, Oxford MS
Building a Successful Subscription Program

Square Books will share with attendees how they run their successful subscription programs, most notably their signed first editions club. Topics include staff time and training, marketing, working with publishers, and shipping to customers. Following the education session is a tour of Square's four businesses around the town square.

March 10: Page 158 Books, Wake Forest NC
Customer Service

Page 158 trains their staff to view customer interactions as the beginning of a relationship, and emphasizes being authentic, welcoming, and going the extra mile to serve customer needs. Attendees will learn tips on hiring and training staff to grow your store's customer base and inspire loyalty and increased sales.

March 11: Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs LA
Bookfairs

Cavalier House will present on their very successful approach to bookfairs, covering planning, buying, packing, staffing, and merchandising. They'll be prepping for a bookfair the following week so will include a live packing and merchandising demo.

March 12: The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton SC
Community Partnerships

The Storybook Shoppe, a children's bookstore, excels at community partnerships that support the store's and their community partners' missions in unique ways. One example is their Local Heroes Storytime in the courtyard with police and fire departments. Attendees will hear how Storybook Shoppe connects with partners to build relationships to create community support for the store.

March 17: Story on the Square, McDonough GA
Expanding Sales Beyond Books

Story on the Square includes a 2400 sq ft event space they rent out regularly, and a wine and beer bar and cafe. They also host non-book related events for their community, and prioritize a large selection of sideline gifts. They'll discuss how this multi-faceted approach creates a more sustainable and profitable business.

March 18: Fountain Bookstore, Richmond VA
Store-Branded Programming

Fountain will present on their unique store-branded programming like JABBIES®: Judge-A-Book-By-Its-Spine, Fountain First Look, and How To Start and Run a Book Club (in-development). They'll discuss how they create new programming, including customer polling and focus groups to find out what people want.

March 19: Inklings, Lakeland FL
Sustainability Through Trade and Treasure-Hunting

Attendees will learn how Inklings values sustainability, as reflected in their trade-in program, which gives books extended shelf life through the journey from new to used, and offers the store a way to replenish inventory and grow customer loyalty and repeat visits.