Alyx’s silly sections:

1. J.R. Ward and that rep tho

2. Sandra Brown and is it really dub con if it’s the 90s?

3. Karen Marie Moning and why you can totally drop into book 5

This is our final backlog…hopefully we’ve caught up by now! fingers crossed

Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

We are going to be closed Thursday, August 6th as we prep all the final touches for Booklover’s weekend. Romance bookclub will still be meeting at 6pm!

This weekend is going to be full of joyful chaos, chill vibes, sales, treats, and more! Here’s everything we’ve got going on:

20% off in store all weekend!

Friday August 7th

• Booklovers Trivia 6pm-9pm. We will have pizza and good times!

Saturday August 8th

• Open 10am-8pm

• A truly absurd amount of treats from local bakers

• Introductory bookclub 2pm-3pm. If you’ve been thinking about checking our bookclubs out but have been unsure, this is a great time to stop by and see if you like the vibe. We will be reading a few poems out of Is it Monday yet? This is a collection of local poets from Monday Night Poetry.

Sunday August 9th

• All day finish your craft day(10am-6pm)! What better way to test out the new community room than crafting? Come hang out to chill, chat, and craft! Bring whatever project you’ve been meaning to finish. Our couches as well as some tables will be available.

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Community News

Local author and friend of the store Naseem Jamnia’s The Glade is a finalist for the IGNYTE Awards in Outstanding Middle Grade, and voting is open now to the public!

The Glade (readers age 9-12) follows an anxious Iranian American tween who discovers a glowing clearing in her woodsy summer camp where dreams—and nightmares—come to life. It’s a story about grappling with big friend feelings and stepping up to care for others when you’ve always sidelined yourself in your own story.

Intrigued? We’ve got copies of The Glade in stock! Pick up this spooky Summerween book and vote for it in the IGNYTEs before August 16!

Thistle & Nightshade is an independent bookstore in Northwest Reno, NV. You can support us by shopping in person, listening to audio books on Libro.fm, purchasing physical and digital books with Bookshop.org, and browsing used books on Biblio. We also have merch available on Bonfire.

Thanks for reading!

Getting everything ready for our expansion is a LOT of work. We literally could not do this without all the amazing community support. We are grateful down into our bones for the ways that you continually show up for us, for the joy your share with us, and that we get to be your indie bookstore here in NW Reno.

Thank you to Mia, Sam, Keith, Josh & Katherine, Brad & Katie & McKenzie, Shelby & Hunter & Hunter & Ollie— all of whom showed up and helped us build 28 bookcases, you all are so amazing. That was a harrowing task that you all literally knocked out in an evening and we can not tell you how grateful we are.

Thank you to Brad for anchoring all of our shelves in place. They are not only safer but also look so much cleaner and more even. Thank you to Hunter for making sure our mood lighting is on point. Thank you to Devin for hanging curtains. Thank you Keith for washing our windows so we can hang up our logo. Thank you Claire for bringing us much needed snacks! Thank you to everyone who has taken our flyers and hung them up around town and helped to spread the word about our expansion. We appreciate you all so much!

One of the things I am most excited for with this expansion is having dedicated space for community. No more moving displays out of the way for bookclubs. No more turning people down because we don’t have enough space for selling books and hang outs at the same time. We will have a room open and ready all the time for you to just sit and exist in our space. We are excited to see what possibilities this opens up!

As we keep on working, we are getting so excited for you all to see the new space. We are planning a lot of fun things for when it finally opens:

Friday August 7th

• Booklovers Trivia 6pm-9pm. We will have pizza and good times!

Saturday August 8th

• Open 10am-8pm

• A truly absurd amount of treats from local bakers

• Introductory bookclub 2pm-3pm. If you’ve been thinking about checking our bookclubs out but have been unsure, this is a great time to stop by and see if you like the vibe. We will be reading a few poems out of Is it Monday yet? This is a collection of local poets from Monday Night Poetry.

Sunday August 9th

• All day finish your craft day(10am-6pm)! What better way to test out the new community room than crafting? Come hang out to chill, chat, and craft! Bring whatever project you’ve been meaning to finish. Our couches as well as some tables will be available.

We can’t wait to share this with you!

In gentle chaos,

Alyx

Upcoming Events

Josh Galarza Author Signing | August 1st 12pm-2pm

Come snag a copy of The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky and get is signed by local author Josh Galarza! Dorito is a fiercely funny and hopeful story of one boy’s attempts to keep everything under control while life has other plans.

