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The Southern Bookseller Review 3/28/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of March 28, 2023

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The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

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The week of March 28, 2023

Read These Next! The April Books

Read This Next!

Five new books have been selected by Southern booksellers for April’s Read This Next! List!

SBR’s Read This Next! highlights new books that are receiving exceptional, and exceptionally enthusiastic, buzz from Southern indie booksellers. Each of the selected books has several cheerleaders among booksellers, who can’t wait to give them to their customers. The list is posted the first of each month, but here is a sneak peek of the titles selected for April, and what booksellers have to say about them:

Above Ground by Clint Smith
Above Ground is a poetry collection that is a heartfelt ode to fatherhood. These poems are imbued with the love, joy, wonder, and uncertainties that accompany being a parent.
– Damita Nocton from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC

Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef
A story that will appeal to both middle-grade and young adult readers who love myths, about discovering the missing parts of yourself — whether you know they’re missing or not, and whether or not you want them.
–Melissa Oates from Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Is there such a thing as a meet-ugly? Out of an utterly disastrous first "meeting" (they didn’t actually even meet, just started jumping to wrong conclusions) grew a ten-tissue romance for the ages.
–Lisa Yee Swope from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith has the ability to take the human feelings and emotions we all have, but sometimes lack the words to describe, and present them through a beautiful metaphor that can make you feel seen and understood.
–Abby from The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
This novel holds all the beautiful, tender sentimentality, found family dynamics, loving humor, and self-discovery that I’ve come to expect from TJ Klune.
–Elizabeth DeWandeler from A Novel Escape in Franklin, NC

Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory




Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

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Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee
Atria Books / March 2023


More Reviews from Snail on the Wall

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.

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

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucasn

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Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas
Tin House Books / March 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

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.

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



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Weyward by Emilia Hart

 

Emilia Hart, photo credit Emilia Hart

"I began writing Weyward during the early days of the pandemic, fueled by anger about the increase of domestic violence during lockdown. At the same time, I was also reading about the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials. The two seemed horribly linked. I wondered: how far have we really come in the fight against misogyny? How can we keep going?

For me, the answer is by connecting with the women around us, and those who came before us. And story is connection. At the heart of the novel is a manuscript written by Altha Weyward, on trial for witchcraft in 1619. Her descendants, Violet in 1942 and Kate in 2019, both find and read Altha’s story. For Violet and Kate, the act of reading – of connecting with a woman who lived centuries before – is life changing." ―Emilia Hart, Harper Reach

What booksellers are saying about Weyward

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.
      ―Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN | Buy from Parnassus

  • Eerily scandalous are the Wayward women! They are different and misunderstood but discover their strength when they need it! Mesmerizing tale! Couldn’t put it down!
      ―Stephanie Crowe from Page & Palette in Fairhope, AL | Buy from Parnassus

  • Weyward weaves a spellbinding tale empowering women through their supernatural connection to the natural world. Told in three different timelines across five centuries we get engrossed the lives of Altha, Violet and Kate as they discover the power and strength they never knew they had.
      ―Sharon Davis from Book Bound Bookstore in Blairsville, GA | Buy from Book Bound Bookstore
  • First-born women born into the Weyward family have a supernatural affinity with nature. This gift comes with a curse making them too attractive to abusive men. Hart’s novel interweaves the stories of 4 generations of Weyward women as they find their power and their way in a hostile world. Their stories hold just enough suspense to keep the pages turning and just enough hope to make the read satisfying. A worthwhile addition to witch shelves.
      ― Jan Blodgett from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

About Emilia Hart

Emilia Hart grew up in Australia and studied English Literature at university before training as a lawyer. Weyward is her debut and was Highly Commended by the Caledonia First Novel Prize. Emilia lives in London.

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
 Sourcebooks Casablanca / March 2023


More Reviews from Quail Ridge Books

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.

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



A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen

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A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen
Margaret K. McElderry Books / March 2023


More Reviews from Malaprop’s

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.

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

Hanging Out by Sheila Liming

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Hanging Out by Sheila Liming
Melville House / January 2023


More Reviews from Blue Cypress Books

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.

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

An Invitation to Passover by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky

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An Invitation to Passover by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky
Kalaniot Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

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.

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

Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu

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Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu
Berger Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Epilogue Books

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.

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

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon

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The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon
 G.P. Putnam’s Sons / March 2023

Small Town & Rural
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

A March 2023 Read This Next! Title

Waldon’s best yet! Only Game takes us to the small town of Redford, GA where book editor Jess lives happily with her father in the town where she grew up. She spends her days avoiding the mean girls that tortured her in high school until the death of the town’s eccentric millionaire sends the entire population into a scavenger hunt for his fortune. Everyone is set up in very unlikely pairs and the results of the silly contest go much deeper than winning the money. This book is a delight and I loved every friendship and relationship in it. Waldon creates worlds I want to live in and people I want to hang out with.

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Pineapple Street Saved The Candy House
The Nineties Moth Keeper

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”
– C.S. Lewis

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review: Celebrating Women’s Voices

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for March, 2023

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The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

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March 2023

Celebrating Women’s Voices

Women

In honor of Women’s History Month, this special edition of The Southern Bookseller Review celebrates the lives and words of women.

“In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell.” -Luvvie Ajayi

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory



Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

Love at Six Thousand Degrees by Maki Kashimada

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Love at Six Thousand Degrees by Maki Kashimada
Europa / March 2023


More Reviews from Epilogue Books

If there’s one thing you should know about me – it’s that I adore a book about an unhappy housewife, not because I like seeing women unhappy, but because I love to support women fighting wrongs. Seeing how a woman reclaims her space, life, and situation – even if she goes about it in questionable ways, is a ride I want to be on. Kashimada’s novel is a prime example of all these elements, with the perfect blend of sparse, deeply impactful prose that explore themes of religion, tragedy, identity, and isolation.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Findley, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina


Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

 

Rebecca Makkai, photo credit Brett Simison

"This is a book where if you read it, by the end, you’ll know what happened. But not everything is tied up in a neat bow. My job is not to give answers. My job is to ask questions. My job is to, in fact, take the questions that I already have and to complicate those even for myself. I should be confusing myself greatly as I write. I should be banging my head on the wall. I shouldn’t be coming in already knowing what I want to say." ―Rebecca Makkai, Interview, NPR

What booksellers are saying about I Have Some Questions for You

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
  • Another brilliant book from Rebecca Makkai. I love the way she emotionally manipulates me as a reader — in the best possible way! She makes me feel so much by creating rich characters and drawing you in to their lives. This is so timely and the brilliance of the narration is complex and daring. You cannot read this book without stopping and reflecting on the moral dilemmas Bodie faces and asking yourself what you would have done. It’s a brilliant look at the stories we tell, how those change as we grow, and how we see the world from different perspective as society progresses. I will be thinking about this book for a long time!
      ―Jamie Southern from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

  • I should’ve known that Rebecca Makkai taking on a true-crime mystery would knock me off my feet, but I was not prepared for I Have Some Questions For You to hold me captive for days straight while I devoured every chapter. To put it mildly, I am obsessed with this book—it’s gripping, character-driven, and just ridiculously well-written.
      ―Lindsay Lynch from Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN | Buy from Parnassus

  • Man, do I have some questions after finishing this absorbing story. So. Many. Questions. If a high school friend was murdered long ago on the campus of your boarding school, how many years would you continue thinking about it? Would you get involved decades later if you believed the wrong person was convicted? What if it brought pain to the victim’s family and disrupted the lives of other former students? If you believed you knew who the real murderer was, would you expose him? And what if, in your quest for justice, you realize that your own perspective may be biased and your logic may be faulty? Get ready, because this novel asks you to reflect on so many questions, about power and privilege, media and the me too movement, sexual relationships and friendships. It’s the must-read of the season.
      ―Lady Smith from The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL | Buy from Snail on the Wall
  • An immaculate feat of story-telling, I Have Some Questions for You takes on complicated contemporary issues and tropes with propulsive verve and moral clarity that gets buried in our Twitter-fied, new-as-infotainment world.
      ―Matt Nixon from A Cappella Books in Atlanta, GA | Buy from A Cappella Books

About Rebecca Makkai

Rebecca Makkai is the author of the novels I Have Some Questions for YouThe Great BelieversThe Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, and the story collection Music for Wartime. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, The Great Believers received an American Library Association Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, among other honors, and was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2018 by The New York Times. A 202 Guggenheim fellow, Makkai is on the MFA faculties of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe and Northwestern University, and is the artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago. She lives on the campus of the midwestern boarding school where her husband teaches, and in Vermont.

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The New Guys by Meredith Bagby

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The New Guys by Meredith Bagby
William Morrow / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

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. 

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

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

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Lone Women by Victor LaValle
One World / March 2023


More Reviews from Garden District Book Shop

Lavalle’s surprising and singular horror/western will appeal to lit fic and genre readers alike with its peculiar and anachronistic, but captivating voice, and its unique wasteland of a setting. It delivers both blood and monsters (human and inhuman) and an affecting exploration of trauma and guilt. This is one that’ll stick with you.

Reviewed by Carroll Gelderman, Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

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Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
 Doubleday / February 2023


More Reviews from E. Shaver, Booksellers

This book is a masterpiece!!!!! Where to begin?! From the very first page, the narrator captivates the reader’s attention and affections. She is incredibly passionate and strong, while perfecting a gritty, humorous commentary that was absolutely intoxicating. The story itself shared a vital perspective- specifically that of a queer, Sri Lankan woman. Her story highlighted the perilous, and at times, violent nature of performative activism without the presence of active, internalized antiracism practices. It was truly an enthralling novel. Priya Guns is an incredibly talented author and I cannot wait to read their other novel(s) and rave about them!

