The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

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Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

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Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
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Underwood’s bold reimagining of Penelope’s hanged maids cements her among the ranks of Rick Riordan and Jennifer Saint. Lies We Sing to the Sea is a a magical take on feminine rage that girls of all ages can empathize with. The love story is ephemeral, and my pages were tear-soaked by the end. I will never look at daffodils the same way.

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood, (List Price: $15.99, HarperTeen, 9780063234499, April 2024)

Reviewed by Laura Taylor, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

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Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

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Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
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Between the ephemeral sense of dread that vanishes as quickly as it appears and the all too well-known terror of family vacation, Diavola kept me both frightened and intrigued! It’s a great read for anyone who loves haunted houses, with a dash of family drama!

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne, (List Price: $27.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250826121, March 2024)

Reviewed by Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas

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The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

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The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
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Goodness, was this good! Where to start? The power politics and marriage of convenience love story put me in mind (in a good way) of Winter’s Orbit, but there’s also talking mammoths, climate crisis commentary, twists, tidbits for language nerds, and delightfully fleshed-out characters! Highly recommend!

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley, (List Price: $32.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732333, March 2024)

Reviewed by Angela Trigg, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

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Poetrees by Douglas Florian

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Poetrees by Douglas Florian
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Perfectly positioned for Poetry Month and Earth Day, Poetrees is a poetry book, an art book, and a science primer all in one. From the humble seed to the Giant Sequoia there’s sure to be an ode to your favorite forest giant.

PoetreesPoetrees by Douglas Florian, (List Price: $8.99, Beach Lane Books, 9781665957946, April 2024)

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

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Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

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Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
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I read Beetle & the Hollowbones in one sitting over morning coffee. The art and story charmed me to no end! This middle-grade graphic novel is a perfect recommendation for fans of Corpse Bride and Halloweentown, a creepy-cute and sweet tale of growing up, friendship, magic, and love. A must-read for fellow year-round Halloween lovers!

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne, (List Price: $12.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781534441545, April 2020)

Reviewed by Cristina Russell, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida

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Fervor by Toby Lloyd

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Fervor by Toby Lloyd
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Is it nature? Nurture? Unacknowledged familial trauma? Kabbalah? God? Does it matter? Toby Lloyd’s stunning novel debut feels like a long-lost dream, rippling with uncertainty for the best kind of unsettled reading experience — just after finishing, I wanted to read it all again.In a London, modern Ashkenazi Jewish home, our intersecting narrators offer multiple realities, inviting us to hold them amidst reflections on tradition, power, and existence with heart-wrenching beauty. Impressively succinct writing that unfolds in the mind like a flower in bloom with heart-wrenching beauty and depth – the rest of 2024’s reads are up against a powerhouse.

FervorFervor by Toby Lloyd, (List Price: $28, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, 9781668033333, March 2024)

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

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Sociopath by Patric Gagne

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Sociopath by Patric Gagne
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Sociopath is an illuminating memoir about Patric Gagne’s lifelong quest to understand herself and her lack of emotion. As a child who is aware that she is different from her family and peers to an adult striving for true intimacy, Patric shines a light on sociopathy and related antisocial behaviors. I started reading Sociopath with my own preconceived notions and prejudices around the word “sociopath” and finished with a deeper understanding and empathy.

Sociopath by Patric Gagne, (List Price: $28.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668003183, April 2024)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
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To say I’m obsessed is an understatement. Sade arrives at a boarding school, escaping her past, when her new roommate disappears the next day. Layers of secrets and twists are uncovered as Sade tries to find her roommate. I couldn’t put this down and will immediately read anything she writes!

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, (List Price: $19.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250800848, March 2024)

Reviewed by Kayla Matykunas, Bookmarks in , North Carolina

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
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Can I just live in this book please? A perfect book boyfriend, lovely world-building, just the right amount of spice….what more can we ask for? There is a reason it’s the most beloved book in the fantasy realm.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, (List Price: $19, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635575583, June 2020)

Reviewed by Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads in , South Carolina

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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
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With Dead Silence (a haunted Titantic in space!) and now Ghost Station, Barnes is set to become the queen of intense, claustrophobic space horror! Again with a small crew of deeply disturbed and damaged people, Barnes sets them loose on an icy, abandoned planet to do some dangerous work for an uncaring corporation. Everyone is hiding something. There is a jump-startle behind every closed door and every corner. If it was just these things, that would be great, but under the chills and thrills there are thoughtful explorations of class, the definition of family, the nature of trauma, and opening oneself up to trust and love.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes, (List Price: $27.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250884923, April 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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woke up no light by Leila Mottley

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woke up no light by Leila Mottley
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What I hope is the beginning of a Leila Mottley renaissance, woke up no light is a poetry collection that solidifies Mottley’s status as one of our time’s best new young writers. Split into four sections defined as girlhood, neighborhood, falsehood, and womanhood, Mottley’s poetry reads as tender yet raw, her musings especially on womanhood and coming into your own are glittering pieces of writing that any reader can acknowledge are full of both heart, hardships, and truth. A remarkable collection for people looking to get into poetry, or for the established readers of the genre!

woke up no light by Leila Mottley, (List Price: $28, Knopf, 9780593319710, April 2024)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera

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The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera
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A bilingual and elegiac collection that explores transnational sorrow with an openness to delving into the gulfs loss creates, rather than succumbing to them. Memories of family and political histories intertwine with cultural unrest and the sensorially intimate to form poems with a sketchy quality—much like the drawings in the book—with deep feeling and sense of possibility. Disarmingly beautiful.

The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera, (List Price: $17, Graywolf Press, 9781644452790, April 2024)

Reviewed by Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Devotions by Mary Oliver

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Devotions by Mary Oliver
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Mary Oliver writes poetry for the soul. I have never felt so seen that when I read the words she has so lovingly crafted. Her poetry is simple and uncomplicated but will strum your heartstrings in perfect rhythm. Oliver understands the human need for unconditional forgiveness.

DevotionsDevotions by Mary Oliver, (List Price: $20, Penguin Books, 9780399563263, November 2020)

Reviewed by Faith Skowronnek, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat

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The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat
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This world’s people will perish by burning up in a solar flare unless the four swords that rained down from the heavens are united to open a portal to an alternate universe. Unfortunately, the owner of the sword demands to use it for revenge first and doesn’t give a rat’s behind about suns dying or oceans evaporating. A compelling read and I’m interested to see how they expand on the lore of the swords.

The Swords of Glass Vol. 1 (Oversized) by Sylvaine Corgiat, (List Price: $29.99, Humanoids Inc., 9781643375762, April 2024)

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

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The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
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This book is beautiful. An epic tale of everything good in fantasy. Magic, pirates , bombs and demons. This book has it all. But the best part of this book is the way the main character handles her own identity as a woman , mother and badass.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, (List Price: $19.99, Harper Voyager, 9780062963512, March 2024)

Reviewed by Mekhala Villegas-Rogers, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida

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