Quite a few persons have walked in through our new entrance and stumbled back in a bit of shock. “You’ve rearranged!” Yes! New door, same great vibes. We are about twice the size, now in suites A38 & A37. We now have four— count them, FOUR— book browsing rooms, a dedicated community room, and a gift area beside our checkout. We hope you are loving the new space as much as we are.

It’s been a bit of a running joke in store that we finally feel like a real bookstore. We’ve been doing bookstore things for coming up on four years, but this feels like the final milestone that launched us from weird little side dream to like BOOKSTORE. Don’t get me wrong, we are still super tiny and Annie still has a full time job outside the store. Small business life it a little tough, ya’ll! It’s all worth it, though, for this little slice of bookish community we’ve managed to carve out in Reno. We are so grateful to have grown to this point and our hope is to be here for many years to come!

Another new addition, you can now rent our community room! We are asking $15/hour and the room sits 7-9 people comfortably. If you are looking for bookclub space, somewhere to host a craft day, or other small events, check us out to see if our space will work for you!

Rent Our Community Room

In gentle chaos,

Alyx

Upcoming Events

Author Events

• Terri Farley | Horse Girl | September 19th 12p-2pm

  • If you want to know more, check out the Reno News & Review article!

• Jon Else in partnership with Elizabeth Raymond and Nevada Humanities | Frenchman Flat | September 25th 6pm

• B Steffens | Fight | September 26th 11am

• JA Forde | After Glow | October 3rd 12pm-2pmPractical Magic Read & Watch

• Bookclub for The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman: Thursday 9/10 6p

• Going to theaters to watch the Movie 9/19

Twilight Reread!

• Twilight: Wednesday 9/2 6p

• New Moon: Wednesday 9/16 6p

• Eclipse: Wednesday 9/30 6p

• Breaking Dawn: Wednesday 10/14 6p

• Movie watching party (JUST THE FIRST ONE) 10/17 6:30p

Tortall Bookclub (All Ages)

• In the Hand of the Goddess: Saturday 9/12 2p

• The Woman Who Rides like a Man: Saturday 10/10 2p

• Lioness Rampant: Saturday 11/14 2p

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series Bookclub

• Death’s End (Bk3) by Cixin Liu

  • Sunday 9/13 8:30a

• Up Next: Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy

  • Assassin’s Apprentice 10/11

  • Royal Assassin 11/8

  • Assassin’s Quest 12/6

Sci-Fi Bookclub

• The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

  • Tuesday 9/15 6pm | Saturday 9/19 9am

• A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel

  • Saturday 10/17 9am | Tuesday 10/20 6p

Every Genre Bookclub

• Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

  • Tuesday 9/1 6p | Saturday 9/5 9a

• A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee

  • Saturday 10/3 9am | Tuesday 10/6 6p

Romance Bookclub

• Thursdays: Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

  • Thursday 9/3 6p

• Wednesdays: Shiver by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliot

  • Wednesday 9/9 6p

• Both: River of Shadows by Karina Halle

  • Thursday 10/1 6p

  • Wednesday 10/7 6p

Actually? This Matters. Bookclub

• Empire’s Workshop | The US, SE Asia, and Historical Memory

  • Sunday 9/20 8:30a | Wednesday 9/23 6p

• How to Hide an Empire | One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

  • Sunday 10/18 8:30am | Wednesday 10/21 6p

Award Winners Bookclub

• Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-zi Yang

  • Thursday 9/17 6p

• The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

  • Thursday 10/15 6p

5th-8th Grade Bookclub (NEW!)

• The Glade by Naseem Jamnia (Local Author!)

  • Saturday 9/26 2p

• The City of Ember by Jeanne De Prau

  • Saturday 10/17 2p

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!

Mars House has become the running joke of the store because in all likelihood if you’ve asked for a recommendation and I’ve felt you might be even slightly into it, I will have recommended this book to you. I love it down into my bones and every time I find a fellow Mars House lover I fanboi real hard. Thank you to my sister, Hawley, for your continued …

Read more

So you know that parasitic louse that eats the tongues of fish and then becomes the fish’s tongue here on earth? What if you took that idea to the extreme and an entire planet’s ecosystem worked that way? To find out, depart to Kiln, the pet name of the planet used as a prison labor camp in Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky!