Reviewed by Finn Fletcher, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Carole Boston Weatherford

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All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Carole Boston Weatherford
Crown Books for Young Readers / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

A beautiful new picture book from the perennial bestseller, Carole Boston Weatherford. An important and necessary addition to libraries and history books everywhere about the nation’s first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

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


Parting Thought

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”
– Maya Angelou

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 3/21/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of March 21, 2023

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The week of March 21, 2023

Celebrating the Right to Read

Trans Rights Readathon

It is a hard thing for people who love reading and literature to bear the rising tide of book bans and legislation in this country attempting to dictate what kinds of books can be on a library’s shelves, or discussed in a school classroom. Most of these challenges target either books on "critical race theory" or on LGBTQ+ and gender studies. In fact, there are currently 428 anti-LGBTQ bills being tracked by the ACLU across the nation.

Independent bookstores fight book bans and challenges in their communities in many ways, not the least of which is to simply stock the books that are being pulled from library shelves. They are acutely aware that they are among a shrinking number of places where readers can find books in which they see themselves.

This week, in response to the swell of anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans legislation, many indie bookstores are participating in the Trans Rights Readathon from March 20-27.

The Readathon was started by the author Sim Kern (Seeds for the Swarm) to encourage people to read books by trans, genderqueer, and nonbinary authors, and to donate to organizations supporting trans people.

The Readathon has been taken up by many, many bookstores. Readers can check the social media posts of their local bookstores to see if they are participating, which trans advocacy groups the stores are donating to, and what books they are reading:

Underground Books in Carrollton, GA

Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

One More Page Books in Arlington, VA

Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Bookshop in New Orleans, LA

Charis Books and More in Decatur, GA

Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC

…and naturally, there is an eternally growing reading list at The Southern Bookseller Review.

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory




Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

Sundial by Catriona Ward

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Sundial by Catriona Ward
Tor Nightfire / March 2023


More Reviews from Wordsworth Books

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.

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

Eastbound by Maylis De Kerangaln

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Eastbound by Maylis De Kerangal
Archipelago / February 2023


More Reviews from Oxford Exchange

Jessica Moore perfectly encapsulates the thrilling genius of Maylis de Kerangal in this translation. The beauty of Eastbound‘s prose directly contradicts the dire circumstances of Aloicha, a young Russian soldier who quickly deserts, hiding on the very same train as his pursuers. Kerangal’s masterful control of his work and Moore’s faithful translation of the original French novel will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Reviewed by Lena Malpeli, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

 

Jenny Jackson, photo credit Sarah Shatz

"In March 2020, when COVID-19 shut down New York City, my husband and I packed up our apartment on Pineapple Street, buckled our kids into their car seats, and drove to northwest Connecticut, where my in-laws live deep in the woods. We stayed with them for six months—six months that were scary, strange, and, at times, very, very funny.

Living in someone else’s house turns you into a bit of an amateur anthropologist, deriving meaning from the closets full of ski jackets, tennis rackets, and twenty years’ worth of Sky & Telescope magazines. I found a letter, sent home from summer camp, that read “Camp is good. They made me write you so I could get ice cream.”" ―Jenny Jackson, Letter to booksellers

What booksellers are saying about Pineapple Street

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
  • Pineapple Street is family drama at its finest – and its most decadent. Told through the eyes of three women in an elite Brooklyn family, the novel is witty and insightful and a thoughtful commentary on class, wealth, and society. These characters equally shocked me and endeared themselves to me; you can’t help but root for happy endings all around. This story will be a best of 2023 for me; I can’t wait to see what Jenny Jackson writes next!
    ―Beth Seufer Buss from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

  • I loved this juicy, complicated family drama! Pineapple Street tells the story of the Stockton family, part of the uber-rich one percenters living in New York City, through the perspectives of two of their daughters and one daughter-law. You won’t be able to help falling in love with each of these characters in spite of their first world problems. Touching and zany, Pineapple Street is perfect for fans of Amy Poeppel and Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney.
    ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

  • I couldn’t put down this novel that explores loyalty, class, family and love. It was zippy and readable while also not shying away from important conversations on privilege.
    ―Lillian Kay from Novel in Memphis, TN | Buy from Novel.

  • Welcome to Pineapple Street, where the Stockton family reigns with old money and even older traditions. The three Stockton siblings, Darley, Cord and Georgiana, all face their monied background with varying degrees of guilt. Sasha, Cord’s wife, is the bohemian artist to the wealthy clan and always finds herself on the outside looking in. Jenny Jackson has created a funny and sharp behind the scenes look at New York’s elite. These characters remind us that what we see on the outside is never quite the same as what is happening on the inside.
    ―Mary Jane Michels from Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC | Buy from Fiction Addiction.

About Jenny Jackson

Jenny Jackson is a vice president and executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, she lives in Brooklyn Heights with her family. Pineapple Street is her first novel.

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The Angel Maker by Alex North

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The Angel Maker by Alex North
Celadon Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Snail on the Wall

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.

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



Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

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Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
Wednesday Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

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!

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

Happily by Sabrina Orah Mark

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Happily by Sabrina Orah Mark
Random House / March 2023


More Reviews from Main Street Books

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.

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

Ancient Night by David Alvarez

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Ancient Night by David Alvarez
Levine Querido / March 2023


More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

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!

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Akim Aliu: Dreamer by Akim Aliul

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Akim Aliu: Dreamer by Akim Aliul
Graphix / February 2023


More Reviews from Parnassus Books

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.

Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud

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The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud
 Gallery, Saga Press / March 2023


More Reviews from Book No Further

A March 2023 Read This Next! Title

The Wild West meets Mars in this science fiction page-turner! 14-year-old Annabelle Crisp is one of a group of settlers from Earth who’ve formed a colony called New Galveston. The tough, lawless residents are presumably abandoned on Mars, as nobody has heard from Earth in years. The Silence, as they call it, has cut off supplies, news from Earth and, sadly for Annabelle, her mother. Then Silas Bundt and his gang show up to her father’s diner and steal the cylinder with her mother’s voice- her last remaining object of remembrance. Annabell is a feisty protagonist who is on a quest of revenge, travelling across Mars to reclaim the cylinder. She is accompanied by a sketchy group of partners, and an Engine named Watson. Dangers abound in the form of War Engines, ghosts and other settlers who have been taken over by “The Strange.” I enjoyed this page-turner in a genre that I only occasionally read!

Reviewed by Lisa Uotinen, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Old Babes in the Wood It's OK to be Angry About Capitalism The Candy House
My What If Year Hot Dog

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“A story can always break into pieces while it sits inside a book on a shelf; and, decades after we have read it even twenty times, it can open us up, by cut or caress, to a new truth.”
– Andre Dubus

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 3/14/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of March 14, 2023

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The week of March 14, 2023

Keeping alive the legacy of Birdsong Books

Birdsong Books

The South recently lost beloved bookseller under terrible, tragic circumstances. Last week Dr. Erica Atkins, owner of Birdsong Books in Locust Grove, Georgia, was found murdered, and an employee of the store was arrested for the crime. Her death has deeply distressed her local community, and horrified the wider Southern bookselling community.

Atkins opened the store because she believed deeply in the importance of reading to create a full and better life. Dr. Atkins’ daughter, Jasmine, has shared that she plans to keep the bookstore going to honor her mother’s legacy:

"My mother started the bookstore because her parents met at a bookstore. She’s always had a fascination with books and it was just something that stuck with her. My mother was the smartest woman I know. She wanted to get children to start reading again and put down the phones after the pandemic because she knew that was important."

People can help by donating to the Erica Atkins Memorial Gofundme campaign created by the family to support the continuation of her legacy.

Dr. Erica Atkins, photos courtesy of Jasmie Atkins

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Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

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The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
Forever / February 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

What an amazing book that weaves historical events based on true story with beautiful fictional characters. This read was both heartbreaking and beautifully triumphant at times. The resilient Librarians Clara Button and Ruby Monroe faced sexism, Bureaucracy , domestic issues and the heartbreak of war while continuing to champion their communities right to access books regardless of age, gender ,and class. It really spotlights how books provide an escape, a safe place and hope in even the darkest of times..

Reviewed by Ali Waller, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshin

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The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
William Morrow / February 2023


More Reviews from Givens Books

Creeeeeepy…. A slow, torturous plot unfolding at a pace that will have you reading faster and faster to see what happens next! Dark and with a dreamy haze over it– excellent for dark and stormy night reading.

Reviewed by Elisa Forshey, Givens Books & Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow

 

De'Shawn Charles Winslow, photo credit Julie R. Keresztes

"So many of the characters in Decent People are on a quest for respectability–– their own and/or that of their children. I wanted to show what lengths people would go to just to conceal truths: a child’s queerness, an addiction, hypocrisy. I don’t know that I was going for nuance, exactly. I think I was just portraying people the way I’ve often encountered them. " ―De’Shawn Charles Winslow, interview, PEN America

What booksellers are saying about Decent People

Decent People by De'Shawn Charles Winslow
  • A complex, engaging story of a small Southern town grappling with racial justice, human rights, religion and murder in the mid 1970’s. Family ties and long-buried secrets are tested as a woman fights to clear the name of her beloved. An absolute page-turner filled with colorful characters in a rich setting.
      ―Jamie Fiocco from Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

  • Decent People is a compelling mystery that also deftly contends with racism, homophobia, classism and corruption. Charles De’Shawn Winslow’s fluid writing and pacing combine with wonderfully drawn characters–including the glorious busybody Josephine Wright–to make a truly marvelous novel.
      ―Stephanie Jones-Byrne from Malaprop’s in Asheville, NC | Buy from Malaprops

  • The shooting deaths of two sisters and their brother, prominent members of the African-American community, set tongues wagging in West Mills, NC. Except for those holding their voice over secrets. Told from alternating perspectives, the mystery unfolds amid lives threatened by the racism and homophobia of the 1960s and 1970s. This is a great read on so many levels, can’t wait to hand sell this one.
      ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

About De’Shawn Charles Winslow

De’Shawn Charles Winslow is the author of In West Mills, a Center for Fiction First Novel Prize winner and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Lambda Literary Award, and Publishing Triangle Awards finalist. He was born and raised in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and now lives in New York.

