Georgia Bookstores

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan

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The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan
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MacMillan has crafted a twisting, well-plotted, multiview point mystery that sweeps between timelines without ever disorienting the reader as to where they are in the story. It’s an utterly readable tale of greed, avarice, and revenge. It reminded me in all the best ways of And Then There None, and MacMillan is fearless in revealing who each of her characters really are. Also? The ongoing subplot of the unreliability of smart home technology feels so current, relatable, and also informs the plot in surprising ways. Loved this book, can’t wait to sell it.

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan, (List Price: $30, William Morrow, 9780063074385, November 2023)

Reviewed by Tracie Harris, The Book House in Smyrna, Georgia

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
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The Berry Pickers is the debut novel from indigenous author Amanda Peters. When four-year-old Ruthie goes missing, the youngest of five in a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia, her older brother Joe is despondent and the loss of Ruthie haunts the family for fifty years. Meanwhile, a white family in Maine is raising a child named Norma with overbearing and almost suffocating familial love. Norma’s faint memories and dreams of her missing life are confusing until they almost vanish. The Berry Pickers considers lost lives, second chances, and the power of forgiveness.

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, (List Price: $27.99, Catapult, 9781646221950, October 2023)

Reviewed by Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel

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Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel
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After reading Sleepless in Dubai, you will be itching for a trip to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi! Nikki and Yash have been best friends since birth. But this last summer, their friendship blew up and they’ve been avoiding each other since. Now their families have a trip planned together to Dubai for Diwali and they’re going to have to find some way to get along.

Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel, (List Price: $30, Amulet Books, 9781419766961, October 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The North Wind and the Sun by Philip C. Stead

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The North Wind and the Sun by Philip C. Stead
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This beautifully retold fable is a celebration of endurance and compassion and a reminder that gentleness and love (and patience) are more powerful than cruelty and hate (and haste). Stead’s innovative style of illustration evokes a classic with bold lines and quiet colors, and his thoughtful tale-telling is unparalleled. A story both timeless and perfect for these times.

The North Wind and the Sun by Philip C. Stead, (List Price: $18.99, Neal Porter Books, 9780823455836, October 2023)

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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Starling Houseby Alix E. Harrow
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As someone who has always been a little too soft for the world, nothing delights me more than living vicariously through fierce and hard as nail protagonists like Opal. Opal is fighting every day to make sure her brother doesn’t go without in the town of Eden. Despite barely having time to think, Opal begins to dream of Starling House, the Secret that no one talks about, and even though she knows better, she finds herself at the front door. Arthur is going to be the last warden of the Starling House, taking its legacy of monsters and magic down with him. He’s determined to be so until Opal breaks down the walls around his heart with her knock at Starling House’s door. This is a story of two people who are less than beautiful that smile with crooked teeth and black eyes, and I didn’t want it to end.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, (List Price: $28.99, Tor Books, 9781250799050, October 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart

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Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart
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Most of our beloved classic children’s authors (think Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, E. B. White, John Steptoe, and so many more!) have books in the world thanks to efforts of one formidable woman—Ursula Nordstrom. This brilliant biography displays her awesomely unorthodox approach to children’s literature and her wily sense of humor, all while celebrating the unique books she ushered into the world.

Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart, (List Price: $18.99, Anne Schwartz Books, 9780593379578, September 2023)

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Bookseller, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

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The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
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The story of two black teenage siblings, one wrongfully over-sentenced to indefinite time in the titular Reformatory (based on the infamous Dozier School for Boys), the other working from the outside (if you could call Jim Crow-era Florida “outside”) to get her brother out. With a father MIA, having narrowly escaped a lynch mob for trying to unionize, and a mother recently deceased (but not 100% out of the picture), every choice and action made by the teens give the book a one-step-forward-one-landslide-back momentum right up to the last page. Due brilliantly plates an equal parts jailbreak and ghost story, both playing by history’s rulebook, pulling no punches along the way, with neither element hindering the other, which is a feat on its own, but to make it edge-of-seat-worthy with an epic showdown-at-high-noon finish is just extra icing on the icing.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, (List Price: $28.99, Saga Press, 9781982188344, October 2023)