Arton Daghdev is captured by t…

Read more

If you didn’t know, I schedule these newsletters about a week out. With everything that happened with the Hawk Fire, I forgot to edit the one that came out yesterday. So my tone was a little glib and that was truly unfortunate timing.

The store was briefly in the prepare to evacuate yellow zone. This happened so fast. Saturday we came in to nothing and then grew progressively more worried as we watch that evacuation zone spiral into a horrendous red nightmare situation. We closed Sunday since we were still in the yellow, but were able to open again on Tuesday as the zones receded.

Several of our local authors and artists were a part of the evacuation. As far as I know, everyone is okay. Our hearts are grieving with the many people who have lost homes, have been displaced, have undergone the stress of waiting to see if they will too be included in evacuations, who spent hours on the freeway trying to get to safety. This fire season has been brutal, and the Hawk fire in particular has been so scary. The photos people have been sharing with us and that we have taken ourselves look truly apocalyptic.

We feel truly small in this moment with not a lot to offer you, but if you need a couch to sit on or a bottle of water or just a chat with someone in a chill space, please stop by. We will be here for our community however we can.

If you want to do some browsing and support local artists, the Artisans of Northern Nevada Makers Market is this Saturday from 10am-3pm in our parking lot. You may have see us on the news about it. A little bit of community during this time feels really nice, so we hope you will join us.

In gentle chaos,

Alyx

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!

Another Tuesday is upon us and I have returned with book recommendations, upcoming events, and good vibes. We hope you are all recovering well post those crazy natural disasters. We got fire evacuations, flooding schools, and a tornado warning all in one week. Thanks Reno. Here’s to hopefully a few less exciting weeks!

In gentle chaos,

Alyx

Books to Look Out For.

The Wandering Inn by pirateaba. The first in an epic fantasy series filled with heart and fear, magic, dragons, and monsters, adventurers and chess players…and humans pulled from the real world into a wondrous and deadly land where the game is to survive and these new pieces could decide who’s the winner. This was available online and is now coming out in paperback!

Espíritu by Aiden Thomas. Ever since Julian was sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, he has been able to see and talk with spirits. And that’s really cool, since it allows him to be part of his new boyfriend's community. But Julian’s seeing other things, too: flickers at the edge of his vision, eyes burning in the night, and “dark spots” on people—gaping wounds that thrum and bleed shadow. Yadriel has never heard of anything like it, either, and he’s so busy with his new brujx responsibilities that Julian hates for his problems to ruin what little time they have together.

A Little History of Mathematics by Snezana Lawrence. We really love this series! And now Math is coming out in paperback! These little histories have short chapters that are easy to take in while exploring their themes deeply.

Audio Books for Businesses

Would you love to get audio books at your job? Maybe pass this tip along to your management:

Libro.fm for Business is an audiobook benefit program that lets companies give their employees access to audiobooks — as a perk, a wellness benefit, a professional development tool, or a team-building experience. Every purchase directly supports the independent bookstore of the company’s choosing.

Upcoming Events

Makers Market Hosted at T&N

August 29th 10am-3pm

Artisans of Northern Nevada is returning to our parking lot! We had such a blast with so many local makers last time and we’re stoked to have them back. Come by the parking lot to shop a bunch of local artisans, bakers, and more! If you need a break from the outside, feel free to make use of our community room. We will be open throughout the event.

Author Events

• Terri Farley | Horse Girl | September 19th 12p-2pm

• Jon Else in partnership with Elizabeth Raymond and Nevada Humanities | Frenchman Flat | September 25th 6pm

• B Steffens | Fight | September 26th 11am

• JA Forde | After Glow | October 3rd 12pm-2pm

Practical Magic Read & Watch

• Bookclub for The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman: Thursday 9/10 6p

• Going to theaters to watch the Movie 9/19

Twilight Reread!

