Current Newsletter: In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Sol Johnson, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas
• Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
• Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
• Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida
• Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Krista Roach, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
• Nicole Tortoriello, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia
• Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Maddie Grimes, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
• Savannah Laughlin, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
• Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Lera Shawver, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Flora Arnsberger, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky
• Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

Book Buzz Feature: Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata
I have had relationships with humans, but I’ve also loved a lot of people in stories. I’ve been told by my doctor not to talk about this too much, but ever since I was a child, I’ve had 30 or 40 imaginary friends who live on a different star or planet with whom I have shared love and sexual experiences. ……Some say that the worlds I write about are dystopian, but a lot of people think that actually reality is worse… I’ve often felt love, obsession, desire, friendship, a kind of faith, or almost a prayer-like relationship with these men – and they’ve always been men, so it’s a heterosexual relationship – who live inside stories. With Vanishing World I was trying to create a place where it might be easier for people who find it difficult to live in this world.

―  Sayaka Murata, Interview, Guardian

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
My first Colleen Hoover read! I can definitely see where all the hype is with her novels. She does pull you in and stir up all the feels. It was entertaining, I thought the female lead character did not stand up for herself enough, and love triangles are always tricky. The most interesting part was learning how the hearing-impaired male lead was able to teach himself to play and write music. Can’t wait to read more of her books!
―Krista Roach, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: Just finished Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum. One of my favorite reads in a long time and one of the rare books to receive 5 out of 5 stars from my book club. As one member said, “This is the perfect book for now.” Just started The Reluctant Reaper by Mary Janice Davidson, a romantasy featuring Death’s daughter.
Listening: To what sounds like a bird sanctuary just beyond my office windows. Cicadas are emerging everywhere, and look forward to their unique song, as well.
Watching: Younger, set in the fictional publishing house, Empirical. I love the publishing backdrop to a story that centers ageism but addresses so much more, often with humor.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: Finally getting back into the second half of Oathbound by Tracy Deonn. Excited to return to this world and can't wait to see what happens to Bree!
Listening: Almost finished Iron Flame and I'm so tired of Violet and Xaden, lol.
Watching: The Studio, Seth Rogen's new show on AppleTV. It's a hilarious and fantastically written insider look at Hollywood.

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: On Strike Against God by Joanna Russ, because of what SP had to say about it. How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo, because one of my bookclub people just discovered it and made me want to revisit it. Katherine Mansfield's The Garden Party and Other Stories, because I want everyone else to read it.
Listening: The audiobook of Aednan was amazing, and I am now creating a shelf for "books to read and listen to at the same time." I can't wait to find the next book that deserves to be on that shelf.
Watching: The Sorceress (1988), directed by Suzanne Schiffman and produced by Pamela Berger. I seem to have a witchy theme to my movie picks lately.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I started a new book and before I had finished the first sentence, I knew it was not for me. What avid reader doesn't know that feeling? I happily returned to my recently arrived print copy of Joanna Russ's On Strike Against God from The Feminist Press, which is full of interviews and essays and letters not included in the epub version.
Listening: This week, I've mainly been listening to myself mutter while getting winter catalog orders open for booksellers. Consider this a plug to order your catalogs now! But reading Joanna Russ has made me intensely nostalgic for the 1970s (yes, I am THAT old), so that's been the music of choice since 9 a.m. Monday. Also CMAT's new song "Running/Planning" from her upcoming album EURO-COUNTRY.
Watching: The new version of What Not to Wear, retitled Wear Whatever the F You Want, has been my lunchtime viewing. It's obnoxiously product-placementy, but everyone does seem to be in a much better mood about the whole thing. Also, not so many statement necklaces and slingbacks.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I just finished The Scammer by Tiffany Jackson. It's inspired by a real creepy crime and of course she did a fabulous job with it.
Listening: My sweet little weirdo kitty nursing on her favorite blanket next to me. I'm trying to figure out how to take her to work with me for the day.
Watching: The Four Seasons, aka The Big Chill for Gen X. I loved the cast and it was great, despite a very unexpected ending.

SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER LIST
For the week ending 4/27/2025

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

Current Newsletter: A month of celebration

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama
• Athena Palmer, Shelf Life Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
• Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Bianca Eckhoff, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Andrew Preston, Coffee Tree Books in Morehead, Kentucky
• Stacey Schwartz, Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Boca Raton, Florida
• Sol Johnson, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Holly Kitchings, Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama
• Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
• Beth Bissmeyer, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
• Susan Williams, M Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
• Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Catherine Pabalate, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• VaLinda Payne-Miller, Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek, South Carolina
• Sam Conners, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
• Asia Harden, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

Book Buzz Feature: Dear Bookstore by Emily Arrow
In every place I’ve lived bookstores have been the first places to feel like home—especially Parnassus Books in Nashville, where I led weekly storytime sing-alongs for years, and Green Bean Books in Portland, Ore., where I spent countless hours soaking in the magic of a truly community-centered shop. Bookstores are havens for readers, writers, and dreamers who crave“discovery, community, and belonging. Dear Bookstore is my love letter to them.