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Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia by David Graeber

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Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia by David Graeber
 Farrar, Straus and Giroux / January 2023


More Reviews from M. Judson booksellers and storytellers

A fun and entertaining nonfiction book. Graeber is focused on the information that can be gained from listening to and believing what the Malagasy people had to say, and he is extremely frustrated that no academics seem willing to do this. If you like good footnotes, academic beef, and an interesting take on the age of piracy from multiple points of view, this is for you.

Reviewed by Lauren Kohnle, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina



Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

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Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score
Bloom / February 2023


More Reviews from Parnassus

After loving the first book in the series (and being quite charmed by Nash), I was eagerly awaiting the second installment in Score’s knock-out Knockemout series. Luckily for all of us, this book definitely lived up to the first. (I think I liked it more!) This is a delicious slow burn with all the suspense elements you come to expect with a Lucy Score novel. Lina and Nash made for great characters, and overall, these ~600 pages flew by.

Reviewed by Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai

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While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai
Quill Tree Books / March 2023

Emigration & ImmigrationSocial ThemesYoung Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmiser

lisha Rai tackles YA in her new RomCom about a teen who goes viral for saving her crush, but is desperate to remain anonymous. You’ve got a love triangle and some fake dating! What’s not to like? Sonia just wants to lay low. Her mom has been deported and Sonia is determined to fly under the radar. But when cosplaying for an event, she sees her crush fall into the water and dives in to save him. Injured, Sonia flees when two others appear to help. The last thing she needs is police involvement.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle

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100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle
Dial Books / April 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

This book made me laugh out loud, and North Carolina gets a shout out, so I’m sold! A very fun book that combines math and searching pictures to count how many dragons (all named Broccoli) are wearing tutus. Totally adorable! The final few pages alone provide plenty of entertainment. The kind of picture book where you’ll notice something new each time you read it.

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

Refuge by Bill Campbell

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Refuge by Bill Campbell
Rosarium Publishing / March 2023


More Reviews from Epilogue Books

A gritty and tragic tale of a group of Black Seminoles attempting to settle in the territory of Oklahoma. Some within the community see Refuge as just that–a refuge from the violence of white pursuers. Others see marketable potential in Refuge, and have ambitions to expand and put the wealth into the pockets of the oppressed, for once, and create more lasting change for their people. But when a ragtag group of Buffalo soldiers come to town, choosing sides becomes more complicated. Refuge is a bit of a counter-narrative western with a slow-burn, tension-filled story that pays off in an action-packed conclusion.

Reviewed by Sam Edge, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja

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Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja
 Atheneum Books for Young Readers / March 2023


More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

A March 2023 Read This Next! Title

Ramen for Everyone beautifully depicts the bond food represents to Hiro and his family. Hiro learns that perfect isn’t always the same for everyone, and that what he can cook is just as wonderful as his dad’s recipe.

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Murder Your Employer The 1619 Project Daisy Jones and the Six
Caste The Children's Book of Birdwatching

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“The story is truly finished – and meaning is made – not when the author adds the last period, but when the reader enters.”
– Celeste Ng

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 3/7/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of March 7, 2023

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The week of March 7, 2023

Adventure Bound Books and the One Star Review

Adventure Bound Books

Like all small businesses, independent bookstores depend not on large advertising campaigns, but on word of mouth recommendations from happy customers to spread the word about their store. Without a good relationship with the people in their own community, they are unlikely to succeed as a business. So when Adventure Bound Books in Morganton, North Carolina received a one-star review on google, owner Angela Shore quick to address the reviewer’s concerns. Called "The wokest bookstore east of the Mississippi" Shore embraced the unintended compliment and made a donation to the Trevor Project. The store then commissioned "one star review" coffee mugs, proceeds from the sale of which are also donated to the Trevor Project.

Adventure Bound Books opened nearly five years ago in the summer of 2018 and has been on a mission from the beginning. "We aim to disrupt mainstream expectations of retail stores and strive to influence positive social change in our community. We believe in reading and having access to diverse stories; that tolerance is simply not sufficient; that you, reader, are worthy and wonderful."

Since opening their doors, Adventure Bound Books has been actively involved i,n their community, especially in promoting literacy and education. They were advocates for the extension of the federal Child Nutrition Waivers program that reimbursed schools for providing free healthy meals to students. They have spoken in support of students of the local high school, whose artistic work was censored when a grant-funded mural was painted over by school officials. And most recently, the store established the Adventure Bound Scholarship, a cash award given to a high school graduate who plans to enroll in a college or institution of higher education.

The store’s commitment to their community was returned ten-fold when word spread, as it does in a social media-saturated world, about their one-star review. Five star reviews quickly outpaced the low rating. The first batch of one star review mugs quickly sold out. Store customers and local authors voiced their support for the bookstore that had become a beloved institution in the town.

On Friday, March 10 ABB is holding a "Grown Folks Book Fair" to raise money and book donations for local schools. Find out more here. Or check in with your local bookstore and the things they do for your community.

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Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

The Faraway World by Patricia Engel

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The Faraway World by Patricia Engel
Avid Reader Press / January 2023


More Reviews from Main Street Books

Arrow-sharp and unsentimental renderings of some deeply emotional experiences, all centering unique experiences across the Latin American diaspora, but certainly focusing on individuals who have moved to the US. Engel is a brilliant writer. Her stories snap tight with tension, but she’s also deft at stirring up soft spots and infusing her plots with fairy tale-like twists.

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

The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlanen

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The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
Avid Reader Press / January 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

I love nothing more than a place-driven, character-driven novel, so this book was right up my alley. Fiona McFarlane explores colonial Australia through the eyes of many of the inhabitants of a small farm town on the edge of the desert as they react to the disappearance of a young boy. McFarlane does not shy away from exploring the brutal history of European colonialism and the effects it had on this country. Her prose is captivating and her characters are multifaceted. I’m sure Cissy, the headstrong older sister of the missing boy, will be a favorite of many readers. Fans of Michele de Kretser and Maggie Shipstead will enjoy this book.

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



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Go As a River by Shelley Read

 

Shelley Read, photo credit the author

"The deeper in the wilderness I am, the higher in elevation I am, the happier I am. It is an unforgiving landscape and so deeply humbling. There’s a quote from the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss that I come back to over and over, and it’s the entire reason I climb big mountains. He says, ‘The smaller we come to feel ourselves compared with the mountain, the nearer we come to participating in its greatness.’" ―Shelley Read, interview, Alta

What booksellers are saying about Go As a River

Go As a River by Shelley Read
  • This book is beautifully written and will stay with you for a very long time. This is the book that you pass on to your mother, your daughter, your best friend and make them promise to read it. I think we will be talking about this book for all of 2023 and after.
      ―Mary Patterson from The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, VA | Buy from The Little Bookshop

  • Phenomenal. As perfect as a homegrown, juicy, sweet peach. I will carry this story with me for many, many, many days to come.
      ―Jill Naylor from Novel in Memphis, TN | Buy from Novel.

  • With lush, atmospheric prose, Go As a River is about seventeen year old Victoria Nash who lives on a peach orchard in 1940’s rural Colorado. The only female at home, she is the one who keeps the household running with daily chores and working her family’s land. Her life changes when she meets the mysterious and gentle Wilson Moon, an indigenous boy passing through town. A love story that starts in innocence is shattered by bigotry. Go As a River is about surviving after loss, our connection to the natural world around us, quiet and enduring friendships, and lasting love. This is my kind of historical fiction, and I can’t wait to share this with readers at Main Street Books!
      ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

About Shelley Read

Shelley Read is a fifth generation Coloradoan who lives with her family in the Elk Mountains of the Western Slope. She was a Senior Lecturer at Western Colorado University for nearly three decades, where she taught writing, literature, environmental studies, and Honors, and was a founder of the Environment & Sustainability major and a support program for first-generation and at-risk students. Shelley holds degrees in writing and literary studies from the University of Denver and Temple University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing. She is a regular contributor to Crested Butte Magazine and Gunnison Valley Journal, and has written for the Denver Post and a variety of publications.

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Start, Stay, or Leave by Trey Gowdy

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Start, Stay, or Leave by Trey Gowdy
 Forum Books / January 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

It’s always fun to get behind-the-scenes insight into famous people and Trey uses his great storytelling ability to not only captivate but to educate — to get the reader to think about the power of decisions and what makes a great life. This book is a great read for the new year or for anytime you are entering a new chapter of your life — whether as a grad, switching careers, becoming a parent, or once your kids leave the nest.

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina



Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius

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Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius
Scribner / January 2023


More Reviews from Novel

Stolen is a thoughtful examination of what it takes for a people to maintain cultural traditions in a modern era that is not always very accommodating. Laestadius has written a coming-of-age tale that takes the reader through the pains (as well as the pride) of the Sami and she does so while also highlighting the need to protect the places/animals that represent the last of the remaining true wilderness areas. This book is very well done.

Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

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Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Square Books

Liselle Sambury’s Delicious Monsters is a truly harrowing work of horror and suspense. Told in alternating points-of-view set ten years apart, Delicious Monsters follows Daisy, who can see the dead, and Brittney, who runs a successful paranormal investigation series online. In the past, Daisy and her mother inherit a family mansion that is riddled with tragedy and hides a mysterious past. In the present, Brittney’s own experiences with the mansion haunt her and compel her to investigate Daisy’s story. As each girl races to find answers to the mysteries plaguing them, both will be forced to reckon with their own traumas and discover there are things far scarier than ghosts lurking in the halls– and it might just be the person right beside you. Riveting, compulsively readable, and downright terrifying, Delicious Monsters will linger with readers long past the final page. Perfect for fans of Vincent Tirado’s Burn Down, Rise Up and Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House. Prepare to stay up all night reading!

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

The Way We Say Hello by Andrea Denish

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The Way We Say Hello by Andrea Denish
Starry Forest Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Foggy Pine Books

This is a cute kid’s book to introduce new cultures to younger readers! Saying "hello" happens in lots of ways & this book shows many of them with beautiful illustrations and cute text.