• Twilight: Wednesday 9/2 6p

• New Moon: Wednesday 9/16 6p

• Eclipse: Wednesday 9/30 6p

• Breaking Dawn: Wednesday 10/14 6p

• Movie watching party (JUST THE FIRST ONE) 10/17 6:30p

  ---

The Bookclub Round Up

Tortall Bookclub (All Ages)

• In the Hand of the Goddess: Saturday 9/12 2p

• The Woman Who Rides like a Man: Saturday 10/10 2p

• Lioness Rampant: Saturday 11/14 2p

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series Bookclub

• Death’s End (Bk3) by Cixin Liu

  • Sunday 9/13 8:30a

• Up Next: Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy

  • Assassin’s Apprentice 10/11

  • Royal Assassin 11/8

  • Assassin’s Quest 12/6

Sci-Fi Bookclub

• The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

  • Tuesday 9/15 6pm | Saturday 9/19 9am

Every Genre Bookclub

• Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

  • Tuesday 9/1 6p | Saturday 9/5 9a

Romance Bookclub

• Thursdays: Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

  • Thursday 9/3 6p

• Wednesdays: Shiver by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliot

  • Wednesday 9/9 6p

Actually? This Matters. Bookclub

• Empire’s Workshop | The US, SE Asia, and Historical Memory

  • Sunday 9/20 8:30a | Wednesday 9/23 6p

Award Winners Bookclub

• Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-zi Yang

  • Thursday 9/17 6p

5th-8th Grade Bookclub (NEW!)

• The Glade by Naseem Jamnia (Local Author!)

  • Saturday 9/26 2p

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!

What a weird little guy of a book! An absolute fever dream. A wild ride. An enigma of scent and politics and lore. It is in turns dark, absurd, heroic, and heartfelt. I had a blast. Loved it. Am keeping the book to read it again. I would eat it if I wasn’t convinced it was toxic and would kill me.

This story is going to drop you right in the middle of the smack of the dab, and you just gotta let it wash over you. It is a wholly embodied world, and even if I know I don’t understand 100% of what is going on, I feel like the author definitely does. I loved the way that art and opera are so intertwined with the politics and the making of Tilliard. The striations of society, from the depths of the tree to the heights of the canopy give such Arcane vibes(and wouldn’t we love to see that team animate this story!). It was really quite brilliant, and I am enamored with the mind that created such a thing.

At the core of this story is a toxin that can both destroy and create. This was such a fascinating concept. I was in turns horrified and enamored with the toxin, the way it was used, the bugs that it came from, and the mess of the extermination business that surrounds it all.

I gotta give a little warning for light spoilers, cause I can’t fully discuss how I feel about this book without them!

It took me until 300 pages in to realize we had some dual timelines going on. It really makes me want to reread this guy, because I feel like it will feel so much richer knowing who the characters become. I loved the little trans moment and the sibling affection while also hating that some characters I loved in the beginning turned out to be people I hated in the end.

This one is definitely an odd one! It falls on the weirder side of the spectrum for books I’ve enjoyed. If you’re down for a little dark and a lot weird, though, I highly recommend!

In joyful chaos,

Alyx

Things have been absolutely crazy! We had an AMAZING Booklovers Weekend. Such a stunning turnout and such lovely customers and our hearts are so very full! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see the new space. We’ve been so excited to share it with you. We’re appreciative to Sugar On Top who made our logo into cookies, Dreamcakes Bakery who always has us covered with the most delicious chocolate chip cookies, and Kneadful Bakes who provided us with savory treats for our craft day.

Annie has returned to teaching. Alyx has mostly sorted through all their house fix woes and gotten their own child started in the 5th grade. Fingers crossed stuff slows down at least a little from here.

We’re so thankful for the following people who came and helped us with last minute getting ready:

Brad, Katie, and Michelle, Sarah, Heidi, Salem, Adreana, Rhys, Nancy, Leo, Josh and Nicole, Katherine, Jamie and Lindsey, Alex, Andria, Gabi, Desiree, Lee Ann, Jacci, David, and Erica.

If you came and are not listed (or your name is spelled wrong!), it’s because Annie lost their sticky notes with all the amazing helpers.

Here’s all the fun stuff we’ve got planned:

Jacci Turner Author Signing

August 22nd 1p-3p

Jacci is one of our most lovely local authors! If you don’t follow her on TikTok, you should go do that right now. I love watching her videos. She has written quite a few books, including adult fiction, YA fiction, and non-fiction. Be sure to stop by and meet her and snag a signed copy of her books!

Makers Market Hosted at T&N

August 29th 10am-3pm

Artisans of Northern Nevada is returning to our parking lot! We had such a blast with so many local makers last time and we’re stoked to have them back. Come by the parking lot to shop a bunch of local artisans, bakers, and more! If you need a break from the outside, feel free to make use of our community room. We will be open throughout the event.