―  Emily Arrow, Interview, Publishers Weekly

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
A modern high school rom-com in signature Albertalli fashion. As the fall musical approaches, Kate and her best friend, Anderson, want nothing more than to finally have their time in the spotlight. However, complications arise when their communal summer crush transfers to Roswell High and auditions for the musical. A dramatic and humorous coming-of-age tale centered around first crushes and the relationships that matter most. Kate in Waiting is sure to deliver all the warm and fuzzy feelings.
―Asia Harden, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

Early bird pricing for the 2025 New Voices New Rooms conference may be over, but financial assistance may still be available both for the conference and for other bookseller development. May is "Scholarship Season" as many of the available grants have deadlines this month.

Upcoming deadlines:

5/15: BIPOC Booksellers Development Scholarship

5/15: George Keating Memorial Scholarship

5/15: NVNR Travel Grant Applications Close

5/15: Janet Geddis Scholarship

5/20: Macmillan Professional Development Scholarship

Also of note: The application deadline for Books Across Borders fellowships for the Fall 2025–Spring 2026 season has been extended to May 16. Booksellers interested in diverse and international literature and in fostering relationships with the international literary community are encouraged to apply. Strong consideration is given to booksellers who demonstrate a history of reading and promoting international literature, and who communicate a kinship with Books Across Borders’s mission and values. Previous fair partners have included Frankfurt Book Fair, FIL Guadalajara, RISE Bookselling, and Salone Libro (Turin). Fellows are chosen by the Books Across Borders Board of Directors. Questions can be sent to info@booksacrossborders.com.

See the Scholarships List

Two years ago SIBA hosted a webinar for booksellers on supporting trans staff in their stores. The event was held in response to what was then the rising number of book banning attempts targeting LGBTQ2SIA titles, and attacks and protests of bookstore events such as Drag Queen story times or readings by queer authors.

Two years later, the situation has changed, and not for the better. So this year SIBA held another event, focused specifically on the practical things bookstore owners can do to support their at risk staff.

Candice Huber, owner of Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana and SIBA’s Member Relations Coordinator, moderated the discussion with Philomena Polefrone, Associate Director of American Booksellers for Free Expression, the free expression initiative of the American Booksellers Association, and E. R. Anderson, Executive Director of Charis Circle, the 501c3 non-profit programming arm of Charis Books in Decatur, Georgia.

"How you treat one employee becomes your de facto employment policy for all employees." -E.R. Anderson

One of the first things the panelists pointed out is that the policies stores create to protect and support trans employees come from the same source of love and care they hold for any staff person in any struggle they face, be it being trans, or an immigrant, or disabled, or poor. One of the first and best things store owners can do is ask themselves "what policies would make it easiest for my employees to...get paid? receive their health insurance? update their personal information? be respected?"

Some suggestions from panelists:

• Limit the amount of information about your employees you report to the government. Only fill out paperwork that is legally necessary. Look at your local city laws, your state laws, and your federal laws around what must be reported on about a given employee, and do the least.
  
  
• Revisit store hiring policies. Are background checks necessary? Can your reference requests be more generous? A more human hiring process can lead to better employee retention.
  
  
• Be flexible in scheduling. Employees may need extra time to complete basic things like updating their Real ID or changing their personal information on a lease or rental agreement.
  
  
• Check your store health insurance policy for gender-affirming care, hormone replacement therapy and especially coverage for mental health needs. Be open with your staff about what your store can and can't afford to cover. Keep a list of local hospitals or urgent care facilities that are safe for your employees.
  
  
• Stay informed about the issues, including local and national laws, facing your staff. Reach out to local groups for help in navigating local and state laws. Look for LGBTQ centers and business associations, and your local chapter of the ACLU.

Panelists also discussed how store owners and managers can advocate for gender diverse staff in their own communities, in-store and online safety plans and basic steps to avoid or manage online harassment, and some basic advice on using pronouns and correcting mistakes.

Watch the recording of the full discussion (requires member login)

Resources mentioned:

https://www.aclu.org/ (local chapters)
Lambda Legal
The Transgender Law Center
Suggested Reading List from Charis Books (includes many lists for transgender books)

Resources from the ABA (may require login):

• How to Support Staff Impacted by Recent Anti-LGBTQIA2S+ Actions
• Travel Tips and Resources for LGBTQIA2S+ & Immigrant Wi2025 Attendees
• The ABA Right to Read Toolkit
• Planning a Secure Drag Story Time Event
• 6 Steps to Help Deal with Curation Protests
• Training Staff to Deal with Curation Challenges
• If your free expression is challenged, call the ABFE Hotline at 914-406-7534 for advice or support!