Reviewed by Max Ruthless, Foggy Pine Books in Boone, North Carolina

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

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The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill
Random House Graphic / March 2023


More Reviews from Story on the Square

I’ve always been a fan of O’Neill’s beautiful art style ever since I first saw the Tea Dragon Society, so I knew when I received this arc in the mail, it was the top of my list. The Moth Keeper absolutely blew me away in terms of subject and beauty. I went in expecting a sweet fantasy story, but once I started I couldn’t stop. Even as an adult, I connected deeply to Anya, the fledgling Moth Keeper’s struggle, the longing to be important, the vastness of our thoughts and how they can make us sink into the darkness at times. This graphic novel is a balm to any tired and weary soul of any age. Anyone who’s ever felt guilty of being exhausted by something they love or have a passion for will fall in love with The Moth Keeper. Anya and her village along with the sun village she visits has the sweetness and gentleness of a Ghibli movie with just as much impact as one. I would recommend this to anyone who has ever needed a soft and gentle caress of a book that just understands. Because truly, The Moth Keeper does and its here to help you lift your chin up once more.

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

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

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Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
 The Dial Press / March 2023

Adult FictionFamily LifeLiterary FictionSiblingsWomen
More Reviews from South Main Book Company

A March 2023 Read This Next! Title

novel’s four sisters – who isn’t examined nearly enough, in my opinion, despite the fact she is fabulous – anyway, Cecelia is a muralist. She paints strong women’s faces all over blighted buildings in Chicago. And in a pivotal scene of this book, another character sits for hours on a bench and stares at one of Cecelia’s murals in a park as all the threads of their life seem to weave together and I DARE YOU NOT TO CRY FROM THE IMMENSE BEAUTY OF IT ALL.

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond from South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

A Day of Fallen Night The Creative Act: A Way of Being French Braid
The Beauty of Dusk Immortality

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
– Anne Herbert

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 2/28/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of February 28, 2023

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The week of February 28, 2023

Read these next!

Read This Next!

SIBA booksellers have had their say! Five new books have been selected for the March Read This Next! list.

Read This Next! highlights new books that are receiving exceptional, and exceptionally enthusiastic, buzz from Southern indie booksellers. Each of the selected books has several enthusiastic cheerleaders among Southern indie booksellers…phrases like "I can’t wait to give this to our customers!" and "Already my favorite book of the year!" are common feedback from booksellers about the chosen books:

What Southern Indie Booksellers have to say:

The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud
I devoured this novel! A wonderful cyberpunk mashup of The Martian Chronicles with an edgy western/horror vibe. Anabelle is furious, fearless and my new favorite young heroine.
– Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC

Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow
A compelling mystery that also deftly contends with racism, homophobia, classism and corruption. Charles De’Shawn Winslow’s fluid writing and pacing combine with wonderfully drawn characters–including the glorious busybody Josephine Wright–to make a truly marvelous novel.
–Stephanie Jones-Byrne, Malaprop’s in Asheville, NC

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Perfect for readers who enjoy emotionally tender stories about complicated families. With themes of grief, mental illness, forgiveness, and loyalty, Hello Beautiful is about the cost of being true to oneself regardless of the consequences.
–Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon
Waldon’s best yet! Book editor Jess lives happily with her father in the town where she grew up. She spends her days avoiding the mean girls that tortured her in high school until the death of the town’s eccentric millionaire sends the entire population into a scavenger hunt for his fortune.
–Andrea Richardson, Fountain Books in Richmond, VA

Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja, Shiho Pate (Illus.)
I love the family in the kitchen story, and that it goes disastrously when Hiro first tries for himself, but knowing what individuals uniquely love allows him to tailor the perfect ramen for each in a way someone out of the household never could.
–Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory




Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

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The Spite House by Johnny Compton
Tor Nightfire / February 2023


More Reviews from The Haunted Book Shop

Thank you to Johnny Compton for writing such an excellent novel that highlighted an African-American family, but also for explaining what a spite house is. This is an amazing Gothic horror where we have a haunted house situation, the past always seems to catch up to us in the end, and you can feel the spooky ambiance the entire time you are reading! Eric Ross and his two daughters are currently avoiding their past lives and are living out of motel rooms when Eric reads a job listing to stay at a spite house in Texas to try to capture any evidence of supernatural activity. You get MULTIPLE point of views, but it keeps the story moving very well and it is almost seamless. For example, one moment you are reading the POV of the homeowner who is trying to employ Eric and she is finishing up a meeting with a group of ghost hunters and the next chapter is Eric’s POV and it mentions he walks into a meeting room as a group of men are walking out, so it literally picks up where another leaves off. However, there were a few POVs from side characters that I could have done completely without. It was nice to read about the previous tenants of the spite house who had taken the job right before Eric, though. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the twist about why the family is on the run is epic! Eric is a bad dude for staying in that creepy house by himself to try to make a better life for himself and his girls!

Reviewed by Kait Layton, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Vladimir by Julia May Jonasn

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Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
Avid Reader Press / January 2023


More Reviews from Copperfish Books

This book exceeded my expectations! The theme surrounds academia and obsession with several interesting pieces about women’s roles in society, power dynamics, and cancel culture. Both thought-provoking and intoxicating, Julia May Jonas captivated me with her vivid and fresh writing style.

Reviewed by Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

 

Kelly Barnhill, photo credit Janna Fabroni

 

“I think that all books start out with an irritation in our conscious brain, a bit of sand in the old prefrontal cortex, and then become a collaboration between our front brain, which deals in logic and puzzles and language and things making sense, and our mid- and back brain, which both deal with emotion and sense memory and symbol and metaphor. And those collaborations, depending on what other elements we draw into them, can manifest in very different ways.

For both of these stories, I was thinking about abandonment, of the ways in which women are punished for ambition, of the cruel and unexpected ways in which generational trauma follows us and bites at our heels. I was thinking about the ways in which we are failed by our mothers, and fail our mothers, and fail ourselves. And I was thinking about the solidarity of siblings. And from that, two very different stories emerged, both of which come to very different conclusions. What do I think? It doesn’t matter what I think. The only thing that matters is what the story thinks.” ―Kelly Barnhill, Interview Clarksworld

What booksellers are saying about The Crane Husband

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
  • This incredibly eerie and strange book follows a young boy whose mother inexplicably brings home a crane, and tells her two sons to refer to him as father. A retelling of a Japanese folk tale, the industrialist hellscape backdrop does very well to solidify what could be an absurd story. Very well written, great for sci-fi, horror, and folk story fans.
      ―Alex Einhorn from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

  • Creepy, melodic, and absolutely haunting, The Crane Husband is a resplendent novella destined to leave you aching. The protagonist, an unnamed fifteen-year-old girl, has to take the responsibility of protecting her family after her artist mother brings home "Father" – a crane who is sometimes a man. Sacrifices abound and love is its central theme, even when it takes wing.
      ―Jordan April from Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Flyleaf Books

  • A beautifully written retelling of the Crane Wife folktale that focuses on family and sacrifices we make for love.
      ―Kelley Barnes from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | Buy from Page 158 Books

  • One review of Barnhill’s latest work declared her to be the next Angela Carter, which is a strikingly accurate comparison considering The Crane Husband is a retelling of a traditional Japanese folklore story, centered around the experience of the women involved. Similar to Carter as well, Barnhill leaves us in the world of the mystical and strange, often to an unsettling degree, as we follow a family whose mother has welcomed a crane into their home after the passing of her husband. With deceptively straightforward prose that is guaranteed to keep you turning the page wondering where this bizarre story will turn next, The Crane Husband is an excellent read.
      ― Elizabeth Findley from Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Epilogue Books

About Kelly Barnhill

Kelly Barnhill is the author of the adult novel When Women Were Dragons and several middle grade novels, including the New York Times bestselling novels The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal, and The Ogress and the Orphans. She is also the recipient of the World Fantasy Award, and has been a finalist for the SFWA Andre Norton Nebula Award and the PEN America Literary Award. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.

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Forager by Michelle Dowd

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Forager by Michelle Dowd
 Algonquin Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

The subconscious and conscious manipulations of cult mentality have been studied and discussed many times over. These accounts often come from those closest to cult leaders: family members, close confidants, and in this case, grandchildren. Dowd walks us through her childhood, chapter introductions mimicking a guide for living the way she and the Mountain do. (Note: she does specifically state that this book is not intended, nor should it be used, as a guide for foraging). Her connection to nature and its usefulness in her life is evident in how she writes.

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina



What Remains of Elsie Jane by Chelsea Wakelyn

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What Remains of Elsie Jane by Chelsea Wakelyn
Rare Machines / February 2023


More Reviews from Main Street Books

I don’t usually like sad books, and yet this one became a fast favorite! It’s the writing. It’s just so good. Like being a fly on the wall of her mind. Elsey Jane is a widow grieving the loss of her partner who died of drug poisoning. Her actions and thoughts—often bizarre, delusional, and reckless—are sometimes incongruous with the expectations of someone grieving. At other times the agony and suffering and consumption she experiences are completely spot on of what we’d expect. This book is so absurd at times, I laughed, cringed, and tearing up all within minutes. It’s a beautifully written, complicated, intimate story that’s as weird as it is honest—just as grief often is. I highly recommend!

Reviewed by Andrea Jasmin, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao

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When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
Viking Books for Young Readers / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is a story about grief, community, family and love. Chao’s writing invites you into a community that is rich in Chinese culture and traditions that you can see, smell, taste and hear. Throughout the story you get to see Kai and Liya grow as individuals and find their way back to each other in the most heartwarming way. This beautiful story is sure to tug on your heartstrings!

