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The Book of Ayn by Lexi Freiman
Catapult / November 2023

Adult Fiction, Feminist
More Reviews from Thank You Books

The rare book that will make you laugh out loud, gasp with disbelief, cringe, and ultimately, cheer. A book that reminds us to have fun, that restores “fun” to its rightful place as a virtue of reading. Anna’s descent into a Randian abyss is spiked with so much humor and insight, you’ll almost forget whose side you’re on. Freiman is a writer of breathtaking talent, and fans of her first book will adore this one.

Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert

I’ve wanted to write pirates forever, probably since I was approximately eight and sitting on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland. I’ve been deeply into Celtic mythology for about as long. So, when it came time to write a fantasy romance novel, it was only natural to meld the two into a fun romp of a story.
― Katee Robert Interview, Subjectify Media

What booksellers are saying about Hunt on Dark Waters

• Pirates are back baby!!!! And Katee, the QUEEN has combined them with our favorite paranormals for the best, best book ever. Hunt on Dark Waters features a pirate and a witch and they love to argue, and bicker, and be hot and think about how hot the other is. Smack all that into super cool worldbuilding and fun swashbuckling adventures, and that makes this the perfect book!
    ― Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Buy from Bookmarks
  
  
• Great start to a new series! I always enjoy this author, and this didn’t disappoint. Just enough worldbuilding mixed with interesting characters and sexy times. Look forward to the rest of the series!
    ― Angela Trigg, The Haunted Book Shop, Mobile, Alabama | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop
  
  
• Pirates and Witches and Vampires, OH MY! I had fun following along with Evelyn as she tried to adjust to pirate life. Her sassy thievery and snarky comments kept me laughing while her budding romance with the ultimate rule follower, Bowen, had me wanting to throw the book at the wall. This book seemed tamer (spice wise) than other of Robert’s works but the spice that was there was still great and steamy. An engaging and fun start to a new series!
    ― Michelle Weiler, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, North Carolina | Buy from Quail Ridge Books
  
  
• An anti-hero witch is on the run from her vampire lover and finds herself in the service of a sexy pirate in a world full of sea monsters and magic… I mean, it sounds like a good time, and it is. If you’re looking for a fun paranormal read without much depth, this is a great option. Excellent banter, steamy love scenes, and just the right amount of danger.
    ― Liz DeWandeler, A Novel Escape, Franklin, North Carolina | Buy from A Novel Escape
  
  

Katee Robert (she/they) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance. Entertainment Weekly calls their writing “unspeakably hot.” Their books have sold over two million copies. They live in the Pacific Northwest with their husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs

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Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander
Atria/Emily Bestler Books / December 2023

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy
More Reviews from The Violet Fox Bookshop

A December Read This Next! Title

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is the perfect mix of heartwarming holiday charm and queer romance. The author does a wonderful job of acknowledging and addressing so many important topics (like being trans in Florida) while remaining hopeful and lighthearted. I loved that the characters are more mature and older – this is not a YA story. And I loved that we get a second chance story, which fits for the age group and for the holiday themes. The tension and slow-burn is great and readers are rewarded at the end! I won’t give any spoilers, but I loved the ending. The characters made my heart ache, they made me laugh, and they gave me the warm fuzzies that come from knowing there are wonderful, genuine, and kind people in the world.Second Chances in New Port Stephen is full of joy and hope and inclusivity with just a dash of holiday cheer. It’s the perfect queer romance for December!

Reviewed by Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Above Ground by Clint Smith
Little, Brown and Company / March 2023

African American & Black, African American & Black Studies, Ethnic Studies, Marriage & Family, Poetry, Sociology, Southern Book Prize Finalist
More Reviews from Pearl’s Books

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
See all | Vote Now!

Smith’s poems are moving and poignant as he navigates being a Black father to a Black boy in today’s America. Even if you are not a parent, you will find this collection breathtaking in its capacity to contain a multitude of emotion, longing, fear, and love.

Reviewed by Daniel Jordan, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Be That Way by Hope Larson
Margaret Ferguson Books / October 2023

Dating & Sex, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Square Books

Hope Larson’s Be That Way is a charming coming-of-age story told in mixed formats of journal entries, illustrations, and comic strips. High school junior Christine is determined that 1996 will be the year she shines. From friendship fallouts to heartbreak and betrayal to first jobs, Christine tumbles through adolescence with snark, wit, and — ultimately — optimism as she finds herself through her art and the support of the people who matter most. Be That Way is the perfect read for when you need a reminder that the awkward teenage moments aren’t forever and that being your true self is the best thing you can be.

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / September 2023

Aeronautics, Astronautics & Space Science, Children, Juvenile Nonfiction, Southern Book Prize Finalist, Technology
More Reviews from Bookmarks

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
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Stacy (local-to-me author!) is like the teacher who gets passionately excited about something and her enthusiasm drags the entire class into that geekdom. The kind that when you see a oddly specific kitschy item you know it has to belong to them so you buy it and gift it to them and they tell you a story about something you had no idea about in that item you are handing them. I am delighted that her Our Universe picture books have a middle grade book for their readers to grow into.

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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unOrdinary Volume 1 by uru-chan
HarperAlley / 2023-11-07

Action & Adventure, Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from E. Shaver bookseller

A Webtoon classic! I was wondering when this would get unscrolled. I love fantasy or sci-fi with over powered protagonists that have some reason to hold themselves back or conceal their strength. This does that concept well and with great pacing.

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
Scholastic Press / February 2021

Juvenile Fiction, Middle East, Middle Grade
More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

Alan Gratz, historical fiction go-to for middle school, has moved from WWII to more contemporary times with his newest novel Ground Zero. Told from the viewpoint of two teens on opposite sides of the globe, Gratz reframes the 9/11 story for the eyes and ears of young readers. This one is sure to be an instant bestseller.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“No two persons ever read the same book.”
— Edmund Wilson

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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Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

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Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
Berkley / December 2023

Adult Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy
More Reviews from Eagle Eye Books

A December Read This Next! Title

This is the romance I’ve been yearning for, one that fills all my needs for a romance novel version of Romancing the Stone, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Indiana Jones. The story features a whip-smart and capable female archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejia who ends up on a dig that could be the find of a lifetime and ends up being forced to finally deal with the one man she hates the most- Dr. Ford Matthews. What could’ve been haunts her, and him too. Unrequited lust/love definitely builds the tension between them to dizzying heights, and makes when they finally give in to their feelings so satisfying. I was surprised by and enjoyed the suspense subplot. Made for a very unexpected and surprising plot twists. The ending itself was ambiguous, but the epilogue more than made up for it! Jo Segura’s debut novel is exciting and a wonderful new addition. I am eager to see what she writes next!

Reviewed by Prent Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: So Long As It’s Wild by Barbara Jenkins

I remembered my granny who traveled to Arkansas as a child in a covered wagon, and then spent her whole life scratching a living out of the rocky hills of the Ozarks. She didn’t have more than a cotton dress and a tattered apron, but I never heard her whine about being poor, cooking on a hot wood stove or making 100 biscuits each morning for her large family. Between my new husband insisting I shape up and memories of her endurance, I walked on and kept my mouth shut.
― Barbara Jenkins Interview, Huff Post

What booksellers are saying about So Long As It’s Wild

• So Long As It’s Wild is a book about walking the same way The Odyssey is a book about sailing. Barbara’s story is incredible, and one that many women can relate to – that of being overlooked and sidelined in favor of her male partner. Her voice rings loud and clear in this memoir, telling not only her side of the story but her story alone. The writing is graceful, at times reading like an adventure novel, at times like poetry. I loved this one.
    ― Ellen Woodall, Blacksburg Books in Blacksburg, VA | Buy from Blacksburg Books
  
  
• A fascinating story of the trials and tribulations of not only a walk across the country, but a young marriage finding its way.
    ― Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads in Summerville, SC | Buy from Main Street Reads
  
  

Barbara Jenkins grew up in the wild beauty of the Ozarks with no running water and homemade clothes. The first in her family to go beyond an 8th grade education, she received her Master’s from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She shot to fame in 1976 with her then-husband for their ambitious walk across America. That journey became the inspiration for their New York Times bestseller The Walk West, selling over 12 million copies. She has since published a number of other books, including The Road Unseen, a Gold Medallion Book Award winner. Her writing and entrepreneurship has been featured on Good Morning America, Reader’s Digest and more. Jenkins now travels the country, speaking at universities, conventions, and other events about her story. When she is not writing, speaking, or traveling, Jenkins loves spending time with her granddaughters, Josephine and Lyla. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Delacorte Press / December 2023

Asia, Family, Multigenerational, People & Places, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmiser

A December Read This Next! Title

Second in Sutanto’s YA series, Didn’t See That Coming focuses on Kiki as she’s forced by her parents to transfer to a top school for her final year. Fortunately, her young friend Eleanor Roosevelt is there, but that seems to be the lone bright spot as she’s bullied by nearly everyone from the principal to her classmates. But Kiki is able to escape into gaming where, because of the massive amounts of abuse, she’s been playing as a male player. But she’s made a great friend in game. However, when she realizes that her friend actually goes to her new school, she must find out who he is. Didn’t See That Coming is both hilarious and heartbreaking while being a fantastic read.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard
Henry Holt and Co. / May 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Divorce & Separation, Marriage & Long-Term Relationship, Personal Memoirs, Southern Book Prize Finalist
More Reviews from Snail on the Wall

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
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We Are Too Many is a memoir of the end (and beginning) of a marriage. Told hilariously over three parts, Hannah Pittard invites readers to follow her through ten years of time-jumped remembered conversations. Her story is written with a refreshing amount of honesty as she leads the reader through her discovery that her husband and best friend have had sex, along with what came before and after. Unflinchingly honest and hilarious, Pittard seamlessly blends fact with fiction to make an unforgettable memoir. I finished this in one afternoon. I could not put it down — nor did I want to. A gem for anyone who loves memoir, language play, a book that reads like a documentary, or a delightful and entertaining read.

