|
|
Posted By Candice Huber, SIBA Membership Coordinator,
Thursday, July 24, 2025
|
by Candice Huber, SIBA Membership Coordinator
 Treat Yo Shelf Books in Mountain Home, AR opened in January 2023 inside a charming building from the 1930s. The store prioritizes being a welcoming sanctuary for all, more than just a place to buy books. Owner Ashley Watroba said the best part of being a bookseller is, “The people. I absolutely adore seeing faces light up because of something they see in my store. It makes everything worth it.”
One of Watroba’s favorite store events is “Tales & Tails,” where anyone can come to read to adoptable animals, and the adoption fee is lowered with the purchase of a book. The store has gotten at least one animal adopted with each event, and Watroba doesn’t plan to stop until every fur baby has a home. Treat Yo Shelf also partners with a local coffeehouse and brewery to do a monthly Boozy Book Fair with a different theme each time. They also partner with the Baxter County Literacy Foundation.
Watroba loves to handsell The House of Ash and Bone by Joel A. Sutherland. Watroba said, “It was such an amazing and terrifying book to read, and I have to tell everyone about it. Read this book!”
Treat Yo Shelf’s favorite SIBA benefit is our weekly newsletter, from which Watroba learns so much.
You can follow Treat Yo Shelf at @treatyoshelfbooksllc and visit their website at www.treatyoshelfbooks.com.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 17, 2025
|
 Current Newsletter: What to read for Shark Week!
Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:
- Kat Baltisberger, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
- Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
- Jen Minor, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama
- Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
- Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
- Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Mandy Martin, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee
- Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- Joanna Shaheen, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida
- Ashton Ahart, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Suzanne Carnes, The Underground Bookshop in Carrollton, Georgia
- Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
- Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
- Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Candice Huber, Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana
 Book Buzz Feature: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
If you talk about witches nowadays and you ask somebody to picture a witch, they’d probably say a pointy hat, a broom, a black cat. They are no longer considered malevolent.
Witches in Central Mexico are a bit different from the traditional European image of the witch. They are evil. They’re intent on causing harm to their neighbors, to the community. They often can shape-shift. I wanted to go towards those [versions] as opposed to having something like the modern archetype.
― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Interview, People
Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
This adorable graphic novel about a shape-shifting selkie and a teen lesbian who hasn’t fully accepted her queerness is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is a great book for young queer people with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely sapphic romance that you can easily devour in one sitting. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of young readers!.
― Candice Huber, Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana
NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 17, 2025
|
 The books Southern booksellers have picked for the Read This Next! August list take readers
in unexpected, difficult, and ultimately rewarding directions. To a beleaguered English village, a heartwarming noodle shop run by robots, and to hell.
RTNX Bookseller Resources:
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic
What SIBA Booksellers have to say:
A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
At its core--and this book is all core--this book entreats a reader to feel the most difficult emotions. It reminds us not to leave each other alone. Being together may not save
us--it did not save Toews's sister--but Miriam Toews argues that feeling together is still worth doing.
–Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl's Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén, Alice Menzies (Trans.)
This book WILL make you cry. But in a good way. Profound, poignant and achingly sad, When the Cranes Fly South is perfect reading for anyone who
has ever loved and lost someone. In other words, all of us.
– Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
Languid like the Thames and scorching like the relentless summer it takes place in, The Hounding threads and winds beautifully in the alternating perspectives of five villagers who
all hold their own convictions about the Mansfield sisters. I devoured this debut, and I remain haunted by it still.
– Taylor Brown, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
With a flavor entirely its own, this is a fresh, heartwarming tale about a motley crew of robots launching a restaurant amid PTSD, prejudice, and review bombing in a future post-war San
Francisco. I ATE this book UP and already miss the team at Automatic Noodle and all the friendship, pride, and love found at the bottom of a bowl of their famous biang biang noodles!
– Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Expertly articulated worldbuilding melds with a command of language and logic that carefully treads the barrier between traditional fantasy and the academic novel. Alice and Peter are PhD candidates
at Cambridge studying analytical magic. When their advisor suddenly dies with no replacement forthcoming, there's only one logical option: going into Hell to retrieve his immortal soul. As they traverse the depths, the core question of the novel slowly
emerges: how much are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your darkest ambitions?
– Sydney Mason, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review.
About Read This Next!
