Happy Pride Month! If you’re looking for some new titles to add to your TBR stack or NEED to tell anyone who will listen about the great book you just read, this is the place to be. Two librarians will share some of their fave LGBTQ+ books, and you’ll share yours, and we’ll all walk away with tons of new ideas for what to read next. Snacks and giveaways will be part of the program, so come ready.

“Amy’s story is a rich mix of courage, grace, persistence, and most important, love. This is a book to treasure.” —Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president, Emerson Collective

“So many people are in pain these days, enduring hard times, facing challenges. They are wondering, ‘How do I do this?’ Amy Low is the perfect guide.” —David Brooks, New York Times columnist and bestselling author

About the Book

This honest and emotional memoir presents much needed lessons and advice for navigating uncertainty in the worst of times.

Amy Low resides in a room that is her last—her medical team is clear-eyed with her: there is no cure for Stage IV metastatic colon cancer, and the odds of long-term survival are scant. Miraculously, she’s lived four years with her diagnosis, and that life between life has changed her.

Through the swirl of prolonged trauma and unbearable grief, a vantage point emerged—a window that showed her the way to relish life and be kinder to herself and others while living through the inevitable loss and heartbreak that crosses everyone’s paths. Instead of viewing joy and sorrow as opposites, she saw how both exist in harmony, full of mystery and surprise. Instead of seeing days as succeeding or failing, and physical selves as healthy or unwell, she’s learned to carry both achievements and afflictions in stride. And instead of bitterness and betrayal, forgiveness—toward her body, toward others, toward herself—became her wisest light.

Mapping her experiences to the words that St. Paul wrote in his own last room, The Brave In-Between is a sacred invitation to explore that space between triumph and tragedy. We all have a heart to marvel at miracles, a lightness to spot the absurdity, and an imagination to pause and extend empathy for others—even when tragedy strikes. Sometimes we just need a guide.

About the Author

Amy Low has been a storyteller all her life. She grew up in and continues to live life through parables and metaphors. She sees her life as an invitation to discovering the new every day and even records some of these discoveries in her Substack, Postcards from the Mountain. As the managing director for fellowships and nonprofit journalism at the Emerson Collective, she directs efforts to empower individuals and newsrooms to strengthen our shared conversation in the public square. Most important, Amy is mom to Connor and Lucy. Her proudest achievement is raising a son and daughter who are unafraid, grateful, and curious, whether in class, at home, on stage, and especially in the band.

Celebrate the release of Mindy Friddle’s new book, Her Best Self — a Southern fiction, psychological tale of deception. Meet with us at the bookshop on Wednesday, June 12th at 6 PM. Mindy Friddle will be in-conversation with Hub City Press author Michelle Stone.

This event is free and open to the public. Get a 10% discount on Her Best Self when you RSVP and purchase your copy of the book on Eventbrite!

Katherine Center and SCPL have a big thing in common: we both want you to read for the joy of reading. To celebrate her latest novel, “The Rom-Commers,” the Queen of Comfort Reads will be in Spartanburg to talk about her new book, what it means to read for the sake of reading, and how she develops happy endings.

As part of this event, SCPL is giving away copies of “The Rom-Commers” to the first 100 people who arrive for the event. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Fiction Addiction will be on hand to sell copies of Center’s substantial backlist of novels.

There was nothing like the elementary school book fair – the smell of new books in the air, the rush of racing your friends to find the next installment of your favorite series, and, if you were lucky, the crinkle of money from Mom in your pocket.

Life felt so much easier back then, didn’t it? Don’t you find yourself wishing from time to time that you could just go back?

You can – but we’re doing it grown-up style.

Don’t miss our Boozy Book Fair at RJ Rockers (226 W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306 ) on Sunday, June 23rd from 1-3pm!

