From the Land of SIBAA message from SIBA to its membership
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First Things First...
8/7: Deadline to place your holiday catalog order (here)
8/11: Reader Meet Writer: Kim Powers, Rules for Being Dead
8/12: B3! Webinar: 7 Strategies to be more Time Efficient (RSVP)
8/13: Reader Meet Writer, Southern Edition: Sarah M. Broom, The Yellow House 8/15: Deadline to register for New Voices New Rooms to receive Show Box
8/18: Reader Meet Writer: Adam Rutherford, How to Argue With a Racist
8/20: Reader Meet Writer: Justin A. Reynolds, Early Departures
8/27: Reader Meet Writer, Southern Edition: Heather Bell Adams, The Good Luck Stone
8/29: Independent Bookstore Day (more info)
2020 has been a challenging year, to say the least. But if there is a silver lining to be found it is perhaps that so many bookstores have risen to that challenge, finding new and creative ways to stay in business and serve their communities.
Organizations like SIBA and NAIBA have also had to become creative and innovative in order to serve their member bookstores. Creativity and innovation are the driving forces behind New Voices New Rooms: the joint SIBA/NAIBA virtual show.
Eileen Dengler, the Executive Director of NAIBA, and Linda-Marie Barrett, the Executive Director of SIBA, came together to harness the resources of both organizations in order to produce a virtual event that would go above and beyond in meeting the needs of their member stores. They recently sat down together (on video, of course, from their own respective offices) to talk about New Voices New Rooms, its challenges and some of the hopes they have for the event.
What are your roles at New Voices New Rooms?
Eileen: Linda-Marie and I are working (virtually) shoulder-to-shoulder to create the programming, fill the exhibit hall, and dream up fun events for all who wish to be part of this great bookselling community.
Linda-Marie: We want to create programming that’s compelling and meaningful for everyone involved: booksellers, authors, publishers, and vendors. We intend to curate each event carefully to make some virtual magic. Just you wait and see :)
What are some of your goals for this event?
Eileen: I want this virtual event to reach the booksellers and publishers who felt an in-person meeting was either hard to attend because of time or money constraints, or who didn't know about this community of booksellers and publishers. A community that champions and cheers each other, and lends a helping hand and sage advice so everyone succeeds.
Linda-Marie: To that end, we are crafting events that offer booksellers things they expect and need from a tradeshow and things they might not have thought of or expect from a virtual show: A fun and productive experience that inspires. Insider info about books and gifts that they can use to handsell with great success. Education they can take action on immediately. Connections with publishers and vendors that enhance their businesses. Opportunities to engage with each other and network. Meaningful communication is a high priority for New Voices New Rooms.
Events and buyer contact info: Arrylee Satterfield/VaLinda Miller
Number of years as a bookseller: 6
Best part about being a bookseller?: New Books
What book(s) are you reading?:The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel; Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis and Mike D'Orso; The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson; This is my America by Kim Johnson; Bookmarked for Murder by V.M. Burns
Favorite handsell of 2020: All of V.M. Burns' Mystery Bookshop series, Hannibal B. Johnson's Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District), and JoJo Moyes' The Giver of Stars
Best thing you did this year at your store in response to Covid? Hired a company to come in two or three times a week to sanitize the store. Ensure staff and myself wear masks. Blessed to have emergency funds available to cover expenses and blessed that I was able to telework for my full-time job.
What are some ways you work with your community? Joined the political arena to understand the needs of the community. Involved in Race talks with the mayor and the community. Provide free books with an apple or healthy snacks for kids. Volunteer for Charleston County Library. Board member of the Friends of the SC Library. Yearly Bring Your Child to Work Day.
Do you have any community partners you work with regularly? Not on a regular basis. Only when needed.
Do you have passions that carry over into your bookselling life? The love generated by my grandmother (She had to drop out of school when she was 14 years old) who walked me to my first library because she knew Rep. John Lewis and other blacks were denied a library card. Rep. John Lewis, as was my grandmother, was told that libraries were for whites only and she was powerfully determined to see that I got a library card and read every book in that library. Those librarians took me in their heart and when I would walk without my grandmother, having gone without food for that day, they fed me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I will always for the rest of my life thank them for feeding me books and food. It's my passion in life to continue to support all independent bookstores and libraries and provide food and books for kids.
What e-commerce platform are you using, and why did you choose it? Square and Go-Daddy. I use them because they are cheap and I have lots of computer geek friends who can help me.
Top priority for 2020/2021: Save for one year of expenses. Open a second bookstore. Continue working my full-time job. Have more virtual signings. Improve website. Improve social media. Work more in the political arena.
Favorite SIBA programming benefit: SIBA Discovery Show
Kim Powers is a two-time Emmy winner and author of the novels Dig Two Graves and Capote in Kansas, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir The History of Swimming, a Barnes & Noble Discover Book and Lambda Literary Award finalist for Best Memoir of the Year. He also wrote the screenplay for the festival-favorite indie film Finding North and the new play Sidekicked, a “one broad comedy” about Vivian Vance. Powers is the Senior Writer for ABC's 20/20, part of the team that has received an unprecedented three consecutive Edward R. Murrow Awards. A native Texan, he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. In 2007, he was selected by Out Magazine for the influential "Out 100" list. He lives in Manhattan and Asbury Park, NJ.
In the words of the New York Times, Louis Bayard “reinvigorates historical fiction,” rendering the past "as if he'd witnessed it firsthand." His acclaimed historical novels include national bestseller Courting Mr. Lincoln, Roosevelt's Beast, The School of Night, The Black Tower, The Pale Blue Eye and Mr. Timothy, as well as the highly praised young-adult novel, Lucky Strikes. A New York Times Notable author, he has been nominated for both the Edgar and Dagger awards, and his story, “Banana Triangle Six,” was chosen for The Best American Mystery Stories 2018. His reviews and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Salon. An instructor at George Washington University, he is a board member for the PEN Faulkner Foundation and the author of the popular Downton Abbeyrecaps for the New York Times.
