December 2022

This December we will be discussing Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So. We will be meeting on December 9th at 7:30 pm in an online video chat. You can find the link in the sidebar to the right (or the bottom of the page if you're on a phone browser)!

Anthony Veasna So was an American writer known for short stories, which were described by The New York Times as "crackling, kinetic and darkly comedic" and often drew from his upbringing as a child of Cambodian immigrants. Tragically, in December 2020, he died of a drug overdose. 

Click Cover to Buy Online!

So, what's the book about?

Seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth, Afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans. As the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in California, they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship, and family.

A high school badminton coach and failing grocery store owner tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player. Two drunken brothers attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle's snubbing of the bride and groom. A queer love affair sparks between an older tech entrepreneur trying to launch a "safe space" app and a disillusioned young teacher obsessed with Moby-Dick. And in the sweeping final story, a nine-year-old child learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter.

This vibrant story collection about Cambodian-American life--immersive and comic, yet unsparing--offers profound insight into the intimacy of queer & immigrant communities.
​

via GIPHY

If this sounds like something you would like to read, you can get your copy of the book from the store for 15% off when you order with us: in-store, online, over the phone (828.386.1219), or via email. Our booksellers will be happy to help you get the book in the format that you prefer!

Buy Online!

Paperback
Audiobook
eBook

We are open to the public for in-store shopping Mon-Sat from 11am-7pm & you can pickup your orders at the register. However, you can also pickup your book using the pickup basket at the front door or the drive thru window. We offer free media mail shipping for orders $30+ and free local delivery, as well (within Boone town limits). Getting your book to you as conveniently as possible is important to us!

Finally, you can RSVP & add this event to your personal calendar--do that here! We hope to see you at our next meeting!
​

Reviews & Interviews

Witty and Soulful Stories From a Writer Who Was Just Getting Started
-- The New York Times
Philosophical, Queer, Angry, Romantic, Defiant: 'Afterparties' Contains Multitudes 
-- NPR
Welcome to the Afterparty of the American Dream 
​-- The Atlantic