We will have STICKERS!!! as well as books for everyone and every interest:

-Geeks and Gamers

-Myths and Fairy Tales

-Gothic and Ghastly

-Happy Endings

-Romantasy

-Read the Rainbow

-Bookclub Picks

-Celebrate the South

-Nonfiction

-Whodunnits & Thrillers

-Father’s Day Ideas

-Criminally Good Reads

-The Birds and the Bees

…and much much more!

This event is FREE and open to the public, so bring your friends! Be sure to RSVP so we have the booze + books ready – we can’t wait to see you there.

When her mother goes missing, a young woman uncovers the secrets beneath her protected community.
The women asked: How are they safe?
And Tamsen Nightingale said: In this red grove, no woman can be harmed. No violence may come upon her. No injury to her flesh from the flesh of another.
―The Story of the Sisters, Welcoming Incantation

The Red Grove is a special place, protected. Some say a spell was cast by the community’s founder, Tamsen Nightingale. Some say the mountain lions who stalk the nearby hills guard its mysteries and its people. Some say the mighty redwoods keep them safe.

Yet Luce’s mother, Gloria, has gone missing. A man came seeking answers among the Red Grove’s mysteries―a connection to the beyond―and died. And then Gloria vanished. The Red Grove is Luce’s whole world. She is devoted to its mission, its rituals and myths. But she knows that her mother, frustrated free spirit though she might be, wouldn’t just leave without a word, wouldn’t leave her little brother, Roo, and especially their aunt Gem, whose care in that suspended state of everdream depends on Gloria in every way. But as Luce tries to figure out what has happened to her mother, she discovers that this special place is not what it seems and that protection comes at a cost.

The debut novel by the acclaimed author of The Electric Woman, Tessa Fontaine’s The Red Grove is an exploration of the legacies of violence, the price of safety, and the choices we make to protect what we love.

About the Author

Tessa Fontaine is the author of The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-defuing Acts, a New York Times Editors’ Choice; Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick, and best book of 2018 by Southern Living, Refinery29, Amazon Editors’, and The New York Post. Other writing can be found in Outside online, The New York Times, Glamour, AGNI, The Believer, LitHub, Creative Nonfiction, and more. Raised outside San Francisco, Tessa is a former professor and has taught in jails and prisons for five years. She co-founded and teaches the Accountability Workshops with writer and pal Annie Hartnett, and lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, goofy dog and sassy cat. The Red Grove is her first novel.

About the in-conversation Partner

Eric Kocher, assistant professor of environmental studies at Wofford College, explores domestic encounters with planetary forces, and his writing on the topic has appeared in a variety of national publications. In the classroom, he works to help students understand how environmental ideas from literature, art, film and digital media shape our treatment of the environments in which we live.

There was nothing like the elementary school book fair – the smell of new books in the air, the rush of racing your friends to find the next installment of your favorite series, and, if you were lucky, the crinkle of money from Mom in your pocket.

Life felt so much easier back then, didn’t it? Don’t you find yourself wishing from time to time that you could just go back?

This July you can – but we’re doing it grown-up style.

Don’t miss our Boozy Book Fair at Fireforge (311 E Washington St, Greenville, SC 29601) on Sunday, July 28th from 1-3pm!

This year, Fire Forge will be collecting school supplies to donate them to kids in need. In addition to our usual adult bookfair categories, we’ll also be bringing a collection of fun pens, pencils, and erasers! And our children book’s will include classics and history series like I Survive, Nathan Hale, and History Smashers.

Categories will include:

-Geeks and Gamers

-Myths and Fairy Tales

-Gothic and Ghastly

-Happy Endings

-Romantasy

-Southern Reads

-Read the Rainbow

-Bookclub Picks

-Whodunits & Suspense

-Nonfiction

-Children’s Books

…and much much more!

This event is FREE and open to the public, so bring your friends! Be sure to RSVP so we have the booze + books ready – we can’t wait to see you there.

Join us for a discussion of “Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story” by Max Marshall. Copies of the book are available the month before the discussion at the Multimedia & Fiction desk at the Headquarters Library.

