Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
9780062913463Nothing to See Here 10/29/2019
"Absolutely loved this book, I listened to it on Libro.fm. Quirky, entertaining, smart, and funny. I could not put it down. I can not wait to put this book into hands of readers I know will love it as much as I did. Thank you Kevin Wilson for giving the weird and wonderful a voice! And thank you to Marin Ireland for doing an excellent job with the southern accent! " -- Jessica Osborne, E. Shaver, booksellers, Savannah, GA
9780316485340Little Weirds 11/5/2019
"Little lovely weirds from the big, lovely, weirdness of Jenny Slate's brain. I am recommending that you get both a physical copy to beautify your shelves and the audiobook so that Slate can croon her little weirds into your ears and that way your hands are free for snacking or petting the dog or arranging acorns on your mantle. You will laugh and sigh and wish her words could bring things to life because she is, after all, a magical person so it should be a thing she can do. And who knows? Maybe she will. "-- Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA
9781640092587The Revisioners 11/5/2019
"Reminiscent of Octavia Butler's KINDRED, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton's new novel is a brilliant story that transcends time. Told over the course of almost 100 years, and several generations of one family, this book confirms that the dark legacy of slavery is something we cannot escape, even in the 21st century. Several times while reading this I had to put it down and step away. It is unflinchingly honest and brutal in a way that is hard to read. There is a suspense building throughout that made me think something terrible was lurking under the surface of both Josephine and Ava's stories. " -- Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
9781635573657The Broken Road 12/3/2019
"The Broken Road is an incredibly honest memoir from the daughter of George Wallace, Peggy Wallace Kennedy. She gives her view of her father's life, political struggles, and personal values. Kennedy also details how she came to a heightened awareness about the hurt her father caused so many with his stand against desegregation. A must-read for those who are interested in Southern history, politics, and the civil rights era." -- Linda Hodges, Fiction Addiction, Greenville, SC
"Our lives are worth literature. it doesn't matter where you come from, or who your parents were, or how broken or torn apart your home was, the life you lived was worth writing about." -- Wiley Cash
When Wiley Cash was chosen to be the 2020 Conroy Legacy he was able to sit down and talk to Linda-Marie about Pat Conroy, independent bookstores, and what it means to be a writer in his home state of North Carolina.
"The first time I met Pat Conroy was in 2013. I was in a room with him and it was like a solar system with a black hole, all of the energy in the room was going towards him just by his presence." --Wiley Cash
Those videos, along with a list of Cash's books, graphics to share on social media, and downloadable posters are available to SIBA booksellers in the Wiley Cash Conroy Legacy Award Toolkit
Posted By Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette,
Monday, October 7, 2019
Updated: Thursday, October 3, 2019
This year at SIBA was one of my best experiences. I felt like I was coming home, so many friends and authors that I have seen in the past felt much more comfortable. I sensed a lightness of spirit throughout the total event. There was more laughter and optimism in the meal events and in the workshops. The AUTHORinteraction which revolved around Pat Conroy’s friends was especially jovial. Delightful to attend!
I’m very grateful to have been able to attend this year and thank SIBA for their support of indie booksellers! SIBA is my family! ~Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette, AL
One of the highlights of last month's #SIBA19 was the Parapalooza event, held in the hotel bar -- for ambiance -- and by all accounts a riotously funny hour filled with authors reading short paragraphs from their books, WITH FEELING.
But for all its hilarity and deep-felt moments, the night was missing something, or rather, someone. T.J. Klume, author of the much-looked-for "The House in the Cerulean Sea" had been scheduled to read, but instead became the victim of a capricious set of circumstances when his flight was delayed because of mechanical problems (not the sort of thing a passenger wants to hear), making him late for his connecting flight, which after being rescheduled was also delayed...because of mechanical problems.
Since he couldn't be on-site at the show, we asked him to record video so booksellers would have a chance to meet him (and his cat) and hear about his wonderful book.