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

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Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala
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More fun and intrigue await in Manansala’s newest mystery with our favorite Filipino baker. Lila and her godmothers are back on the scene. The Calendar Crew (April, Mar, and June) are opening up a new laundromat, but their main competition is furious about the development. And their gossiping ways have another townsman blaming them for the breakup of their marriage. So when the laundromat is vandalized, those are the two main suspects. But when April’s niece is found dead in the laundromat, things just got a little more serious. This time, Lila will have to call on all her friends to break the case.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala, (List Price: $17, Berkley, 9780593549162, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

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The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
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The Black Flamingo is a poetic look into the coming of age and coming out stories of a young biracial teen in England. When he goes off to university, he explores who he is through the beauty of drag. This novel is a raw look at the complexity of identity with the beauty of poetry.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, (List Price: $15.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780062990303, April 2021)

Reviewed by Nannette Matthews, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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Our Strangers by Lydia Davis

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Our Strangers by Lydia Davis
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Picking up the same one-to-three-page story by Lydia Davis ten times gives the reader ten different experiences, like taking a plate of gourmet food from a fussy child with her right hand, passing it behind her back to the left hand and returning it to the child saying “fine, eat your magic boopie beans” to the child’s ravenous delight. And the beauty of a book full of one-to-three-page, multidimensional gems is that you’ve got a book jam-packed with multidimensional gems.

Our Strangers by Lydia Davis, (List Price: 26, Bookshop Editions, 9798987717103, October 2023)

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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True True by Don P. Hooper

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True True by Don P. Hooper
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I loved this book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t wait to find out how Gil’s story would unfold. I loved the way Gil used Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as a guide to help him navigate the often hostile world at his new, mostly white prep school. It kept the plot moving enticingly and kept me wondering what his next step would be. But ultimately, it was his deep connections to his family, his friends, and his community that made this book sing for me. Wonderful!

True True by Don P. Hooper, (List Price: 18.99, Nancy Paulsen Books, 9780593462102, August 2023)

Reviewed by Ruth Goldstein, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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Starter Villain by John Scalzi
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John Scalzi, you never cease to delight! This time, Scalzi lets us into the secret world of villains. Charlie’s not doing well. It doesn’t seem to be getting much better when his estranged uncle dies and wants him to preside over his wake. But when he comes home, he discovers that’s just the beginning. Soon, he’s deep into the underground world of supervillains, sentient, computer-using cats and dolphins who want to strike. This tongue-in-cheek fish out of water scifi story will keep you laughing!

Starter Villain by John Scalzi, (List Price: $28.99, Tor Books, 9780765389220, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Parasocial by Alex de Campi

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Parasocial by Alex de Campi
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What an interesting take on modern day parasocial relationships! I loved how it referenced modern fan lingo and even Ao3 with the kidnapping and how it just kept devolving from there. The playlist was a lovely touch as well, it really added to the experience.

Parasocial by Alex de Campi, (List Price: 18.99, Image Comics, 9781534399372, October 2023)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters

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All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
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An October Read This Next! Book

Erica Waters never disappoints with her dark and queer tales. I loved every bit of this dark academia story. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t stop reading. Don’t let this one pass you by!

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters, (List Price: $19.99, HarperTeen, 9780063115965, October 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
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This is one of my favorite books of all time. Following Simon and his friends, Rowell’s fantasy centers their fight against the Insidious Humdrum, an evil that’s sucking magic out of the world and Simon is prophesied to defeat (and they’re trying to finish their last year of magic school at Watford). Featuring a ghost story, a love story, and an epic arc, this book has everything a book should have! Inviting queer characters to the forefront of the fight, Simon Snow discovers himself and his limitations, tackles his worst fears, copes with the trauma that comes with being Chosen, and falls in love, working through the pitfalls of a relationship built in the rubble of a war. His journey is incredibly poignant for anyone who has had to face their nightmare and came away scarred, only to discover that wasn’t the end of it. A wonderful, approachable, and shockingly personal fantasy trilogy that’s completely different from what you’d expect, Carry On stole my heart from the first page, and I hope it makes your heart sing the way it makes mine.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, (List Price: $19.99, Wednesday Books, 9781250806918, July 2021)

Reviewed by Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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