Tired of your old books? Trade them in for some new ones. Bring your gently used books to the Library and swap them with other readers. Take one book home for each book you bring to trade.

“Amy’s story is a rich mix of courage, grace, persistence, and most important, love. This is a book to treasure.” —Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president, Emerson Collective

“So many people are in pain these days, enduring hard times, facing challenges. They are wondering, ‘How do I do this?’ Amy Low is the perfect guide.” —David Brooks, New York Times columnist and bestselling author

About the Book

This honest and emotional memoir presents much needed lessons and advice for navigating uncertainty in the worst of times.

Amy Low resides in a room that is her last—her medical team is clear-eyed with her: there is no cure for Stage IV metastatic colon cancer, and the odds of long-term survival are scant. Miraculously, she’s lived four years with her diagnosis, and that life between life has changed her.

Through the swirl of prolonged trauma and unbearable grief, a vantage point emerged—a window that showed her the way to relish life and be kinder to herself and others while living through the inevitable loss and heartbreak that crosses everyone’s paths. Instead of viewing joy and sorrow as opposites, she saw how both exist in harmony, full of mystery and surprise. Instead of seeing days as succeeding or failing, and physical selves as healthy or unwell, she’s learned to carry both achievements and afflictions in stride. And instead of bitterness and betrayal, forgiveness—toward her body, toward others, toward herself—became her wisest light.

Mapping her experiences to the words that St. Paul wrote in his own last room, The Brave In-Between is a sacred invitation to explore that space between triumph and tragedy. We all have a heart to marvel at miracles, a lightness to spot the absurdity, and an imagination to pause and extend empathy for others—even when tragedy strikes. Sometimes we just need a guide.

About the Author

Amy Low has been a storyteller all her life. She grew up in and continues to live life through parables and metaphors. She sees her life as an invitation to discovering the new every day and even records some of these discoveries in her Substack, Postcards from the Mountain. As the managing director for fellowships and nonprofit journalism at the Emerson Collective, she directs efforts to empower individuals and newsrooms to strengthen our shared conversation in the public square. Most important, Amy is mom to Connor and Lucy. Her proudest achievement is raising a son and daughter who are unafraid, grateful, and curious, whether in class, at home, on stage, and especially in the band.

There was nothing like the elementary school book fair – the smell of new books in the air, the rush of racing your friends to find the next installment of your favorite series, and, if you were lucky, the crinkle of money from Mom in your pocket.

Life felt so much easier back then, didn’t it? Don’t you find yourself wishing from time to time that you could just go back?

You can – but we’re doing it grown-up style.

Don’t miss our Boozy Book Fair at The Southern Growl (155 N Buncombe Rd, Greer, SC 29651) on Sunday, July 14th from 1-3pm!

We will have STICKERS!!! as well as books for everyone and every interest:

-Geeks and Gamers

-Myths and Fairy Tales

-Gothic and Ghastly

-Happy Endings

-Romantasy

-Read the Rainbow

-Bookclub Picks

-Celebrate the South

-Nonfiction

-Whodunnits & Thrillers

-Ready for the Olympics?

-Criminally Good Reads

-Kids

-Nature

-Sidelines

…and much much more!

This event is FREE and open to the public, so bring your friends! Be sure to RSVP so we have the booze + books ready – we can’t wait to see you there.

We’re reading “Karthik Delivers.” The first 20 children, ages 10 -12 to sign up will receive a free copy of the book to keep, along with some fun book swag. Join us in person in the Barrett Room at the Headquarters Library for a live discussion of the book.

Join us for a night full of authors and conversations! Snowden Wright and Leona Sevick will be in conversation with Hub City Press author George Singleton about their new books “Queen City Detective Agency” (Wright) and “The Bamboo Wife” (Sevick). Meet us at the Bookshop on August 29th at 6 p.m. This is a free event open for anyone to join.

