March 4: Plenty, in Cookeville, TN
Storytelling on Display
See the complete schedule and register

The March Madness Bookseller Series event at Plenty Downtown Bookshop will be about how the bookstore integrates storytelling into their 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 which has resulted in increased customer loyalty and engagement and, as a result, more consistent revenue. Store owner Lisa Uhrik shares why that topic is important to the store and why Plenty is eager to host an MMBS event:

Why did you pick this topic to talk about with your fellow booksellers?

Lisa Uhrik: I think we may have an unusual level of interest in storytelling through display. It's helpful to Plenty and we'd like to share that. In our connected media and content, our front windows, and our displays (which means in every shelf in the bookshop) we are trying to practice the art of good writing.

We think about a macro story that we want to tell each quarter and each month... and then we think about connected, individual power stories that spring from our own lives and from book inspirations. The art of a connected story is our aim that encompasses everything we do: from subscription programs and memberships, to B2B offerings, our many events, etc.

Our shelves are like sentences, our cases are like paragraphs and our special displays pull from something genuine and real -- an honest statement from one of our book staff designed to speak to one person. It's about the way the books are arranged with book adjacent things (we use that rather than the term "sidelines" because if it is in the shop, it is part of the story.) For some, it may be a different way of thinking about how we help our shelves talk and be true curated extensions of our hearts and minds.

We are trying to design a labyrinth -- an experience that requires exploration of the entire space, rather than a genre-specific trip or dip. And we are designing those experiences for a few chosen personas that we want to deeply understand:

1. the visiting, serendipitous book browser
2. the busy parent/grandparent
3. the bookclub enthusiast
4. the creative in life transition
5. the child reader

We hope to be like a visit to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood where new "neighbors" in the forms of real people and characters in books become new friends. We have nine key, connected community activities that help our "Tree of Plenty" extend with branches beyond the walls of the bookshop, which is like the tree trunk.

What made you want to host a March Madness event?

LU: We offered to host because Stacy and I loved going to an event last year at Parnassus, and we wanted to continue conversations like that. Part of our nonprofit charter is to be good for our world of independent bookshops: we think of a Plenty as a "laboratory" where we are learning how to best connect with each person.

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor. Reminiscent of Harry Potter, with a school to hone magical abilities, layered worlds, misunderstood orphans, and young adults saving the day. Perfect reading for deep winter.
Listening: Enjoying the “Songs for Cozy Mornings” on my Calm app, and the chimes gently sounding in the breeze.
Watching: All Creatures Great and Small, which often brings tears because of everyone’s good-heartedness during a time of war. Also back to the first season of Death in Paradise, which is kind of the opposite, though the main police crew are delightful.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: How to Protect Bookstores and Why by Danny Caine and The Bookshop by Evan Friss for research. Still on Breath of the Dragon for "fun," but who has time for fun reading?
Listening: I went back to The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri. About 60% through the audiobook.
Watching: Only a few episodes left in our Schitt's Creek binge!

