Wayne County

Sydnee chats with book lovers, clubs, and authors about the hottest reading trends.

Kendra Shannon is a Metro Detroit-based book influencer and content creator within the Book community. She also has a bookish business, With Love Author & Design Services. You can find her on Instagram @kendrareadswithlove.

James V. Jackson is an author, public servant, and proud father of four daughters. He currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Southfield Public Schools in Michigan. Above all of his professional accomplishments, James considers being a father his greatest calling. Inspired by the lessons learned while raising his daughters, he created the 'Girl Dad Series' to encourage fathers to be intentional, present, and engaged in the lives of their children.

At the Silent Book Club, there's no assigned reading. All readers are welcome. Friends and strangers gather for free events at a set time and location, order food or drinks, share what they're reading, and settle in for an hour of silent, sustained reading. 

Nestle (pronounced like the chocolate) is known in the book community for her amazing recommendations and honest reviews. Some of her favorite reads include Martyr!, Great Black Hope, and Lonely Crowds.

Portia Elan studied history at Stanford University and earned an MFA from the University of Victoria before returning to California, where she has worked as a waitress, bookseller, teacher, and public librarian. She is a former Lambda Literary Fellow and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife and an abundance of cats. 'Homebound' is her debut novel.

Christopher Sernel, also known as Oh, Hush!, is an American recording artist and Grammy-nominated producer. He also has a cool book club where he picks the book, writes a theme song for it then meets with members on zoom, along with the authors. 

Adrian Thomas' passion for writing sparked at age 12. In 2015, she took her craft seriously and published her first series, Money Is the Motive, under a publishing company. After releasing twelve books with that house, she struck out on her own as an independent author. Writing and reading were her escape during a troubled adolescence, and that grit shows in her work—unique, raw, and uncut. 

Tessa Bickers studied journalism at Bournemouth university, and went on to co-present a breakfast radio show in the South West. Moving into celebrity news, she's interviewed some of the biggest names in show business. These days she's replaced her guitar with a keyboard, and songs for books. 

Clay McLeod Chapman is the author of Bodies of Work, Shiny Happy People, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes and his new horrormance novel Devil Inside. He's the recipient of The Bram Stoker Award and the This Is Horror Award, as well as a three-time nominee for The Bram Stoker Award, The Shirley Jackson Award, and the International Thriller Writers' Thriller Award. 

Nik is the creator behind ‘Sis, What You Reading?’, a growing online community dedicated to helping readers discover stories by Black authors and building a space where Black readers feel seen, celebrated, and excited about books. She's a self-proclaimed full-time TBR disturber and has a knack for introducing readers to books they'll obsess over and authors they'll wonder how they ever missed.