Mississippi Bookstores

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

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The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
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How much trouble can four tweens and a senior citizen get into in a summer? A lot, as readers discover in The Sherlock Society! It turns out that investigating Al Capone and contemporary thieves does come with some risks…. Luckily, Alex, Zoe, Yadi, and Lina are good sleuths, and Alex and Zoe’s grandfather has a lot of connections! A fun romp through puzzles, riddles, and history. For fans of Chasing Vermeer, Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, and Hoot.

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti, (List Price: $18.99, Aladdin, 9781665932530, September 2024)

Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Beautiful Dreamers by Minrose Gwin

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Beautiful Dreamers by Minrose Gwin
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With Beautiful Dreamers, Minrose Gwin firmly establishes herself among the masters of Southern literature. I treasured the experience of reading this heartbreaking yet perfectly crafted tale, with sensitively wrought characters straight out of a Tennessee Williams play and a picturesque Mississippi setting to boot.

Beautiful Dreamers by Minrose Gwin, (List Price: $28, Hub City Press, 9798885740364, August 2024)

Reviewed by Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi

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Die Hot with a Vengeance by Sable Yong

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Die Hot with a Vengeance by Sable Yong
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I loved this funny, insightful exploration of beauty culture from a former beauty editor with complicated feelings on the subject. Yong is optimistic about aesthetics as creative expression but critical of the pitfalls of vanity and oppressive beauty standards. In a series of personal essays spanning her late bloomer origins, the capitalist ideas fueling the concept of a “revenge bod”, and the power of blue hair, Yong unravels her messy beauty history with analysis that is accessible without being shallow. As products and procedures become more obtainable to the masses than ever, Yong asks the question: what is beauty for?

Die Hot with a Vengeance by Sable Yong, (List Price: $29.99, Dey Street Books, 9780063236486, July 2024)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

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The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
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Reading The Lost Story reminded me of being a kid, and of the many hours I spent immersed in magical faraway worlds. Inspired by the classic Narnia novels, Meg Shaffer’s second novel is both a fairytale for grown-ups and a love story. As teenagers, Jeremy and Rafe vanished for six months in the forests of West Virginia. As adults, enlisted by Emilie to search for her missing sister, they return to the scene of their disappearance: a tree that opens onto Shenandoah, a fantastical realm where they are greeted as long-lost royalty, and where Rafe must grapple with the demons of his past in order to reclaim his future. Recommended reading for anyone seeking to reawaken a sense of wonder.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer, (List Price: $29, Ballantine Books, 9780593598870, July 2024)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in , Mississippi

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Be That Way by Hope Larson

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Be That Way by Hope Larson
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Hope Larson’s Be That Way is a charming coming-of-age story told in mixed formats of journal entries, illustrations, and comic strips. High school junior Christine is determined that 1996 will be the year she shines. From friendship fallouts to heartbreak and betrayal to first jobs, Christine tumbles through adolescence with snark, wit, and–ultimately– optimism as she finds herself through her art and the support of the people who matter most. Be That Way is the perfect read for when you need a reminder that the awkward teenage moments aren’t forever and that being your true self is the best thing you can be.

Be That Way by Hope Larson, (List Price: $22.99, Margaret Ferguson Books, 9780823447619, October 2023)

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

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Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
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This book is no mere pick of the month. This is the kind of book that comes along once in a generation. The kind of book that makes us want to open bookstores. The kind of book that will be required reading for our children and grandchildren as they go through school. The kind of book that will be filmed page by page and line by line because there is not one thing about it that needs to be changed. I can only hope that we are ready to let this book change us. This is a story that needed to be told, but couldn’t be told without a great deal of pain. For Jesmyn Ward to explore this territory and tell this story amid her own personal grief is an act of bravery. It is an act of service to American society to tell this story no matter how hard it got, and to withhold shortcuts and saviors and swooping gestures, to force us to look at the honest truth of the human toll of our history. And it is an act of love to each and every individual who we will never know but whose story this could be.

