The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Gareth Inglis, unwanted child turned dismissed law clerk, unexpectedly inherits his absent father’s title and country estate. Tench House is situated in Romney Marsh, a remote wetland not-so-secretly controlled by smuggling gangs. Much to Gareth’s surprise, his local area is under the control of the Doomsday clan, led by none other than his one-time lover.Joss Doomsday is confident, charming, and eminently reasonable – and on the Marsh, his word is as good as law. But he is eager to avoid Gareth, who once spurned him in a fit of melancholy. At least until Gareth unwittingly puts his sister’s freedom at stake. As the dust of this treacherous first encounter settles and the two form an unlikely partnership, peril encroaches on them from all sides. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is an adventurous Regency romance populated by swashbuckling smugglers as well as prickly high society. It is also somewhat of a naturalist’s book; Gareth’s explorations out on the Marsh taught me a surprising amount about the great diving beetle. There are stolen fortunes, dangerous missions under cover of night, a lady scandalously wearing trousers, and murders to boot. But the real heart of the book lies in healing trauma and finding love (in partners as well as family). Gareth and Joss are shaped by their experiences, by their relationship to one another, and the end of the book finds them better situated for happiness than they’ve ever been before.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles, (List Price: 16.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728255859, March 2023)

Reviewed by Kaley Lowman, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

An Invitation to Passover by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky

When Hannah’s family is unable to come for their Passover Seder, she asks her parents to let her invite her friends from school. She presents them with invitations with the meaning of Passover: Our History, Freedom, Springtime, and Great Food. Each of her friends interprets their invitations and brings their culture to the Seder creating an amazing dinner filled with good food, friendship, and fun.A fun story that shares the diversity and culture of friendship and family.

An Invitation to Passover by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, (List Price: 19.99, Kalaniot Books, 9798986396507, February 2023)

Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Hanging Out by Sheila Liming

A fresh look at how and why we spend our free time. I love how Sheila Liming weaves movie and music references along with personal stories in Hanging Out making this book entertaining and informative. She has me thinking harder about where I hang out and why and the power just hanging out can have.

Hanging Out by Sheila Liming, (List Price: 27.99, Melville House, 9781685890056, January 2023)

Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

This gorgeous coming-of-age book swept me away to southern Australia. Not a single word is wasted in Madelaine Lucas’s debut novel; she writes with such precision and beauty. It took me days to read it not because I wasn’t enthralled but because I wanted to savor every perfect word. Lucas captures the thrills and tiny devastations of a first love affair so perfectly, remembered through the eyes of an older and wiser narrator.

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas, (List Price: 16.95, Tin House Books, 9781953534651, March 2023)

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

Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu

Before the most well-known vampire novel of all time, Dracula, was written, there was Carmilla, a queer female vampire from the 1800s. In Carmilla: The First Vampire, Carmilla gets a retelling. It’s the 90s in New York City, and the murders of homeless, queer and trans women have been ignored by cops and uncaring civilians. Though the murderer appears to be monstrous, society and structural inequality are as much to blame. Empathetic, flawed Athena is determined to solve the murders and keep other young women safe when she meets the beguiling, disastrous Violet. Spooky, sexy, and suspenseful, the lesbian vampires of the original Carmilla are blended seamlessly with traditional Chinese lore to create a rich, intense story about geungsi, monster hunters, and murder. The art is stunning, the monsters are terrifying, the vampires are lesbian. What more could you want? It’s sucking fangtastic.

Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu, (List Price: 19.99, Berger Books, 9781506734644, February 2023)

Reviewed by Julia Hirschfield, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen

Magic, murder, and class struggle blend together in a satisfying start to a YA fantasy sequence. Ren and her classmates are transported to a dark realm through a magical accident. One is dead, but won’t be the last to die. As they fight for survival and a way home, their secrets are their worst enemy. Until they meet one with teeth. I can’t wait for Scott Reintgen’s follow-up.