Community News

Local author and friend of the store Naseem Jamnia’s The Glade is a finalist for the IGNYTE Awards in Outstanding Middle Grade, and voting is open now to the public!

The Glade (readers age 9-12) follows an anxious Iranian American tween who discovers a glowing clearing in her woodsy summer camp where dreams—and nightmares—come to life. It’s a story about grappling with big friend feelings and stepping up to care for others when you’ve always sidelined yourself in your own story.

Intrigued? We’ve got copies of The Glade in stock! Pick up this spooky Summerween book and vote for it in the IGNYTEs before August 16!

Thistle & Nightshade is an independent bookstore in Northwest Reno, NV. You can support us by shopping in person, listening to audio books on Libro.fm, purchasing physical and digital books with Bookshop.org, and browsing used books on Biblio. We also have merch available on Bonfire.

Thanks for reading!

Annie and I are busy at work getting the expansion ready. Can you feel the whimsy building? Are you thrilled for the big reveal? So are we! While we are happy not to be moving locations, expanding is still a lot of work. We are honestly so tired. We cannot wait to get this finished to share it with you all. Then we are both going to take a three day nap.

In gentle tired chaos,

Alyx

Books to look out for.

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Venture into the streets of a small town where a patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust.

Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim. A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic.

The First Step by Tao Wong. In a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts, the young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation. Author and martial artist Tao Wong introduces a thrilling blend of progression fantasy, Xianxia, and Chinese mythology in this irresistible tale of an underdog hero who dreams of something more.

What we’re reading for book clubs this month.

Every Genre: The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe

Romance: The Last First Demon by Hiyodori

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series: The Dark Forest (Bk 2) by Cixin Liu

Sci-Fi: Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

Actually? This Matters: Woman of Light by Kali Fajarado-Astine + Country of Under by Brooke Shaggner

Award Winners: The Birth of Korean Cool by Euny Hong

Upcoming Events.

• Author Talk with Dani Putney | July 23rd 6:30pm-7:30pm

• Brad McMullen Author Signing | July 25th 1pm-3pm

• Josh Galarza Author Signing | August 1st 12pm-2pm

• Book Lovers Weekend | August 7-9th | 20% off the whole store + lots of fun goings on all weekend! We’re celebrating book lovers, two years at Mae Anne, and EXPANDING!

• Jacci Turner Author Signing August 22nd 1pm-3pm

• Makers Market Returns to T&N August 29th!

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Thistle & Nightshade is an independent bookstore in Northwest Reno, NV. You can support us by shopping in person, listening to audio books on Libro.fm, purchasing physical and digital books with Bookshop.org, and browsing used books on Biblio. We also have merch available on Bonfire.

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy the chat (even though we’re microdosing hell).

Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

Thistle & Nightshade is in the thick of it as we expand our space! We have acquired the suite next door, nearly doubling our store size. This is a big, scary, exciting change for us.

Our main goal is to have dedicated community space. We’ve been running and loving bookclubs, but it’s getting cramped quick. While we are always happy to push displays out of the way and move chairs in so people can be comfortable, that limits when we can host clubs and events. We can’t have people shopping and doing book club at the same time, we just don’t have the room in our current floor plan.

As we expand, we have planned for one of the rooms in the new space to be the community room, meaning it will ready for our bookish community all the time. We are also hoping to host more fun events and can’t wait to plan and share them with you!

When can you see this awesome space we’re getting ready? On Booklover’s Weekend, which is what we’ve dubbed August 7-9th. We will be busting our tails painting and moving and prepping things so that we can share this new space with you the second week of August. It’s a mix of celebrating Book Lover’s Day with Our 2nd Year Anniversary on Mae Anne Ave and a little bit of a party to celebrate expanding!

You’ll notice a plastic sheet is up, keeping all the paint fumes and moving dust on the other side. Our store will still be running normal business hours in our main suite for the time being.

In Gentle Chaos,

Alyx

Books to look out for.

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev Ac Rosen. Meet the disaster gays: They’re messy. They’re queer. And they’re about to solve a murder... Or die trying. We’ve got fun release goodies (like a signed bookplate!) available with our current in store copies, so be sure to stop by and snag them.