Winner of the 2019 National Book Award in Nonfiction, Sarah M. Broom has also published her work in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Oxford American, and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others. A native New Orleanian, she earned her Masters in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She has been awarded a Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant, and fellowships at Djerassi Resident Artists Program and The MacDowell Colony. She lives in Harlem.
Imani Perry is the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and a faculty associate with the Programs in Law and Public Affairs, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Jazz Studies. She is the author of six books, including her most recent book Breathe: A Letter to My Sons (Beacon Press, 2019) which was a finalist for the 2020 Chautauqua Prize and a finalist for the NAACP Image Award for Excellence in Nonfiction.
Read more about SIBA's Circle of Sites Program (aka the "banner for dues" program) and find out whether your store is eligible to participate and receive free membership dues.
Read This! Highest Rated Reviews from SIBA Booksellers
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.
Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan
August, 2020
Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield,
Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
On Edelweiss
Half memoir and half kitchen narrative, this is the story of Donovan's reckoning with her past as she struggles to make her way in a male-dominated food scene. Her writing is tight and engaging, and her description of pastry is particularly mouth-watering. Nashville foodies and home bakers, this is a must-read for you.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
August, 2020
Reviewed by Nannette Matthews, Story on the Square, McDonough, GA On Edelweiss
Paola Santiago is the heroine middle reader books desperately need. Raised by a superstitious Latina mother, Paola just doesn't buy into the Mexican folklore until her best friend goes missing into a totally different world. Follow Paola on her journey as she not only conquers mythical creatures but confronts social injustice.
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
August, 2020
Reviewed by Christy Rogers, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA On Edelweiss
An interesting read for long-time mystery fans. Pavesi takes a magnifying glass to the genre, breaking down every book into a formula that can be morphed into dozens of permutations. But, this novel in stories isn't about math - it's about the beauty of mysteries in their own individual right. Even if you know the characters involved, you never really can see what's coming. Readers love a good twist, and The Eighth Detective is full of them, down to the very last page.
The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
August, 2020
Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop, Mobile, AL On Edelweiss
I absolutely loved this ghostly Malaysian middle grade about both sides of the power of friendship--jealousy and love. What kid hasn’t wished a swarm of mosquitoes on the group of kids that make fun off their too-short pants or holey shoes? Suraya actually, when her grandmother's dark spirit pelesit, Pink, feels the need to protect her from schoolhouse taunts. What starts off innocent enough turns scary as Suraya quickly sees how dangerous a pelesit can be and how dark jealousy can twist. When Pink goes too far (and it was pretty scary psychological stuff), Suraya goes to her mother for help and help arrives in the form of the pawang, eager to add a pelesit to his command. So Suraya, her Star Wars-loving bestie Jing, and Pink start off on a journey to discover how her grandmother actually created Pink and it’s an ending I did not see coming, it was so absolutely perfect.
What you need to know NOW for Independent Bookstore Day
All IBD orders are shipping from Ingram's TN warehouse THIS WEEK. Depending on your location, you should receive them this week or next.
You can display the exclusives at any time, but you may not sell them until August 29. Please do not hold items for customers in advance of the day.
We have some overages. You can add to your order by contacting your Ingram Rep. ASAP. Some items are extremely limited and sales are first-come-first served. The following items are Sold Out: WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE, DRAGON HOOPS PRINT.
There is a Bookstore Day ROUNDTABLE discussion sponsored by CALIBA on Monday, August 10 at 4pm (PST) 7pm (EST). Join us for an exchange of ideas on how to throw an IBD party during Covid-19, how to get the word out, and more. RSVP HERE. It's free.
Seeking Volunteers for New Voices New Rooms SIBA is seeking booksellers and other SIBA members willing to volunteer at New Voices New Rooms. Help is needed to run events, monitor chat rooms, and manage attendee questions, among other tasks. Be a part of a great new venture and part of the reason NVNR is a gold standard virtual event. Email lindamarie@sibaweb.com.
1. Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens, Putnam, $26, 9780735219090
2. The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett, Riverhead Books, $27, 9780525536291
3. The Order Daniel Silva, Harper, $28.99, 9780062834843
4. 28 Summers Elin Hilderbrand, Little, Brown, $28, 9780316420044
5. The Guest List Lucy Foley, Morrow, $27.99, 9780062868930
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Too Much and Never Enough Mary L. Trump, Ph.D., S&S, $28, 9781982141462
2. How to Be an Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi, One World, $27, 9780525509288
3. Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir Natasha Trethewey, Ecco, $27.99, 9780062248572
4. Begin Again Eddie S. Glaude, Crown, $27, 9780525575320
5. The Answer Is . . . Alex Trebek, S&S, $26, 9781982157999
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
Supporting independent bookstores in the South
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
Thank you for your interest in SIBA,
Nicki Leone
SysAdmin nicki@sibaweb.com
THANKS TO OUR INKREADIBLE SPONSORS:
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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Name: VaLinda Miller 
Kim Powers & Louis Bayard, Sarah M. Broom & Imani Perry
Tue Aug 11th 5:00pm - 6:00pm 
In the words of the 
Thu Aug 13th 7:00pm 
Imani Perry is the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and a faculty associate with the Programs in Law and Public Affairs, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Jazz Studies. She is the author of six books, including her most recent book Breathe: A Letter to My Sons (Beacon Press, 2019) which was a finalist for the 2020 Chautauqua Prize and a finalist for the NAACP Image Award for Excellence in Nonfiction.
Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