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Still with The Alabama Stitch Book for my hand sewing lessons. And I'm excited my book club chose Tanya Tagaq's Split Tooth for next month. I've read it before and am so glad I'll have people to talk to about it!
Listening: I caught up with the latest episode of the Slightly Foxed podcast, all about William Golding. I am now suitably ashamed that I have never read anything by him except Lord of the Flies in high school. The Spire is in my Bookshop.org shopping cart. The Yield by Tara June Winch is still first in my audiobook queue.
Watching: My current late-night background television show is the (original) Star Trek series. I wish there were more than three seasons. But on the other hand, it was an era when "a season" was thirty episodes long, so its really like five seasons now. For my TV show I need to pay close attention to, I've got wrapped up in The Pitt. It's billed as a kind of new ER (which I've never seen) but I love the pace, the camera work, and how even the minor characters in its cast of thousands (all crammed into a Claustrophobically small space) are real and multidimensional. It's a show with a generous spirit, with no pat answers, and not so much about medicine as it is about how people keep themselves sane.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: Lauren McBrayer's frothy Like a House on Fire, which made for some excellent brain candy. Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden, the gorgeously photographed book on Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's home from 1916 until 1978. Everything--from the walls to the furniture to the bathtub--served as a canvas for their art and that of their friends, for whom Charleston was a second, even sometimes first home as well as the hub of English literature and art.
Listening: I spent much of a recent, reluctantly taken road trip listening to the Belgian/Egyptian singer Tamino, after hearing a podcast episode featuring his new single ("Sanctuary") with Mitski. Though classically trained, he somehow manages to sound like Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley at the same time, in one beautiful--almost in a painterly way--song after another.
Watching: Oklahoma! (1955). When I've seen a movie many times, I like to pay attention to something different during each viewing. This time it was the dozens of astonishingly talented, disciplined dancers filling every scene, many of them imported from the original Broadway production.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: An ARC of the upcoming Nora Roberts thriller Hidden Nature. I need a nice comfort read and I always know what to expect from Nora.
Listening: The sounds of quiet in my house after hosting a few family members for a few nights. It's nice.
Watching: The birds outside at the bird feeder (and the cats are watching pretty closely too)

In the spring of 2023, a new law in Arkansas was passed that would charge booksellers and librarians as criminals for providing “harmful” materials to minors. Like many of the laws of its kind being passed across the south, the goal was to strike fear into booksellers and librarians so they would self-censor what they carry. And like many of the same laws, it was vaguely written and broadly sweeping, unclear about what the exact legal obligations of booksellers and librarians would be under the law.

In response, the Central Arkansas Library filed a lawsuit challenging the law. Wordsworth Books in Little Rock was initially approached to join the lawsuit in April of 2023. Co-owner Kandi West said they were already aware of the law and were concerned. “The political climate in our state is such that the legislation was really focused against libraries and librarians. There had not been really anything targeted at the bookstore environment; however, the way this legislation was written was vague and the language was such that if anyone decided to use it against a business, they definitely could,” West said.

West and her co-owners met with the Central Arkansas Library director to discuss Wordsworth’s involvement in the case. Joining the case was a scary proposition, as the bookstore had no idea what the community response would be or whether they would be targeted. Ultimately, co-owners West, Lynne Phillips, and Lia Lent agreed that if there was something they could do, it would be worth taking the risk. Wordsworth then reached out to Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville to invite them to join the suit as well.

Co-owner of Pearl’s Books Daniel Jordan said, “I was concerned about our staff and what it might look like to be so publicly involved in a hot button issue. However, we only experienced customers and strangers congratulating and encouraging us for our involvement.”

The library’s counsel offered to represent the bookstores pro bono, and a firm in New York who has experience in similar cases offered to represent the bookstores as well. The two legal teams discussed and ultimately decided it would be best for the parties to have separate counsel. Once the counsel was official, Wordsworth co-owner Lynne Phillips emailed the advocacy team at the American Booksellers Association, who quickly responded the same day. The ABA then stepped in and helped the bookstores plan for what would happen next, including aiding the bookstores with prepping for how to answer questions from the press, both in writing and in person. They also helped with FAQs about the case, what to expect from social media bots, and protecting bookstore staff from harassment. West said one of the most useful recommendations from the ABA was for the stores to take down any reference to specific staff members from their websites and social media, which they did before the lawsuit was officially filed.

West said customers of Wordsworth were supportive of their efforts, with many calling or coming into the store to ask how they could contribute financially to the legal efforts. They received online orders from around the country from people who wanted to show support. They even received handwritten letters, one from a teacher in the northeastern part of the country who included support from her students.