Reviewed by Deva, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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The Black Queen by Jumata Emill
Ember / December 2023

Mysteries & Detective Stories, Prejudice & Racism, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Quail Ridge Books

This is an absolutely promising and thought-provoking thriller debut that questions numerous sensitive issues, including racism, underage sex, teenage pregnancy, corruption, white privilege, and child abuse.

Reviewed by Michelle Weiler, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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The Little Tiger by Nicola Killen
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books / December 2023

Birthdays, Children, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from South Main Book Company

Gorgeous illustrations, visible occasionally through clever cutouts – what a sweet birthday tale!

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

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The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais
Oni Press / October 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Juvenile Fiction, Legends & Mythology
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

To me, Little Red Riding Hood has always been the forbearer of modern children’s stories. The warnings of: listen to your adults, not to stray from the path dictated, and not talk to strangers emanate from every version of this story. In this tale, these messages are still here, but are challenged. In the end, our hero is rescued and the evil defeated, themes of misunderstanding being our main take-away.

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Penguin Books / June 2021

Adult Fiction, Asian American, Banned Books, LGBTQ+, Literary Fiction
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

This bestseller sat on my shelf for two years before I had the courage to read it. I knew it would wreck me, and wreck me it did. Through a son’s letter to his mother, we learn the story of Little Dog and the meaning of love, loss, family, and belonging. Ocean Vuong creates a surreal experience of the senses, redefining the meaning of narrative — each page more breathtaking than the last. As someone who rarely keeps fiction past the first read, this one has a permanent place on my bookshelf.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you. ”
— Louis L’Amour

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Cross-Stitch by Jazmina Barrera
Two Lines Press / November 2023

Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Literary Collections, Mexico, Women, World Literature
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

A delicate coming-of-age story that is both elegiac and an ode to craftwork, womanhood, and friendship. Much like the characters in Cross-Stitch, Barrera and translator MacSweeny have yet again come together to craft another gift to treasure. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Reviewed by Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Initially, my plan for both [Viv and Tandry] was that they would simply build a supportive, essential friendship and that Viv’s recognition of the value of that relationship was key to her new life. That strengthened over the course of the story and became what it is now, and it felt inevitable to me. It isn’t a romance, really – it’s a friendship that evolved into something more. The book is largely about quiet acts of bravery that don’t involve a sword – and the leap from friendship to romantic relationship was one of Viv’s last brave acts. The kind of risk that most of us can relate to.
― Travis Baldree Interview, Hunger Mountain

What booksellers are saying about Bookshops & Bonedust

• Baldree does it again! I was positively enchanted with this story, just as I was with Legends & Lattes. Seeing Viv in this stage of her life, so different from her time establishing a coffee shop, was a treat. The bookshop setting was perfect, the plight of a bookseller just trying her hardest to get books into the hands of readers utterly relatable. A fantastic read for cozy fantasy lovers!
    ― Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN | Buy from Parnassus Books
  
  
• This book is so DELICIOUSLY COZY that it CURED my common cold—or at the very least it warmed me all the way up, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and made me feel a whole lot better! Wounded in her first venture as a mercenary, a young Viv washes up in a seaside town with a ramshackle bookshop and ends up finding fiction, friendship, first love, the mutually enriching relationship between small businesses and their community, and a little badass bone-busting adventure along the way! It’s hard to believe, but I loved Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes and literally hugged this book when I finished it.
    ― Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, GA | Buy from Underground Books
  
  
• This was a rare stand alone prequel that adds so much to the first book, Bookshops and Bonedust has all the cozy vibes and action I had come to expect from Legends and Lattes. There’s a lovable animal companion, a frazzled bookshop owner, a baker of fine treats, and a necromancer lurking somewhere in the background. If you were wondering why a mercenary orc would want to open a coffee shop, read this, maybe with a nice cup of coffee of your own. This book is the perfect example of there’s a right book for every time, and a right time for every book. Super cozy, super well written (and narrated) Travis has definitely made himself an instant buy author for me after these last two slam dunks.
    ― Charlotte Beck, Main Street Reads in Summerville, SC | Buy from Main Street Reads
  

About Travis Baldree

Travis Baldree (he/him) is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog.

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Tor Books / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, Southern Book Prize Finalist
More Reviews from Story on the Square

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
See all | Vote Now!

As someone who has always been a little too soft for the world, nothing delights me more than living vicariously through fierce and hard as nail protagonists like Opal. Opal is fighting every day to make sure her brother doesn’t go without in the town of Eden. Despite barely having time to think, Opal begins to dream of Starling House, the Secret that no one talks about, and even though she knows better, she finds herself at the front door. Arthur is going to be the last warden of the Starling House, taking its legacy of monsters and magic down with him. He’s determined to be so until Opal breaks down the walls around his heart with her knock at Starling House’s door. This is a story of two people who are less than beautiful that smile with crooked teeth and black eyes, and I didn’t want it to end.

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

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Being Henry by Henry Winkler
Celadon Books / November 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts
More Reviews from Page 158 Books

I wanted to reach through the pages and hug this little boy who wasn’t loved by his family. Henry was born to Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. The trauma must have been horrible for them, but a child is innocent. Henry was a funny kid who got away with so much outside his home and was grounded for life always inside it His parents called him dumb dog in German. He had no idea he had dyslexia until his early 30’s but was able to complete college and ended up getting into Yale Theater Group for his masters. He is not to be kept down. They took a chance on him with Happy Days but what happened on that show and after leaves you cheering him on. I can’t wait to meet him again. Last time he stole my wine and I want it back.

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers / November 2023

Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Main Street Reads

This YA debut by Ali was not only riveting it was exceptionally written. This novel almost feels like chess when your reading it and watching how intricately Ali has weaved these characters together. Mallory, who loved chess until an unexpected tragedy in her family, now 18 and working to help support her family beats a world champion, Nolan. Suddenly everything in her life gets all mixed up as she stumbles into a romance she didn’t know she wanted. This novel, like her adult novels, does an AMAZING JOB touching on the sexism and expectations of a female vs male in the chess (STEM sport) community.

Reviewed by Charlotte Beck, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

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I Want 100 Dogs by Stacy McAnulty
Chronicle Books / November 2023

Animals, Children, Dogs, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

Getting a new pet is always a delicate negotiation between the pet want-er and the ultimate pet-care-for-er. This delightful new tail tale from kids nonfiction genius Stacy McAnulty hilariously yet poignantly digs into the how, what, when, and why of pet ownership. Fun for anyone considering adding a furry family member.

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

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I Must Be Dreaming by Roz Chast
Bloomsbury Publishing / October 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Humorous
More Reviews from Righton Books

Roz Chast gives us a deeply personal (and, naturally, hilarious) view of the meaning of her own dreams and their influence on her work, in cartoon form, of course. Includes a fascinatingly nerdy section on the history of dreaming and dream interpretation, across many cultures.

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Roaring Brook Press / June 2014

Banned Books, Bullying, Dating & Sex, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from One More Page Books

This is a really quick but rich read with several unique voices narrating the story of Alice Franklin, a teenage girl in a small Texas town who may or may not have slept with two different guys at a party one night. Whether or not it’s true, the rumor propels the story into several directions, including a fatal car accident, a vandalized bathroom stall, and an unlikely friendship. Each character has a distinct voice, and they somehow transcend the high school stereotypes that they’re all so desperate to conform to. ‘The Truth About Alice’ is a thoughtful look at the delicate balance of high school hierarchy and how a few words uttered by the right person can change–and potentially ruin–someone else’s life.

Reviewed by Lelia Nebecker, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Isn’t it odd how much fatter a book gets when you’ve read it several times?” Mo had said…”As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells…and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower…both strange and familiar.”
— Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

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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Read This Now: All Book Buzz

Recommended over and over again by Southern indies…

Spotlight on: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

I am writing romance; all of my characters end up happily in love. I am writing fantasy with intrigue; frankly, the characters don’t have time for too much agonizing. They have conspiracies to unravel, and— to veer abruptly sideways into musical theatre (I am queer, after all) and quote Pippin—magic to do.

I made the very conscious decision to scrap crises of faith, uncertainty of one’s sexuality, and self-hatred entirely. I used the need for secrecy to add to the ‘us against the world’ situation that serves a romance plot so well, and also to emphasize the exquisite surprise and delight when a kindred spirit is recognized.
― Freya Marske, Interview, FyneTime

What booksellers are saying about A Power Unbound

• *Chef’s Kiss* I was really looking forward to Hawthorn’s story and it didn’t disappoint. Marske is such an exquisite writer, deft with her succinct and evocative descriptions! It was great also getting to see the moments with the other two couples as well.
    ― Angela Trigg, The Haunted Bookshop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Bookshop
  
  
• An absolutely delightful and riveting end to the trilogy, one that made me overcome my general aversion to e-books so that I could read this immediately. It was everything I could have hoped for and more, providing us with the much-needed perspectives of Jack and Alan. They race against time, their powerful enemies, and the rising sexual tension as the Last Contract comes closer to its end. Both deliciously queer and wholly enthralling, I’ll never not recommend this trilogy.
    ― Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Flyleaf Books
  
  
• This was the perfect ending to a fabulous trilogy. More of Lord Hawthorne is exactly what I needed in my life.
    ― Melissa Taylor from E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, GA | Buy from E. Shaver
  
  
• A satisfying conclusion to Marske’s Last Binding trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed these stories that have a little something for everyone (historical, mystery, fantasy, romance).
    ― Melissa Oates from Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC | Buy from Fiction Addiction
  

About Freya Marske

Freya Marske is the author of A Power Unbound, A Restless Truth, and A Marvellous Light, which was an international bestseller and won the Romantic Novel Award for Fantasy. Her work has appeared in Analog and has been shortlisted for three Aurealis Awards. She is also a Hugo-nominated podcaster and won the Ditmar Award for Best New Talent. She lives in Australia.