"1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." (Gail Carriger)
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. An enchanting love story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours. The House in the Cerulean Sea is Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune’s breakout contemporary fantasy.
TJ Klune is an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. He has won the 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Romance and the 2016 the Gold Medal from the Florida Publisher’s Association. Visit him online at TJKluneBooks.com, on Twitter at @tjklune or on Instagram as @tjklunebooks.
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
9781534442559Roll with It 10/1/2019
"Ellie's voice makes this book un-put-down-able. She is complex, refreshingly honest, and sassy. She doesn't sugarcoat her experiences in a wheelchair or with cerebral palsy, and she is defined by those experiences either. Every person needs to read this book." -- Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
9780062941206Get a Life, Chloe Brown 11/5/2019
"Get a Life, Chloe Brown is one of the best romances of the year. The humor and wit are spot on, and the romance will make your heart ache and your cheeks blush. Word of advice: don't read this in public - you'll be completely swept into Chloe Brown and Red's tempting romance and be blind to the world around you. If you're looking for a fun and flirty romance that will make you laugh and tug on your heartstrings, then Get a Life, Chloe Brown is the one for you!"-- Gennifer Eccles, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
9781524742904Reputation 12/3/2019
"Elite Aldrich University is mired in controversy when a hacker releases the contents of every single person's email who is connected to the university. Many scandals come to light, but after Kit finds her husband Greg, who has a scandal of his own, dead in their kitchen, the action ramps up to an entirely new level.Shepard's books have so many plot twists, the reader is likely to suffer literary whiplash...and enjoy every minute of it. You'll suspect everyone in Reputation. And you just might be right." -- Jennifer Jones, The Bookmiser, Roswell, GA
9780451491992Blitzed 12/3/2019
"This was another cute romantic comedy by Alexa Martin! I loved the inter-racial relationship and the world that Alexa Martin has created in this series. I also couldn't stop laughing at the way Brynn and her friends, the wives and girlfriends of the Denver Mustangs, interacted with one another. Not only was this an entertaining romance, it also was a great book of female empowerment of a woman owning her own business and also have strong supportive friends in her circle. Alexa Martin continues to write books that keeps me hooked! " -- Deanna Bailey, Story on the Square, McDonough, GA
(Asheville, NC) –Southern indie booksellers have announced their 2019 Fall Okra Picks, a fresh harvest of great Southern books, Southern voices, and Southern stories hand picked by Southern independent booksellers. The Fall Okra Picks release in October, November, and December, and every book on the list has a Southern bookseller ready to put it in the hands of readers with that most exciting phrase in the English language, “You’ve got to read this!”
Southern independent bookstores – we grow good books!
Posted By Wanda Jewell,
Monday, September 30, 2019
New "Shop South” Opportunity for SIBA Members!
SIBA and Matchbook Marketing are collaborating to offer a new website promotional program to highlight SIBA book prize winners. Matchbook Marketing will work with booksellers to incorporate these book prize promotions into their websites, and where possible, link them to online sales pages. The prize lists include the Southern Book Prize, Circle of Sites/Lady Banks, Okra Picks, Southern Indie Bestsellers List, and the Pat Conroy Legacy.
Once stores sign on to the program, the Shop South lists will be updated on their sites automatically.
Cost of the Program: $80 setup (this will be offset with 8,000 B3 SIBA points, which can be exchanged for SIBA dues, meal tickets to the SIBA Discovery Show, and even free travel and hotel accommodations) + $40/month maintenance. All participating booksellers will be required to have an active SIBA membership.
If you would like more website support (maintaining store specific content or website redesign), Matchbook Marketing is offering two additional program tiers as part of the Shop South promotion. Contact matchbookdesign@welovebooksellers.com for more information or for samples of website mockups that illustrate what the promotion would look like on your site.
Booksellers, publishing professionals, authors, and bookstore customers are encouraged to nominate any current indie bookstore employee of an ABA member store to receive a bonus as part of author James Patterson’s 2019 Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program. This year’s campaign is open to all U.S. independent bookstore employees through October 12.