The time between the lawsuit being filed and the initial decision was only a few months. In July of 2023, a judge issued a preliminary injunction against the law that was to go into effect August 1. It then moved forward for a permanent decision, which took more than a year. During this time, the bookstores wouldn’t hear anything for a long period of time, then they would be asked for specific information. According to West, their time spent on the lawsuit was negligible. One thing they were asked to do was to prepare a list of books they had in the store that would be appropriate for an older minor but not appropriate for a younger one. A main defense of the case was that books cannot be vaguely labeled as appropriate or not for a minor because a seven-year-old does not read the same books as a seventeen-year-old. Most of the books the bookstores provided for the list were on high school English curriculums. They highlighted that many of the books being targeted were classics.

Finally, in December of 2024, a federal judge struck down key parts of the law, finding that elements were unconstitutional. In his ruling on the case, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks wrote, “The law deputizes librarians and booksellers as the agents of censorship; when motivated by the fear of jail time, it is likely they will shelve only books fit for young children and segregate or discard the rest.” 

West said the publicity from the lawsuit piqued their community’s interest in banned books. They were repeatedly asked where the “banned books” shelf was in the store and about what books were banned. West said, “It allowed us to begin educating our customers when they asked these questions. We also started a book club at the store that only reads books that have been challenged. When they hear that a book is on a banned books list, they are confused as to why they are still able to purchase the book or why their child is still assigned to read it in school.  And the most asked question is always ‘but WHY is it banned?'”

Jordan said they are extremely grateful to Wordsworth for inviting them to be involved. “I am so so thankful that we are part of a community of folks fighting for literacy and free expression,” he said.

Lynne Phillips, co-owner of Wordsworth Books, said, “I do think that there was strength in numbers - being a part of the suit with library systems, other bookstores, and individuals made it a lot easier to stand up against the censorship in the bill. This was an opportunity for us to truly stand up for what we believe in, and I am proud that WordsWorth was a part of this and grateful  to have had so many strong partners.”

When asked what their advice would be for stores facing similar banned book laws, West said the best advice she can give is for stores to partner with other stores and organizations and tackle the issue together. She said to look for like-minded people with power and influence in your community and ask those people for help and/or direction. Jordan agreed with that advice and added that contacting the ABA as soon as possible for help and support is crucial. They can also help stores decide if joining a lawsuit is appropriate for your specific situation. Banned book laws are all fairly similar, however, they differ from state to state, and sometimes a bookstore’s involvement could have more negative consequences.

1/29/2025: Arkansas Attorney General appealed the decision the judge made in the banned books case. The case will go to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.

If you’re interested in how to fight book banning in your community, you can visit our Banned Books resources page on Sibaweb.com and download our Banned Books Toolkit. You can also read about how a Louisiana coalition fought against book banning.

Applications are currently open for the 2025 McCoy Grant for Bookseller Writers. This unique grant is offered because of the generous support of Sarah McCoy, the New York Times bestselling author of Mustique Island. Read more about the grant here.

Sarah McCoy sat down with 2024 grant recipient Maya Martin of Square Books to talk about her writing and what receiving the grant has meant to her.

Sarah McCoy: First off, congrats again on being on of the 2024 McCoy Grant recipients. It may be a new year, but we’ll be celebrating you until the 2025 recipients are announced in July! So we thought it the perfect time to sit down and chat about what you’ve been up to. How has the McCoy Grant made an impact on your writing?

Maya Martin: Just being awarded the McCoy Grant has affirmed my desire to write and become a published writer. I would tell myself that writing would never become a real thing for me. Now I have more confidence in myself, which drives me to write more and seek out opportunities to show off my work.

SM: Would you like to tell us a little about your work in progress?

MM: I have many works in progress; some are short stories, others are simple, one-sentence ideas. However, the one story that has gripped my brain and that I'm following through with is a mystery about a waterpark employee who stumbles onto a drowned body in one of the park's pools. The authorities and the park's owner are quick to write it off as a tragic accident but my main character isn't satisfied with that answer. 

SM: How has the McCoy Grant made an impact on your personal life?