Practical Magic Read & Watch

• Bookclub for The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman: Thursday 9/10 6p

• Going to theaters to watch the Movie 9/19

Twilight Reread!

• Twilight: Wednesday 9/2 6p

• New Moon: Wednesday 9/16 6p

• Eclipse: Wednesday 9/30 6p

• Breaking Dawn: Wednesday 10/14 6p

• Movie watching party (JUST THE FIRST ONE) 10/17 6:30p

Tortall Bookclub (All Ages)

• Alanna: Saturday 8/15 2p

• In the Hand of the Goddess: Saturday 9/12 2p

• The Woman Who Rides like a Man: Saturday 10/10 2p

• Lioness Rampant: Saturday 11/14 2p

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series Bookclub

• Death’s End (Bk3) by Cixin Liu

  • Sunday 9/13 8:30a

• Up Next: Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy

  • Assassin’s Apprentice 10/11

  • Royal Assassin 11/8

  • Assassin’s Quest 12/6

Sci-Fi Bookclub

• Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

  • Saturday 8/15 9am | Tuesday 8/18 6pm

• The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

  • Tuesday 9/15 6pm | Saturday 9/19 9am

Every Genre Bookclub

• Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

  • Tuesday 9/1 6p | Saturday 9/5 9a

Romance Bookclub

• Thursdays: Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

  • Thursday 9/3 6p

• Wednesdays: Shiver by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliot

  • Wednesday 9/9 6p

Actually? This Matters. Bookclub

• Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Country of Under by Brooke Shaffner

  • Wednesday 8/19 6p | Sunday 8/30 8:30a

• Empire’s Workshop | The US, SE Asia, and Historical Memory

  • Sunday 9/20 8:30a | Wednesday 9/23 6p

Award Winners Bookclub

• The Birth of Korean Cool by Euny Hong

  • Thursday 8/20 6p

• Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-zi Yang

  • Thursday 9/17 6p

5th-8th Grade Bookclub (NEW!)

• The Glade by Naseem Jamnia (Local Author!)

  • Saturday 9/26 2p

Okay, whew! That was a lot of things. We love bookclubs so much we’d do them all the time if we could keep up with that many books. (As it is, I am deeply impressed with Annie’s ability to read as many books as they do!) If you are interested in any of the clubs, please just stop by! We love new book friends and the clubs are all very chill. Even if you haven’t read the book or only read part of it, we still want to chat with you! Pick one and come by, we will be so happy to have you! You are never obligated to buy books with us (we love audio and library books and hand off between friends!), but if you purchase a physical copy in store we offer 10%.

Additionally, if you so desire, I am going to start a new section titled Alyx the Book Dragon where I tell you about my favorite reads. This will be available for paid subscribers. If you want to subscribe, check it out here.

In gentle chaos,

Alyx & a little bit Annie

Books to look out for.

I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming

I love Lemming with all my heart. The first book of this series, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com, had me in absolute stitches. It’s got just the right balance of heart and humor and insane plot that somehow makes total sense. I Punched an Alien is the second installment and I am so stoked for it. It’s a zany and sexy romance about a woman who finds herself stranded on a far-off planet and mated to the warlord alien king.

The World Beneath Our Feet: The Hidden Life of Soil and Why It Matters to Us All by Frank Ashwood

The ground beneath us hums with a staggering abundance of winding roots, interconnecting fungal networks, wriggling creatures, and mind-blowing microbial life. This hidden ecosystem is the single most biodiverse habitat on the planet. Over half of all the Earth’s species exist underfoot, where decaying matter is transformed into new life; just a handful of soil can contain an entire world. Without soil, there would be no life as we know it—and yet we rarely take the time to know the countless lives happening below.

Golden Books: Blanche’s Birthday Surprise (The Golden Girls) by Derek Elmer

This Little Golden Book retells a fan-favorite episode of The Golden Girls! This beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book retells a fan-favorite episode of The Golden Girls. It’s the perfect gift for fans of the beloved series and Little Golden Book collectors of all ages!

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!

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.

  ---

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!

  ---

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.

Read more

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…

Read more

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

Read more

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…

Read more