Main Street Books

Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez

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Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez
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Magical and imaginative, this autobiographical picture book follows a young girl’s explorations under the sea as she observes marine life and our critical need for marine conservation. I loved that Mother of Sharks features a Hispanic woman in STEM!

Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez, (List Price: $19.99, Penguin Workshop, 9780593523582, May 2023)

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

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The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King

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The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
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As a retired archivist, the questions at the heart of this story: whose stories get told, privacy rights, the always incompleteness of memories–along with skilled writing made this a fascinating and thought-provoking read. There is magic in the story and in the reading of it.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King, (List Price: $28.99, William Morrow, 9780063446236, June 2025)

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

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You Can Never Die by Harry Bliss

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You Can Never Die by Harry Bliss
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Emotionally prepare yourself before reading this graphic memoir of a man and his beloved dog. Heartfelt and funny, cartoonist Harry Bliss takes us through his day-to-day musings about daily life alongside his trusty, four-legged sidekick.

You Can Never Die by Harry Bliss, (List Price: $32, Celadon Books, 9781250883681, April 2025)

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

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The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter

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The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter
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The Wish Switch is a sweet transition by Lynn Painter into books meant for a younger audience than her popular YA novels. The story follows Emma Rockford and her friends as they rely on her late grandmother’s instructions to gain four wishes, while following her very specific instructions. However, something happens to make Emma’s wish become seemingly switched with her brother’s best friend’s, leading them to form an alliance to figure out what had happened. A sweet tale that will entertain young readers for a pleasant afternoon.

The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316578585, May 2025)

Reviewed by Molly Reinhardt, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh

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Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh
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The very ordinariness of oranges hides a complex history, a tool of colonialism spanning the globe and leaving a trail of losses and some gains. Goh thoughtfully interweaves her own complex family history into that of oranges, creating a compelling hybrid of science, history, and memoir. Her blend is much more satisfying than the juice in supermarket stores.

Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh, (List Price: $27.99, Tin House, 9781963108231, May 2025)

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

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Spitfires by Becky Aikman

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Spitfires by Becky Aikman
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A welcome reminder of women’s roles in WWII and aviation. The impressive depth of research is matched with a keen ability to bring diverse personalities alive. I’ll be encouraging fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff to read this one.

Spitfires by Becky Aikman, (List Price: $31.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635576566, May 2025)

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

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No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar

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No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar
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A powerful addition to the trope of a dying woman leaving instructions that will change lives. In this instance, Nazia is all too aware that her closest family and friends all hold very different stories about her. All the misunderstandings and lies fall apart on one fateful night, and no one will be the same again. All the varying perspectives are skillfully arranged and prove the power of stories.

No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar, (List Price: $16.99, Neem Tree Press, 9781911107743, July 2024)

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

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Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen

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Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen
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I really enjoyed this lush, mystical story that follows a family through China’s Cultural Revolution and generations after. Fans of Pachinko and Wandering Souls will love this one.

Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen, (List Price: $28, Algonquin Books, 9781643755151, May 2024)

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

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Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah

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Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah
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Full of longing and regret, Bride of the Sea tells the story of Muneer and Saeedah, a newly married couple from Saudi Arabia living in Ohio. As the arrival of their first child draws near, their marriage is falling apart. Muneer returns to his homeland, and Saeedah flees with their daughter, Hanadi. What follows are decades of a father desperately searching for his child and a mother on the run. Hanadi comes of age and is caught in the middle between conflicting cultures and religions. This mesmerizing debut will be a hit for fans of A Place For Us, A Woman Is No Man, and Everything I Never Told You. Highly recommend.

Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah, (List Price: $16.95, Tin House Books, 9781951142452, January 2021)

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

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The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

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The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
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Beautifully written and gripping story that explores many themes including immigrant stories, art, gentrification and trans-identity. The narrative fluctuates between a present day look into a life of an artist and first generation Syrian American with a supernatural glimpse into the past.

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar, (List Price: $18.99, Washington Square Press, 9781982121525, July 2021)

Reviewed by Melissa Summers, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw

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A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw
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This cookbook is stunning and would look beautiful on any home cook’s shelf. Gena Hamshaw’s simple formula of grain+green+bean = mouthwatering, healthy meals that I cannot wait to try.

A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw, (List Price: $26, Ten Speed Press, 9781984863201, April 2025)

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

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Riding Through Rice Fields by Michelle Sterling

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Riding Through Rice Fields by Michelle Sterling
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Lovely illustrations. The premise that the son is visiting his Dad’s homeland and seeing everything by bicycle is a nice way to share the landscape and day-in-the-life culture of the Phillipines.

Riding Through Rice Fields by Michelle Sterling, (List Price: $18.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593623077, March 2025)

Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak

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Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak
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Once again, another fascinating piece of women’s history details a hidden history of spycraft in World War II. This time, it is the tale of four women who were central to the OSS’s propaganda machine. Women who risked their lives and used their talents to undermine enemy countries. A bonus is seeing more of the history of disinformation. A must for WWII buffs.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250275592, March 2025)

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

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The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

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The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli
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A love letter to cozy mysteries and the Golden Age writers, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. The four women take on a mystery to prove their mettle. The result is a good puzzle and perhaps will lead to a renewed interest in their own novels.

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli, (List Price: $29.99, Crooked Lane Books, 9798892420600, March 2025)

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

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Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo

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Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo
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Gopo weaves themes of family heritage, the joy of anticipation, and the small pain of waiting into a sweet story of purchasing plantains and watching them ripen before the family can fry them up for a delicious treat. Gopo’s poetic talent meets kids and families in a sweet spot that is not heavy-handed, but wonderfully inspiring. I can’t wait to share this with our readers.

Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo, (List Price: $18.99, WorthyKids, 9781546005391, April 2025)

Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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