The Southern Bookseller Review 8/1/23
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The week of August 1, 2023 What to read before you have to go back to school.
It will come as no surprise that Tom Lake, the brand-new novel by author (and bookseller) Ann Patchett, was at the top of the Southern bookseller Read This Next! list for August. The review from Square Books in Mississippi further below is only one of nearly twenty that came in from booksellers across the South. There is still enough time for one or two more great reads before summer ends and school starts. Tom Lake is one of five that booksellers really love, so read these next!: 
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin 
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck 
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre Adult Fiction, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Witches This sweet found family story will hit you right in the feels! Iris has always been the misfit in her family of energy vampires (literally) with no powers to speak of, never fitting in and unsure if her place in the world. But when her great aunt passed and leaves Iris her house, she slowly begins finding her way in the world as she starts taking in boarders. But it’s not all perfect. Her nosy neighbor finds fault with everything she does and is determined to see her fail. But Iris’s found family of lovable roommates will do everything in their power to keep them all together. Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei 
“For me, there’s always been self-doubt inherent to growing up “in between.” There’s also a dissonance between feeling one thing and often being perceived as another. When I write, I think that introspection and uncertainty often leak into my characters, no matter the situation. And I can never help poking that tender spot where the protagonist realizes the world may not view her the way she views herself.” ― Yume Kitasei, Interview SmokeLong Quarterly What booksellers are saying about The Deep Sky 
About Yume Kitasei Yume Kitasei is a writer of speculative fiction. She is half-Japanese and half-American and grew up in a space between two cultures—the same space where her stories reside. She lives in Brooklyn with two cats, Boondoggle and Filibuster. Her stories have appeared in publications including New England Review, Catapult, SmokeLong Quarterly, and Baltimore Review, and her short story was spotlighted in the 2022 Best Small Fictions anthology by Sonder Press. The Deep Sky is her first novel. |
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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Adult Fiction, Coming of Age  An August 2023 Read This Next! Title Ann Patchett does it again! Tom Lake is so good it’s like eating a favorite dessert. Do you gobble it up quickly, or slowly savor it so that it lasts longer? I would give a million stars to this one. I loved it so much. Everyone should read this book. It is gorgeous. Tom Lake is a heartwarming tale about a woman recounting her youth to her daughters who see her as their mother, not as a girl who navigated the trials of early love, the temptations of Hollywood, and the love of a man who became a star. It explores family bonds, parental love, sisterly love, and the very events that make us who we are. A fantastic read for parents and young adult children alike. You will see yourself in many of the characters. Absolutely delicious. Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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How to Say Goodbye by Wendy MacNaughton Adult Nonfiction, Bereavement, Death, Family & Relationships, Grief In a debut as profound as it is strange, Emily Habek explores what happens when a newlywed couple is split apart by a strange mutation–one of them is turning rapidly, limb by fin, into a great white shark. With imagination and heart, Habek startles the reader awake with the questions we all have living in us: can I survive loss in my life? How do I remain open when I am suffering? What does it mean to learn myself again? Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Fiction This book was amazing and such a fun and relatable read. I love the character development and growth of Eloise throughout the book. Austin’s sunshine personality perfectly fits with Eloise’s anxious and sad character, giving us the best of both worlds. Overall, it was a fantastic book that I will definitely be rereading. Reviewed by Meredith Church, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina |
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The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr Children, Fantasy & Magic Just delightful! A charming narrative with colorful characters, a magic book, a mad dictator, and heroic kids, pretty much everything you need for an enchanting story.. Reviewed by Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy This graphic novel was such a delight to read. It acknowledges the importance of being able to see the many different make ups of family. Family is so much more than the people we are related to, it can be friends, community and sometimes we find it in the most unexpected places. I love how it shows that sometimes we are afraid of things we do not understand and once we take the step to look a little deeper our fear begins to diminish. Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Ghost Boys by Jewel Parker Rhodes 20th Century, African American & Black, Banned Books, Children, Historical, People & Places, Prejudice & Racism, Social Themes, United States, Violence In the end, and in the beginning, all we really have are our stories. In Ghost Boys, Jerome’s story, Sarah’s story, Grandma’s and Kim’s and Emmett’s stories are all one: The story that only the living can make the world better. This story, their story will haunt the reader long long long past the final page. Sure to be a winner this award season, Ghost Boys is an absolute must-read. Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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