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Join us at Mugs on October 28th

October 23, 2020 by


Chapter Members, join us LIVE for our
GREAT GROUP READS BOOKCLUB MEETUP
Wednesday, October 28th, 7:00pm
Mugs Coffee, 5126 Park Rd, Charlotte

 

Please rsvp if you wish to attend.

RSVP HERE

Great Group Reads List 

 

Our first live event since March, we are getting together to pick the book club choices for December 2020 to September 2021. GGR Chair Kristen Knox will give an informative run-down of the newest Great Group reads list, which will be the basis of all titles for the calendar. We’ll decide what books to read and when.

 

WHAT IS GREAT GROUP READS?
Great Group Reads (GGR) is an initiative started by WNBA National in 2009. Books chosen are a resource for book clubs, reading groups, bookstores and libraries.

Titles for GGR are selected on the basis of their appeal to reading groups for whom they are certain to open up lively conversations about an array of timely and provocative topics. The Selection Committee focuses attention on under-represented books from independent presses and mid- list releases from larger houses. Titles were submitted by over 100 publishers–20 books were chosen.


WHAT ARE THE 2020 TITLES?
There were 20 titles selected, in the genres of fiction, short stories and memoir. The following is the exact list, to see descriptions, go to the 2020 GGR PAGE on the national website, or the WNBA Bookshop page  

 

Anna Eva Mimi Adam by Marina Antropow Cramer
The Beauty of Her Face by Sahar Mustafah
The Bitch by Pilar Quintana, Lisa Dillman (Translator)
Continental Divide by Alex Myers
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Godshot by Chelsea Bieker
Goshen Road by Bonnie Proudfoot
The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen
Invented Lives by Andrea Goldsmith
The Last Goldfish by Anita Lahey
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
The Road to Urbino by Roma Tearne
The Royal Abduls by Ramiza Shamoun Koya
Tea By the Sea by Donna Hemans
Tell Me Your Names and I Will Testify by Carolyn Holbrook
The Wanting Life by Mark Rader
Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

 

I LOVE READING! HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT JOINING THE COMMITTEE? Contact GGR Chair Kristen Knox, at KKnox.NatlReadingGrpMonth@gmail.com  *Note, you must be a full-paid up Member to serve.

To attend the October 28th meetup, or give your picks, click here.

Filed Under: Fiction, Member benefits & perks, National Reading Group Month, New Fiction, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association, YA Tagged With: ,

Join us for our Fall 2020 Kick-Off event, Wed. 9/16

September 9, 2020 by

Want some great book & graphic novel titles this season for your bookshelf?

Find out by joining us for:

15 for the Fall
Diverse, Heroic, & Exciting Lit Picks, from the Queen City’s Top Indie Booksellers

Wednesday, September 16th, 7:00-8:30pm
Online via ZOOM  & posted on our Facebook Page

 

FULL TITLE LIST

RSVP Here

 

For our first Fall 2020 Event, WNBA-Charlotte welcomes reps to three Charlotte-based independent bookstores. We’ll ask them about their stores, strategies for sales and marketing during the “new normal”, and most importantly, to showcase top book picks for the Fall (15 in total)!

Discover new fiction, gothic thrillers, literary biography & memoir, women’s fiction & more.  Three lucky attendees will each get a book of their choice! Full booklist to be available before the event.

MEET THE PANEL


Shelves Bookstore, Charlotte, NCAbbigail Glen is the Owner of Shelves Bookstore.  After working for years in the field of Human Resources Abbigail opened her business in 2019 as a mobile/pop-up store, with scheduled stations at local businesses and events throughout the city. She currently sells online and hopes to open a brick-and-mortar store in the near future.
Shelves Bookstore is a pop-up, online bookstore, offering a curated selection of Adult, Children’s Middle School, and YA titles, featuring diverse authors and stories.

 

Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, Charlotte, NCKarla Southern is the Event & Media Coordinator for Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find. Prior to joining the store in 2012, Karla was a graphic designer at The Lincoln Times-News.
Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find opened in 1980 in Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood. It is one of the top comic book retailers in the US. They carry comics, manga, graphic novels, collectibles and more. They have a big presence at local and national comic shows, and carry their own line of comic collecting supplies.

 

Meghan Anderson is the Event Coordinator & Bookseller at Park Road Books. Prior to jher current role, Meghan was a HS English teacher in Nashville, TN and a member of AmericaCorps.
Park Road Books opened in 1977, and is Charlotte NC’s sole independent, full-service bookstore. They host author events, as well as offer sales programs to local self-published authors and discounts to local bookclubs.

 

Titles Below. All available for purchase the presenter’s bookstore. Three lucky attendees will win a listed book of their choice! 

