June 2022 Dear Booksellers and SinC Members, For this issue of We Love Bookstores News, I spoke with Danny Caine, the owner of the Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. Danny told me about the history of the shop, and its connection to Sisters in Crime, which I didn’t realize prior to our conversation. He also suggested the perfect solution for what to buy when you are stumped for gift ideas——Raven Mystery Fun Boxes! See details below about the store and Raven Mystery Fun Boxes! A new winner will be selected in July, so please apply for the Sisters in Crime We Love Bookstores $500 award. Find more information about the WLB award below. |
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The Raven Book Store in Lawrence Kansas |
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Danny Caine is the third owner of the Raven Book Store, which was named after Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven.” Danny bought the bookshop in 2017. When it was founded in 1987 by Mary Lou Wright and Pat Kehde, the bookstore specialized in mysteries and crime fiction. I learned in my discussion with Danny that Mary Lou Wright, a friend of Sara Paretsky, served as the first treasurer of Sisters in Crime, and the store’s address was the official address of Sisters in Crime when she was on the board. |
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Pictured above is an example of what a mystery-themed Raven Mystery Fun Box might contain. |
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During our chat, Danny clarified that “mystery” in the staff-curated Raven Mystery Fun Boxes means surprise not mystery fiction, but the Fun Boxes could be filled with mysteries, if you like. The staff will curate a box of books for either $50 or $100 on any theme you choose, or you can leave the choosing to them and know that the box will be filled with an excellent selection of books. |
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Over the years, the stock in the bookstore has broadened to include other types of fiction and nonfiction titles. In addition to the fabulous selection of mystery and crime titles the shop continues to carry, the first clue that the Raven Book Store’s connection to mysteries and crime fiction has remained strong is the store cats, Dashiell and Ngaio. The second clue is the Raven Award the bookstore received at the 2018 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. The award was given in recognition of the dedication the Raven Book Store has shown to crime and mystery writers and readers since 1987. Connect with the Raven Book Store: Website: https://www.ravenbookstore.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravenbookstore Twitter: https://twitter.com/ravenbookstore |
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Write for We Love Bookstores News! Would you like to write an entry for We Love Bookstores News about your favorite shop or something else? Did you put together or see an amazing bookstore display? Submit your ideas to Susan Hammerman, Library Liaison at librarian@sistersincrime.org |
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Apply for the We Love Bookstores Award |
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To find out more about all SinC offers, including live webinars, please visit our website. Thank you for all you do for your community. Sisters in Crime loves bookstores. Happy reading! Susan Hammerman Library Liaison Susan Hammerman, a former rare book librarian, is the Library and Bookstore Liaison and coordinator of the We Love Libraries program. Susan writes crime and neo-noir short stories. Her stories have been published by Mystery Magazine, Dark City Mystery Magazine, Blood and Bourbon, Mondays are Murder, and Retreats From Oblivion. We Love Bookstores Coordinator Robin Agnew owned the Raven Award-winning bookstore Aunt Agatha’s Bookshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for 26 years with her husband Jamie. Robin writes a review blog at auntagathas.com and the cozy column for Mystery Scene Magazine. WLL and WLB News Editor Gail Lukasik’s latest book, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, was named one of the most inspiring stories of the year by The Washington Post. She is also the author of the Leigh Girard Mystery series and the stand-alone mystery, The Lost Artist. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, such as The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Georgia Review. Gail appeared in the documentary, History of Memory, which is available on Amazon Prime. Website: www.gaillukasik.com |
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We've put our member books in a spreadsheet that we'll update every month, and send as part of this newsletter. This month's releases are on a separate worksheet. Feel free to sort by author name, book title, or author location. |
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Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all. |
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Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward. |
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