MM: The grant has eased some financial burdens. Writing is hard work and, at times, costly if you want to apply for writing development courses and the like. Before the grant, I would've hesitated to pay for classes or workshops, but now I can jump into whatever I think will help me on my writing journey. 

SM: With the submission season now open, what would you tell other bookseller writers who are thinking of applying?

MM: "Do it!" As simple as that. I encourage everyone who is serious about their writing to take advantage of this grant application. It not only helped fund my writing development but it gave me a confidence boost.

Apply for the 2025 McCoy Grant here.

The McCoy Grant for Bookseller-Writers was created by New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy, (Mustique Island) in partnership with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) for any unpublished southern women or nonbinary booksellers who harbor ambitions to be published writers.

Current Newsletter: From book club to bookstore: Meet Underbrush Books.

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
• Laura Taylor, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida
• Emma Aprile, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
• Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Kristin Kehl, Midtown Reader in Tallahassee, Florida
• Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas
• Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
• LeeAnna Callon, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
• Sandra Pinkney, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia
• Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

Book Buzz Feature: The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
I think that was the scariest thing for me going into fiction was, I have relied my entire career on conversations, on reporting, to understand what made a person tick and what made them do the things they had done. And also to be able to collect the details that made a book. I think, because I had done that for 15 or 20 years, I was really worried that I would not have the skill set, or the muscles would have atrophied to be able to build a character out of whole cloth, rather than relying on observing someone else. So that was really scary for me.

But I realized that a lot of the observations one makes as a journalist, that skill set of being able to observe things and knowing which details are most interesting and relevant, serves you really well in fiction as well, because that is the same muscles. If I’m going to write a profile on somebody my job as a journalist is noticing the details and conveying the things that separate that person from the one next to them. And that is very similar to what you’re trying to do when you’re building a character. So in the end, I feel like this thing, I was really scared about because I “don’t build characters in non fiction,” it is a similar skill set that you are using, which is noticing the details that make a place and a person differentiated from just any place or person.
― Kate Fagan, Interview, Friendly City Books

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
McCurdy’s story is bold and heartbreaking and beautiful. Her journey is deeply distressing in the way that only true stories can be, and told in a voice that is raw, wry, and incredibly honest. Through this memoir, McCurdy tells us that we can find our way through the darkness, even if we stumble and fall and think we never ever can find a place of peace and wellness – and I am so thankful to her for it.
― Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER LIST
For the week ending 1/19/2025

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

The booksellers who picked these books lapse into a literany of words in their enthusiasm: "Grotesque, wildly funny, and utterly weird," "propulsive, visceral, disorienting," "intimate, gut wrenching, and inspiring." It seems fitting that the books on the February Read This Next! list explore the many ways we connect with each other. Friends and fake romances, grief and lost partners, strange love that seems monstrous, love that is a disguise for hate.

RTNX Bookseller Resources:
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic

What SIBA Booksellers have to say:

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
This book has the fun romance trope of fake relationships, while also showing the struggle of an undocumented person in America. You'll laugh and you'll cry, and hope for their happily ever after.
– Gabriela Warner, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

We Do Not Part by Han Kang, e. yaewon (trans.), Paige Aniyah Morris (trans.)
Devastating, gorgeously written. I will be thinking about Kyungha and Inseon, the snow and the trees, the birds Ama and Ami, and the generations of spirits brought to life in these painful, breathtaking pages.
– Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
Where to even begin with this book other than wowza. I was not expecting to be given the most thrilling sapphic monster romance in the entire world. But Not Too Bold gave me goosebumps and I fear that's all you really need to know about how incredible it was.
– Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks's memoir of her life with writer Tony Horwitz and the aftermath of his sudden death in 2019 is an intimate, gut wrenching, funny and inspiring tribute to their life together and to his writing.
– Sarah Goddin, McIntyre's Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
I've been trying to think of words to describe Virginia Feito's Victorian Psycho, and I've come up with: propulsive, visceral, disorienting, and riveting. The writing barrels you toward an ending that I was prepared to find shocking, but still managed to surprise me. I was amazed at how funny Feito is in the midst of the absolute chaos on the page and how big of a punch she managed to pack into a novella.
– Chelsea Bauer, Union Ave Books in Knoxville, Tennessee

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.