Spotlight on: African Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction

Writing and editing is a very cultural thing. Identity plays a huge role in how we process stories, how we tell stories, and how we receive them. It puts us at very different places. It requires a lot of trust and respect….that is also the beauty and the strength of the anthology. This anthology has everything.
― Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

I know some people have a zero sum idea of the world, everybody’s competition, right? But I have found a lot of times you thrive more when you say, hey., we’re going up against something much bigger ― the white-dominated publishing space ― and if we work together we can make a lot more of a difference.
― Zelda Knight

Working with the magazine in fantasy and science fiction, I’m more aware than ever that I’m also, as an editor, in the world of dream making. I’m making people’s oldest childhood-rooted dreams come true
― Sharee Renée Thomas Interview, SFF Addicts

What booksellers are saying about African Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction

• An expert array of predominantly science fiction stories, all of which explore Black narratives, with many utilizing African mythology and lore. They are each so unique and groundbreaking in their narratives; you’ll find something for everyone in this collection!
    ― Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley Bookshop in Vienna, VA | Buy from Bards Alley
  
  
• A collection of short stories, in the speculative genre, focusing on the imagination of Africa. I first heard about this book shortly after hearing about Africa is Not a Country (a book that reminds the reader(s) that the many nations make the continent bright and that colonialism isn’t the end-all of Africa. The stories bounce between sci-fi and fantasy and some feel like a perfect blend of both genres. This is a wonderful book to give to someone who is new to speculative fiction or even an oldhead like myself!
    ― Hilton Airall, Carmichaels Bookstore in Louisville, KY | Buy from Carmichaels
  

Spotlight on: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

This is the challenge going into a modern romantic comedy. Readers expect there to be high stakes on the road to happily ever after. We don’t need the path to be easy, simply because the book has humorous situations or a humorous tone. A lot of us deal with the heavier aspects of life by laughing or creating levity. So that is my balancing act—making sure there is depth to the characters and their struggles, while also making sure the champagne bubble, fizzy feeling of romance is on the page.
― Tessa Bailey, Interview, Bookpage

What booksellers are saying about Wreck the Halls

• I cannot say enough about this book. I finished it in 2 days and it would have been done in 1 day but life got in the way. The perfect hilarious, laugh out loud, feel good, swoon worthy, libido enhancing holiday romance! You fall in love with these characters from the very start and fall even harder throughout this book.
    ― Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, NC | Buy from Angel Wings Bookstore
  
  
• Melody and Beat grew up the children of former bandmates, but they never met before they were 16 because their moms broke up their band just before they were born. But the world is clamoring for a reunion, and when a reality TV show producer comes knocking with a very lucrative deal, Beat needs the money enough that he can’t say no, and Melody decides to go along for the ride (and also for Beat). While they attempt to coerce their moms into performing together again (or even just mentioning each other’s names without the world ending), Melody and Beat develop an intimacy born of knowing that they understand each other more than anyone else possibly could — though the millions of people tuning in to their livestream certainly understand something is going on. I love Tessa Bailey, and this book is no exception. A fun and steamy holiday read about finding your person, with absolutely delightful characters.
    ― Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC | Buy from Fiction Addiction
  
  
• Tessa Bailey just keeps getting better and better! My heart leaped to the music of Melody and Beat as they worked through their issues to reach their HEA! I also appreciated the subplot of their mothers.
    ― Angela Trigg from Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from Haunted Book Shop
  

About Tessa Bailey

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue-collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.

Spotlight on: Juniper’s Christmas by Eoin Colfer

I was aware that although my own Christmas situation is currently very happy with my wife and boys, a lot of people are not so lucky. I would be willing to bet that most people have had really low Christmases due to grief, illness or that curse of loneliness, so I wanted to portray main characters who are suffering through sadness or desperation or the feeling that their lives have drifted off course and show that maybe things will change or there could be a way back.
― Eoin Colfer, Interview, Reading Zone

What booksellers are saying about Juniper’s Christmas

• Juniper only wants one thing for Christmas… to honor her father. As Christmas draws closer and closer, the chance of Juniper getting her wish seem farther and farther away. This tale of finding joy and hope where you can even in the face of grief is the perfect holiday book for fans of Wishtree, Pax and The One and Only Ivan.
    ― Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC | Buy from The Country Bookshop
  
  
• This has all the feels of a perfect Christmas classic! I can already see this becoming a yearly tradition to read every December. Juniper and Niko are the perfect pairing of a charismatic young lady and a grumpy old man.
    ― Olivia Schaffer, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA | Buy from The Bookshelf
  

About Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer is the best-selling author of the children’s fantasy series Artemis Fowl. His other notable works include The Dog Who Lost His Bark, illustrated by P.J. Lynch, and the novels Half Moon Investigations, Airman, and The Supernaturalist. The recipient of many awards, he lives in Ireland.

Spotlight on: All We Need Is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! by Peter H. Reynolds

I’m writing my own story, I make a movie in my head. That’s kind of how I start. I come up with the idea and then suddenly I just imagine that idea, you know, cast with characters and settings, and it becomes a little movie in my head. And I write it down, and I jot down the images that I have in my head, but I think the same thing happens… You know, when I read somebody else’s work, I immediately turn it into a movie, and I could see it in my head as I’m reading. I’m turning your words into characters.
― Peter H. Reynolds, Interview, Good Story Company

What booksellers are saying about All We Need Is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!

• Written in honor of the bedtime story, Peter wrote this with his son. When Peter said "All you need is love," Henry would add one more thing. A reminder of the things that are important and how much you are loved.
    ― Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC | Buy from The Country Bookshop
  
  
• Peter H. Reynolds signature style shines in this endearing ode to love. Because even when it seems all is lost, love survives … and offers a soft landing.
    ― Stephanie Staton, CoffeeTree Books in Morehead, KY | Buy from CoffeeTree Books
  
  
• What a tender story about the things we really need and the reminder that even if we lose "things" we will always have love. Beautiful illustrations, made me think of The Lorax!
    ― Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  

About Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, and Our Table. He is also the illustrator of When Thing Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. In 1996, he founded FableVision with his brother, Paul, as a social change agency to help create "stories that matter, stories that move." He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with his family.

Spotlight on: Elves are the Worst by Alex Willan

I constantly have various characters chatting away inside my head. For me, most of my time “writing” doesn’t involve writing down anything at all. By the time I’m able to sit down and type out a manuscript, or even just a few lines of text, those characters have existed in my mind for a good long while. Especially when it’s a character from a series. It’s really kind of bizarre to put into words, but I have spent so much time with Gilbert, in my head, that it’s less about me deciding what Gilbert will say or do, and more about imagining him in any given situation and “seeing” how he reacts. I guess there was some point, when I first thought of these stories, where I created his character, but at this point I feel like he’s steering his own ship.
― Alex Willan, Interview, Children’s Bookroom

What booksellers are saying about Elves are the Worst

• Oh, holy night! I love all of Alex W.’s books in this series, and this one is no exception. Elves Are the Worst is the star on top of the troll’s tree with all the right stripes on all the wrong candy canes! Love, love, love another tale of judging a book by its cover.
    ― Stephanie Staton, Coffee Tree Books in Morehead, KY | Buy from Coffee Tree Books
  
  
• Super cute picture book for the holidays that is laugh-out-loud funny for kids and their grown-ups. Written in the style of a graphic novel, younger kids will gravitate towards this format that makes them feel like they’re reading a big kid book. Behind all the humor, this book has a great message of appearances aren’t everything.
    ― Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  
  

About Alex Willan

If it was Alex Willan, and not Gilbert the Goblin, who was in charge of writing the stories, he’d make a book called Anchovies Are the Worst!. Alex is the author-illustrator of Unicorns Are the Worst!, Dragons Are the Worst!, Yetis Are the Worst!, and the Jasper & Ollie series, as well as the illustrator of Got Your Nose, written by Alan Katz. Alex lives in Chicago with his dog, Harley, who is the absolute best. Visit him online at AlexWillan.com.