A Digital Catalog User Guide is now available for bookstores participating in the RAMP Indie Summer Reading Guide program. If your store requested an online digital catalog page, you will find instructions for linking and specially-created QR codes and website buttons to use for in store signage and on your store website. Also included is a tip sheet for promoting digital catalog pages both in the store and online, in concert with any plans you have for using your printed Indie Summer Reading Guides in your store.

The digital catalog pages are an important element in extending the reach of the store's catalogs to new audiences. Whatever promotions you have in place for your print Indie Summer Reading Guides, RAMP has provided a full suite of online and printable assets to integrate online marketing and promotion into your marketing plans.

Download the User Guide | More Summer Reading Guide Resources

There are only a few spots still available for the 2025 NVNR Publicity Speed Dating event on May 28. Demand has been high, so SIBA has enabled a wait list for stores, in case of any cancelations.

One of the most common reasons stores cancel their reservation is because they do not have their publicity kits ready. A store publicity kit is required to participate, and is not only shared during each store's presentation at the event, but also sent to all the participating publicists for their files. Having a good publicity kit is a vital first step in developing a robust store events program.

SIBA has a created a gallery of store publicity kits from past publicity speed dating events for bookstores to use as a reference when creating their own. Note, however, for the 2025 NVNR Publicity Speed Dating event, store publicity kits need to be in PDF form, no more than two pages long.

SIBA is also hosting "Practice Pitch Sessions" bookstores. Stores are invited to make their pitches to SIBA staff and get feedback on what they can do to improve their presentation.

Practice sessions will be held on SIBA's Discord server on May 13th and May 14th, from 10 AM to 12 PM, and 1 PM to 3 PM.

Email Candice Huber at candice@sibaweb.com to schedule a practice session.

Current Newsletter: Celebrate Indie Spirit on Independent Bookstore Day (and Week)

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
• Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
• Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia
• Laura Cotten, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
• Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Anna Taleysnik-Mehta, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia
• Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
• Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Catherine Pabalate, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
• Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Book Buzz Feature: Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones
It’s easy to root for people who make the same choices you do. I think the metaphor I use in the book is it’s harder to be the person standing on the shore when you thought you were going to be the person on the boat or on the plane. I thought I was going to be the leaver, and instead I had to be the one who threw the goodbye parties. And I’m grateful for that. It taught me some really important lessons about being happy for people, even when the choices they make are different from your own. And you really have to be content in your contentedness in order to root for and support the people who leave. And I do think it’s important that you do that, because the conclusion I have reached in my almost 40 years is we all will do both. We are not all going to stay all the time and we’re not all going to leave all the time. It’s both. And so, I currently sit in a seat of staying, but I also have left beloved institutions. I have left relationships. And so, that’s the other side is, I hope I’m learning lessons from my friends who have left. They have something to teach me too.

―  Annie B. Jones, Interview, Emily Freeman | The Next Right Thing Podcast

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Gender Queer is Maia Kobabe’s autobiography about eir journey to identifying as nonbinary and asexual, and coming out to eir family and society. I devoured this book in one sitting. Usually, I struggle with graphic novels because my brain has a hard time processing images and words at the same time, but this was so seamless and gorgeously put together that I flew through it with no trouble at all! I laughed, I teared up, and most of all, I learned. As a heterosexual, cis-gender person, I can never fully understand what it’s like to identify as anyone else. But Kobabe’s memoir is so honest and vulnerable that I feel I’ve come that much closer to understanding. Gender Queer deals with so many issues that every young person goes through in life, no matter how they identify. Things like dealing with body hair that shows up during puberty, figuring out who you are and what you want in your friendships and relationships, how to say no in uncomfortable situations, self-acceptance, and how to express yourself. But it also deals with topics that we need to talk about more – like gender dysphoria, coming out, and using proper pronouns. It’s an essential read for everyone – whether you’re looking for beautiful representation or a path to learn more about our nonbinary and asexual friends. Gender Queer is an award-winning book for a reason! I can’t recommend this book highly enough..
―Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

SIBA Bookstores participating in the Indie Summer Reading Guide catalog program now have a wealth of resources and marketing assets available to help make the most of the catalog's potential to increase sales and bring in new customers.

The resource page includes graphics to be used in newsletters, on Bookshop, and in social media. There are printable designs for flyers, bookmarks, and shelf talkers. Not to mention some handy guides with tips from other booksellers on how they use the catalogs in their stores.

See what's available

Coming soon: Participating stores will receive links to their digital catalog along with code snippets for embedding on store websites and QR codes to be used for in-store and real world signage.