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Beware the Blue Bagoo by Karl Newson

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Beware the Blue Bagoo by Karl Newson
Happy Yak / February 2023


More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

There’s a lot of rumors about the Blue Bagoo, and a young girl sets out to investigate for herself, discovering along the way that the rumors and conspiracies don’t have any root in facts. In an era where children will be exposed to a lot of misinformation spread by social media (or their friend’s older brother’s best friend’s uncle), this is a great way to introduce them to ascertaining the facts for themselves, to dig beyond the scare tactics, and search the truth out when others hide it with their fear and ignorance. Also, the Blue Bagoo is adorable, the drawings are vibrant, and the words are just fun to read aloud

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

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The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
 Berkley / February 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

An February 2023 Read This Next! Title

Lily is stuck in a dead-end job as an editor’s assistant, the one Greene sister who hasn’t managed to make a success of her life. On a whim, one day she emails the author of her favorite fantasy book — and he unexpectedly writes back! They correspond regularly, opening up to each other in ways neither of them has before and becoming close, until Strick breaks things off suddenly. Lily is heartbroken…until she meets her hot new neighbor, who figures out pretty quickly that Lily is the Lily from the emails. But he has reasons for keeping his identity secret, so he agrees to help Lily find a date for her sister’s wedding, even though he can’t get her out of his own head. A fun, flirty, bookish romance that will appeal to anyone who’s had fantasies of hitting it off with their favorite author.

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Stone Blind The Lives We Actually Have Code Name Sapphire
Caste Evergreen

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“It wasn’t until I started reading and found books they wouldn’t let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody else.”
– John Waters

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
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The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 2/21/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of February 21, 2023

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The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

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The week of February 21, 2023

Honoring the exceptional people in our lives.

Katie Trocheck Abel and Mary Kay Andrews

Do you know any booksellers who go above and beyond in their local community?

In February 2022, beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews lost her 39-year-old daughter, Katie Trocheck Abel. Katie had a huge heart for community outreach, lending countless hours of support to organizations such as No Kid Hungry, Atlanta’s Free99Fridge, and Atlanta’s Helping Mamas, which has named a car seat donation program in her honor. Katie was also a fierce supporter of her mom, and of the many booksellers who supported her.

In Katie’s honor, and to celebrate the often unheralded acts of kindness that take place all the time in our bookselling world, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) will award $500 to a SIBA bookseller who has gone above and beyond in their local community. Booksellers can nominate other booksellers or self-nominate. Nominations can also come from bookstore customers, owners, employees, managers, fellow booksellers, publishing professionals, or authors. Application deadline is May 1, with the winner announced July 3.

The winner will be chosen by Mary Kay Andrews and her co-hosts from Friends & Fiction: Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry.

Nominate your favorite bookseller

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Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

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Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Atria Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Snail on the Wall

This debut by Canadian author Heather Marshall captured my attention from the first sentence: "It was a perfectly ordinary day when a truly extraordinary letter was delivered to the wrong mailbox." When Andrea finds the stray letter 7 years later, she searches for the proper recipient, connecting events of the past to the present. Because this story is about of the trauma of adoption, abortion or lack of access, and other difficult topics, this book may not be for everyone, but it is well worth reading, especially for those who have an interest in the history of women’s issues and health care.

Reviewed by Amy, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

 

Rupert Holmes, photo credit Susan Woog Wagner

 

Holmes rendered the campus in great detail. “I built the world in my head,” he says. “I wanted to know it so well that I could give a guided tour,” which is one reason the book took so long. Holmes started writing Murder Your Employer more than a decade ago and did “exhaustive preparatory.” He was also writing shows, adapting John Grisham’s book A Time to Kill for Broadway in 2013, among “many projects and challenges.” But when the pandemic closed theaters, he had time. “And I needed an escape,” Holmes says. “We all did. So I decided to sidestep into the portal of the early 1950s.” ―via Publishers Weekly

What booksellers are saying about Murder Your Employer

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
  • I took this book home in self-defense, hiding it from my booksellers and ended up reading it. So fun! It’s got everything! Potter-esque academic setting? Check! Monty Python-like humor? Check! Knives Out suspense? Check! Three students at a school for the homicidal arts want to murder their employers. Who hasn’t fantasized about that, really? (Hopefully, not our booksellers…) Incredibly amusing book. Devoured it in a few sittings. Written by the guy who wrote “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”? Another check! Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Sorry for the earworm. Not.
      ―Kelly Justice from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

  • What a fun book! Set in the early fifties and written the slightly stilted style of the times this is the story of three people attending a secret school teaching the art of murder. Each has a different reason for being but each has passed the first tenet of the school which is; Does this person truly deserve to die? Three resounding yeses and it’s time to move onto the curriculum… but keep your eyes on your fellow students, they are killer wannabees after all. Great wordplay that had me chuckling throughout, and great characters that grow on you, this is one not to miss.
      ―Pete Mock from McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, NC | Buy from McIntyre’s Books

  • Being the boss I was a little afraid to read this. The title was what drew me in. I am usually not a fantasy reader but I am trying to look at new genres. This book fit the bill! It was so fun. Mystery, mayhem and murder make you turn pages into the night. We are introduced to the murders and then the victims and you become invested in them and feel bad that you are rooting for them. Lots of laugh out loud moments.
      ―Suzanne Lucey from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | Buy from Page 158 Books

  • Death is a sweet release… Unless it’s your own. Darkly enriching…this intriguing tale of mystery, mayhem and murder is the perfect blend of intelligence and intricacy. Slow burn to edge of your seat, this story leaves you guessing and assuming…only to be questioning if what you read was truly fiction, or entirely possible. Written from multiple perspectives, we follow the lives of three individuals on a mission to untangle their lives by order of ‘deletion’ (murder). Is it a justified killing, or simply revenge? As the story unfolds and we uncover what brought these students to learn the art of murder, you find yourself on the dark side, rooting for a killer.
      ―Doloris Vest from Book No Further in Roanoke, VA | Buy from Book No Further

About Rupert Holmes

Rupert Holmes has received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, and multiple Tony® and Drama Desk Awards for his Broadway mystery musicals, including the book of Curtains and his sole creation, the Tony® Award–winning Best Musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His first novel, Where the Truth Lies, was nominated for a Nero Wolfe award for Best American Mystery Novel, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel, and became a motion picture starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. His second novel, Swing, was the first novel with its own original, clue-bearing musical score. He has adapted Agatha Christie, John Grisham, and R.L. Stine for the Broadway and international stage. His short stories have been anthologized in such collections as Best American Mystery StoriesChristmas at the Mysterious Bookshop,and On a Raven’s Wing. Holmes’s earliest story-songs were published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and he is also the writer/vocalist of several Billboard Top 10 hits, including his Billboard #1 multi-platinum classic with a memorable twist-ending: “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).”

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Every Man a King by Walter Mosley

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Every Man a King by Walter Mosley
 Mulholland Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

Joe "King" Oliver gets himself into not one but TWO complicated plots in this new detective thriller from the legendary Walter Mosley. What I love about Mosley’s writing is the cadence of the dialogue and the musical language his characters use. It gives his books a "classic" touch or feel harkening back to the old great noir mysteries. King is a fantastic character whose moral core is something we should all aspire to. He gets himself into so many more problems because of it, but I love that Mosley’s detectives have this strong center that drives them to seek justice.

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



The Twice-Drowned Saint by C. S. E. Cooney

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The Twice-Drowned Saint by C. S. E. Cooney
Mythic Delirium Books / February 2023


More Reviews from The Haunted Book Shop

Gelethel is a paradise, a city within protective ice walls ruled by fourteen angels whose benisons provide everything the citizens need, but no paradise can ever really be free of darkness. No citizen is allowed to leave, war refugees starve outside the walls in Cherubtown, and the angels glut themselves on human sacrifices provided by the pilgrims petitioning for citizenship. Ishtu is the daughter of the pilgrim that brought cinema to Gelethel and the Garbage Queen of Gelethel, and the secret saint of the weakest angel, Alizar. Her life consists of running the only cinema in the city and having secrets chats with her extravagant, vain angel until a pilgrim’s sacrifice proves to be the sign Alizar has been waiting for. This is the story of the meek inheriting the city, of the powerful learning that what is given freely is always stronger than what is taken, and the value of bad uncles. Cooney’s prose is delicious and her writing reminds me in the best ways of Terry Pratchett. Fun, easy to read, and still manages to stab you in the heart. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Kelly McLeod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

We Should Not Be Friends by Will Schwalbe

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We Should Not Be Friends by Will Schwalbe
Knopf / February 2023


More Reviews from Writer’s Block Bookstore

This is one of the best books I read this year. This story is about a friendship between two Yale college students who are members of a secret society they joined as seniors. From there, the book takes us on a forty year friendship that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that when we let people in at the most vulnerable and sincere place where we are in life, that we open our hearts and minds to the possibility that our lives will be enriched by the human connections we make.

Reviewed by Lauren Zimmerman, Writers Block Bookstore in Winter Park, Florida

If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla

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If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla
Quill Tree Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmiser

If I Can Give You That is a heartbreaking debut from Michael Gray Bulla covering a variety of issues that will tear at your heartstrings. Gael is a high school senior that’s used to keeping to himself. But when his best friend finally convinced him to go to a local group for LGBTQIA teens, he finds himself finally making some more friends. But that doesn’t come without difficulties, especially with his father back in his life and his mother’s problems.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

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The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
Dutton Books for Young Readers / February 2023


More Reviews from E. Shaver, Bookseller

I read this rollicking debut in one sitting. Who knew that etymology, an Agatha Christie-esque mystery, and a subtle discussion of self-fulfilling prophecy could make for such fun book? Filled with colorful characters who live up to their names, this book has the feeling of a children’s classic.

Reviewed by Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

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She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
 Bloomsbury Children’s Books / February 2023

Asian American & Pacific IslanderHorrorOccult & SupernaturalParanormalPeople & PlacesSupernaturalThrillers & SuspenseUnited StatesYoung Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Blue Cypress Books

An February 2023 Read This Next! Title

A gothic ghost story set in Vietnam. A modern family who have been torn apart by time and a house possessed by its former occupants. Haunting is the perfect word for this story. I was engrossed from the very beginning and now that I have finished it I can’t stop thinking about it.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Remarkably Bright Creatures The Half Known Life In Search of Paradise Swimmer
Here is Flesh The Last Mapmaker

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.”
– Robertson Davies

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review: Honoring Black Voices and Black Stories

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for February, 2023

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The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

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February 2023

Honoring Black Voices and Black Stories.