Patterson is pledging a personal contribution of $250,000 to independent bookstore employees, which will be granted in amounts of $500 bonuses to 500 individual booksellers. New this year, 100 of the bonuses will be set aside for children’s booksellers.
To help booksellers promote the program, here are a variety of social media posts that can be adapted for use (Patterson’s social media handles are @JamesPatterson on Facebook; @JP_Books on Twitter; and @jamespattersonbooks on Instagram).
All past recipients of Patterson grants are eligible, and booksellers can self-nominate. Bonuses will be distributed in December 2019. In all cases, the vetting process will include obtaining approval from the bookstore employee and store in question to confirm current employment.
The grant application asks one simple question: “Why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?” Patterson will select winners from bookstores all across the country to receive bonuses this holiday season.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, September 26, 2019
THE BOOKS YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE TALKING ABOUT
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
9781538731338Imaginary Friend 10/1/2019
"Immediately compelling, Imaginary Friend has the grip of those timeless cautionary tales, but related through a child's genuine sense of wonder and apprehension. Real-deal darkness, just peaking around the edges of the rich prose and Mayberry-esque setting.." -- Jilleen Moore, Square Books, Oxford, MS
9781524738174The Beautiful 10/8/2019
"Ahdieh sets her gritty underworld in the perfect environment of New Orleans in the late 19th century. It's dark and dramatic and filled with intense passion. Ahdieh drew me in and left me so frustrated. I need the next book. NOW. This is the YA fantasy you need in your life right now."-- Miriam Meeks, E Shaver, bookseller, Savannah, GA
9780997457858The Gallows Pole 10/15/2019
"A grimy, visceral historical crime novel with prose that feel like they were written with a sledge hammer. Entertaining, yes, but with plenty to say about power and class." -- Justin Souther, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC
9780062913463Nothing to See Here 10/29/2019
"I don't think I've read something so absurd and equally endearing ever before in my life. Kevin Wilson serves us a tale spun around heartbreak, what it means to be family, and honest to God unconditional love. When Lillian's childhood friend, Madison, calls her with a job to be the governess to her step-children, the deal sounds too good to be true. But once Lillian meets Bessie and Roland, she learns exactly what her job is: keep the kids from catching on fire, at (quite literally) all costs. The sweetness of this story is fragrant with smoke and sweet tea, and Wilson leaves the reader feeling completely satisfied and fulfilled by the entirety of Lillian's story involving this twisted and fantastical family." -- Delany Holcomb, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Anyone who has attended a regional trade show or the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute or Children's Institute has had the chance to play "Heads or Tails" -- the popular game/fundraiser the last person standing takes home a $500 prize. If you haven't played, you have at least watched, smiling as your colleagues, adorned with flashing pins, tried to decide whether to put their hands on their heads ("heads") or their rears ("tails"). A coin is flipped, heads or tails is called, and pins are turned off as players guess wrong. Every pin represents a $20 donation to Binc. The more pins a player is wearing, the longer they can stay in the game, but eventually only one person is left, still blinking.
At the SIBA Discovery Show the Binc Heads or Tails Fundraiser is one of the last events of the show -- held on the exhibit floor amid a general air of hilarity as booksellers, exhibitors, and even authors ham it up trying to stay on their feet until the end. The event has proved so popular -- and is for such a good cause -- that many authors in the show program who can't stay for the whole weekend arrange for proxys to stand in for them so they can still play. The lucky winner of this year's contest was Rebecca Kauffman, author of The House on Fripp Island, due out in June of 2020.
The fundraiser, which was sponsored by SIBA, raised approximately $3500.
So what, exactly, were all those folks doing by wearing flashy pins and patting their heads?
They were helping SIBA booksellers in need.