Based on our booksellers' conviction that you can never have too many good books, Read This Next! is a list of books coming out next month that booksellers are especially excited about. Read This Next! Kids is a bimonthly list of forthcoming Children's
and Young Adult Books receiving Southern indie bookseller love. Each list includes resources for booksellers, including an Edelweiss collection, downloadable flyer, and sharable graphic. All the included books are featured in The Southern Bookseller
Review newsletter, and promoted as "Weekend Reads" on SIBA's social media channels, along with the bookstore which wrote the review.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 17, 2025
|
 Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive
Director:
Reading: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. A fun read, very light but imbued with a love of language, and moving in obvious directions. It’s not a matter of if, just when and how.
Listening: Enjoying the mostly quiet days and afternoon thunderstorms, and the sounds of frogs and crickets at night.
Watching: Young Sheldon, Madame Blanc, and my computer screen as I work on wrapping up our preparations for NVNR.
Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: I decided that maybe sticking with cozy books only could potentially get me out of this horrid reading rut I've been in. I made a...very long list. :)
Listening: The second half of the Onyx Storm dramatized audiobook finally came out! Can't wait to see how this one ends.
Watching: Big Brother is back for the summer, and I'm hyped to see what silly drama will unfold! Already with the 2-hour shower! Lol
 Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Right now my "I'm so tired I can barely think" reading after a long day of packing/sorting/organizing is Memories from Moscow to the Black Sea by Teffi, which I had to rescue from the books-to-donate box, where it had accidentally ended up. It's a lovely litte book that, most importantly, is easy to read in small, fuzzy doses.
Listening: There's a new Slightly Foxed podcast episode out, all about Muriel Spark. It made me want to revisit and reread The Girls of Slender Means, which we did in book club last year. Alas, it is in a box somewhere and I can't get to it. So I have the audiobook on queue.
Watching: SP very generously came over last weekend to help with the packing and she helped me add The Criterion channel to the Roku. We ended up watching Crossfire (1947) with three Roberts: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan (who was especially scary). It's about antisemitism, but it was based on the novel The Brick Foxhole by Richard Brooks, which was about homophobia in the military in WWII. The subtext was left in the film. The director, Edward Dmytryk, was one of the "Hollywood Ten" that got on the wrong side of the House Committee on Un-American Activities and went to jail.
 SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: Nicki lent me Elaine Castillo's collection of essays How To Read Now which seems like what I should read now. I also have a couple of books on the way, but I'm interested in where the Castillo book will lead.
Listening: The great and good Tami Neilson released Neon Cowgirl, her latest album, last week and there's nothing more to add.
Watching: Busy times means if the TV is even on, there's a good chance it's to have Midsomer Murders in the background. I'm on the episode in which [Famous British Actor Guest Star] dies mysteriously from [highly unlikely and extremely macabre cause] in [deceptively peaceful village where everyone has a Very Dark Secret] and CI Barnaby exclaims, "Say that again!" when his sergeant makes an offhand comment exactly fifteen minutes before the end of the episode which cracks the case.
 Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I am still reeling from Last Chance Live by Helena Haywoode Henry. It's heartbreaking and so, so good.
Listening: I've spent ten hours of store inventory time this week listening to Amy Pohler's Good Hang podcast. It's such a serotonin boost!
Watching: Love Island, The Ultimatum Queer Love, and now Bachelor in Paradise is about to start. I love summer TV.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
|
The SIBA Board of Directors has announced the slate for the 2025 Board Elections. One seat is coming open.
The slate:
Jamie Anderson, Downtown Books, Manteo, NC
Dave Lucey, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC
Voting is open now and will close on August 21, 2025. Each SIBA bookstore that is a current member has one vote. VOTE HERE
Stores can log in to check their membership status and contact nicki@sibaweb.com if they have questions about their account.
 JAMIE HOPE ANDERSON
Bio:
Jamie Hope Anderson is the owner of two bookstores located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina- Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books in Duck (est 2002) and Downtown Books in Manteo (est 2012). Both stores are high volume resort area stores and this year became certified North Carolina Destination Businesses; Duck’s Cottage has been featured in Our State magazine, Southern Living and the New York Times. Downtown Books has been named Best Bookstore on the Beach five times along with winning various other local awards. Jamie wears most of the hats for her LLC including event manager, bookkeeper, drink maker, content creator, buyer and, in season, manager of 30-plus employees. Jamie has been on the SIBA Board since 2023, recently finished a six-year stint on the Town of Manteo Main Street Advisory Board and has been instrumental in organizing a Manteo Business Association. She is also on the Duck Civic & Business Alliance board. She lives in Kitty Hawk NC and Wanchese with her husband, the artist John Silver.