Parting Thought

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!”
—Neil Gaiman

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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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Harper / August 2023

Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Southern Book Prize Finalist
More Reviews from Square Books

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
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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

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

Q: Why set the novel in the 70s?
A: The superficial reason is that it was fun! The hairstyles alone defy belief…The zeitgeist of the 1970s felt intensely familiar to me. We’d lost trust in institutions and in each other; the old solutions didn’t work; the new ones seemed inadequate; a creeping disillusionment had overtaken the best of us, while the worst seemed full of passionate intensity. As an era, the 1970s seems extraordinarily relevant to writers and readers today.
― Dann McDorman, Interview, Bloomsbury UK

What booksellers are saying about West Heart Kill

• This one is an absolute must read for devotees of the classic mystery genre. Unique in concept while at the same time holding true to the classic formulae that make the mystery novel so intriguing to us. In this tale we join Adam McAnnis, a somewhat sketchy private eye who joins a list of colorful characters on a long weekend getaway to a private hunting lodge. As the weekend progresses and the bodies start piling up we partner with Adam as he investigates the twisted relationships and subtle clues that will help him find the killer (or killers?). Interspersed in the story are vignettes by the author who leads us on an academic study of the mystery novel that at times almost seems to mock both the reader and the genre itself while at the same time crafting an entertaining and thoroughly complex and mesmerizing mystery thriller. If for nothing more than for it’s unique approach to story telling, for true fans of the mystery novel, you owe it to yourself to enjoy this one.
    ― Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC | Buy from Fiction Addiction
  
  
• Wow! This book is entirely captivating and such an interesting take on the mystery genre. Adam McAnnis, detective and friend of one of West Heart Hunting Club’s founding family members, is allowed to join the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive club. All seems relatively normal, but with a mystery it never really is normal, is it? Murder, lies, old money, infidelity, and an unreliable narrator voice guide this story, and McDorman bends the book’s structure in a way that I have never seen before, making comments about the genre, plot, characters, and reader as it moves along to make for a fully immersive experience. Loved it!
    ― Kalynn Simpkins, Underground Books in Carrollton, GA | Buy from Underground Books
  
  
• Everything about this novel was new and invigorating. I’ve never come across storytelling in this way especially with mysteries. The author subverts the status quo of mystery point of view. Always have the focus on one person or never give in depth insights into the detectives thoughts. With West Heart Kill, we are integrated into every single part of the story. The use of first, second, and third omniscient POVs was a little jarring at first, but once you get used to it, you can understand the utilization of them. Mysteries lay out the clues so that the reader can solve the crime along with the detective, but with this novel, you’re the detective. You are in the book. You’re being guided by the author as if he was writing YOUR story. You are given quizzes, clues, and questions from the character themselves. Though we do follow the main character, we are also the main character, and that experience made this one of my favorite novels I’ve read this year.
    ― Ae Fuller from Novel in Memphis, TN | Buy from Novel
  
  
• This book is a ball to read. For obvious reasons: because it scratches that edge-of-your-chair itch, because it’s a 1976 period drama, because it’s full of rich people behaving badly, etc. And for not so obvious reasons: because the narrator acknowledges our presence as readers (!), because McDorman offers us a history of the mystery genre (!!), because well it’s so darn funny and surprising (!!!)
    ― Laura Cotten from Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL | Buy from Thank You Books
  
  

About Dann McDorman

Dann McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer, who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinet maker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

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How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney
Biblioasis / November 2023

 21st Century, Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Fiction, Humorous, Ireland, Literary, World Literature
More Reviews from Page 158 Books

I feel very fortunate to have had read this beautiful book. Autism is so hard and not having anyone in my family with it, I only know what I hear. When these 3 characters come together to help build a boat they bond and learn so much about themselves and each other. People are afraid of what they don’t understand and autism is one of those things we just don’t know enough about. It’s hard enough to be a freshman in high school, compound that with being different. This is a love story for the 3 generations involved. I guarantee you will see the world a bit differently after.

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Class by Stephanie Land
 Atria/One Signal Publishers / November 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs
More Reviews from Main Street Books

Land once again takes readers into the lived experience of poverty and class divides. She calls out the emotional and physical cost of being a single parent and a student and the bizarre barriers courts and agencies throw up. An education in inequality and perseverance, you will never think of resilience in the same way again.

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

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With or Without You by Eric Smith
Inkyard Press / November 2023

Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmiser

Jordan and Cindy are at war. They’re also in love. One of these statements is false. Jordan and Cindy’s families clashed when they both opened food trucks at the same time, parking them in the same spot. They’ve been feuding ever since. Well, for the internet. The families are secretly friends and Jordan and Cindy are dating. But when they’re approached by a reality show that wants to make them into a series, things just get more complicated.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Wintergarden by Janet Fox
Neal Porter Books / November 2023

Children, Flowers & Plants, Juvenile Fiction, Science & Nature
More Reviews from Main Street Books

Gorgeous illustrations and sweet story about a mother and child who grow a winter garden. Complete with instructions of starting your own winter garden. Love this one!

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

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Ruined by Sarah Vaughn
First Second / November 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance
More Reviews from Bookmarks

When I came across this historical romance in the form of a graphic novel I knew I had to read it. I fell in love with both Catherine and Andrew through the charming illustrations and heart-filled story. I think this graphic novel will charm the hearts of Bridgerton fans and I hope to see more like it in the future!

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

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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Riverhead Books / September 2015

Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Family Life, Literary, Women
More Reviews from M. Judson

Fates and Furies offers a sharp portrait of a modern marriage, an eminently flexible partnership, still full of dark corners and locked rooms. We follow first Lotto’s perspective and then Mathilde’s through the full arc of this for-better-or-worse, and the result is a dynamic and quick-footed novel, Lauren Groff at the height of her powers. Lotto and Mathilde’s physical connection is hot and brutal and sometimes strange. The echoes of Shakespearean tragedy, of mythology, even allegory give their relationship resonant heft, while the storyline keeps the dirt of real life under their nails. I really, really loved Mathilde: her sheer darkness and fierce love for Lotto, her deep flaws and careful veneer. She was sympathetic and awful and familiar and pragmatic and true. This book is smart—about women and wives, marriage and art—and beautiful, and going to be talked about for a long, long time.

Reviewed by Ashley Warlick, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older. The best ones leave a tantalising gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that is filled by the reader’s imagination, adding so much to the excitement of reading a book. ”
— Anthony Browne

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@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 Manor House by Gilly Macmillan
William Morrow / November 2023

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Psychological, Thrillers
More Reviews from The Book House

MacMillan has crafted a twisting, well-plotted, multiview point mystery that sweeps between timelines without ever disorienting the reader as to where they are in the story. It’s an utterly readable tale of greed, avarice, and revenge. It reminded me in all the best ways of And Then There None, and MacMillan is fearless in revealing who each of her characters really are. Also? The ongoing subplot of the unreliability of smart home technology feels so current, relatable, and also informs the plot in surprising ways. Loved this book, can’t wait to sell it.

Reviewed by Tracie Harris, The Book House in Smyrna, Georgia

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Okra Stew by Natalie Daise
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) / October 2023

African American & Black, Children, Cooking & Food, Family, Juvenile Fiction, People & Places, Southern Book Prize Finalist
More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
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You can almost smell the salt marsh in this stunning homage to Gullah culture, father-son love, and Okra. With art reminiscent of Lois Ehlert or Faith Ringold this one is a must for all young southern foodies.

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

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: System Collapse by Martha Wells

I got this idea for what was going to be a sad, short story that was basically the plot of All Systems Red, about a SecUnit that basically had to expose the fact that it had hacked itself and was now free in order to save the people it was guarding. It was kind of—I’ve heard them called “attack novels” or “attack ideas” or “attack stories”—this overpowering idea that you want to write it right then. So I was just going to jot down some notes on what the story’s plot was but ended up writing five pages of All Systems Red.
― Martha Wells, Interview, Monster Complex

What booksellers are saying about System Collapse

• Nothing makes me remember how amazing science fiction is more than a Murderbot Diaries book. It reinvigorates my love for the genre every single time and makes me yearn for more. This installation just reaffirmed my love for Murderbot. The way they care for their humans and mission, and for doing the right thing- which for someone who is a "construct" and learning how humans and the world can be, is so heart warming and endearing. The story is not as fast paced as some of the others, but the way it builds to it is amazing. System Collapse really felt like a diary entry, but also an adventure. I can’t wait for more adventure with Murderbot, ART, and their crews
    ― Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Bookshop in Decatur, GA | Buy from Eagle Eye Bookshop
  
  
• Murderbot! Another great installment in the adventures of our favorite rogue bot. I also enjoyed that it also wasn’t *just* another adventure; murder bot also wrestles with some very human consequences of trauma. As always, we’re huge fans here at the store and look forward to more!
    ― Angela Trigg from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop
  
  
• There will never be enough Murderbot to make me happy. I could reread these books nonstop and it would never get old. Martha Wells is a genius and if you haven’t been introduced to this series, you do not need to begin with the first to enjoy the majesty that is Murderbot.
    ― Jamie Southern from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  

About Martha Wells

Martha Wells has written many novels, including the million-selling New York Times and USA Today-bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, which has won multiple Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards. Other titles include Witch King, City of Bones, The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, the Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads and ending with The Harbors of the Sun), and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction.

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So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
Grove Press / November 2023

 21st Century, Adult Fiction, Ireland, Literary, Short Stories (single author), World Literature
More Reviews from Page 158 Books

So Late in the Day is brilliantly written with Keegan’s beautiful prose. The underlying theme in the stories is the fractured relationships between a man and woman, told with a nuanced tension that grips the reader from beginning until end. A quietly delightful, tense, and gripping read.!

Reviewed by Kelley Barnes, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard
 Liveright / October 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Ancient, History, Rome
More Reviews from Bookmarks

Mary Beard is a legend among historians, and a queen to history lovers. As both, I need everyone to know that this book is the perfect way to explore the psychology of what it meant to be THE Emperor of Rome. What it meant to the historical figures around them. Everything. It’s such a fascinating look at such complex figures that we realistically only know a limited amount about due to how long ago Rome was, and how often their successors attempted to erase them from history, even casually so after their deaths. If you’re looking for further exploration into the archetype of the Roman Emperor, you’ll delight in this book.