"Within 24 hours, Kit called to report that Binc was stepping in to assist with several months of rent payments. What a godsend. It was like I could breathe again." -- Jamie Anderson, Downtown Books & Duck's Cottage, Outer Banks, NC, after Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael
Binc exists to be a safety net for booksellers facing a financial crisis. This has special significance for bookstores in SIBA territory, which face severe natural disasters and weather events with increasing rapidity. Rarely does the South make it through a hurricane season without some of our stores being affected -- by flooding, building damage, lost inventory, lost work, lost wages. Here is what Binc has done for SIBA booksellers since 2014:
Bookstore Disaster Recovery: 2 grants for a total of $12,073
Disaster Relief: 2 grants for a total of $7,975
Financial Assistance: 27 grants for a total of $62,678
Matching Grants: 5 grants fora total of $10,000
All in all, Binc has provided more than $92,000 in aid to Southern bookstores in the last five years. They have helped booksellers pay their rent, keep the lights on, meet serious medical expenses, and provide immediate disaster assistance.
That means if you have ever played "Heads or Tails" with Binc and didn't win, you still won. Your contribution has strengthened the bookselling community by directly benefiting its booksellers.
SIBA promotes six new books every month to consumers in our Lady Banks Bookshelf promotion. These titles appear at the top of our weekly Lady Banks Commonplace Book newsletter, which has a circulation of over 60k. We also feature them above the fold on the homepage of Authors ‘Round the South and on the cover image of the ARTS Facebook page with buy links promoted to our 15,000 Facebook friends. A different member store is featured with the titles every week.
By promoting through Lady Banks, publishers are making an investment in SIBA member bookstores’ attention and market. SIBA works with them to select titles customers are looking for, and then we drive those customers to SIBA member stores. Booksellers can boost sales by bringing in Lady Banks Bookshelf titles before the month begins, and putting up a winning display. Send in a photo of your display and earn 20 B3! points, too!
By Andrea Richardson, Bookseller/Assistant Buyer at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA.
I had a wonderful time at #SIBA19 - the best part was meeting and connecting with fellow booksellers and authors, as well as our publishing reps that I hadn't been able to put a face to before SIBA. Another highlight of my time in SC (and I don't think I'm alone in this) was the lunch with Julie Murphy, Charlaine Harris, Akilah Hughes, Kim Jones, and Gilly Segal. They were so much fun and I am loving all of their books! I also really enjoyed the handselling seminar, where I learned several valuable tips that I'm excited to try out during my store shifts. I really feel like I've found my tribe in the bookselling world and I could not be happier to continue my journey in this amazing business! I am so grateful that I won a scholarship and can't wait to attend more events. Thanks to SIBA, ABA, Wanda, and everyone else that put together this event!
By Carl Kranz, Operations Manager at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA.
SIBA time is always one of my favorite times of the year, and in need of a bit of a motivator this year, the Discovery Show stepped up bigtime. Right off the bat, I was in with my runnin’ buddies, and just seeing colleagues who have become some of my good friends for the first time in a while was rejuvenating in and of itself. But there’s always more people to meet and more work to be done. A full schedule of panels and education sessions filled Friday and highlights for me included discussion on Independent Bookstore Day, returns, and updates Ingram has been working to benefit booksellers through iPage, as well as a panel on nonfiction (which I love).
The main difference though between this year and past years was that I seemed to take a more philosophical approach to learning about bookselling. This is harder to put a price on but is just as important as the analytical tools we work on. Both through the inspirational programming as well as conversations I had up and down the trade show floor, there seemed to be a theme with me about my purpose as a bookseller. How to use my influence to make my community better and then grow that influence. Two events stick out in this regard. The conversation between Sharon Robinson and Peggy Wallace Kennedy about the legacy of their fathers and coming to terms with those legacies and finding their own voices in it all, to promote racial healing and reconciliation. There was also Wiley Cash’s speech at dinner on Friday night where he accepted the 2020 Pat Conroy Legacy Award. Cash spoke about how the right thing is typically the hard thing. We need to pull others up with us if we expect to get anywhere.