The Shortest History of Music: From Bone Flutes to Synthesizers by Andrew Ford. We are really loving this series of short and digestible histories! The History of Music is a recent release of this series, but we recommend them all. If you want to know more about France, Dinosaurs, Sex, or Music, these books are a great way to do it!

Snake & Bat: What Will We Find in This Box? by Mo Willems. This adorable book is full of box shenanigans and quirky characters which are sure to get a giggle out of your little ones. Alyx has it on good authority from their nephews that this one is worth the pre-order for September release!

Upcoming Events

• Thistle & Nightshade will be vending at the Evening Reading Room at Coffee N Comics July 11th.

• Tie Dye Day! | July 18th | Sign up on our website. $12/shirt (we’ll provide the shirts all ready for dyeing!)

• Author Talk with Dani Putney | July 23rd 6:30pm-7:30pm

• Brad McMullen Author Signing | July 25th 1pm-3pm

• Josh Galarza Author Signing | August 1st 12pm-2pm

• Book Lovers Weekend | August 7-9th (Stay tuned for all the great things we have planned!)

What we’re reading this month for bookclubs:

Every Genre: The Language of Liars by SL Huang

Romance Wednesdays: Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

Romance Thursdays: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series: The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Actually? This Matters. : Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros + Mix-Mix by Dani Putney

Award Winners: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Sci-Fi: The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

For more information please check out our Bookclubs club! This is the best place to vote in polls, see meeting dates, and rsvp so we know you’re coming! We love having bookish friends to chat with, so feel free to stop by any club and check it out. Even if you read only half the book or not even one page, we’d still love to have you there.

Thistle & Nightshade is an independent bookstore in Northwest Reno, NV. You can support us by shopping in person, listening to audio books on Libro.fm, purchasing physical and digital books with Bookshop.org, and browsing used books on Biblio. We also have merch available on Bonfire.

Thanks for reading!

We talk about community and why we think it’s so important!

Hey! Three done in a row! Aren’t you so proud of us?

Many silly moments were kept in… please enjoy! XD

Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

Join us for a discussion on the point of books in dark times.

Two videos referenced in the podcast:

"The Strangers' Case" Speech from Sir Thomas More

Stephen Colbert on Mike Johnson and Pope Leo XIV

Definitely the only book referenced:

Mars House by Natasha Pulley

(Please count how many times Alyx brings up Mars House and let Annie know. Annie counted three… but definitely feels like it’s more!)

Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

Here we talk about history books!

Also, we promise… one day… we’ll have a consistent schedule… maybe…

Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

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It’s May! And listen… it could have been two weeks since Indie Bookstore Day or it could have been five years. I am, at this current moment, unsure of which of those is more unlikely. IBD is such an amazing, busy, crazy day of community and we are still flying high on just how many of you came to show support. We love and apprec…

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Thank you so much for being patient with us, keeping the store calm and enj…

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This week I am ruminating on small business ownership. As we continue navigating all the complexities of running and managing a bookstore with just two people, we’re continually learning and growing in our process. It’s a lot of trial and error and we appreciate how all you lovely customers roll with us as we figure things out.

I…

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It’s been a minute since I’ve written up a newsletter, and I do apologize. We have lots of exciting stuff going on here at Thistle & Nightshade. We also have a lot going on in our personal lives. So while we are devoted to making T&N a community space and your favorite spot for finding your next favorite read, I’ve been a…

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Kristopher Perez Author Signing | February 14, 1pm-3pm

Through Heaven and Back is a debut poetry collection tracing the rise, the fall, and the quiet resurrection of a heart in love. Told in three parts, these poems follow the full arc of devotion—its divine beginnings in true love, its tender unraveling in a fleeting, fragile relation…

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Books mentioned:

• North How Much is Your Love by Maem

• Words of Silk by Sandra Brown

• Hades Calculus by Maria Ying

• I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

• The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward

• Sex Wizards Series by Alethea Faust

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Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.

Thanks for joining us!

Books mentioned in this podcast:

• A Little History of Music Robert Philip

• South Beside the Sky

• There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm

• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

• Before We Were Trans by Dr Kit Heyam PH D

• Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary

• The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes

• Hades Calculus by Maria Ying

• The Themis Files Trilogy by Sylvain Neuvel

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Music Credit: Clips from Autumn In The Air by Lo-Fi Astronaut used throughout.