RSVP Here  

Presented by Abbigail Glen (owner, Shelves Bookstore)

  • Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (Atria, HC)

  • Betty by Tiffany McDaniel (Knopf, HC)

  • Bunheads by Misty Copeland (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, HC)

  • Dear Justyce by Nic Stone (Crown Books for Young Readers, HC)

  • Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (Katherine Teagen Books, HC)

 

Presented by Meghan Anderson (Event Coordinator, Park Road Books)

 

Presented by Karla Southern (Event Coordinator, Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find)*

*to order from Heroes, call 704.375.7462

  • Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second, TP)

  • Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Marino Tamaki (First Second, TP)

  • My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics, TP)

  • Paperbacks from Hell: the Twisted History of 70’s and 80’s Horror Fiction by Grady Hendrix (Quirk Books, TP)**

  • The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (Quirk Books, TP)**

(**Picked by Rachel Feldman, WNBA Charlotte President. Order from these and other stores)

Filed Under: BIPOC Authors, Fiction, New Fiction, Non-Fiction, Readings, Upcoming Events, Virtual Event, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association, YA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

JOIN or RENEW by Sept. 21 (updated), and be entered in our booksellers raffle!

August 6, 2020 by

Members who join or renew by September 21st (updated :D), will be entered to win one of six $30.00 gift card from these Charlotte, NC booksellers! 

BOOK BUYERS, (Plaza Midwood), used books of all genres.

HEROES AREN’T HARD TO FIND (Elizabeth), comics, graphic novels, manga, specialty items, and collecting supplies.

MAIN STREET BOOKS  (Davidson), full service independent bookstore

PARK ROAD BOOKS (South Park), full-service independent bookstore

SHELVES BOOKSTORE, (Charlotte Metro-Area), mobile pop-up /online store featuring multicultural titles

THAT’S NOVEL, (Camp North End), used books, plus new books from select local authors

It’s our way of saying “Thank You” for your valued, important support at this time!  

Join or renew here! Thank You and Stay Safe!

Filed Under: Fiction, Latest News, New Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Publishing - Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Publicists, Booksellers, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association, YA

Book Club VIRTUAL Meetup June 2nd

May 29, 2020 by

Come and discuss The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib (St. Martin’s, TP) 
Tuesday, June 2, 7:00pm
Virtually, on Zoom (rsvp)  

Synopsis: Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted into 17 Swann Street, a center for women with life-threatening eating disorders. Every bite causes anxiety. Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

All are welcome to attend, to give your input or learn about a new book to read!

? ? All titles for our bookclub are selected from WNBA’s Great Group Reads List.

Filed Under: Fiction, New Fiction, Publishing - Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Publicists, Booksellers, Readings, Uncategorized, Upcoming Events, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, Women's National Book Association, YA Tagged With: , , ,

National Poetry Month: Crow’s Feet by Nicole C. Ayers

April 10, 2020 by

For National Poetry Month 2020, we present the poetry and prose from our Members.

 

Crow’s Feet

by Nicole C. Ayers

(Illustration by Mica Gadhia)

 

Thank you for reflecting my life’s joys to the world. I love the idea that my smiles and laughter create creases that hold happiness in my eyes so I may “see” it. Some people call you laugh lines, and while I like that too, I like crow’s feet more. Crows are so intelligent, and they love shiny treasures. I like thinking I’m wise enough to find my treasure in joy. Love, ME

 

 

Dear Crow’s Feet

 

Nicole’s Love Notes collection is a trio of essays, inspirational prose, and a guided journal for the reader. They include Love Notes to My Body, Love Letters to My Body: Writing My Way to (Self-), and Writing Your Way to (Self-)Love: A Guided Journal To Help You Love Your Body, One Part at a Time. Visit her at www.nicolecayers.com And follow Mica on Twitter @MicaGadhia

Filed Under: Fiction, Journals, Member benefits & perks, National Poetry Month, Poetry, Publishing - Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Publicists, Booksellers, Readings, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association Tagged With: , , , ,

National Poetry Month 2020: Contagion by Linda Vigen Phillips

April 6, 2020 by

For National Poetry Month 2020, we present the poetry and prose from our Members.

CONTAGION
by Linda Vigen Phillips

I can smell the poetry

in the air

everywhere, and be careful

it is contagious.

I explored the streets without cover

and oh my,

I did discover things without

and within.

Wisteria grabbed my nose

on a walk

usually brisk, but now the gift of time

demands my attention, a twist.

A disturbance overhead, I hear

two hawks

frenzied by two ravens

too curious about the nest.

Squirrels, always squirrely

can be ignored

but wait, a symphony

inside my head choreographs their dance.

I came down with it,

the poetry.

An infectious smile

invades my languid soul.

