The Southern Bookseller Review 1/30/24
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The week of January 30, 2024 When in doubt, ask an indie bookseller.
You still have time to vote for the books you think deserve to be called the best Southern books of the year. The Southern Book Prize Ballot closes at the end of the day on February 1st. When you vote you can be entered into a raffle to receive a collection of this year’s Southern Book Prize Finalists, a best of the best book stack for anyone who loves Southern literature. Vote Now!The Southern Bookseller Review was created out of the conviction that the booksellers who are found at independent bookstores are one of the most trustworthy sources for avid readers because they, too, are the most avid of readers. They have made a career out of sharing their love for books. When they say a book is good, you can trust what they say. Which is why when literary awards and prizes are announced every year, you can almost always find that indie booksellers were buzzing about the books on the prize lists long before they began to receive widespread attention. Last week the American Library Association announced the 2024 Winners of the Youth Media Awards, better known as the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. Here are what some of the Southern indie bookstores have to say about the winners: Newbery Medal: The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers This is the story of Johannes, a wild dog who lives in the park. He runs his round because he is the Eyes for the keeper of the Equilibrium. He decides one day to gain a greater purpose and free his friends the bison. Though for children, I think this story would be enjoyed by anyone who has ever run and felt faster than the sun. Johannes is absolutely endearing, arrogant, feral, and free. Above all else, he’s free and wonderful. I found myself elated with every triumph and breathless with every close call. I loved it and was in tears by the beauty of the writing at the end. I absolutely cannot wait to recommend this to everyone I know. "To be alive is to go forth. So we go forth." Don’t let Johannes slip by you! He’s faster than light, so it might be hard. –Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square in McDonough, Georgia Caldecott Medal: Big by Vashti Harrison Most children love to hear " You’re a big girl now!" But when your body is much bigger than most of the friends your age, being a big girl can sometimes be hard to handle. Award winning author illustrator Vashti Harrison handles the topic of body positivity with care and compassion in this important and stunning picture book. –Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina 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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Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar Adult Fiction, Literary The rarest triumph–a novel that tackles the weightiest subjects without withholding joy! An odyssey to understand death emerges as a shockingly powerful affirmation of life, love, and belonging. Cyrus Shams is a protagonist that felt immediately iconic–boldly morose, exuberantly weird, hilarious and frustrating and exceptionally human. Akbar has written a book that defies neat categorization, one that you’ll want to hand to any person in your life who "gets you" and say, read this, and let’s talk. Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: The Fury by Alex Michaelides 
Well, [the narrator, Elliot] may not be likable per se, but I think he’s quite interesting. And I – what I tried to do – it was – honestly, The Fury was the most creative experience I’ve had because I changed the way that I write. My first two novels – The Silent Patient and The Maidens – I plotted them for about a year before writing a word. And then with The Fury, I really wanted to have some fun. And I thought, I’m not going to plot this. I’m just going to write it. And as I wrote it, Elliot told me the story himself. And it was an amazing experience because I wrote it, you know, with him speaking directly to the reader all the way through. And by doing that, I felt that he was sort of telling me the story, I suppose. And all of these things that I didn’t know, like about his childhood and his relationship with an older writer named Barbara West, just appeared, you know, on the page as I was writing, without me having even the names. Everything just sort of magically happened. So it felt like a really creative, joyous experience for me. What booksellers are saying about The Fury 
Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village. |
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Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Adult Fiction, Crime, Thrillers 
A January Read This Next! Title This is an action packed book, no one page can be skipped without missing an important tidbit. The angst of the teenage life can be a sad reality, exacerbated by social media. This book manages to convey that without letting it become the focus of the book. That is clearly the twisted relationships between Margot, Lucy, Nicole and Sloane. All very different and under the influence in some fashion by the mercurial Lucy. Even Margot’s deceased high school friend Eliza is not spared from the manipulation. The book paints a tale where you can believe given the right circumstances anyone can resort to the most extreme actions of self-preservation. This is not a heart lifting book of survival, more a spine chilling book of survival. I truly was captured by this book, and had no idea how it would end. I can’t imagine any reader of master, suspense, psychology not appreciating this book. Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Family & Relationships, Life Stages, Mid-Life, Nature, Personal Memoirs, Seasons, Southern Book Prize Finalist 
2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist Margaret Renkl’s writing is the literary equivalent to being wrapped in a soft blanket in your favorite chair with a cup of tea on a crisp day. The Comfort of Crows continues her beautiful way with words (after her stellar Late Migrations) with 52 essays of her observations that take the reader through the seasons of the year…from the beauty of nature and all it encompasses to the varying human emotions and stages of life. You will want to plant something, feed something, preserve something, and protect something all at the same time. You don’t have to be a nature lover to read this book, but you will be by the time you finish it. Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia |
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Red by Annie Cardi Coming of Age, Pregnancy, Sexual Abuse, Young Adult Fiction In this young adult retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Tess is forced to find the strength to break the cycle of abuse occurring in her church after getting an abortion. Told in a way that doesn’t demonize faith, but rather shows how it can come up short and allows Tess to find her voice again. Reviewed by Shannon Rogers, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina |
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José Feeds the World by David Unger Biography & Autobiography, Children, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional, Juvenile Nonfiction This picture book tells the inspiring story of Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen, and the many people around the world he has helped in the aftermath of disasters. This book highlights the power of one person’s idea and the way one can mobilize and inspire many. This would be a great book to share with a young reader who has questions about why disasters happen and what we can do to help those affected. Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Kitten Ninja by Colleen AF Venable Animals, Comics & Graphic Novels, Juvenile Fiction Who better to protect you than a cute (I mean, fearsome) kitten?! Kitten Ninja can catch a light, fight a ball of yarn, and help a friend, but at the end of the day it is snuggling on a lap that wins the day. The combination of humor and delightful illustrations will have readers hooked from Page 1. Perfect for kids just finding their way into graphic novels (or for those already in love with Cat Ninja). Reviewed by Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Normal People by Sally Rooney Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Coming of Age, Literary, Psychological An on-again, off-again relationship that haunts the characters as well as the reader in sparse prose and minute detail. Every element, from word choice to mannerism to subtle gesture, is wrung out of each character’s social interactions and placed on the page with precision. Rooney excels at charting the characters’ thoughts and subsequent actions without stating them outright; she conveys the near-misses, the blips in conversation that could fix everything if only they didn’t consistently go unsaid, with a nuance that is relatable rather than manufactured. This is a book for everyone who over-thinks and replays their own interactions with other people, with unextraordinary, and oftentimes infuriatingly normal, people. Similar: White Fur by Jardine Libaire Pair it with: Homesick for Another World: Stories by Ottessa Moshfegh Reviewed by Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” |
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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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