Main Street Books

Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote

, , ,
Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Oh, this is brilliant. The humor is delightfully absurd, there is earth science cleverly woven into the mystery, and I’d argue that there are great ELA tie-ins (common core writing standards for grades 2 and 3, maybe others). Plus there is a drawing guide and a search-and-find at the end for added value and inspiration. I love this so much!

Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote, (List Price: $10.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593897829, March 2026)

Reviewed by Adah, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote Read More »

The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly

, ,
The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

A perfect example of when less is more. Sparse, but oh so evocative, prose makes scenes vibrant and visual. Expect twists, pensive moments, vulnerability, and humor. It’s subtitled a mini-memoir but it’s so much more.

The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly, (List Price: $22.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324117407, 2026-02-24)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly Read More »

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez

, , ,
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

For fans of Angie Cruz, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is at times laugh out loud hilarious while also delivering an poignant account of a young woman searching for herself as she searches for her sister. The first page left me breathless! Jimenez delivers a sophisticated, plainspoken account of a Latina teen grappling with the urge and opportunity to escape her Staten Island family while also recognizing the value of the intense, turbulent bond she has with her mother and sister.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez, (List Price: $17.99, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538725979, February 2024)

Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez Read More »

The Wind Beneath the Stone by David Keohan

, ,
The Wind Beneath the Stone by David Keohan
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Imagine sitting in an Irish pub being regaled with the story of how a lost Irish tradition was revived. The flow of this memoir is very much like such a conversation. Keohan’s enthusiasm shines through as he shares his journey discovering lost lifting stones and encourages towns to embrace their history and a new generation to test their mettle lifting stones at least high enough for wind to blow under. The result is an engaging tale of discovery, camaraderie, and a singular passion.

The Wind Beneath the Stone by David Keohan, (List Price: $28, Chelsea Green, 9781645024897, September 20261)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

The Wind Beneath the Stone by David Keohan Read More »

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

, ,
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

A bittersweet twist on the Death taking human form trope. This Death takes in the world in all its glory and ugliness, observing with a gentle, benign eye. Nothing hurts until he lets down his guard and comes to care deeply for a mother and daughter. This is a read to savor with graceful writing and carefully crafted characters.

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves, (List Price: $18, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, 9781668216361, July 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves Read More »

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly

, ,
The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

I am undone! This book was a hurricane, and I was sucked into it at full force. Excellent debut. It felt like reading The Selection, The Hunger Games and These Hollow Vows all in one. Book 2 is officially going on my most anticipated release list. What to expect: High stakes, fast-paced, tall dark and broody, tending to wounds, sexy time, slow burn, political intrigue, secrets galore, he falls first, lots of death and violence and a whole lot more. (Mind the trigger warnings) – Definitely an upper YA read.

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly, (List Price: $21.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665989510, July 2026)

Reviewed by Brianne, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly Read More »

Take Me With You by Steven Rowley

, , ,
Take Me with You by Steven Rowley
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Take a deep, slow breath and prepare for Rowley’s unique combination of tenderness, longing, sorrow, and humor. The biggest mystery isn’t how a man disappears into a beam of light; it’s the human vulnerability of moving on, facing mistakes, and naming losses. Every character has hidden stories. Getting a ringside seat to their journeys is the best gift any reader could want.

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley, (List Price: $30, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593851494, May 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

Take Me With You by Steven Rowley Read More »

A Voice Like Mine by Deb Haaland

, ,
A Voice Like Mine by Deb Haaland
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

In spare but inspiring prose, Haagland recounts her life from childhood through her entry into politics and her time as the first Indigenous Secretary of the Interior. She explores the generational trauma stemming from relatives torn from their families and sent to governmental schools and what drives her to seek representation and justice for all people.

A Voice Like Mine by Deb Haaland, (List Price: $28.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250434227, June 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

A Voice Like Mine by Deb Haaland Read More »

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

, , ,
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This is an affirming book about compassion. It is the antithesis of keeping a house clean at all costs. She offers hope and concrete language shifts and perspective shifts for the many individuals who struggle with more complex lives for a myriad of reasons. This book offers you permission to reject the notion of completing tasks as moral standards. By reframing language, she arms you with ways to shut down the ever-present ugly trolls: negative self-talk, shame, and embarrassment. Her reframing of language and alternate approach to processing allows for a shift that provides benevolence to ourselves, which we often reserve for others. As a 42-year-old woman with ADHD diagnosed just a year ago, this book spoke to my soul!

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, (List Price: $22, S&S/Simon Element, 9781668002841, April 2022)

Reviewed by Andrea, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis Read More »

Salt, Sweat & Steam by Brigid Washington

, ,
Salt, Sweat & Steam by Brigid Washington
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

An insider’s view of the culinary world tempered through a very personal lens. Attending the Culinary Arts Institute is a grueling experience, more so for students of color, and more so if you are trying to mend a broken heart. Filled with personal and culinary ups and downs, this is both a cautionary tale and a romantic journey. Not just for foodies.

Salt, Sweat & Steam by Brigid Washington, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250333377, April 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

Salt, Sweat & Steam by Brigid Washington Read More »

Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn

, ,
Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

A very personal and at the same time universal poetry collection tied together by insights from Burstyn’s life. Short introductions and afterthoughts provide context and glimpses into Burstyn’s life. This will be a great book for reluctant poetry readers and old hands open to finding new meanings.

Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn, (List Price: $26.99, HarperOne, 9780063387683, April 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn Read More »

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey

, , , , ,
Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Perfect for readers of Dolly Alderton’s Good Material. Wild story that is full of heart. I fell in love with Poppy, Jake AND Dandelion. Twisty family drama with themes of sisterhood, friendship, grief, and full of life-imploding moments. I can see this one on the big screen. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. Should be HUGE with the indies!

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey, (List Price: $30, Berkley, 9780593954348, January 2026)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey Read More »

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

, , , ,
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

In the same way Joanna Cannon’s The Trouble with Sheep and Goats left me captivated and shaken to my core, this coming-of-age tale touched me deeply. While set around the Yorkshire murders in the late 1970s, it is a tale for our times. What two preteens find when they begin to observe carefully is a world more complex and frightening. Revealing the power of friendships and the hidden stories around us with spot-on emotional resonance, this is a book to be swept up in and to reflect on.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, (List Price: $17.99, Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464249051, December 2025)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey Read More »

A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam Morgan

, , , , ,
A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam Morgan
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

An intriguing look at the world of little magazines, censorship, and the literary whirlpool of change during the 1920s and 1930s. Margaret Anderson was a likely candidate for being a literary catalyst, but a catalyst and adventurer she was. A woman who lived life on her own terms, taking lovers and all the risks of publishing James Joyce’s Ulysses. For anyone interested in women’s history, publishing history, or looking at cultural changes.

A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam Morgan, (List Price: $29, Atria / One Signal Publishers, 9781668053645, December 2025)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam Morgan Read More »

Joyride by Susan Orlean

, , , , , , , ,
Joyride by Susan Orlean
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Aptly titled, this is a shimmering cruise through the ups and downs of Orlean’s writing career. Her love of writing shines through even in the cautionary tales. The appendix with several of her early pieces is a delightful bonus. If you love the behind-the-scenes world of writers, this is one for you.

Joyride by Susan Orlean, (List Price: $32, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, 9781982135164, October 2025)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

Joyride by Susan Orlean Read More »

Scroll to Top