A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen, (List Price: 19.99, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 9781665918688, March 2023)

Reviewed by Rosemary Pugliese, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

Pomegranate is a raw, beautiful story of reintegration and a mother trying to do and be better for her kids. Oscillating between present-day Ranita and her past self, this story paints a real, painful picture of a woman caught in a cycle of drug use and eventual prison time, and her daily fight for sobriety and wellness when she returns to her family

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee, (List Price: 27.99, Atria Books, 9781982171896, April 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

Sundial by Catriona Ward

An interesting read with many twist and turns. Characters and setting were very unique, and I could never guess what would happen next.(Spoilers inbound) This was a weird book, but not in a bad way. The writing was spiritic, with odd inclusions and details, but it all felt intentional. Rob was flawed and different individual, and the writing portrayed that perfectly. Cassie’s chapters felt like reading the mind of a child who sees thing she shouldn’t. All of this felt very intentional, it felt like the book was trying to pack a lot within as few pages as possible, and yet some of the twists and events of the book felt forgotten too easily. Yet, the last couple chapters of the climax had me enraptured and glued to the page. And the book as a whole had a unique premise and storyline, even if there was whole lot in it. A definite need to read for sure.

Sundial by Catriona Ward, (List Price: $19.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250812704, March 2023)

Reviewed by Mandolin Moore, WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas

The Angel Maker by Alex North

I am not a reader of thrillers, but I could not put this down. Following the two octogenarian sons of a future-seeing serial killer, this story weaves between past and present, between investigators and the investigated, and intertwines a horrific legacy with a more recent brutal attack and the siblings that survived. Alex North kept me guessing, and though I had to draw a character map to track all the Englishmen the story follows, I was deeply invested by the end and questioning for myself the roles of family, both blood and chosen.

The Angel Maker by Alex North, (List Price: $28.99, Celadon Books, 9781250757869, February 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

I wish I could put this book in a time machine and send it back to my high school youth orchestra friends in the 2000s! I’m so glad that books like this exist for teens to read now. Edward Underhill’s passion for the piano and classical music shines on every page of this book and his trans protagonist Miles who is figuring out who he is and what he stands for as he prepares to enter a big competition will capture your heart. I also loved that this book is set in Wisconsin, a state I don’t know very much about!

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill, (List Price: $18.99, Wednesday Books, 9781250835208, February 2023)

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

Akim Aliu: Dreamer (Original Graphic Memoir) by Akim Aliu

The gripping story of a boy who fell in love with a sport to only experience systemic racism while succeeding on the ice, this graphic novel is a must-read. Told in a conversational tone with rich illustrations, Aliu’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Akim Aliu: Dreamer by Akim Aliu, (List Price: $14.99, Graphix, 9781338787603, February 2023)

Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

Happily by Sabrina Orah Mark

Subtitled "A Person History –with Fairy Tales," this collection of essays refracts Mark’s fears, losses, family, and more through the prism of fairy tales. There are plenty of jagged edges and tales torn into for new meanings and few happily ever afters. Incisive, probing, Mark gives herself to the stories and leave readers a wealth of questions.

Happily by Sabrina Orah Mark, (List Price: $27, Random House, 9780593242476, March 2023)

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

Ancient Night by David Alvarez

Álvarez’s illustrations alone are enough to make this stunning picture book a winner—the dreamy feel of the milky moonlight against the deep-dark night and the crisp simplicity of the animals and their world is masterful. When paired with interwoven traditional Mesoamerican tales of the magic and power of our lunar companion, the story sings, enchanting readers with its mystery and beauty. Don’t miss this one!

Ancient Night by David Alvarez, (List Price: $18.99, Levine Querido, 9781646142514, March 2023)

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Weyward by Emilia Hart

In this utterly captivating debut, Hart manages to weave an intricate, beautifully written novel about three women and their inextricable connection to nature. This intergenerational tale snared me from the first page and wouldn’t let go. If you enjoy complex conversations about legacy, gender and control, nature and witchy-ness, and female power, this should be next on your list.

Weyward by Emilia Hart, (List Price: $27.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250280800, March 2023)

Reviewed by Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

The New Guys by Meredith Bagby

An incredible book that includes exclusive interviews with former astronauts and new pictures from NASA’s archive! More importantly, Meredith Bagby tells the story of the first class of space shuttle astronauts incredibly compellingly; this book is accessible and distills an amazing amount of historical and scientific information into a highly readable narrative. It includes in-depth coverage of the Challenger disaster, which makes for difficult but worthwhile reading.

The New Guys by Meredith Bagby, (List Price: $40, William Morrow, 9780063141971, February 2023)

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

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