But it was also so much FUN, which we all need to stay inspired. The kickoff lunch on Friday with Julie Murphy, Akilah Hughes, Charlaine Harris, Kimberly Jones, and Gilly Segal was probably the most entertaining author meal I’ve ever been witness to. My face hurt from laughing so much! Every night went late for me, drinks with friends, passionate conversations, I couldn’t help but be inspired by my colleagues. I also can’t thank Hub City Press enough for playing wonderful hosts and their party on Saturday night was one I’ll always remember, so many people we had to spill out onto the sidewalk. Ending the show with the Moveable Feast, I met a number of authors that I felt a connection to and I can’t wait to read their books. It was a very proper sendoff. I was sad to leave but felt like I had lived an entire month in one weekend. Out of the three years I’ve been to the SIBA Discovery Show, this was easily the best experience I’ve had. The energy was vibrant and infectious and put a lot of life back into me as a bookseller.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
9781501137570The World That We Knew 9/24/2019
"An achingly gorgeous piece of work. Alice Hoffman takes the tired genre of WWII historical fiction and enlivens it with mysticism and spirituality. I wept, but more from the beauty of it all than from the gut-wrenching sadness." -- Lucy Stoltzfus, The Bookshelf, Thomasville, GA
9780062871992I Can Make This Promise 10/1/2019
"This book has everything adult books have, only made chewable for middle graders. I loved it. The main character develops in the normal, healthy way a middle schooler would, as she gets to know more about her family and elders, loses a friend, grows her talent, and gets braces. The trust she has with her parents is shaken, but their relationship remains respectful, so that young readers are taught how to navigate growing up in a way that honors their parents. The brilliance of this book, though, is the mysterious family history that Edith uncovers, a topic that I knew nothing about. I learned so much reading this, and I think any kid would enjoy learning more about the Native American history in America, too. Overall, my new standard for middle grade literature. "-- Maria Sivils, M. Judson, booksellers and storytellers, Greenville, SC
9781524738174The Beautiful 10/8/2019
"I’m left with so many questions, but mostly when can I get my hands on the next book? Yes, vampires have been done before and yes, vampires in New Orleans have been done before. This book managed to not feel tired though. Renee’s characters are well-written and the story is lush. " -- Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver, booksellers, Savannah, GA
9780062899873The Sacrament 12/3/2019
"A thoughtful, atmospheric, and quietly intense novel about how choices have effects that must be felt our whole lives and how we grapple with them. I loved settling in with this novel." -- Catherine Bock, Parnassus Books, Nashvillel, TN
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, September 19, 2019
SIBA 2019: Spartanburg Hosts High Energy Show
Of course, the very point of the show is to put booksellers in front of reps and several publishers and their reps were impressed with the traffic. Steven Wallace, marketing and sales director for the University of Georgia Press, is a veteran of many SIBAs and noted that the traffic on the show floor was “non-stop and didn’t let up for a second” -- Publishers Weekly
On Friday, SIBA offered a packed schedule of education sessions, including the SRO "Independent Bookstore Day: Celebrate with Success," "The Art of the Pitch: Handselling Books to Customers" and "Romancing the Indie Bookstore." The well-attended breakfasts, lunches and dinners showcased a range of authors and titles, but the standout was the Friday lunch featuring authors Julie Murphy (Dear Sweet Pea); Akilah Hughes (Obviously, Stories from My Timeline); Charlaine Harris (A Longer Fall); and Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal (I'm Not Dying with You Tonight). The authors hit it off so well in the green room earlier that they decided to skip the usual individual speeches and just talk to each other--and to the audience. The result was a charming, entertaining, hilarious performance that, in a way, encapsulated the SIBA experience: love and support for each other. -- Shelf Awareness
Scholarships make such a difference, creating the opportunity for stores to send one or more staff to the SIBA Discovery Show. Thanks to generous sponsors like UNC Press, Binc, Penguin Random House (Pat Conroy Scholarships), and Reba and Dave Williams, SIBA is able to help defray the costs of travel, lodging, meals and other expenses. The following booksellers share how attending #SIBA19 made a difference for them.
