COVER Local booksellers

COVER STORY

Reading rooms

AS BOOK READERS BECOME FEWER AS TIME WEARS ON, LOCAL BOOKSTORES DOUBLE DOWN ON INVENTORY AND PROVIDING EXPERIENCES TO THEIR CLIENTELE.

Deer Clan Books 3905 N. College Ave. (Bethany)

Boasting a huge collection of Oklahoma and Native writers of both fiction and non-fiction, owner Claudette Robertson is a Muscogee citizen of the eponymous Deer Clan. A former high school social studies teacher and college history professor, her advanced degrees have informed the selection at this unassuming bookstore along College Avenue just south of the Southern Methodist University campus. In addition to hosting book signings on the second and fourth Fridays of each month at 6 p.m., Deer Clan hosts a children’s program on the first and third Saturdays of each month at 1 p.m. Oklahoma authors Kent McInnis and Joan Jenkinson will be on hand for Deer Clan’s second anniversary on Aug. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Robertson is a descendent of Col. William Robison and has named the event space inside the store (which is available for rental) after her ancestor. If you’re looking for books on all things Oklahoma, drop in and choose titles from more than 50 Oklahoma authors and counting.

Deer Clan Books. Photo by Berlin Green.

Literati Press Bookstore. Photo by Berlin Green.

Best of Books 1313 E. Danforth Road (Edmond)

An Edmond mainstay for nearly four decades, Best of Books is as much a children’s bookstore as it is for adults, with more than half of the store’s space devoted to catering to young readers and an 11 a.m. storytime each Saturday. For the grown-ups, there are regular free readings and book signings attended by local writers in addition to added perks like registering your book club with the store to get 15 percent off the title and the free “book club card,” which gets you a discounted or free book after you purchase a dozen others (the credit amount is determined on the average price of the 12 items previously purchased). Additionally, Best of Books also hosts larger events off-site, including an upcoming ticketed talk and signing with Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series, to be held at the nearby University of Central Oklahoma. Visit bestofbooksok.com

Literati Press Bookshop 3010 Paseo

What began as Literati Press Comics and Novels more than a decade ago expanded into a bookstore in 2016 as one facet of the Paseo Plunge, a multi-use building that also contains an art gallery as well as Holey Rollers, a donut and coffee shop (among other menu items). The bookstore is a labor of love, beginning as a pair of bookshelves and expanding into more and more space in the building as interest and stock increases. In addition to the ever-expanding list of in-house titles, the selections are all curated by the staff, which is headed by local writer Charles Martin, but includes selected picks from each staff member. Literati Press also carries its own line of comics of which multiple titles are ongoing (stay tuned for more info on these in an upcoming issue of Oklahoma Gazette). The labyrinthine building is also home to several artist studios and there’s a weekly meetup for artists to work alongside each other, making this bookstore a thriving hive of creative collaboration. Visit literatipressok.com

Full Circle Bookstore 1900 Northwest Expressway

What kind of introduction does the largest independent bookstore in the state really need? Full Circle Bookstore recently celebrated more than 50 years in business, with a history that spans multiple locations and expansions over the decades and has seen in-store visits from the likes of David Grann (author of Killers of the Flower Moon) and Ree Drummond, “The Pioneer Woman.” A rescheduled spring appearance by Kristin Chenoweth is supposed to happen this winter (stay tuned for that announcement). In the meantime, drop in to peruse the titles at your leisure, as Full Circle boasts an in-store catalog of more than 60,000 volumes. Visit fullcirclebooks.com

Full Circle Bookstore. Photo by Berlin Green.

Oklahoma Books

HERE ARE FOUR RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS THAT COME FROM OKLAHOMA WRITERS OR HAVE THE SOONER STATE AS THEIR SETTING.

Oklahoma Beer: A Handcrafted History Brian Welzbacher

This little tome is short but stout, beginning with a brief history of prestatehood brewing and continuing into the craft beer boom that we’re currently experiencing. Of course there are sections dedicated to Prohibition as well as the Krebs Brewing Co. (and Choc beer), but the chapters about the myriad number of defunct brewers are perhaps the most enlightening. At least until you get to the present day, that is. The latter part of the book tends heavily towards the beer brands that we’ve all started taking for granted like COOP Ale Works, Anthem Brewing and Roughtail Brewing Co., but there are sections dedicated to some smaller but influential operations like Battered Boar Brewing. Having just been published this year, this book will lend itself to a revised and expanded edition in a few years as the nascent industry continues its ascent.

Half Outlaw Alex Temblador

As much a road novel as it is a crime story, Alex Temblador spent three years here while she earned her Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Central Oklahoma, so while the book begins in Los Angeles, a portion of Half Outlaw is set in Oklahoma City along with a brief appearance in Tulsa. The heroine, Raqi, goes to live with her outlaw motorcyclist uncle after her parents’ death as a child. Now a successful lawyer, the novel alternates between her childhood and the present as she goes on a “Grieving Ride” for the uncle who raised her. Temblador made a name for herself as a young adult writer but her debut adult novel is certainly a standout for fans of motorcycle culture, strong female characters and magical realism.

YOUR DAILY INTEL BRIEFING ON-AIR, ONLINE AND ON-DEMAND

Walking Through Needles Heather Levy

Levy’s debut novel certainly made a splash upon publication last summer, with the likes of CrimeReads, L.A. Times, The New York Times and Publishers Weekly singing its praises. Now available in paperback, Walking Through Needles tells the story of Sam Mayfair, abused as a teen and now coming to learn that the man has been murdered 15 years later. Her stepbrother is accused of his murder and the rural Oklahoma setting serves as the backdrop to one of the darkest and challenging debuts in recent memory. Levy has proven herself as a capable and fearless writer who isn’t afraid to go where few writers dare to tread.

When Stars Come Out Scarlett St. Clair

To say local fantasy writer Scarlett St. Clair is prolific is still selling it short. When Stars Come Out is her first young adult excursion and the second of three books the USA Today bestselling author has already published in 2022 (with the third slated to arrive in December). A fan of Greek mythology, this updated version of the Orpheus and Eurydice centers around a girl named Anora and her ability to see dead people and transform spirits into gold coins, this dark fantasy novel is quick-paced and a fascinating read.