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Wednesday Books / November 2023

LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Parnassus Books

Fun, campy romance with big feelings! I loved everything about this! Reading helped me escape to a fantasy world of found family and hopeful self discovery. I loved the joint storylines, and both romances were so swoon worthy.

Reviewed by Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Champions of the Fox by Kevin Sands
Viking Books for Young Readers / November 2023

Action & Adventure, Children, Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction, Law & Crime
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

Oh wow, what an amazing conclusion to a thrilling trilogy! Cal and his squad of thieves have one last mission to carry out before the Eye will let them go… but what if their success means the end of the world as they know it? To thwart the Eye, they must find allies among Spirits, industrialists, and runners for the rival thieves guild. These characters were as electric as ever, and the magic of this world was tantalizing.

Reviewed by Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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15 Minutes Before We Really Date, Vol. 1 by Perico
Yen Press / November 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Manga, Romance
More Reviews from E. Shaver, bookseller

So Cute! A cute, easy-to-read story about two childhood best friends deciding to date each other and the awkwardness of learning to see each other as more than friends. Animation is super adorable. I will definitely be reading all the next ones that come out and will be crossing my fingers that this gets picked up for an anime series because I will 100% watch it.

Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Vintage / May 2017

Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Banned Books, Historical, Literary, Sagas
More Reviews from E. Shaver, bookseller

Yaa Gyasi reinvents the notion of historical fiction in this haunting, sweeping tale of enslavement, colonialism, power, greed, despair, determination, and hope. I was captivated from page one! She brings to life the human cost of surviving the larger, often brutal, forces driving history through the gripping, visceral story of one extended family. Three hundred years of history come to life: from Ghana to Harlem and more as we follow their fates across continents and through time. A very moving book.

Reviewed by Liz Feeney, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Who I am, what I am, is the culmination of a lifetime of reading, a lifetime of stories. And there are still so many more books to read. I’m a work in progress.”
— Sarah Addison Allen

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Catapult / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Family Life, Fiction, Indigenous, Siblings
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

The Berry Pickers is the debut novel from indigenous author Amanda Peters. When four-year-old Ruthie goes missing, the youngest of five in a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia, her older brother Joe is despondent and the loss of Ruthie haunts the family for fifty years. Meanwhile, a white family in Maine is raising a child named Norma with overbearing and almost suffocating familial love. Norma’s faint memories and dreams of her missing life are confusing until they almost vanish. The Berry Pickers considers lost lives, second chances, and the power of forgiveness.

Reviewed by Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens

I read and write young adult fiction for the same reason people go to high school reunions — there’s something about figuring out how to be a person that begs us to return. Fiction is a natural place to explore those beautiful themes.

The first time we loved, lost, were heartbroken, broke hearts, made mistakes, had success, won trophies, came in last, found freedom, felt contained by adults, broke rules, were punished, got away with something, cared about people, cared about the world, etc. The first time. That’s the key. You don’t have to read young adult to know that formative experiences are vital understanding humanity on the whole and self-identity. We don’t ask people about the third or fourth time they fell in love. We ask them about the first time so we’ll understand their starting point. If every person is a road map with a marked journey; we want to put a pin in the place they began. Young adult fiction is that pin.
― Court Stevens, Interview, Musings, Parnassus Books

What booksellers are saying about Last Girl Breathing

• am so excited that Court Stevens is back with another small town thriller! Her exploration of family, grief, and truth, all with underlying simmering suspense, is the hallmark of a Stevens novel, and Last Girl Breathing has it in spades. If you loved The June Boys and We Were Kings, don’t miss Court’s newest!
    ― Sarah Arnold, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN | Buy from Parnassus
  
  
• Once again, Court Stevens has delivered an enthralling thriller. On its surface Last Girl Breathing is a murder mystery, but – as is often the case with Stevens’ novels – the story goes much deeper. This is a book about trauma and grief and family – about the wounds that shape us and the people who help us bear them. All of these themes are masterfully rooted in a sense of place. Stevens deftly paints her Kentucky setting, giving the town and its people a southern vibrancy and authenticity that never once slips into the realm of stereotype.
    ― Kate Snyder from Plaid Elephant in Danville, KY | Buy from Plaid Elephant Books
  
  

About Court Stevens

Court Stevens grew up among rivers, cornfields, churches, and gossip in the small-town South. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, and Olympic torchbearer. These days she writes coming-of-truth fiction and is the director of Warren County Public Library in Kentucky. She has a pet whale named Herman, a bandsaw named Rex, and several novels with her name on the spine: The June Boys, Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, Dress Codes for Small Towns, and Four Three Two One. Find Court online at CourtneyCStevens.com; Instagram: @quartland; Facebook: @CourtneyCStevens; Twitter: @quartland.

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System Collapse by Martha Wells
Tordotcom / November 2023

 Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Science Fiction
More Reviews from The Haunted Book Shop

If you already love Murderbot, you’ll continue to love it. This newest installation still has the wonderful mix of snark, action, and Murderbot struggling with being a construct of free will. This book in particular, Murderbot is processing the trauma and learning to deal with its own extreme emotional responses. My only criticism of the book is that I wish I would have reread Network Effect before I read this one, because this book takes places immediately after and heavily leans on events that happened in that book. Overall, though, I loved it!

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

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The Farmer’s Wife by Helen Rebanks
 Harper Horizon / September 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Happiness, Personal Growth, Personal Memoirs, Women
More Reviews from Main Street Books

Jointly, The Farmer’s Wife and The Shepherd’s Life (written by Helen’s husband James), provide a unique look at both the travails of small farm life and married life. On its own, The Farmer’s Wife reminded me of Laurie Colwin with deep insights into daily life and the joys of cooking good food. Thoughtful, challenging with delicious recipes and beautifully illustrated, this will be a go-to gift book for me.

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

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Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Crown Books for Young Readers / February 2023

African American & Black, Diversity & Multicultural, Mental Illness, Southern Book Prize Finalist, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist
See all | Vote Now!

Shelbi has resisted making friends at her new school since she’s had bad experiences in the past. But when she witnesses Andy at a low point, she can’t help but reach out to let him know she knows what it’s like. And like that, despite Shelbi’s best efforts, a friendship is born. But both Shelbi and Andy have demons, Shelbi’s in the form of bipolar disorder that has impacted relationships in her past, and Andy’s in the form of alcoholism that started after his sister died. This is a moving story of two teens, both together and individually, as Shelbi learns the maybe she can rely on other people, and Andy learns to prioritize himself and his mental health.

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

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The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour
Chronicle Books / November 2023

Children, City & Town Life, Friendship, Humorous Stories, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes
More Reviews from Plenty on Spring

Fans of Ramona Quimby will love Ella, the unofficial ambassador of Poppy Hill. She’s lived in the building her whole life and knows the ropes, so she’s happy to help new neighbors Cleo and Leo when they move in. This darling book is full of quirky characters and is LGBTQ-positive and really heartwarming. I am already looking forward to more in the series!

Reviewed by Ashley Michael, Plenty on Spring in Cookeville, Tennessee

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Duel by Jessixa Bagley
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / November 2023

Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Humorous, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from Angel Wings Bookstore

I loved the creativity in the book. I really like how they included other kids of people in the story. It shows that you have to have courage to do something even if you don’t win. I enjoyed the mostly black-and-white illustrations in the book. I love graphic novels. Overall I really liked this book and recommend it!

Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch
Square Fish / May 2021

Banned Books, Boarding School & Prep School, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

This is a true enemies-to-lovers read. Both faced with pressures unknown to the other, these art school students battle it out for a life-altering scholarship, while their online personalities collaborate on a webcomic (unknowingly duh). What made this book feel so raw for me, was that both characters had valid reasons for hating the other, reasons that cannot be easily resolved.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Reading and writing, like everything else, improve with practice. And, of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones. Literacy will be dead, and democracy – which many believe goes hand in hand with it – will be dead as well.”
— Margaret Atwood

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Julia by Sandra Newman
Mariner Books / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Dystopian
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

I have read 1984 more than any other book in my life…maybe 12-15 times. Being overly familiar with the inspiration for this retelling, I was skeptical. From Julia’s perspective, Orwell’s classic is re-framed from a feminist perspective. While Winston Smith is undoubtedly sympathetic in the original as are the other male victims of the Oceania regime, they still possessed the freedoms and advantages of their gender in the classic. Imagining the same world through largely female characters was even more shocking and heartbreaking. Julia is a survivor. She does what is necessary whether it is fitting into or subverting the system. It’s is hard to like her, but even harder not to deeply admire her and hang on her every move. This powerful, uncomfortable book left me feeling much the same. Recommended!

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

I’ve always loved to write, and storytelling is an enormous part of how I make sense of my emotions. Especially as a young adult, a time in my life where I felt quite adrift, immersing myself into books and writing provided so much solace. I love the endlessness of possibilities with speculative fiction, and how I can use things like magic, or monsters, or body horror as a lens through which to examine the real world.
― Lyndall Clipstone, Interview, Geeks Out

What booksellers are saying about Unholy Terrors

• A Monstrous boy and a fierce girl, Clipstone delivers another beautiful YA gothic fantasy. From the moment we first cross through the bone wall with Evie, to traveling through the moorland with Ravel, and facing down the Thousandfold. Clipstone takes us on a journey that feels like a Studio Ghibli film crossed with a horror movie. A gripping family legacy that makes you question everything that happens to Evie, is it fate that Evie and Ravel journey together or is it a curse? A curse that has Haunted Evie since before she was born.
    ― Cass W, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC | Buy from The Country Book Shop
  
  
• Clipstone’s Unholy Terrors takes us to a Wuthering Heights-esque setting, wildly beautiful in its ruin, and drops us off with only the honey and ash prose we fell in love with in her Lake’s Edge duology to guard our hearts and souls against the monsters of truth and generational loyalty that howl in the Thousandfold. A beautiful and haunting read for fans of transforming girls and kissable monsters.
    ― Candice Conner from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop
  
  
• Unholy Terrors is the perfect gothic romance fantasy for all your October spooky season needs. For fans of Crimson Peak and Labyrinth and every dark, haunted thing that deserves to be kissed and killed and brought back again. For the ghastly, and the horrifying, and still beautiful despite it all. Unholy Terrors is perfect, full stop.
    ― Caitlyn Vanorder from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  
  

About Lyndall Clipstone

Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She has a bachelors in creative writing and a graduate diploma in library and information management. She is the author of Lakesedge and Forestfall.