"Going to SIBA this year was an experience like Peter Wohlleben's The Hidden Life of Trees. Instead of an interconnected system of roots, there exists the life-giving channels of indie bookstores pulsing around the American South. Southern Indies are diverse variations of the same organic matter. They bring reading and intellectual vibrance to a region of the country that has long been perceived as lacking of, or not even wanting to explore, the world of books outside of the caricatures of complicated Southern identity. I witnessed authors on the verge of tears as they gave their precious books into our capable hands. And, I trust in the team of booksellers present this weekend to carry those direct emotional pitches with them onto the bookfloor. I have been a bookseller since 2015. In 2019 at SIBA, l became a bookseller for life."- Davis Shoulders, Union Ave Books, Knoxville, TN
“Main Street Books is truly indebted to the Williams for an unforgettable and impactful experience. Main Street Books is a 90 minute drive from Spartanburg, close enough that we could reasonably send all 6 staff members to SIBA without incurring crazy travel costs. That said, we closed the store on the two busiest days of the week at the start of serious fourth quarter ramping up - a sizable risk, but one I was willing to take so that my booksellers could truly understand the empowering experience of spending 70 hours among booksellers, authors, and publishers. The scholarship allowed us to reduce that financial risk.
Most of my booksellers have had established careers previously and attending a conference was not a novel experience. However, working in a retail job and attending such an enriching meeting was truly remarkable. Each of our booksellers, including our event coordinator, was able to attend at least three author meals and several were moved to tears (Kevin Wilson!) or felled by laughter (Akilah, Julie, Gilly, Kimberly, and Charlaine!) or empowered to embrace our role as community conversation facilitators (Sharon Robinson and Peggy Wallace Kennedy!).
Having our staff attend education sessions like the "Work on your biz" helped us all see better ways for us to redesign the way we work so that I, as owner/manager, can have more time for strategic planning. Staff also embraced their time on the exhibit floor. They had great conversations with every single vendor that attended. I am pretty sure that a Main Street Books staff member visited every table at least once on Saturday. We've come back with new sidelines to stock, stronger relationships with publishers, and great under-the-radar books to read and share back here in Davidson.
We also had valuable time together to meet as a whole staff and to perform a S.W.O.T analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). One effect of attending education sessions and meeting/conversing with other booksellers is that each of my booksellers could informally assess our store, getting a sense for what and how we do things in comparison to other stores. This "intangible" outcome has instilled pride of purpose in us! Thank you so much for helping us gather together at SIBA19!” -Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books, Davidson, NC
"Recently I read a middle reader book called The Spinner of Dreams and there's a part of a story where the protagonist is told, "Someday you will walk into a room and everyone will have been waiting for you, there will be a spot for you at the table and everyone will be so glad you came." As someone who is slightly too loud and talks way too much, I've always wondered if that day would come for me. At SIBA this year, this quote kept running through my head as I met friends I never knew I had, wept with authors over their beautiful writing, and laughed with others like me who were just trying to bring books to a hurried world. While the entire weekend was very whirlwind, it was the happiest tornado I've ever been able to be swept up into. I learned more about the industry from all angles, from the author's perspective, from the publisher's perspective, and from other booksellers as well. I was so blessed to be chosen for a scholarship to attend and I will always be so grateful." -Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square, McDonough, GA
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, September 12, 2019
SIBA announces Wiley Cash as the 2020 Conroy Legacy Award Recipient!
Wiley Cash, the New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind than Home, This Dark Road to Mercy, and The Last Ballad, has been selected to receive the 2020 Conroy Legacy Award. Created in honor of the example set by the beloved Southern author Pat Conroy, the Conroy Legacy Award recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community, demonstrated support for independent bookstores both in their own communities and in general, created written work that focuses significantly on their home place, and supported other writers, especially new and emerging writers.
“We are so delighted to see that booksellers have chosen Wiley Cash as their Conroy Legacy Award Recipient,” said Wanda Jewell, Executive Director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, which oversees the Award. “Wiley is a generous southern friend to bookstores and writers.”