Statement:
Since I came onto the SIBA Board we have completed a major Bylaws review and have now moved our focus to a thorough examination of Governing Policies. The Board’s primary responsibilities are these two instruments and both were years out of date so it was crucial they reflect current operations especially since Covid. I have been working closely with our current Board president on these projects and would like to have the opportunity to finish this job resetting a strong foundation for future Boards. We are also developing a more thorough orientation process for new Board members that, again, will contribute greatly to the success of future Boards. I also want to explore more ways that we can increase the owner-member linkage between the Board and SIBA members so that we can be 100% confident we are doing our job as the agent of the ownership- you the members.
 DAVE LUCEY
Bio:
Dave Lucey is the co-owner, with wife Suzanne, of Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC. For the past 10 years, they’ve built the shop into a beloved community staple—equal parts book haven and neighborhood gathering spot. With more than two decades of experience in the tech industry, Dave brings a modern, data-driven approach to bookstore operations, blending innovation with a deep love of literature. When he's not organizing the shelves or solving systems problems, Dave enjoys life in Wake Forest with Suzanne, their three rescue pups, and their two grown sons.
Statement:
When we first opened 10 years ago, the SIBA conference just so happened to be in Raleigh that fall, which meant we could attend. Meeting other booksellers, publisher reps, and vendors at that early stage started relationships that continue to this day and contributed mightily to whatever success we've had as a store. I would love to pay that back in whatever way I can to support the Indie community in the South, including education around the use of technology in the industry and what we can do to make bookselling sustainable.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
Current Newsletter: Read These Next! Young Readers: Celebrating the Dark
Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:
- Sarah Dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs,
- Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
- Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama
- Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
- Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
- Kelly Justice, Fountain Books in Richmond, Virginia
- Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia
- Sydney Mason, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Tayler Engelhardt, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Bailey Ross, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana
- Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia
- Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
- Sol Johnson, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Hezekiah Olorode, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia
- Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
 Book Buzz Feature: Bright Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang
I don’t know it there’s an inspiration per se other than “I like dragons, and I like lady knights, I want to write a book about those things.” And so I did. “Brighter Than Scale” tells the story of Yeva, a dragon hunter with special abilities who was absorbed into empire against her will as a child and, as an adult, is sent as an ambassador to a nation that worships dragons as part of her emperor’s territorial aggressions. There she meets the girl-king Sookhee, the charismatic leader of the nation. But their growing relationship is threatened when Yeva uncovers secrets that will challenge the way she sees the world, and herself. The book may appear to be a queer love story, and it is indeed a queer love story, but at its core I think it’s about identity, it’s about finding your place and finding yourself in a world which constantly wants to erase you.
― Neon Yang, Interview, OutSFL
Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
A hypnotic onion of a puzzle…peel back one layer and find more questions, fewer answers. All the more triumphant in its building frustration, eventual catharsis. Area X is all of us and none of us, nowhere and everywhere, peering at us with a thousand impossible eyes.
― Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Candice Huber, SIBA Membership Coordinator,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
SIBA Spark: Dear America Pen Pal Project
Focusing on uplifting and inspiring news from members of the SIBA community fighting the good fight!
 The Dear America Pen Pal Project is a nationwide letter exchange for children ages 5-15 hosted in partnership with independent bookstores from coast to coast. Children will be matched with pen pals from different parts of the country, and their letters are mailed between the participating bookstores. The brainchild of Lauren Dutch from Story Books and Toys in Oakland, CA, the goal of the program is to unite children from across the country.
So far, there are seven bookstores participating from California to South Carolina. Four of the participating stores are SIBA members: Red Stick Reads in Baton Rouge, LA, The Book Worm Bookstore in Powder Springs, GA, Fairytales Bookstore in Nashville, TN. and The Storybook Shoppe in Bluffton,SC. The Storybook Shoppe hosted their first letter writing workshop on Wednesday, June 25 with enthusiastic response from the community. The children had fun writing about their pets, favorite foods, and, of course, favorite books. Everyone left excited to get to know a new friend.
