North Carolina Bookstores

Phoebe’s Diary by Phoebe Wahl

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Phoebe's Diary by Phoebe Wahl
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Incredibly earnest, honest account (in graphic novel form!) of a teenage theatre kid navigating the move to public high school from an unschooling/homeschool education in a smallish city in the Pacific NorthWest. I love Phoebe Wahl’s art and children’s books (she illustrates and writes), and I adored her peek into the boy-obsessed, music-loving, art-driven world she creates from her own teenage diaries. I laughed out loud, cringed, cried, and cheered. If you loved Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, you’ll love Phoebe’s Diary.

Phoebe’s Diary by Phoebe Wahl, (List Price: 19.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316363563, September 2023)

Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

There’s Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath

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Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
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This picture book is so sweet. It would make the perfect book for a child whose family is going through same changes (in this case, making room for a grandfather coming to live with them). I love the message that it is ok to feel a sense of loss for the parts of life that will be different, but that making space for those we love sometimes requires us to give up things we loved in the past and replace them with things we can learn to like even more. Both the story and the pictures are filled with heart!

There’s Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781665925372, August 2023)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

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Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
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A beautiful and light-hearted story for every kind of fanciful and imaginative kid! Jessica Love’s illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and so easily portray Julian’s wish to be a magical creature. This is a delightfully simple story that explores gender expression and individuality. Careful details also help communicate Julian’s fear of revealing his identity to his Abuela, an important representation that kids need for all kinds of situations.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, (List Price: $17.99, Candlewick, 9780763690458, April 2018)

Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant

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Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant
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Long gone are the days of perusing encyclopedias for fun random information, but Information Junkies unite! Now we have Stuff Kids Should Know, a spin off from the wildly popular podcast of the same name that provides curious kids a place to discover amazing random information. Stack them up. These make the perfect holiday gift.

Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant, (List Price: 19.99, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 9781250622440, August 2023)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

The Six by Loren Grush

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The Six by Loren Grush
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A September 2023 Read This Next Book!

I dressed up as Sally Ride in the fourth grade after visiting the Johnson Space Center, and I’ve been a fan ever since! I have spent hours reading books and watching documentaries about all things NASA for years of my life, but I still learned so many new things reading this book. The new insight that Grush brings to this era of NASA history is fascinating; by telling the story though the perspectives of the first six women astronauts she situates the space shuttle in a way I have not seen before. She also has a knack for explaining complicated engineering or scientific concepts in very clear, short paragraphs, which I really appreciated! This will be a great addition to any space fan’s library.

The Six by Loren Grush, (List Price: $32.5, Scribner, 9781982172800, September 2023)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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Set in the same world as the Inheritance Games this book focuses on fan favorites Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne. They are in pursuit of a dangerous winner take all game. Less brutal than the Hunger Games it does evoke the eagerness to win and you won’t be able to put it down.

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, (List Price: 19.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316480772, August 2023)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

Move Like Water by Hannah Stowe

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Move Like Water by Hannah Stowe
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Beautifully evocative, Stowe’s memoir captures the emotional and physical pull of open waters in a visceral and compelling way. A book that can be read on many levels– memoir, a natural history guide, a call to care–with it’s strength in the intersection of all. If you love oceans, women explorers and artists, or just a book to challenge your mind and soul, this one is for you.

Move Like Water by Hannah Stowe, (List Price: 24.95, Tin House Books, 9781959030102, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

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Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
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Essential reading for all humans — insightful, brilliant, and emotive writing from Audre Lorde.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, (List Price: $27, Penguin Classics, 9780143134442, February 2020)

Reviewed by RC Collman, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Still We Rise by Erika Council

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Still We Rise by Erika Council
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A good cookbook needs inviting recipes and clear instructions. A great cookbook goes beyond to provide context, history, and a singular voice. Still We Rise is a great cookbook that elevates the humble biscuit while paying homage to African-American chefs and home cooks and expanding American foodways history. Council writes with sass, reassurance, and authority. Her introductory section on ingredients and tools made me both laugh and believe I could bake these gems. Great recipes (for fillings and butters as well as biscuits), beautiful and functional photographs, and historical notes make this a kitchen shelf essential.

Still We Rise by Erika Council, (List Price: 26, Clarkson Potter, 9780593236093, August 2023)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angelese) by Amy Spalding

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To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
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The Summer of Jordi Perez is a pitch-perfect summery contemporary romance. I adored the plus-size lesbian blogger main character as she navigates new friendships, anxiety, new relationships, and an internship. With a romance that anyone can get behind, straight or otherwise, this book is perfect for anyone wanting a light, fun read.

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angelese) by Amy Spalding, (List Price: $16.99, Sky Pony, 9781510727663, April 2018)

Reviewed by Shauna Sinyard, Park Road Books in Charlotte, North Carolina

Elves Are the Worst! by Alex Willan

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Elves Are the Worst! by Alex Willan
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Super cute picture book for the holidays that is laugh-out-loud funny for kids and their grown-ups. Written in the style of a graphic novel, younger kids will gravitate towards this format that makes them feel like they’re reading a big kid book. Behind all the humor, this book has a great message of appearances aren’t everything.

Elves Are the Worst! by Alex Willan, (List Price: 18.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665921794, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Strip Tees by Kate Flannery

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Strip Tees by Kate Flannery
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This was a nostalgic punch to the gut for me as a former American Apparel gal, reminding me of when I wore Lycra and bodysuits to work, had my picture taken every day, then finally snapped, saying I was not a model and quitting, taking the last vestiges of my dignity along with me. I feel seen. More seen than when I was wearing spandex and lamé. This was a validating read for me, but will also be interesting to those who came of age in the 2000s, for every Millennial who cut their teeth on celebrity culture and came away wanting more.

Strip Tees by Kate Flannery, (List Price: 27.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250827289, July 2023)

Reviewed by Aimee Keeble, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush

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The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush
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A beautifully written, immediately engaging book about exploring a new area of the Antarctic, experiencing climate change on a vast yet immediate scale, and still deciding to bring a child into the world. The author pulls from her experiences as an observer on an exploration vessel to chart a path into the future. Excerpts from her interviews with others aboard the ship – scientists, but also the crew and even the ship’s cooks – bring multiple perspectives into her musings on everything from the breaking ice to birth stories. While the themes of the book are urgent, the messages are hopeful: while there is work for everyone, together, we can accomplish more; and when we mess up, which we all do, own the error and don’t make the same mistake again.

The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush, (List Price: 30, Milkweed Editions, 9781571313966, August 2023)

Reviewed by Ginger Kautz, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

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How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
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What a good book! Beautifully written and so forcefully told this is a story of the power of corporations over people and governments. And the setting! So alien from what we’re used too but at the same time recognizable from our own small town battles with corporate malfeasance. A very thought provoking book that will be great for book clubs and one that reminded me of how I reacted to Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue, (List Price: $28, Random House, 9780593132425, March 2021)

Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

Ghost Book by Remy Lai

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Ghost Book by Remy Lai
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Remy Lai continues to be one of the best and most thoughtful creators working in children’s literature today. In her graphic novel Ghost Book, Lai gives us the loveable characters of July Chen who can see ghosts all around her and William, a boy whose not quite dead. Filled with vibrant images, mythology, and heart – Ghost Book proves once again that no one can weave together fun and deep emotion like Remy Lai!

Ghost Book by Remy Lai, (List Price: 14.99, Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks, 9781250810434, August 2023)

Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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