In addition to his novels, Cash is the creator of the Open Canon Book Club, which seeks to introduce readers to “voices and portrayals of the American experience they may not have otherwise encountered” and which is supported by independent bookstores in the South and nationwide. He is also a founder of The Land More Kind Appalachian Artists Residency, a week-long residency program for writers, visual artists, musicians, songwriters, and photographers who are either from Appalachia or devoted to creating art representative of the region.
"Pat [Conroy] was one of those successful writers who was also pushing others ahead of him,” said Cash when he was told he would receive the award, “I've heard story after story from writers whose work he shouldered and shared with the world. He did that for me. We all need to do that for the writers who are coming behind us. He didn't pull the ladder up. He reached a hand down."
Of the role the Southern independent bookstore community has played in his career, Cash was emphatic: “It's only because the independent bookstores and booksellers embraced my debut that my books have had the success they've had. Indie bookstores put me on the literary map, and they've kept me there. Independent bookstores are the literary, social, cultural, intellectual, and ethical lifeblood of our communities. We go to indie stores to meet authors, discover books, discuss ideas, find community, exchange new ideas and challenge old ones."
Suzanne Lucey, co-owner of Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC says the regard goes both ways: “We had Wiley to our store and for each book sold he donated a dollar from his own pocket to send to the ACLU. Who does that?”
“He also has asked to do a writing class at our store,” she added, “and applauded a Clay County, NC high school teacher for introducing Appalachian writers like Ron Rash and David Joy. He really is trying from the bottom up to make our state and country better.”
SIBA will make a donation to the Pat Conroy Literary Center and to the UNC Asheville Foundation in the name of Wiley Cash.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
9780525707370The Babysitters Coven 9/17/2019
"Esme and her best friend have a babysitter's club. Yes, they're 17, but Esme likes to babysit and it beats a regular job any day. And Esme NEEDS a job because suddenly she's got to repair a tree, through no fault of her own, I might add! Enter Cassandra Heaven. She and her brother are new to town and Esme doesn't get why Cassandra really wants to join her babysitter's club. Especially since Cassandra clearly has no idea how to babysit. The Babysitter's Coven will fill the void that Buffy, The Vampire Slayer left in all our lives when it went off the air so many years ago. Through in a dash of Adventures in Babysitting and you'll have a heavy dose of nostalgia in a modern setting. This book is complete fun from start to finish." -- Jennifer Jones, The Bookmiser, Roswell, GA
9780525575474Blowout 10/1/2019
"If you thought the oil and natural gas industries were corrupt, Rachel Maddow will confirm your suspicions - and inject them with steroids. The international players, their secret deals, and legacies are all connected by Rachel's slamdunk reporting. Blowout will make you very mad even as it educates you. "-- Rosemary Pugliese, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC
9780451489579Mumbo Gumbo Murder 10/1/2019
"Mumbo Gumbo Murder is light-hearted cozy with a heavy dose of suspense. There's lots of wine, food, and romance, too-- everything you could want! I loved how atmospheric it was; it really felt like I was in New Orleans. But be warned: this book will make you hungry. From the gumbo cookoff to the takeout po boys, my mouth was watering on every page. The mystery itself was also a page-turner. I truly couldn't have guessed the ending! This fantastic book was such a joy to read. " -- Lizy Coale, Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, FL
9780062473073Dear Sweet Pea 10/1/2019
"Dear Sweet Pea is the perfect book for both tween readers, their parents, or 20-somethings like myself. In Sweet Pea I see a younger reflection of myself, and it was so affirming to read such a heartfelt and nuanced take about what exactly it means to be a middle-schooler. The protagonist, Sweet Pea, navigates friendships, mean girls, crushes, body-shaming, and her parent's divorce as seventh-grade draws to a close. Julie Murphy tackles all these issues with grace and humor. Don't be surprised if you both laugh out loud and cry while reading; I sure did." -- Gennifer Eccles, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
On Wednesday, August 14 , SIBA hosted “Small Presses Present Fall & Winter Lists” as part of our Publisher Picks: Best Bets for SIBA Booksellers series. In this bi-monthly series, publishers, editors, marketing directors, and reps present their favorite frontlist titles via video to booksellers. Besides forging important connections with publishers and their reps, attending booksellers get to discover new titles to add to their store shelves and earn 10 B3! points. The following industry folks presented: Jacqueline Jarik of Agate Publishing, Ellen Zielinski Whitfield of JKS Communications, and Jon Sealy of Haywire Press.