Submit your good news to SIBA Spark
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linda-Marie Barrett, Executive Director,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
 SIBA
has checked in with NC stores in the path of tropical storm Chantal. The Regulator in Durham, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, and Bookmarks in Winston-Salem were among the stores who reported back that their stores and their staff were not harmed, though
at Quail Ridge Books, one bookseller who lived closer to Chapel Hill and the Eno River was affected by bridge closures caused by flooding.
Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill was without power, internet, or phones the following day. They opened despite these challenges and guided customers to books with flashlights. At McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington, NC, a funnel cloud sighting in the area set
off phone alerts to seek shelter. The staff shuttled customers into the basement until they received an official “all clear.” In one of the worst hit areas, Southern Pines, The Country Bookshop dealt with some leaks and road closures but considered
themselves lucky that it was not worse.
As SIBA territory is often in the path of severe weather during the summer and fall months, please take a few minutes to fill out our store emergency contact form (link below), so we know whom to reach out to when emergencies happen. SIBA staff can also
direct Binc and press inquiries to your designated person. We recommend you check out the Emergency Prep Check List provided by Cavalier House Books, and SIBA’s Crisis Relief and Resources Hub.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive
Director
:
Reading: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. A fun read, very light but imbued with a love of language, and moving in obvious directions. It’s not a matter of if, just when and how.
Listening: Enjoying the quiet days, afternoon thunderstorms, and the sounds of frogs and crickets at night.
Watching: Young Sheldon, Madame Blanc, and my computer screen as I work on wrapping up our preparations for NVNR.
Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: Lots of crochet blogs and patterns as I learn new techniques. Crochet has been excellent for my brain!
Listening: I love this band called Gangstagrass. They combine bluegrass with rap, and their music is brilliant, enjoyable, and poignant. Even Elmore Leonard was a fan. He said, "Rench and his friends have done nothing short of creating a
new form of music. Gangstagrass takes two types of music that are opposites and mixes them together brilliantly in a way that is natural and enjoyable."
Watching: I love baseball season and watching tons of games. I'm also so sad that Murderbot is almost over!
Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Mostly box labels and moving company contracts. But I am still rediscovering lots of hidden gems in the library as I take things off the shelf to pack them up. Most recently, a pamphlet of a play about the French Resistance
by Gertrude Stein called In Savoy or Yes Is for a Very Young Man which was performed in the Cherry Lane Theatre in 1949 and
featured Bea Arthur.
Listening: Still listening to Olivia Manning's The Balkan Trilogy while I pack. But also, everyone should stop what they are doing to listen to David Neeman talk to Robert McFarlane about his new book Is a River Alive. It is an amazing conversation.
Watching: Still zilch, zip, and nada.
SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: After letting other books cut in line, I have returned to Mary Gabriel's Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art.
This has resonated with me: "The avant-garde artists in New York wanted no part of the 'canned culture' championed by official circles, which was meant to entertain and encourage but not to enlighten."
Listening: My song of the week is "Why" from the great Lonnie Mack, from his bone-chillingly good 1963 album The Wham of That Memphis Man! It's not that deep; sometimes you just need to hear someone yowl "Whyyyyyy????" from his whole
chest for four minutes and thirty-two seconds or so.
Watching: Summertime (1955), directed by David Lean and starring Venice, Katharine Hepburn, and Rossano Brazzi--pretty much in that order. A perfectly cast Hepburn (in my very favorite film of hers) is a flinty, funny, but fragile
secretary from Akron on a solo trip to Venice, where she meets a married Ventian antiques dealer and discovers the grand passion she's been yearning for all her life. No one is better than Lean at finding the human in the epic, but in Summertime,
he finds the epic in the human.
Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I am still reeling from Last Chance Live by Helena Haywoode Henry. It's heartbreaking and so, so good.
Listening: I've spent ten hours of store inventory time this week listening to Amy Pohler's Good Hang podcast. It's such a serotonin boost!