Save your seat when you RSVP and get a 10% discount on the books when you purchase through Eventbrite.

About Queen City Detective Agency

Following an unforgettable cast of characters and a jaded female P.I. enmeshed in a criminal conspiracy in 1980s Mississippi, The Queen City Detective Agency is a riveting, razor-sharp Southern noir that unravels the greed, corruption, and racism at the heart of the American Dream.

Meridian, Mississippi—once known as the Queen City for its status in the state—has lost much of its royal bearing by 1985. Overshadowed by more prosperous cities such as New Orleans and Atlanta, Meridian attracts less-than-legitimate businesses, including those enforced by the near-mythical Dixie Mafia. The city’s powerbrokers, wealthy white Southerners clinging to their privilege, resent any attempt at change to the old order.

Real-estate developer Randall Hubbard took advantage of Meridian’s economic decline by opening strip malls that catered to low-income families in Black neighborhoods—until he wound up at the business end of a .38 Special. Then a Dixie Mafia affiliate named Lewis “Turnip” Coogan, who claims Hubbard’s wife hired him for the hit, dies under suspicious circumstances while in custody for the murder.

Ex-cop turned private investigator Clementine Baldwin is hired by Coogan’s bereaved mother to find her son’s killer. A woman struggling with her own history growing up in Mississippi, Clem braves the Queen City’s corridors of crime as she digs into the case, opening wounds long forgotten. She soon finds herself in the crosshairs of powerful and dangerous people who manipulate the law for their own ends—and will kill anyone who threatens to reveal their secrets.

About The Bamboo Wife

Leona Sevick’s The Bamboo Wife captures the experiences of an imperfect woman held up against the standard of “good” wife and mother. Sevick is a master of metaphor and imagery, depicting, for example, a mother as a kraken. In the sea creature’s words, “It takes a hard-ass woman to raise her young.” Every poem is wrought with precise description and emotion. We get nature as well as some location-based poems orienting us in Korea. There is anger and sadness, “the animal need to run in all directions at once,” and family trauma both past and present. This trauma is inflicted on the speaker as a child and to some degree perpetuated through her own parenting. The collection asks the reader to provide space in poetry for a woman trying to do her best for her own and others’ sake, for one who has “made bad decisions and lived.” Every poem is necessary, and Sevick makes each word count. Honesty carries this collection through her speaker’s good, bad, and ugly moments. It takes courage for someone to say, “there’s no mistake I haven’t made.”

About Snowden Wright

Born and raised in Mississippi, Snowden Wright is the author of American Pop, a Wall Street
Journal WSJ+ Book of the Month and NPR Best Book of the Year. He has written for The
Atlantic, Salon, Esquire, The Millions, and the New York Daily News, among other publications,
and previously worked as a fiction reader at The New Yorker, Esquire, and The Paris Review.
Wright was a Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellow at the Carson McCullers Center, and his
small-press debut, Play Pretty Blues, received the Summer Literary Seminar’s Graywolf Prize.
He lives in Yazoo County, Mississippi.

About Leona Sevick

Leona Sevick’s recent work appears in Orion, Birmingham Poetry Review, Blackbird, The Southern Review, and The Sun. Leona serves on the advisory board of the Furious Flower Black Poetry Center and is provost and professor of English at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where she teaches Asian American literature. She is the 2017 Press 53 Poetry Award Winner for her first full-length book of poems, Lion Brothers. The Bamboo Wife is her second book of poems.

About George Singleton

George Singleton has published ten collections of stories, two novels, a book of writing advice,
and a collection of essays. His stories have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Story,
One Story, Playboy, the Georgia Review, Zoetrope, Subtropics, and elsewhere. His personal
essays have appeared in Garden and Gun, Bark, Best American Food Writing, Oxford American, and elsewhere He’s received a Pushcart, and a Guggenheim fellowship. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, he lives in South Carolina.