Pajama Party on Friday, September 13 at 10PM at Sparks After Hours!
You heard it right-we’re hosting a milk & cookies (and Kahlua and Baileys) party and silent reading gathering on Friday night, to ease us into the wee hours–in community, in pajamas. Don’t forget to pack some pretty cool jammies (and slippers). Social media opportunities abound, and a lot of fun, too. Hope to see you there! Check the SIBA show app for location.
RSS
"1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." (Gail Carriger)
(Asheville, NC) –Southern indie booksellers have announced their 2019 Fall Okra Picks, a fresh harvest of great Southern books, Southern voices, and Southern stories hand picked by Southern independent booksellers. The Fall Okra Picks release in October, November, and December, and every book on the list has a Southern bookseller ready to put it in the hands of readers with that most exciting phrase in the English language, “You’ve got to read this!”
Patterson is pledging a personal contribution of $250,000 to independent bookstore employees, which will be granted in amounts of $500 bonuses to 500 individual booksellers. New this year, 100 of the bonuses will be set aside for children’s booksellers. 
Anyone who has attended a regional trade show or the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute or Children's Institute has had the chance to play "Heads or Tails" -- the popular game/fundraiser the last person standing takes home a $500 prize. If you haven't played, you have at least watched, smiling as your colleagues, adorned with flashing pins, tried to decide whether to put their hands on their heads ("heads") or their rears ("tails"). A coin is flipped, heads or tails is called, and pins are turned off as players guess wrong. Every pin represents a $20 donation to Binc. The more pins a player is wearing, the longer they can stay in the game, but eventually only one person is left, still blinking.
By Andrea Richardson, 
SIBA 2019: Spartanburg Hosts High Energy Show
On Friday, SIBA offered a packed schedule of education sessions, including the SRO "Independent Bookstore Day: Celebrate with Success," "The Art of the Pitch: Handselling Books to Customers" and "Romancing the Indie Bookstore." The well-attended breakfasts, lunches and dinners showcased a range of authors and titles, but the standout was the Friday lunch featuring authors Julie Murphy (Dear Sweet Pea); Akilah Hughes (Obviously, Stories from My Timeline); Charlaine Harris (A Longer Fall); and Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal (I'm Not Dying with You Tonight). The authors hit it off so well in the green room earlier that they decided to skip the usual individual speeches and just talk to each other--and to the audience. The result was a charming, entertaining, hilarious performance that, in a way, encapsulated the SIBA experience: love and support for each other. -- Shelf Awareness
Scholarships make such a difference, creating the opportunity for stores to send one or more staff to the SIBA Discovery Show. Thanks to generous sponsors like UNC Press, Binc, Penguin Random House (Pat Conroy Scholarships), and Reba and Dave Williams, SIBA is able to help defray the costs of travel, lodging, meals and other expenses. The following booksellers share how attending #SIBA19 made a difference for them.
Wiley Cash, the New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind than Home, This Dark Road to Mercy, and The Last Ballad, has been selected to receive the 2020 Conroy Legacy Award. Created in honor of the example set by the beloved Southern author Pat Conroy, the Conroy Legacy Award recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community, demonstrated support for independent bookstores both in their own communities and in general, created written work that focuses significantly on their home place, and supported other writers, especially new and emerging writers. 
Pajama Party on Friday, September 13 at 10PM at Sparks After Hours!
Blog Home
All Blogs