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Absolution by Alice McDermott
Farrar, Straus and Giroux / October 2023

 21st Century, Adult Fiction, Historical, Literary, World Literature
More Reviews from Thank You Books

There’s so much I could say about this epistolary novel set in 1963 Saigon and confessing to the lives of two American wives in Ho Chí Minh’s Vietnam, but for now, I’ll say: Alice McDermott is (maybe) my favorite living novelist, and Absolution is (maybe) her best novel yet.

Reviewed by Laura Cotten, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

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The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
 Spiegel & Grau / October 2023

Biography & Autobiography, Family & Relationships, Life Stages, Mid-Life, Nature, Personal Memoirs, Seasons
More Reviews from Wordsworth Books

In Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl has given us a remarkable gift. With keen observations of nature in her backyard, she helps us become better observers in our world. With wise commentary, she gently challenges us to become more caring of the wildlife around us. With beautiful writing, she engages us in an important conversation about conservation. And with stunning illustrations, the book becomes the perfect gift for nature lovers and environmentalists in our lives. It will be one of our top handsells for the holiday season and I can’t wait to put this book in the hands of our customers as a gift for themselves or for the people they love.

Reviewed by Lia Lent, Wordsworth Books in Little Rock,, Arkansas

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Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel
Amulet Books / October 2023

Asian American & Pacific Islander, Holidays & Celebrations, People & Places, Romance, Romantic Comedy, United States, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmiser

After reading Sleepless in Dubai, you will be itching for a trip to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi! Nikki and Yash have been best friends since birth. But this last summer, their friendship blew up and they’ve been avoiding each other since. Now their families have a trip planned together to Dubai for Diwali and they’re going to have to find some way to get along.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The North Wind and the Sun by Philip C. Stead
Neal Porter Books / October 2023

Children, Fables, Juvenile Fiction, Legends, Myths
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

This beautifully retold fable is a celebration of endurance and compassion and a reminder that gentleness and love (and patience) are more powerful than cruelty and hate (and haste). Stead’s innovative style of illustration evokes a classic with bold lines and quiet colors, and his thoughtful tale-telling is unparalleled. A story both timeless and perfect for these times.

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Curlfriends: New in Town (A Graphic Novel) by Sharee Miller
Little, Brown Ink / October 2023

Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmarks

Charlie is the new girl at school and making friends has not been easy for her. She wants to make new friends and be cool so she tries to be someone she’s not and makes a mess of things. I love the message in this book to always be your true authentic self and you will find your people. The illustrations are adorable and I love the all black cast. Great read!

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

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Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury YA / June 2021

Adaptations, Banned Books, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Girls & Women, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Blue Cypress Books

I loved Cinderella is Dead! I love that Kalynn took a fairy tale we all know and turned it on its head, for the better. The whole time I am reading it I’m thinking this is a feminist fairy tale. I’m thinking this is the LGBTQ fairy tale I wish I could have read when growing up and I am so happy young people today will be able to read this story. We need more stories like this.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story’s voice makes everything its own. ”
— John Berger, Keeping a Rendezvous

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Scribner / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Literary
More Reviews from Cavalier House Books

An October Read This Next! Book

History, family, community, and the all encompassing power of life in the face of brutality are abundant in Ward’s work, no less here in Let Us Descend. I was floored by the story of Annis, a young woman enslaved and sold down to a Louisiana plantation. Through her connections (both physical and spiritual), Annis builds a life and a future beyond loss. With a slight twist of magical realism and always brilliant prose, Jesmyn Ward has delivered another amazing novel and gift to readers.

Reviewed by Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

In my teenage years, when I first read Somerset Maugham’s The Letter, I was intrigued to discover that he had based it on Ethel Proudlock’s trial in Kuala Lumpur in 1911. She was the first white woman to be charged with murder in Malaya. She claimed that the man she had shot dead had tried to rape her in her home.

The House of Doors is about many things, but at the heart of it all, it is really about the acts of creation: how Maugham had come to hear about the trial, and how he had transmuted it into his story. It’s about the power of stories, how they can transcend cultures and borders, transcend even time itself.
― Tan Twan Eng, Interview, The Booker Prizes

What booksellers are saying about The House of Doors

• I walked the streets of Penang along side Somerset Maugham. I felt the rough paths beneath my feet, as the clatter of Mah jong tiles fell from a doorway. We were on our way to the House of Doors. My fingers caressed the worn wood of its front door. But neither of us gained entry. Entry was reserved for others. This is a rare book. All my senses were captured by Tan Twan Eng. The pages glowed with atmosphere as the story propelled me into the lives of Cassawary House. Best book I’ve read this year.
    ― Trish O’Neill, MacIntosh Books & Paper in Sanibel, FL | Buy from Macintosh Books & Paper
  
  
• Gorgeously written with strong characters telling the tale of Malaysia between the two wars. Who knew I needed to know all of this. We sometimes focus on what happened to us. This story will get right under your skin. I am a huge fan of Somerset Maugham and loved this story that drops him in there. Based on real events you are invited into this world and you won’t be the same!
    ― Suzanne Lucey from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | Buy from Page 158 Books
  
  
• Nobody transports a reader in time and place like Tan Twan Eng. Bringing the same beautiful, lyrical writing as he did in The Gift of Rain and The Garden of Evening Mists, he sends readers back in time to 1921 when writer Somerset Maugham arrives in Penang at a crossroads in life. The House of Doors reads like a magical look back in time into the life of one of my favorite writers as well as an entirely new story whose layers unfurl one a time, revealing an overlapping web of love, friendship, power and more.
    ― Beth Seufer Buss from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  

About Tan Twan Eng

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang but lived in various places in Malaysia as a child. His first novel, The Gift of Rain, was long listed for the 2007 Man Booker. His second, The Garden of Evening Mists, was a major international bestseller, shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker, and winner of the Man Asia Literary Prize 2012 and the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. It was adapted into an award-winning film in 2019, directed by Tom Lin. Twan divides his time between Malaysia and South Africa.

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Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala
Berkley / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Asian American, Cozy, Culinary, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths
More Reviews from Bookmiser

More fun and intrigue await in Manansala’s newest mystery with our favorite Filipino baker. Lila and her godmothers are back on the scene. The Calendar Crew (April, Mar, and June) are opening up a new laundromat, but their main competition is furious about the development. And their gossiping ways have another townsman blaming them for the breakup of their marriage. So when the laundromat is vandalized, those are the two main suspects. But when April’s niece is found dead in the laundromat, things just got a little more serious. This time, Lila will have to call on all her friends to break the case.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart
 Anne Schwartz Books / September 2023

Biography & Autobiography, Children, Juvenile Nonfiction, Literary
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

Most of our beloved classic children’s authors (think Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, E. B. White, John Steptoe, and so many more!) have books in the world thanks to efforts of one formidable woman—Ursula Nordstrom. This brilliant biography displays her awesomely unorthodox approach to children’s literature and her wily sense of humor, all while celebrating the unique books she ushered into the world.

Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Bookseller, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
HarperTeen / October 2023

Contemporary, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Story on the Square

An October Read This Next! Book

Erica Waters never disappoints with her dark and queer tales. I loved every bit of this dark academia story. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t stop reading. Don’t let this one pass you by!

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

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Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus
Margaret Ferguson Books / September 2023

Childrens, Halloween, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from The Little Bookshop

Another heartfelt, historical home run from Kate Albus! Three kids left to fend for themselves while their dad is away fighting the war, a secret abandoned hotel with a treasure no one knows about, and a special friendship with the Statue of Liberty all work together to make this story of family, community, and grit one of my favorite fall reads! You can’t help but root for the Byrne kids as they stick together to make it through the difficult times of WWII. This is guaranteed to be a favorite for everyone.

Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia

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If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie
Viking Books for Young Readers / October 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

In her first year of university, kind, anxious, people-pleasing Momo develops a crush on PG, an unattainable player known for her many one-night stands. The two gradually develop a flirty friendship, but can they let their guards down and allow love to bloom? A likable, cute WLW graphic novel, recommended for fans of Heartstopper and other character-driven contemporary YA romance.