Watching: Love Island, The Ultimatum Queer Love, and now Bachelor in Paradise is about to start. I love summer TV.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 10, 2025
|
If you ordered custom cover imprinting for winter catalogs, you will be receiving a proof of your artwork in the next few days to approve or to request changes or corrections. Look for an email from RAMP with more details, and please take a moment to review. The first two review rounds are included in your imprinting fee, and any additional artwork changes after that are $25 per additional proof. The final deadline to request any artwork changes or corrections is July 19.
The official Winter Catalog Resource page is live on the RAMP website, featuring the catalog Edelweiss collection. Upcoming updates will include:
- Professionally designed digital graphics from website banners to social media profiles and banners to email newsletter graphics, JPG files of catalog jacket images.
- Professionally designed printable pieces including posters, bookmarks, and shelf-talkers.
- A Bookshop.org banner image and exportable ISBN list to build your collection.
- An online and downloadable PDF of print catalogs.
- The digital store catalog directory and QR codes.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
|
 One happy result of hosting the New Voices New Rooms conference in Atlanta this year is that many new bookstores have been inspired to join the SIBA community. SIBA hit a membership milestone this spring when it reached 250 member bookstores. Just a few months later, that number has grown to 270.
We welcome the new members who have joined in May and June:
Bound & Vine Fayetteville North Carolina
Books & Brew Tucker Georgia
Bound Booksellers & Gifts Franklin Tennessee
The Wandering Bookshop, LLC Peachtree City Georgia
White Crab Coffee and Books Topsail Beach North Carolina
Amble BookSmith Gainesville Florida
The Ravished Reader Bookshop Columbus Georgia
Book Loop Brandon Mississippi
Good Books Atlanta Georgia
Starfish Books Southport North Carolina
Reverie Books Austin Texas
Story Hollow Madisonville Tennessee
Under the Cover Sumter South Carolina
Shelf Love Austell Georgia
Successful YOU! LLC Miami Florida
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
Current Newsletter: Read These Next! Bringing summer reading to a new level
Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:
- Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi
- Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
- Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia
- Kim Baldwin, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
- Jackie Davison, The Lynx in Gainesville, Florida
- Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
- Robin O’Bryant, Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers in Auburn, Alabama
- Kat Egan, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
- Liz Feeney, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
- Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
- Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas
- Carly Crawford, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee
- Sarah Blackwell, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky
 Book Buzz Feature: So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Rhys is a former environmental reporter for a local newspaper. I was a newspaper reporter for about seven years, and still think of myself in many ways, almost as a spot-news novelist. So, I’m still drawn to write stories as they’re happening.
It was very easy at first for me to inhabit this character, Rhys, and then fill him with the rant that I find myself perpetrating in my own head all the time. And then, as always happens with fictional characters, the political becomes personal, and you start knowing much more about this cranky old guy who has moved up to the woods and spent the last seven years doing nothing but reading books and writing an incredibly ambitious book called The Atlas of Wisdom that he thinks is going to be the thing that people remember him by.
― Jess Walter, Interview, Lithub.com
Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C. B. Lee
I am very much a fan of these Remix Classics. I read several of these as a kid, and I never saw anyone who resembled me, and I’m sure other people of various backgrounds, abilities, and sexual orientations did not see themselves either. Just providing a slight twist to these stories breathes new life into these classic tales, and they feel great to read.
― Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky
NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
 Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz. During a series of meetings with a job counselor, Cara Romero, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, goes off topic and offers the story of her life. Although her narrative can be funny, it’s more often heartbreaking, especially when Cara fills out application forms that have zero cultural sensitivity. I folded down one page in which she was asked “What band poster did you have on a wall when you were in high school?” to which she answered, “It’s true that the Americans don’t have any idea of what life is like for us.” This is a book that changes you.
Listening: It’s often very quiet when it’s very hot, which is July in western North Carolina. I appreciate the summer hush.
Watching: Young Sheldon. I just love this show for so many reasons and am glad I have a number of seasons yet to watch.
Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: As you know if you've been keeping up with this at all, this has been a really tough reading year for me. I have such a tough time getting my brain to concentrate on reading with everything going on. I've been really burnt out! I'm hoping to at least get some of these books finished that I started.
Listening: There's a lot going on in the summer! Folks walking around, birds chirping, waves on the lake, etc. The sounds of summer are so calming.
Watching: Started what is supposed to be a horror comedy show called Z Nation, which is an older show. Watched a few episodes and really liking it so far!
Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Moving is leaving very little time to do anything but pack and clean!