Celebrate Black Voices

In honor of Black History Month this special edition of SBR celebrates Black voices and Black stories. Readers often talk about discovering new books and new writers, but the truth is Black and Brown writers and stories have always been a part of our literary landscape. It isn’t a question of "discovering" so much as simply listening to the stories they are telling.

Shop Black-Owned Indie Local

SBR exists to encourage readers to shop at their local indie bookstore, because those booksellers are part of, and invested in, their community. It is worth noting, however, that none of the bookstore reviews in this newsletter come from Black-owned bookstores. Like Black stories, Black-owned businesses are part of every community. Readers can find a map of Black-owned bookstores at Bookshop.org (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Here are links to some of the stores in the South:

Pyramid Art Books & Custom Framing (AR)
Cultured Books (FL)
Pyramid Books (FL)
Rohi’s Readery (FL)
Wonders of the World Book and Toy Store (FL)
Erudite Encounters (FL)
44th & 3rd Bookseller (GA)
Brave + Kind Bookshop (GA)
All Things Inspiration Giftique (GA)
Onyx Bookstore Cafe (GA)
The Book Worm Powder Springs (GA)
House of Pages Bookstore (GA)
Good Books ATL (GA)
Only With Love Books (GA)
BookNerdFam (KY)
Baldwin & Co. (LA)
Baton Rouge Books (LA)
Community Book Center (LA)
Marshall’s Music and Bookstore (MS)
Pass Books (MS)
Shelves Bookstore (NC)
Liberation Station Bookstore (NC)
Boomerang Bookshop (NC)
Urban Reader (NC)
Turning Page Bookshop (SC)
Beyond this February (SC)
Bookshop at The Bottom  (TN)
Alkebu-Lan Images (TN)
Cafe Noir  (TN)
Books and Crannies (VA)
The Book Bar (VA)
Food Temptress Cookbook Store (VA)
Positive Vibes (VA)
Harambee Books (VA)
House of Consciousness (VA)
Urban Moon Books (VA)

The next time you decide you’d like to discover a new book, start by discovering a new bookstore.

“Discomfort is a necessary part of enlightenment.”
–Pearl Cleage

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory



Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

A Is for Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker, Upfromsumdirt (illus)

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A Is for Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker, Upfromsumdirt (illus)
University Press of Kentucky / January 2023


I have read many alphabet books, but this one is a revelation. Walker’s novel approach to the time-honored alphabet book creates not only a read-aloud treasure, but a resource for families. Parents can get as much out of this book as their children, so take your time with each letter. Savor each page. Explore the glossary at the end of the book. Reflect on your own gaps in knowledge and why they exist. This book is a jumping off point—the beginning of the conversation but definitely not the end.

Reviewed by Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky

Frank X. Walker

Frank X Walker, the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate, is an artist, writer, and educator who has published eleven collections of poetry, including Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York, Expanded Edition; Masked Man, Black: Pandemic & Protest Poems; and Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded an NAACP Image Award and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award. The recipient of the thirty-fifth Lillian Smith Book Award and the Thomas D. Clark Award for Literary Excellence, he is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets. 

Upfromsumdirt

Upfromsumdirt is an award-winning artist who has galleried in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee and participated in curator Tewodross Melchishua’s traveling art exhibit entitled M3: MCs, Mics and Metaphors. His work has also been featured on the covers of African American Review and Tidal Basin Review, and he has created book cover designs for a number of authors, including Crystal E. Wilkinson, Dr. Adam J. Banks, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Keith Gilyard, and for his own chapbook collections, Caul & Response and Tangerine Tubman: A Long-Playing Poem. upfromsumdirt’s art or poetry has been featured online at Connotation PressAbout Place Journal, New Southerner, Accents radio program, and Nat Creole Magazine.

They Got Daddy by Sharon Tubbs

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They Got Daddy by Sharon Tubbs
Indiana University Press / January 2023

, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional, African American & Black, History, Social Science, Race & Ethnic Relations, Adult Nonfiction

An unforgettable journey through racism and faith across the generations. 

From the book:

Granddaddy followed them toward the road, away from the house and just beyond earshot of Big Mama inside. When they reached that car, that’s when evil showed itself. The men weren’t looking for the Lord’s house. No yearning for worship abided in their hearts. And all that chumming about hounds and hunting turned dark. No dog barked from the back seat. Suddenly, they forced Granddaddy inside that car, their expressions turning mean, raw. Get on in there, nigger. He asked where they were going, and the barrel of a gun cracked his temple. One man pressed his head down, his cheek hugging the floorboards. There were four men now, two having waited in or near the car while the other two lured him there. They contorted his body to keep his face and gaze down. Passing drivers didn’t see Granddaddy in the car, and Granddaddy couldn’t get a good look at the other two men in the car.

When it comes to what happened next, relatives’ accounts vary slightly, with one sibling remembering something that another didn’t mention or couldn’t recall. Like tellers of the Gospels, each narrator focused on the scenes that struck meaning in their own hearts.

Sharon Tubbs

From the author:

"The stories of our past, mine and yours, peek at us from newspaper pages and court documents. They whisper through the traumas of our elders and ourselves, telling us that the "they" who "got Daddy" were not confined to four men in a car. No, "they" include the many others who allowed him to get gotten in the first place. "They" are those who sat idly by afterward, benefiting from the privilege that propelled tragedy to take place. Now these same stories, like ours, come alive again, not for unnecessary shame, but because they are the leavening agent for healing. The kind of healing that stirs each of us when we process the truth of our history. With true healing, we begin to taste true struggle and overcoming strength. We appreciate humility and fight for accountability. And, through our successes and our failures, too, we are girded by faith in something greater than ourselves."-Sharon Tubbs

"A gorgeous and haunting book, spun so carefully you can smell the dirt roads and the shirt starch and the bologna sandwiches. You hear the poetry in the voices of the characters. You feel how suddenly darkness drops and meanness strikes, and how steadfastly the family of Preacher Page leans on its faith. A triumph of reporting and storytelling."—Kelley Benham French, senior editor, USA TODAY and author of Juniper: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon


Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Maame by Jessica George

 

Jessica George, photo credit Suki Dhonda

I have conversations with myself every day. It’s just an easy way to get out of my brain. It’s a great tool for Maddie because it’s meant to highlight how alone Maddie feels. She doesn’t feel like she has people to talk to, so that’s where the conversationalist tone comes from. I think we see a little less of that by the end, because she has come to this place where she’s more open to being dependent on her friends and family. ” ―Jessica George, Interview, Everything Zoomer

What booksellers are saying about Maame

Maame by Jessica George
  • I stood up and clapped after finishing Maame. Maddie is a new favorite character, all the stars for this one!
      ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

  • You’ll absolutely fall in love with Maame, a coming-of-age story featuring a young British-Ghanaian woman who’s learning how to live for herself after years of looking after her sick father. Heartbreaking and magical.
      ―Maggie Robe from Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Flyleaf Books

  • Maame will get under your skin with her naive outlook on life. As she comes into her own she will blow you away with her depth.
      ―Suzanne Lucey from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | Buy from Page 158 Books

  • Bridget Jones meets Eat, Pray, Love in this brilliantly written work of family, love, loss and self-discovery. Maddie (Maame), a twenty-something year old young woman living in London at job she hates, an overbearing mother who spends most her time in Ghana, and a father with Parkinson’s, begins on a journey of self discovery when she moves out of her parents house. Maddie promises herself that she will now begin a new life of dating, spending time with friends, and advancing in her career. However, things take a turn when she loses her job and her father passes away. Maame is a book for our times, as our main character faces dating dilemmas, racism, and loss all while using Google to help her through her hard time. Be prepared to laugh, cry and cheer for Maame.
      ―Sharon Davis from Book Bound Bookstore in Blairsville, GA | Buy from Book Bound Bookstore

About Jessica George

Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. Maame is her first novel.

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Time’s Undoing by Cheryl A. Head

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Time’s Undoing by Cheryl A. Head
Dutton / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

Inspired by true events from the author’s family, Time’s Undoing is the story of a Black journalist in 2019 investigating the unsolved mystery of her great-grandfather’s death in 1929 Birmingham. Told in alternating timelines, the novel explores racially-motivated crime, the lengths people will go to cover up the truth, and the powerful bonds of community, family, and love. This is a gripping story full of history, emotion, and suspense that I guarantee will be on my Best of 2023 list!

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina


Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah

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Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah
Amistad / January 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

If you want to see racism from the eyes of a twelve-year-old, if you are interested in the complexities of racial divide and healing, and you want to read a compelling novel, Nyani Nkrumah has written a book for you. Wade in the Water shows how one little girl, Ella, is affected by the racism she experiences in the white and black communities. Her friendship with an older white woman, who is trying to make her own race reckoning, brings some surprises that you may or may not see coming. Nkruman shows the raw, emotional sides of her characters in a truly gifted way.

Reviewed by Linda Hodges, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Black Country Music by Francesca T. Royster

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Black Country Music by Francesca T. Royster
University of Texas Press / January 2023


More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

Country music encompasses so much more than one would be led to believe by what’s being promoted and by what has been written and rewritten about countless times. Thankfully, Francesca Royster’s new book tells the story of Black songwriters/performers/fans in the white male-dominated world of popular country music. It’s a history that has been obscured, hidden, white-washed, overlooked and outright denied for way too long. This is a really fantastic and inspiring book that opens up a whole new world of country and folk music. If you think you know it all you don’t!