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt and Co. BYR / April 2021

Action & Adventure, Banned Books, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Epilogue Books

With Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo created a perfect blend of tense, tightly-plotted action and bold character work. The impossible heist the narrative centers around is exciting, and Bardugo’s magical setting sets her plot apart from other heist stories. Her six protagonists, all of whom have their own compelling reasons to agree to such a dangerous job, are dense and rich, and their dynamics with each other are definitely the novel’s greatest strength. The dialogue is sharp and the budding romances are impossible to not root for. Fans of fantasy, romance, mysteries, thrillers, and character dramas will absolutely find something to like in Six of Crows.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Books are everywhere; and always the same sense of adventure fills us. Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. ”
— Virginia Woolf, Street

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 Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Saga Press / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Horror
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

The story of two black teenage siblings, one wrongfully over-sentenced to indefinite time in the titular Reformatory (based on the infamous Dozier School for Boys), the other working from the outside (if you could call Jim Crow-era Florida “outside”) to get her brother out. With a father MIA, having narrowly escaped a lynch mob for trying to unionize, and a mother recently deceased (but not 100% out of the picture), every choice and action made by the teens give the book a one-step-forward-one-landslide-back momentum right up to the last page. Due brilliantly plates an equal parts jailbreak and ghost story, both playing by history’s rulebook, pulling no punches along the way, with neither element hindering the other, which is a feat on its own, but to make it edge-of-seat-worthy with an epic showdown-at-high-noon finish is just extra icing on the icing.

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Tananarive Due is an American Book Award and NAACP Image Award­–winning author, who was an executive producer on Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror for Shudder and teaches Afrofuturism and Black Horror at UCLA. She and her husband, science fiction author Steven Barnes, cowrote the graphic novel The Keeper and an episode for Season 2 of The Twilight Zone for Paramount Plus and Monkeypaw Productions. Due is the author of several novels and two short story collections, Ghost Summer: Stories and The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. She is also coauthor of a civil rights memoir, Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights (with her late mother, Patricia Stephens Due). Learn more at TananariveDue.com.

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

I am more conscious of writing characters with agency than I am of writing “strong” characters. This is in part due to the fact that many of my early drafts flounder when the main characters lack agency, which I then need to address in revisions! With this story, however, I knew from the start I would intentionally give my main character a voice and a choice in her fate. I decided this for two reasons. First, women, especially those who were not members of the elite, are often silenced in the historical record due to the nature of the sources that survive from the pre- and early modern periods. Giving them a voice in fiction is very important to me. Second, female victims who lack agency is one of the great tropes of classic vampire fiction. Writing vampire stories in the post-Twilight era is a deft game of trope-tipping, and I absolutely wanted to knock that trope in particular on its head in a way that felt organic in a historical setting.
― Isabel Cañas, Interview, Nightmare Magazine

What booksellers are saying about Vampires of El Norte

• An epic adventure, gothic love story. The romance of Nena and Nester, torn apart as children, captured my attention in the first few chapters and never wavered throughout the book. A great follow up book to The Hacienda.
    ― Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, FL | Buy from Sundog Books
  
  
• The rancho and surrounding landscape are so alive that I can easily tell Cañas lived this in a thousand and one nights of storytelling at her abuela and tias’ feet. While I was reading, I wondered why Cañas chose vampires as the monster rather than something like El Cuco. Especially since the MC Nena uses the legend of El Cuco to quickly explain the danger of the situation to her family. Cañas’ author’s note explains this and her choice to keep the vampire/El Cuco separate made the Yanquis approach all the more monstrous and creepy. The romance between Nena and Nestor was fabulous. Loved the ending, and especially the way Nena "dealt" with the vampires in the end.
    ― Candice Conner from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop
  
  
• Isabel knows the realm of gothic romance like the back of her hand- Like she’s an apprentice to Del Toro himself. Vampires of El Norte is haunting, both in the depictions of vampires, and the history it follows, of continued colonization that’s violent, horrifying, and seemingly never ending. Yet amongst all of it, there is the reminder that above all, love, all kinds of it, is how we fight back against those who terrorize. Love is the strongest force possible to back the fight. Familial, platonic, and romantic. And salt. Lots of salt.
    ― Caitlyn Vanorder from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  
  

About Isabel Cañas

Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.

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Never Whistle at Night : An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk (editor), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (editor)
Delacorte Press / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Collections & Anthologies, Horror, Indigenous, Mystery & Detective
More Reviews from Epilogue Books

An exciting collection of creepy tales from both young authors and noted horror greats. The stories within Never Whistle at Night play within the rules of established horror genres, but there is so much variety from story to story; as a fan of all kinds of horror, I was very happy to have basically every itch scratched. “The Prepper” by Morgan Talty, “Collections” by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala, “Wingless” by Marcie R. Rendon, and “Snakes are Born in The Dark” by D. H. Trujillo were my four favorites.

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

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The Haunting by Natasha Preston
Delacorte Press / September 2023

Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstores

Just in time for Spooky Season. Preston’s latest pays homage to the Scream franchise in this deliciously thrilling tale. Penny and her friends are still recovering from the serial murders that hit their town last Halloween, and when a copycat killer seems to get going on the anniversary of last year’s tragedies they are determined to stop them. Penny’s ex Nash is the son of the man in jail and she’s not going to stop until she proves Nash’s innocence in the copycat spree. The twists abound until the final haunting night of their search for justice.

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
Delacorte Press / September 2023

Black Comedy, Diversity & Multicultural, Horror, Humorous, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Square Books

Horror movie buff and aspiring film critic Noelle Layne is certain that she would be the Final Girl in any slasher scenario but she never expected that her skills would be put to the test when the "pretend" killer clown at a Halloween party turns out to be the real deal. Now, it will take all of Noelle’s know-how to survive the night and hopefully keep her friends alive with her. Lisa Springer delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that readers will not be able to put down– but be warned, you should read this one in the daylight.

Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong
Atheneum Books for Young Readers / August 2023

Children, Friendship, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes
More Reviews from Bookmarks

Secrets, always secrets. Every night, secrets. And with the nighttime aesthetic, beautiful white on black line work to contrast with the daytime bright whites and classmates from whom he hides his truths. But with trust, surprises come out from unexpected places. A great story for talking about identity, secrets, sharing, trust, and friendships. Could be used for Halloween but certainly should not be limited to that!

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
Alcove Press / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Family Life, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Siblings, Witches
More Reviews from M. Judson

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic casts a spell! Can’t get enough witchy reads? Me neither! It has all the good things, family, true love, magic, and mystery. Get ready for spooky season with a great read.

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

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The Garden Witch by Kyle Beaudette
 Eye of Newt Books / September 2023

Children, Fables, Juvenile Fiction, Legends, Myths
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

Seemingly silly yet surprisingly emotional, this book follows the story of a witch with a magical garden. But not all that’s magical is welcome for this witch. She has rats that won’t leave her house whose favorite pastime is bullying her and threatening to eat her. And, as if matters couldn’t get worse, nobody wants to buy the witch’s potions at market. She finds unexpected help when her garden produces a dancing turnip who helps her cook and clean. A delightful read about how the love you give finds its way back to you in unexpected ways.

Reviewed by Daniel Tyler, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Parting Thought

“The brain had its own food on which it battened, and the imagination, made grotesque by terror, twisted and distorted as a living thing by pain, danced like some foul puppet on a stand and grinned through moving masks.”
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Our Strangers by Lydia Davis
Bookshop Editions / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories (single author)
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

Picking up the same one-to-three-page story by Lydia Davis ten times gives the reader ten different experiences, like taking a plate of gourmet food from a fussy child with her right hand, passing it behind her back to the left hand and returning it to the child saying “fine, eat your magic boopie beans” to the child’s ravenous delight. And the beauty of a book full of one-to-three-page, multidimensional gems is that you’ve got a book jam-packed with multidimensional gems.

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

Usually for me, the first thing that comes in a story is the characters, and then the story weaves itself around them. With Sword Catcher, for the first time the people and the place came at the same time, in a sort of burst of images and color…from the beginning of my working on it, Sword Catcher has been a story about adults rather than about teenagers, so it was always going to be an adult fantasy.

The big difference to me is that in YA, your characters are working on problems of identity: What kind of person am I? What are my values? What does it mean to love someone new? But the characters in Sword Catcher are in their early twenties, and they’re facing a different question: What does it mean to take on the responsibilities of adulthood?
― Cassandra Clare, Interview, Paste Magazine

What booksellers are saying about Sword Catcher

• Get ready to be pulled headfirst into a beautiful, rich world full of life, magic, and history. In Sword Catcher, concepts of identity and loyalty take on new life with characters who are viciously human. (Not to mention, there’s a very healthy dose of spice.) You’ll fall in love with Cassandra Clare all over again.
    ― Tori Finklea, Union Ave Books in Knoxville, TN | Buy from Union Ave Books
  
  
• I thoroughly enjoyed Clare’s foray into the adult book world. Sword Catcher is a fantasy of rich city-states, magic inspired by Jewish mysticism, and characters who find themselves in tangled webs of secrets and loyalty. I was absolutely TICKLED by Lin and Conor’s banter, and appreciated how much character depth Clare gave to Kel. The ending about did me in so I cannot wait for The Ragpicker King.
    ― Candice Conner from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop
  
  
• I’m utterly obsessed with this book, but, who is surprised! I grew up reading Cassandra Clare, and now here I am as an adult, getting to read her adult debut, a masterwork of world building and beautiful respect for her own history woven through the pages. The queernormativity makes it even more beautiful, setting the stage for every reader to feel comfortable and at home as they dive into a world that promises adventure, love, and lore that begs you to get lost in it. Sword Catcher is brilliant- the next unstoppable force of nature in the world of adult fantasy.
    ― Caitlyn Vanorder from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks
  

About Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the coauthor of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats.

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Family Meal by Bryan Washington
Riverhead Books / October 2023

Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Literary
More Reviews from Epilogue Books

An October Read This Next! Book

There are two things I expect from a Bryan Washington narrative: food rendered so exquisitely I could lick the page and an emotional excavation so expansive it swallows the book and me with it. Family Meal delivered on these expectations and more. It’s propulsive and harrowing, the brittle edges of its characters encapsulating a world and giving way to its perfectly tender center.