Listening: I am now on to the audio versions of Olivia Manning's The Balkan Trilogy. That may last me a week or so.
Watching: Zilch. Zip. Nada.
SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I finished Kirsty Gunn's thoughtful and wistful My Katherine Mansfield Project, for my book club. Gunn leaves her adopted London home to return to her childhood city of Wellington, New Zealand to research and write about fellow Wellington emigrant Mansfield. I read the ebook but I have ordered the hard copy, as it is a beautiful little thing.
Listening: The song of the week has been Little Feat's "Got No Shadow" on Sailin' Shoes (1972). It's summer, and I came of age in the South in the mid-70s. What choice do I have? "you keep your dreams, it may be dark tonight/tomorrow dark to light/it's up to you and me."
Watching: Speaking of summer in the South, I watched the gayest, stickiest, gothicest, Southernest movie of them all to close out Pride month: 1959's Suddenly, Last Summer. Screenplay by Gore Vidal, adapted from Tennessee Williams's play (Williams famously detested the movie); starring Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift; set in New Orleans; and featuring far too many outlandishly over-the-top things to list here.
Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, to get excited for Bookstore Romance Day in August. It's spicy and fun!
Listening: One of my neighbors is doing some kind of loud work on their home today and I do not care for it.
Watching:The Ultimatum: Queer Love! I am going to have a hard time waiting between episode drops.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
 SIBA celebrates a significant milestone this year: 2025 marks the organization's 50th anniversary. The SIBA of today has come a long way from its beginning in 1975, when a group of southern booksellers and publisher reps came together to form an organization to advocate for Southern booksellers and bookselling. 50 years later, SIBA's membership has grown, the organization has expanded its programming and advocacy efforts, increased its board and staff, and created a shared network of industry partnerships to bring its member bookstores solid, cost-effective benefits for their stores such as the Regional Association Marketing Program (RAMP) which creates gift catalogs, and New Voices New Room (NVNR) which has transformed the old "fall trade show" into one of the premier bookselling conferences in the country.
SIBA sees a bright future for Southern bookselling. SIBA Bookstore membership has been growing at the phenomenal rate of 20% per year since the end of the pandemic. There are more bookstores, more new bookstores, more different kinds of bookstores, and more interest in opening a bookstore.
As SIBA turns 50, it is looking not to the past but to the future, and taking steps to be the organization its bookstore members will need in a growing and constantly evolving industry.
The Steps in SIBA's "A Bright Future" Plan
- Rebranding (July and August)
SIBA is working on updating its current logo to better reflect the kind of organization it is becoming: forward-looking, diverse, optimistic, and energetic in its advocacy for Southern booksellers.
- Member Database Enhancement (August - October)
With the adoption in 2024 of an expanded definition of "Core Bookstore Member" in its Bylaws, SIBA is now in the enviable position of having membership levels at an all-time high, and a membership filled with a wide range of creative and innovative business models. SIBA is in the process of refining its member database to better serve all its member bookstores, including those that operate beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar model.
- Website Redesign / Upgrade (October - December)
SIBA is redesigning and reorganizing its website to make it easier for members to use, easier for booksellers to participate in the SIBA community, and to better reflect the goals and priorities of our member stores.
Progress Report: See updates here.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linda-Marie Barrett,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
 When I was a bookseller, I waited in a very long line at BookExpo to meet David Levithan, whose writing I cherished. When I finally got to the front of the line and met him, I shared how much his work meant to me and our customers. I invited him to our store, and (gently) thrust my business card into his hand. When his next book came out, we were on his tour. Was this a coincidence? I don’t know, but we had requested him through the grids time after time, and this was the first time we were chosen for his tour.
Connecting with authors at conferences is one of the most compelling reasons to attend. If you’re an event-driven store, enjoy translating those special moments at keynotes, panels, and signing lines into stories to share when handselling an author’s book, or are seeking to discover new titles for your store through hearing about them from their creators, these connections make a difference. Authors are eager to meet the booksellers who promote their work out into the world to future readers. As we all have likely experienced, these in-person meetings begin and deepen relationships that may result in the author requesting your store on their tour, for a presale campaign, or a Zoom-in with your book club.