Reviewed by Colin Sneed, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Come Home Safe by Brian G. Buckmire

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Come Home Safe by Brian G. Buckmire
Blink / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

Come Home Safe is unlike any book I’ve ever read. Reading this book with my son opened up dialogue about an issue that is difficult to talk about but extremely important for everyone living in todays social climate. Buckmire does an excellent job writing about the importance of knowing the law and your rights and how beneficial that knowledge will be when interacting with law enforcement. I would recommend this book to parents and educators looking to have conversations about social justice. Excellent book! 

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter

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Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter & Daniel Miyares
Balzer + Bray / January 2023


More Reviews from Parnassus Books

Nell plants a tree and it grows into a base for games, a spot for reading, and a place for generations to gather. This beautiful picture book celebrates extended families and the delight of spending time together.

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen

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You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen
 Inkyard Press / February 2023


More Reviews from Main Street Reads

Filled with a neat balance of relatable humor and serious topics, You Truly Assumed is a memorable coming-of-age novel that touches on the struggles of three black, Muslim women and their fight to create a safe space and a voice to be heard for people just like them. You Truly Assumed is the perfect novel for teens or young adults who feel they don’t have a voice in the face of prejudice and fear, as it features funny, relatable characters and the raw effects of real events.

Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow

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Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow
Bloomsbury Publishing / January 2023

Adult FictionAfrican American & BlackHistorical FictionLiterary FictionMystery & DetectiveSouthern
More Reviews from Main Street Books

The shooting deaths of two sisters and their brother, prominent members of the African-American community, set tongues wagging in West Mills, NC. Except for those holding their voice over secrets. Told from alternating perspectives, the mystery unfolds amid lives threatened by the racism and homophobia of the 1960s and 1970s. This is a great read on so many levels, can’t wait to hand sell this one.

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


Parting Thought

“I’m a firm believer that language and how we use language determines how we act, and how we act then determines our lives and other people’s lives.”
– Ntozake Shange

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

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The Southern Bookseller Review 2/14/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of February 7, 2023

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The week of February 14, 2023

The 2023 Southern Book Prize Winners

The Southern Book Prize

As a "valentine" to people who love Southern Literature, Southern indie booksellers and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Southern Book Prize (SBP).

This year’s winners are Lark Ascending by Silas House (Algonquin Books) in Fiction, Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott (Atria) in Nonfiction, and Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady and Gracey Zhang (illus.) (Katherine Tegen Books) in Children’s. Winners receive a donation in their name to the charity or nonprofit of their choice.

The Prize, representing Southern bookseller favorites from 2023, is awarded to “the best Southern book of the year” as nominated by Southern indie booksellers and voted on by their customers. Winners were chosen by popular vote from a ballot of finalists in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Over 1800 ballots were cast making each Southern Book Prize winner a true Southern reader favorite.  

The Authors:

Silas House“This award is particularly special to me because it comes from Southern indie booksellers and readers–the two main groups that have given me a writing career for more than twenty years now,” said Silas House. “I cannot thank them enough for everything. To me Lark Ascending is a warning about what is already happening but it’s also a meditation on the way hope survives, and how we must always fight back. For those reasons I am especially grateful for it to receive the increased visibility this recognition will provide.” House requested that his donation go to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, “as a tribute to Seamus, the good beagle in Lark Ascending who has found a place in the heart of many readers.”

Mary Laura Philpott, photo credit Heidi RossMary Laura Philpott said “Oh, wow! What could mean more to a writer than an award granted by readers and booksellers, the people who know and love books more than anyone? I couldn’t do this work if I didn’t believe that when my books leave my head, they land in the hands and hearts of such thoughtful human beings. It’s an honor to play a tiny part in the grand and ever-evolving Southern literary tradition―not to mention to be in the company of this year’s brilliant fellow nominees. Thank you so much.” Philpott chose to have her donation go to the Epilepsy Foundation.

Gracey Zhang, phot credit Gracey ZhangAntwan Eady, photo credit Antwan Eady“Thank you all for receiving Nigel into your hearts and homes, and may dreamers of all ages feel seen, heard, and loved," wrote Antwan Eady. "Nigel, as we know him today, would not exist without the incredible, hardworking team from Katherine Tegen Books at HarperCollins Children’s Books, the über talented Gracey Zhang, and the people who’ve championed us along the way: our agents, families and friends. We’ve given Nigel a story, but all of you have given him a life.”  Eady has asked for his donation to go to Readers to Dreamers, while Gracey Zhang has requested hers be given to AKUT, an NGO currently doing search and rescue in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Read more about the winner books

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Recommended by Southern indies…

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

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On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
Knopf / February 2023


More Reviews from Square Books

I honestly can’t think of another novel that had quite the emotional impact on me that reading On The Savage Side did. Searing, brutal and unflinching in its portrayal of addiction and the devastation that it wreaks, the novel ripped my heart out and stomped all over it. In telling the story of identical twins Daffy and Arc, McDaniels gives voice to countless marginalized women, and her beautiful, lyrical prose reveals the humanity among the wreckage of lives, hopes and dreams lost to drugs.

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

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

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The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
Anchor / January 2023


More Reviews from Main Street Books

New in paperback!

Brilliant, sublime and surprising. On my forever favorite shelf. Julie Otsuka has the mystical gift of telling just as much of a story with what she doesn’t say. Reader, treat yourself with care if you have or have had a loved one with dementia…but I think The Swimmers is more than worthy of the heart ache.

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



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

 

Julia Bartz, photo credit Savannah Lauren

 

It was very fun to write Roza because she makes her own rules and she has certain boundaries and in other ways she doesn’t have any boundaries at all, she’s very intimidating. I started to write this book was really to explore my "shadow parts" those are the parts of ourselves we repress, usually when we’re young. And for women and girls a lot of those parts have to do with anger, aggression, sexuality…and when we do experience those feelings it can bring a lot of shame. So I wanted to really focus on a character who feels no shame.” ―Julia Bartz, InterviewShe Wore Black Podcast

What booksellers are saying about The Writing Retreat

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
  • You know how sometimes you think ,”If someone would just make me do this, I’d really knock it out and do great”… well be careful what you wish for! This twisty novel of mind games and winter weather will leave you gasping. Loved that it was as much about the craft of writing as it is an unsettling thriller.
      ―Susan Williams from M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, SC | Buy from M. Judson, booksellers

  • The Writing Retreat explores what happens when Alex, a horror writer experiencing a wretched bout of writer’s block finds themself at their idol’s estate for an amazing chance of finally being published. Oh yeah, did I mention her ex-best friend and source of said writer’s block is also in the house? A wildly imaginative psychological thriller that explores the question: who do our stories and memories really belong to?
      ―Eden Hakimzadeh from Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL | Buy from Oxford Exchange

  • OK, I thought this was going to be a particular type of thriller with a predictable albeit revamped plot- dear lord was I incorrect. Halfway through, I’m reading a passage about drug induced sex with a demon with kaleidoscopic eyes. Heck yes! More of this! More of these terrifying, queer, uncomfortable books. I am so delighted and surprised. And this is a debut? Isn’t it kind of hard to write a successful mystery? Let alone, an expose on queer shame, toxic relationships, and social nuances? Dang, Julia. When this book comes out, it’s going straight to my staff picks.
      ―Aimee Keeble from Main Street Books (NC) in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

  • Nightmares, sleepwalking, poisons, drugs, dark basements, ghosts, secret passageways, hauntings, and dangers await talented young women as they step into the mansion Blackbriar for a month-long writing retreat. Roza Vallo, a successful feminist horror writer, is the owner of this magnificent mansion and promises that in the month one of these participants could win a million dollars and fame and fortune for writing the best story. What would these women do to become wealthy and realize their dream of being a famous writer? Beginning with the mysterious necklaces, these women become discombobulated as they dwell in Blackbriar and face terrors and secrets and dangers in the spooky, horrifying situation. No reader will forget this thriller or easily put down this shocking story until the last page.
      ―Nancy Pierce from Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, GA | Buy from Bookmiser

About Julia Bartz

Julia Bartz is a Brooklyn-based writer and practicing therapist. Her fiction writing has appeared in The South Dakota ReviewInDigest Magazine, and more. The Writing Retreat is her first novel. Follow her on Twitter @JuliaBartz and Instagram at @JuliaBartz.

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Victory City by Salman Rushdie

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Victory City by Salman Rushdie
 Random House / February 2023


More Reviews from Righton Books

A woman who suffers a horrifying childhood trauma is transformed into the creator of a city, buildings and denizens alike. Who else but Salman Rushdie has the imagination required to create this woman, who has an almost endless imagination? Rushdie is a modern, male Scheherazade, spinning his fanciful tales of romance, religion, politics, and corruption, with dollops of laugh-out-loud humor and magical realism.

Reviewed by Anne Peck, Righton Books in St Simons Island, Georgia



Dyscalculia by Camonghne Felix

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Dyscalculia by Camonghne Felix
One World / February 2023


More Reviews from Epilogue Books

Where this book shines is the author’s ability to almost tangibly describe the emotions she’s experiencing through multiple parts of this book. Along with that, it viscerally relays the experience of dealing with mental illness from a young age, having that impact your life and relationships, and trying survive amidst all of that. This will be enjoyed by people who like these sort of lyrical writings (especially if you like poetry).

Reviewed by Ndobe Foletia, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb

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Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / February 2023


More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

Wow, what a beautifully written book that deals with a lot of complex issues while still feeling like a wonderful fantasy novel. What was so beautiful you may ask?

First of all, the characters. Normally I find childhood best friends/lovers turned enemies to be very unbelievable but M.K. Lobb found the best way to do it. Roz and Damian were very believable characters with trauma that manifests in very different ways. PTSD isn’t always hiding in a corner or freaking out at loud noises.

Second of all, the plot of which I’d say there are really two plot lines and then a third of when they finally converge together. A murder mystery and a rebellion don’t really seem to fit together until they finally do and I was excited for every second. This book didn’t feel like it was almost 400 pages because I just kept wanting to find out what happened next.

Third of all, that twist. The villain of this story honestly blind-sided me. I went for the obvious choice because no one else met the qualifications for the big bad. Now don’t get me wrong, my guess was a very terrible person but they just weren’t the real villain we were looking for.