Booksellers, please help SIBA better serve its members! Please take our one-question survey on the social media platforms your store is using:

Binc continues to hear from book and comic people affected by the California wildfires. Thanks to the generosity of Dav Pilkey, Forefront Books, Ingram Content Group, Macmillan Publishers, and Mad Cave Studios, all gifts, regardless of size, up to $45,000 will be matched. You may donate here.

From the Professional Booksellers School
Store & Operations Management registration is now open. Enroll here.
SIBA Discount Code: SIBAso

SIBA offers an upfront discount of $35 on your registration using the code. If your store pays for your registration, it is also eligible for partial reimbursement if you complete the course and become certified. Contact candice@sibaweb.com for more info on reimbursements.

Find Waldo Local signups are open
Find Waldo Local is hosted during the month of July. Registration opened 1/15 with a 2/15 deadline. Participating stores agree to place a 30+ copy order of Where’s Waldo by 4/15 (with discount and co-op incentives) and dedicate a store window and in-store display during the month of July. Participation is capped at 325 stores. You must be an ABA member to participate. More info here

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: Donna Leon’s Doctored Evidence, a charming way to visit Venice through this mystery series. Fascinating to view cultural differences, like the inspector’s habit of indulging in a couple of glasses of wine with a big lunch, followed by a nap, before returning to work in the afternoon. His workdays may stretch till eight o'clock in the evening, but the quality of his daily experience represents a life richly spent.
Listening: To folk instrumentals or classical music on Pandora, and to the sounds of birds around our neighborhood. We lost many trees during the hurricane (40% of the trees in the Asheville area were downed or severely damaged) so not sure if it's the lack of tree cover or the time of year, but noticing an unusual amount of cooper’s hawks, owls, and other birds of prey.
Watching: The latest season of All Creatures Great and Small and Darby and Joan.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: About halfway through Breath of the Dragon. Also reading some business books, the most recent being Danny Caine's How to Protect Bookstores and Why and Kathryn Finney's Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business if You're Not a Rich White Guy.
Listening: Still on The Lotus Empire. Also listening to the beautiful silence of the winter.
Watching: Still binging through Schitt's Creek! But The Traitors season 3 has just been released, and Severance season 2 is being released this week, so those will take precedence soon!

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter. Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. Helen in Egypt by H.D.
Listening: Still with Middlemarch narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Dragging it out.
Watching: Mostly, news about the LA fires. But also a video class from Tatter on "Beginning Handsewing." Because #4 on my list of New Year's resolutions is to learn how to hem in an even, straight line. Me? I list. I drift.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: When my favorite uncle died years ago, I inherited his complete set of Walt Kelly's Pogo comics collections, and I finally have a place for them all. As a child in the late 1960s, I tried to read the daily newspaper strip--Kelly got his start with Walt Disney and the little animals were so cute--but I never understood it until years later. It was dense with wordplay and pointed political satire, reflecting both Kelly's wit and his unwavering progressive beliefs. I don't know that I will read all 40 volumes, but I am very glad they live on my shelves.
Listening: I woke up this morning to notifications that there was a new episode of the Slightly Foxed podcast about William Golding and new music from Sunny War. So I know what I will be listening to!
Watching: A recent visit from my daughter meant a The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City binge watch. What can I say? We both laughed so hard we almost fell off the couch.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: House of My Mother by Shari Franke - what a sad, wild story!
Listening: Richmonder Lucy Dacus just released a new song that I will be playing nonstop until the whole album comes out in March
Watching: Pinball State finals are this weekend so I am planning to watch my friends compete on the streamed broadcast to cheer them all on to victory!