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward, (List Price: $28, Scribner, 9781982104498, March 2023)

Reviewed by Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi

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The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

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The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans
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Born with the power to see monsters and ghosts that no one else can, River Rydell’s life has been haunted by the Otherwoods, a supernatural force determined to take River for its own purposes. River has no interest in being a hero and just wants to survive middle school with the fewest monster-related incidents as possible. But when their closest friend is snatched by the Otherwoods, River must gear up to save the day– with their faithful cat, Mr. Fluffy Pancakes, by their side of course. The Otherwoods is equal parts spooky and hilarious with a protagonist readers will find easy to sympathize with and root for. It’s perfect for fans of Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall and Small Spaces by Katherine Arden.

The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans, (List Price: 17.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547612543, September 2023)

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer

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There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer
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Horror movie buff and aspiring film critic Noelle Layne is certain that she would be the Final Girl in any slasher scenario but she never expected that her skills would be put to the test when the "pretend" killer clown at a Halloween party turns out to be the real deal. Now, it will take all of Noelle’s know-how to survive the night and hopefully keep her friends alive with her. Lisa Springer delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that readers will not be able to put down– but be warned, you should read this one in the daylight.

There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer, (List Price: 18.99, Delacorte Press, 9780593643174, September 2023)

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse

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My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse
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Iris Prince, a second-generation Mexican American, has spent her life being the model minority, but when a law is passed requiring everyone to wear ‘The Band’ – a piece of wearable tech – she quickly becomes a second-class citizen: she can’t get one as her parents weren’t born in the US. My Name is Iris is a frighteningly real work of dystopian fiction that explores issues of identity, immigration and belonging, as well as showing how quickly fear can escalate and life can unravel.

My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse, (List Price: $28, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, 9781982177850, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson

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When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson
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The moon, as a "work in progress". Love this. A sweet and simple way to teach any young astronomer about the lunar body’s history, relationship to the sun, the earth, and us too. (All ages)

When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson, (List Price: 18.99, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 9780593523629, August 2023)

Reviewed by Jilleen Moore, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

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The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
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A September 2023 Read This Next Book!

Andrew Joseph White’s phenomenal debut, Hell Followed With Us, would seem like a tough act to follow but White’s fans won’t be disappointed: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is just as incredible. White tackles the overlapping ways in which misogyny, transphobia, and ableism manifest in society through a ghost-infested finishing school where protagonist Silas Bell must work with the spirits of deceased students to expose the school’s medical and psychiatric abuses and break free of the system’s tyrannical rule. Gut-wrenching yet gorgeous, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a necessary and impressive addition to both LGBTQ and horror lit.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White, (List Price: 19.99, Peachtree Books, 9781682636114, September 2023)

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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One Smart Cookie by Mika Song

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One Smart Cookie by Mika Song
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Fortunately, one of the adorable squirrels was learning to read and write. Their futures were bright, and cookies were just a few words away. If only they could think their way into the fortune cookie writer’s block. Darling and silly, this graphic novel is perfect for beginning readers of all ages.

One Smart Cookie by Mika Song, (List Price: 12.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593479759, August 2023)

Reviewed by Jilleen Moore, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto

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Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto
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Wren wants nothing more than to be a valkyr, a highly trained warrior who protects reapyrs as they make sure the dead stay dead. But when a betrayal sabotages her qualifying trial, Wren finds herself disgraced and shunned with only one chance to redeem herself: rescue a prince from a wasteland of the dead. Harrowing and thrilling, with a richly imagined world and magic system, Bonesmith is the start of a duology that should be at the top of every fantasy fan’s reading list.

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto, (List Price: 21.99, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 9781665910590, July 2023)

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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The Future by Naomi Alderman

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The Future by Naomi Alderman
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The future is far from bright in this taut, propulsive masterpiece of dystopian fiction from the prize-winning author of The Power. In a world that’s fast unraveling, three technology billionaires believe they alone will survive the coming apocalypse, thanks to an app that can see the future. But, unbeknownst to them, an unlikely group of friends is working furiously to protect the world from the trio’s greed. The Future is full of twists that had me gripped to the end, while also leaving me questioning how much power and control we’ve unwittingly ceded to technology.

The Future by Naomi Alderman, (List Price: $28.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668025680, November 2023)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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