This book also handled multiple point of views very well. There’s really only two points of view for this book, Damian and Roz, and they don’t spend time recapping events that happened in the other character’s chapter, they just move on with a maybe a line saying "I don’t know what they’re thinking so I’m just going to continue to solve this mystery" and that was it. Which I really appreciate. I don’t like being told things and M.K. Lobb delivered the story brilliantly.

Reviewed by Cass W, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Knopf Books for Young Readers / February 2023


More Reviews from M. Judson, Booksellers

So much love for Lasagna Means I Love You! A lovely novel about how food tells our stories and what means family. When sad circumstances leave Mo alone in the world, she discovers the path to a new beginning is filled with tears, frustration, laughter, love and a full tummy!

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

Good Night, Planet by Liniers

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Good Night, Planet by Liniers
TOON Books / March 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

Gorgeous drawings meet a classic childhood tale of a toy who comes to life at night. A wonderful early graphic novel to introduce young children to the format.

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn

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When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn
 Bloomsbury Children’s Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Bookmarks

An February 2023 Read This Next! Title

When Sea Becomes Sky is a book that needs to be read spoiler free, but what I can tell you is that this is Gillian McDunn at her finest. The intersection of science and art is a perfect complement to the interpersonal relationships in the book, every single detail adds a layer and a complexity the story that makes this one to sit and think about. I love how careful McDunn is with her characters and their emotions – and the experience of her readers. Bex and her family will stay in my heart for a very, very long time.

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Remarkably Bright Creatures The Half Known Life In Search of Paradise Violeta
Here is Flesh The Last Mapmaker

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories.”
– Kate Atkinson, Human Croquet

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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The Southern Bookseller Review 2/7/23

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of February 7, 2023

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The week of February 7, 2023

Reading Black Authors

Black History Month

Next week in honor of Black History Month, SBR will publish a special issue for February highlighting new books by Black writers. But there is no reason to wait for February to read more Black writers. There are, however, a great many reasons to always include Black writers in your TBR stack, not the least of which is there are so, so many wonderful books you will be missing out on if you don’t.

A list of books by Black authors can always be found online at SBR. Here, also, are some of the lists created by Southern Indie Bookstores:

Celebrate Black History from The Book Worm Bookstore in Powder Springs, GA

Black History is American History from Cultured Books in St. Petersburg, FL

Martin Luther King, Jr. Booklist from 44th and 3rd Booksellers in Atlanta, GA

Every Book Needs a Home from Cafe Noir in Memphis, TN

The Boosting Black Books project from Novel. in Memphis, TN

Don’t Call Yourself Woke if You Haven’t Read These Books from Baldwin & Co. in New Orleans, LA

Black Art Books from Charis Books & More in Atlanta, GA

Afrofuturism from Firestorm Books in Asheville, NC

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory




Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

The Applicant by Nazli Koca

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The Applicant by Nazli Koca
Grove Press / February 2023


More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

The Applicant is the debut novel I truly think I’ve been waiting to find my whole life. We follow Leyla, a twenty-something-year-old Turkish woman living in Berlin and working at a hostel. Her days consist of cleaning Alice in Wonderland-themed bedrooms, dipping in and out of hazy, techno-heavy clubs, and trying to find a balance of love, all while also trying to retain her German citizenship. Everything is so well done in this, but the themes of immigration and modern love struggles were perfectly executed. It’s raw, it’s real, it’s brilliant.

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

 

Stephen Graham Jones, photo credit Gary Iasacs

But really I mean, with kids—they’re small and powerless in the world. They don’t know why things are happening. They’re told what to do, they’re not giving any explanation for why they’re doing this, and everyone is a towering monster to them, you know? And adults are capriciously violent. I think kids live in a world that is really primed for horror. But horror stories allow them to understand that sometimes you can beat the monsters, you know?” ―Stephen Graham Jones, Interview, Tor.com

What booksellers are saying about Don’t Fear the Reaper

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
  • My Heart Is a Chainsaw was one of my favorite books of 2021; it’s knowing, self-referential tone mixed with its wonderful heroine, Jade Daniels, reminded me of my favorite slasher films of times past. I had high hopes for Don’t Fear the Reaper. As a sequel, it should be bloodier, wilder, and more audacious than its predecessor, with both a new antagonist and a few throwbacks to past dangers. Stephen Graham Jones knew this, and boy, do things go off the rails immediately. While “My Heart Is A Chainsaw had a slow burn to its violence, Don’t Fear the Reaper revels in danger and fear right off the bat. At the center of the chaos is the reluctant Final Girl, Jade, who’d rather just be a supporting player getting her life back together after fighting legal troubles for the last few years. Unfortunately, Jade has to use her wits and horror movie knowledge to get her and her friends out of death-by-hook range, and of course, the horror is happening during the worst blizzard that Proofrock’s ever seen. While buckets of blood drench each page, Jones never forgets to center the violence around the lovable beating heart of the book’s protagonist.
      ―Whitney Sheppard from The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL | Buy from The Snail on the Wall

  • The second book in the Indian Lake Trilogy is even better than the first. Jade and Letha are back in Proofrock along with some other familiar faces, and some new ones as well. During the storm of the century, a convoy carrying the serial killer, Dark Mill South crashes. There is a fraction of a sliver of chance that he survived the crash and is heading toward the nearest town, Proofrock. You all know what a fraction of a sliver of chance means in Proofrock, so our favorite final girls have to swing into action. This book starts out really fast and doesn’t stop until the final bloody end.
      ―Kathy Clemmons from Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, FL | Buy from Sundog Books

  • The long-awaited follow up to My Heart is a Chainsaw does not disappoint! SGJ takes us back to Proofrock, Idaho right after Jade Daniels – now Jennifer – is released from prison for the first book’s events. Brutal, larger-than-life killer Dark Mill South is on the loose in town at the same time as a debilitating snowstorm hits. In keeping with the vibe of the trilogy, grisliness abounds from the first pages and the slasher film trivia doesn’t stop. I can’t wait for the third and final installment in this series!
      ―Andrea Richardson from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

About Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and been recipient of several awards including: the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.

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Exiles by Jane Harper

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Exiles by Jane Harper
 Flatiron Books / January 2023


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

As usual Jane Harper’s new novel, Exiles, is a slow burn of a read as she so beautifully describes yet another region of Australia, south Australia’s wine region. And, once again gives us a cast of characters so well-developed that you feel like you really know them. The book is about a small town with two unsolved events which have haunted the close-knit inhabitants. One the hit-and-run death of a well-liked accountant and the other the disappearance of a new mother who supposedly left her six-week-old child unattended at the annual wine and food festival and jumped to her death at the nearby reservoir – coincidentally the same weekend and same place as the hit and run. While this is Harper’s third book featuring Aaron Falk it easily reads as a standalone and will make you want to go back and read more about Aaron.

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina



Enchantment by Katherine May

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Enchantment by Katherine May
Riverhead Books / February 2023


More Reviews from Quail Ridge Books

British author Katherine May knows exactly what I need when I need it. I read her book, Wintering, during the hardest days of the pandemic. She wrote of a time in her life, pre-pandemic, when she felt hopeless, but her words resonated with my feelings of despair during the isolation of 2020. Her newest book, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, is just as timely. Though very personal, she addresses the universality of our shock at the fallout from the pandemic and how we can recover some of our contentment and joy. The book is beautifully written, and there are many lines that will linger with me.

Reviewed by Mamie Potter, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood

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Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood
Wednesday Books / February 2023

Dark FantasyFantasyYoung Adult
More Reviews from The Haunted Book Shop

I devoured this gorgeous novel like I was one of the hungry jungle ghosts. I absolutely adore Victoria’s relationship with Mumma River and how nature speaks to her. Every moment they were in the jungle was absolutely magical. With a super unique magic system, high stakes, untrustworthy men, a lush, protective jungle, and a fierce, loyal main character, Blackwood’s Wildblood is not to be missed for YA fantasy lovers!

Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

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Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
Disney-Hyperion / January 2023


More Reviews from M. Judson, Booksellers

Simon has my heart! His spirit, authenticity, and humor make him one of the most compelling characters I’ve met in a long time. Simon, along with his parents, show that trauma changes us in terrible & beautiful ways that create something new. This tough but tender novel shines with hope and resilience. As Dolly Parton says, laughter through tears is my favorite emotion. Please don’t let the subject matter push you away from this wonderful, funny, and important book. It’s a perfect example of its OK to read dark things, our lives are full of dark things and fictional characters working their way towards the light helps us do the same. Simon Sorta of Says is fantastic!

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio

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The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio
Balzer + Bray / March 2023


More Reviews from E. Shaver, bookseller

Ghosts, lost evil deities, and a mean girl hive mind descend upon this small town and two best friends need to team up in order to put this crisis to rest. The pop culture references are quirky and informational for a pre-teen audience not used to common tropes. Also, it offers up an interesting perspective between heroine and villain when it comes to being on the spectrum for its exciting conclusion.

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

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

All the Beauty in the World : The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley

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All the Beauty in the World : The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley
 Simon & Schuster / February 2023


More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

An February 2023 Read This Next! Title

Patrick Bringley becomes a guard at The Metropolitan Museum of Art after his brother dies and he can’t handle the day to day stress of his former job. Spending his days in the midst of some of the most beautiful art in the world, he slowly heals from his grief. This book provides a behind the scenes look at everyday life in the museum and I loved it. And there is a reference list of the art mentioned in the book which can then be viewed online.

Beth Carpenter from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries Financial Feminist The Love of My Life
The Years When You Trap a Tiger

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“I think that reading is always active. As a writer, you can only go so far; the reader meets you halfway, bringing his or her own experience to bear on everything you’ve written. What I mean is that it is not only the writer’s memory that filters experience, but the reader’s as well.”
– Ruth Reichl

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
The Southern Bookseller Review is a project of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, in support of independent bookstores in the South | SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805

SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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