This year’s NVNR features author event programming on every day of the conference, from our Early Bird Reception on Sunday evening to our Moveable Feast breakfast on Wednesday morning. Every day presents opportunities for booksellers to hear from and talk to the authors whose books will be on store shelves in the upcoming season. Because NVNR is smaller than a national conference, there’s more time to have longer conversations at events and in hallways, at author dinners and signing lines. As you get ready to attend NVNR, prepare your paper or digital business cards, update your press kit, and check out the list of over 90 authors attending the conference. Share the author list with your staff, too, to make sure you make the connections and get those special ARCs to make your store’s upcoming holiday season even brighter.
Linda-Marie Barrett,
Executive Director
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
Register for NVNR 2025 | Conference Information | Follow us! NVNR@IG
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
It may be the height of a bright and sunny summer, but the Read This Next! Kids list for July and August celebrates the dark. From ghosts and ravens to the moonlit garden of everyone's favorite gardener, Millie Fleur, the books on the July/August list invite us to enjoy the warm and weird summer nights as much as we do the brilliant blue skies of summer days.
RTNext! Kids Bookseller Resources
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic (image)
Read is why Southen indie booksellers love these books:
I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol. 1 by Umi Takase
Hime is so wonderful. She doesn't know how to feel about her friend, whom she has been in love with, now that her friend Akria transitioned. What she does know is that she will stay by her side and help her no matter what.
– Sarah Dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana
The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason, Byron and Eggenschwiler
I love how Little Ghost Quilt is different, and so are his ghost friends, and that is OKAY, more than normal. This story isn't about changing to be more similar, but finding ways they can all experience the magic of the holidays.
– Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl's trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.
– Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek
An enchanting, action-packed retelling of Swan Lake! I was completely enthralled in this vividly told, magic-infused fantasy filled with a cast of unique, engaging characters, each navigating a labyrinth of power struggles, evil sorcery and court intrigue. I soaked up every page!
– Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama
Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin
What might happen if we turn off our lanterns and join Millie Fleur in the dark of her moon garden? Millie Fleur Saves the Night is a gorgeously written and illustrated tale of embracing the wonders of the dark, from the moon to the stars, from raccoons to bats.
– Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater, Stephanie Williams, Sas Milledge (Illus.)
Every page was full of magic and atmosphere. As a fan of the series, there were so many foreshadowing clues. I absolutely cannot wait to see the rest of the series adapted. Whether a long-time fan or a newbie to Maggie Stiefvater, any lover of magic and dark whimsy will devour this!
– Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, July 3, 2025
|
 Congratulations to SIBA's NVNR Scholarship and Grant Recipients
SIBA's primary mission is to provide its member bookstores with the tools and resources they need to be successful and profitable businesses. Supporting bookseller development is a key part of this mission, which is why SIBA works hard to provide its member stores with opportunities to attend educational workshops and meet new mentors and colleagues. SIBA also works with publishers and book industry services, encouraging them to invest in independent bookstores and booksellers.
Congratulations to the following booksellers, who received scholarships or grants to attend the New Voices New Rooms Conference in Atlanta, August 3-6.
Macmillan Professional Development Scholarship
(sponsored by Binc and Macmillan)
Karen Harbin, Archimedes' Loft, Monroe, NC
SIBA BIPOC Scholarship
(sponsored by Ingram Content Group)
Tina Jackson, Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL
Tamara Olmedo, Cuentos y Café BIPOC, Asheville, NC
George Keating Scholarship
(sponsored by Binc)
Crystel Calderon, Portkey Books, Safety Harbor, FL
Janet Geddis Scholarship
(sponsored by the SIBA Board)
Courtney Ulrich-Smith, Underbrush Books, Rogers, AR
Wanda Jewell Scholarship
(sponsored by SIBA in memory of past Executive Director Wanda Jewell)
Gina Mays, GG’s Library, Prosperity, SC
NVNR Travel Grants
(sponsored by New Voices New Rooms)
Kandi West, Wordsworth Books, Little Rock, AR
Cristina Tabereaux, The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, AL
Kelly Schroeder, Fairytales Bookshop, Nashville, TN
Robert Jordan, Bookends: Literature & Libations, Tampa, FL
Teresa K. Morton, Magnolia and Main Books, Ridgeway, VA
Steph Seibert, Story Hollow, Madisonville, TN
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, June 26, 2025
|
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
Blog Home
All Blogs
RSS