Linda is the author of two Young Adult novels-in-verse: Behind These Hands (Light Messages, 2018) and Crazy (Eerdmans, 2014),  Follow her on Twitter @LVigenPhillips

 

Filed Under: Fiction, Member benefits & perks, National Poetry Month, Poetry, Publishing - Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Publicists, Booksellers, Readings, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's forums and support, Women's National Book Association, YA Tagged With: , , , , , ,

National Poetry Month 2020: Los Angeles 2025 by Sarah Archer

April 3, 2020 by

For National Poetry Month 2020, we present the Poetry and prose from our Members.

Los Angeles, 2025
by Sarah Archer 

The car door parts for you like lips.
All night this vessel has sketched a silver web
over the contained chaos of L.A., taking fares like lovers.
You are not the only one this hour, or on this corner;
a queue of feet bisects the block,
each pair’s face lit by its hand’s cool, compartmentalized glow.

Each man to machine neatly assigned,
algorithmic fate, calculated invisibly in the emptiness above your heads,
triangulated in the stars.
Yours murmurs you down the street on a current and a spell.

The city is gussied up tonight:
the street signs slick and skinny, the all-night
donuts awning hot, tawdry pink. Bars wink
from the strings of unlit storefronts like gold
in a fortune teller’s bow of teeth.
A rare recent rain has slicked motor oil to the skin
of the asphalt.  It glimmers off the curves
of Melrose like the tips of cigarettes.
Each scene flames out in a frame.

And everywhere the cars are streaming, gliding,
they zip perfectly around parabolas as if magnetized to a track,
they are clean as needles, dazzling in their voltaic wills,
they are everyone’s and no one’s,
they conceal us.

It feels good to own nothing,
you are pure, sanitary, as empty as a reflection.
You leave nothing but air.

Sarah Archer’s first novel, The Plus One was published in July 2019, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahArcherM

 

Filed Under: Fiction, National Poetry Month, Poetry, Publishing - Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Publicists, Booksellers, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association Tagged With: , , ,

Join us March 9th for our Spring “Meet the Authors” Evening

March 4, 2020 by

park road books picJoin us for our
Spring Meet the Authors Evening
Monday, March 9th, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
at Park Road Books
4139 Park Rd, Charlotte

Join us for an evening of conversation with three prominent, southern-based authors, invited by the chapter.

(Author Bios & Book Summaries, click here)

 

Abigail DeWitt, author of News of Our Loved Ones (Harper Perennial TP)

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Everhart, author of The Moonshiners Daughter (Kensington, TP)

 

 

 

 

 

 Susan Beckham Zurenda, author of Bells for Eli (Mercer University Press HC)

 

 

Each will speak briefly about their new novels, then give opportunity for one-on-one questions and discussion.

We’ll have wine, refreshments, and a chance to mingle with the authors as well! For more info or questions, contact Susan Walker, susan.walker.books@gmail.com 

 

Filed Under: Fiction, Latest News, Readings, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association Tagged With: ,

Book Club Meetup, Tuesday, February 4th

January 22, 2020 by

E43301A3-1323-474B-BC4E-336EBA2E21E9Come and discuss Southernmost by Silas House (Algonquin, TP) 
Tuesday, February 4, 7:00pm
AMELIE’S BAKERY (updated!) 4321 Park Road., Charlotte, NC.

Synopsis: An evangelical minister in Tennessee reexamining his beliefs and teachings finds himself at odds with his congregation and his wife over the issue of homosexuality in this soul-searching novel about tolerance, family, right versus wrong, and forgiveness.

All are welcome to attend, to give your input or learn about a new book to read!

? ? All titles for our bookclub are selected from WNBA’s Great Group Reads List.
Interested in knowing more about that committee? Contact Kristen Knox, KKnox.NatlReadingGrpMonth@gmail.com

Filed Under: Fiction, Latest News, National Reading Group Month, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, WNBA Charlotte Members, WNBA-Writers, Women's National Book Association

Book Club Meetup: Tuesday, January 7th

January 2, 2020 by

C2638D58-0314-4BCD-A8EB-38DBFD093096Come and discuss Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner (Atria) 
Tuesday, January 7th, 7:00pm
Panera Bread, 5940 Fairview Rd., Charlotte, NC.

Synopsis: Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life. But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies, and neither sister inhabit the world she dreams of, or a life that feels authentic or joyful. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

All are welcome to attend, to give your input or learn about a new book to read!

 

? ? All titles for our bookclub are selected from WNBA’s Great Group Reads List.
Interested in knowing more about that committee? Contact Kristen Knox, KKnox.NatlReadingGrpMonth@gmail.com

Filed Under: Fiction, National Reading Group Month, WNBA Charlotte Book Club, Women's National Book Association Tagged With: , , , , ,
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