Reviewed by Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Omega Farm by Martha McPhee
 Scribner / September 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs
More Reviews from Page 158 Books

When you return home, everything looks smaller. When you go home after a messed up childhood, you go back to an almost fetal position. You feel like the child you were-not the adult who has been successful. This memoir by Martha McPhee will lead you down her rabbit hole grieving for what she lived through while taking care of her mother during the pandemic. It is not all sad though, there are so many layers of hope, love and forgiveness.

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson
Heartdrum / September 2023

Indigenous, People & Places, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

My favorite YA book of the year! I went into this thinking it would be a bit like Empire Records with a twist of mystery, but this book is so much more. Three teens are struggling with the disappearance of their friend Kiki, who has now joined a long line of missing Indigenous girls and women. One night at the pizza shop they all work at, Berlin thinks she catches a glimpse of Kiki, and so begins the story of trying to save a girl, a community, and a pizza shop. This book is raw and real and unforgettable, the author lending an #OwnVoices perspective that needs to be heard.

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Hellaween by Moss Lawton
Razorbill / August 2023

Childrens, Halloween, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

For a very special few days each October, young witch/skater Gwen gets to hang out with her best friends: a werewolf and vampire from the monster realm who can only cross over right around Halloween. Together, they do spooky things like go to the mall and haunt normies! A super fun series opener (I hope), perfect for whatever the Zoomer/Alpha version of Hot Topic tweens is.

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive by Melanie Watt
Random House Graphic / October 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Humorous, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from Main Street Books

Children (and their adults) will love reading about Scaredy Squirrel’s approach to the holidays! Once again, Melanie Watt gives us a way to treat a child’s nerves with gentleness and humor. We love displaying our Scaredy Squirrel books alongside the plush stuffed animal at Main Street Books!

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Balzer + Bray / April 2021

Banned Books, Novels in Verse, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Story on the Square

The Black Flamingo is a poetic look into the coming of age and coming out stories of a young biracial teen in England. When he goes off to university, he explores who he is through the beauty of drag. This novel is a raw look at the complexity of identity with the beauty of poetry.

Reviewed by Nannette Matthews, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”
— P.J. O’Rourke

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Tor Books / September 2023

Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Science Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmiser

John Scalzi, you never cease to delight! This time, Scalzi lets us into the secret world of villains. Charlie’s not doing well. It doesn’t seem to be getting much better when his estranged uncle dies and wants him to preside over his wake. But when he comes home, he discovers that’s just the beginning. Soon, he’s deep into the underground world of supervillains, sentient, computer-using cats and dolphins who want to strike. This tongue-in-cheek fish out of water scifi story will keep you laughing!

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds

By that time (middle school), I had already discovered poetry, but [was also] reading rap lyrics at home and making the connection. I’m figuring out very young that these things are very much the same, and they’re being talked about differently and they’re being contextualized differently and they’re being sensationalized in different ways. But as far as I’m concerned, in my 10-year-old brain, these things are exactly the same. Tupac’s “Dear Mama” and Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” could very well be a response to the other.

You start digging through Langston Hughes’s work, and you realize, man, this is the best way to begin a life in letters. To write something that feels simple, one must be extraordinarily talented. On the totem of my ancestors, I choose for him to be there.
― Jason Reynolds, Interview, People Magazine

What booksellers are saying about There Was a Party for Langston (a Read This Next! Title)

• This is a stunning picture book — Jason Reynolds has a way with words that maybe no one has had SINCE Langston Hughes. Poetic yet approachable; his style is unique. The illustrations by Pumphrey make Reynolds’ words dance, jump, and soar on the pages as you go through a story that is in part bio, part resistance, part celebration of a man whose contributions to literature are still reverberating all these years later.
    ― Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

• The text and illustrations sing in harmony in the beautiful picture book.
    ― Rae Ann Parker from Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN | Buy from Parnassus Books

• There was a hoopla in Harlem. A whizbanger for the wordmakers. A chance for those he loved to celebrate Langston and now, young readers can celebrate that the joy of Langston Hughes through the verse of Jason Reynolds and the vision of Jerome and Jarret Pumphrey in this must have new picture book.
    ― Angie Tally from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC | Buy from The Country Bookshop

About Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a UK Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, an Odyssey Award Winner and two-time honoree, the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award. He was also the 2020–2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely); When I Was the Greatest; The Boy in the Black Suit; Stamped; As Brave as You; For Every One; the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu); Look Both Ways; Stuntboy, in the Meantime; Ain’t Burned All the Bright (recipient of the Caldecott Honor) and My Name Is Jason. Mine Too. (both cowritten with Jason Griffin); and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Jerome Pumphrey is a designer, illustrator, and writer. His work includes It’s a Sign!, Somewhere in the Bayou, The Old Boat, and The Old Truck, which received seven starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and received the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Honor—all of which he created with his brother Jarrett. They also illustrated Jason Reynolds’s There Was a Party for Langston. Jerome works as a graphic designer at The Walt Disney Company. He lives in Texas.

Jarrett Pumphrey is an award-winning author-illustrator who makes books for kids with his brother, Jerome. Their books include It’s a Sign!, Somewhere in the Bayou, The Old Boat, and The Old Truck, which received seven starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and received the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Honor. They also illustrated Jason Reynolds’s There Was a Party for Langston. Jarrett lives near Austin, Texas.

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Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

 St. Martin’s Griffin / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Magical Realism, Women

More Reviews from Flyleaf Books

This book was made for autumn. A community who clings to ghosts, unable to move on, stuck in their grief, comes together in such a lovely way with the introduction of a new resident. Revisiting this brought such a warmth to my heart, and is one I’ll keep in my back pocket for quiet days.

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

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How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

 Simon & Schuster / October 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs

More Reviews from Book No Further

This is the best book I’ve read this year, certainly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Sinclair is a poet’s writer who also delivers a thriller, a fascinating history of her religion and country and a call to social justice all at the same time. Vivid imagery, elegance and brilliance are on every page. Please don’t miss this!

Lisa Uotinen from Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

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True True by Don P. Hooper

Nancy Paulsen Books / August 2023

Prejudice & Racism, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction

More Reviews from E. Shaver, bookseller

I loved this book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t wait to find out how Gil’s story would unfold. I loved the way Gil used Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as a guide to help him navigate the often hostile world at his new, mostly white prep school. It kept the plot moving enticingly and kept me wondering what his next step would be. But ultimately, it was his deep connections to his family, his friends, and his community that made this book sing for me. Wonderful!

Reviewed by Ruth Goldstein, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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10 Dogs by Emily Gravett

Boxer Books, / September 2023

Children, Concepts, Counting & Numbers, Juvenile Fiction

More Reviews from The Little Bookshop

Words almost aren’t needed in this hilarious and wonderfully illustrated book about ten dogs who have their eyes on ten sausages on a table. Will they be able to resist? Of course not! And that is how all the crazy fun starts.

Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia

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Curlfriends: New in Town (A Graphic Novel) by Sharee Miller
Little, Brown Ink / October 2023

Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Juvenile Fiction

More Reviews from Bookmarks

Charlie is the new girl at school and making friends has not been easy for her. She wants to make new friends and be cool so she tries to be someone she’s not and makes a mess of things. I love the message in this book to always be your true authentic self and you will find your people. The illustrations are adorable and I love the all black cast. Great read!

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Katherine Tegen Books / April 2021

Banned Books, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmarks

Monday’s Not Coming is a heartbreaking story of a missing teenager, a community that seems not to notice, and a best friend who will go to whatever lengths it takes to find her missing friend. Tiffany D. Jackson weaves the reader through multiple timelines with increasing tension and emotion until you reach an ending that will haunt you long after you finished the book. This is a difficult but important and timely story highly recommended for teen and adult readers.

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

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Beware of the person of one book.”

— Thomas Aquinas

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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Recommended by Southern indies…

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Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Del Rey / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Horror
More Reviews from The Haunted Book Shop

Black River Orchard hit me like a combination of Stephen King and really good Magnus Archives episode, in the best of ways. For my fellow booksellers, this book is a mix of Stephen King’s IT and Faust — like if Faust was an apple farmer, and then mix up layers of horror–there’s psychological horror of domestic abuse and being trapped, of seeing people change for the worse. There’s body horror. Hooo boy, there’s body horror. And on top of all of that, I learned about apples!

Reviewed by Alex Mcleod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

In each book since my second novel, there has been a wild animal presence: a dog, a snake, and a great black vulture…I like to think they are reflections of the natural world, but I also believe they are something more, that they are the manifestations of that which does not operate by human logic. They exist in a liminal space, fierce and free and mysterious. They are both ordinary and divine, and they bear proof that there is more to this world than we know.
― Jesmyn Ward, Interview, LitHub

What booksellers are saying about Let Us Descend (a Read This Next! Title)

• This book is no mere pick of the month. This is the kind of book that comes along once in a generation. The kind of book that makes us want to open bookstores. The kind of book that will be required reading for our children and grandchildren as they go through school. The kind of book that will be filmed page by page and line by line because there is not one thing about it that needs to be changed. I can only hope that we are ready to let this book change us. This is a story that needed to be told, but couldn’t be told without a great deal of pain. For Jesmyn Ward to explore this territory and tell this story amid her own personal grief is an act of bravery. It is an act of service to American society to tell this story no matter how hard it got, and to withhold shortcuts and saviors and swooping gestures, to force us to look at the honest truth of the human toll of our history. And it is an act of love to each and every individual who we will never know but whose story this could be.
    ― Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, MS | Buy from Friendly City Books
  
  
• One year after her sire sold and marched her mother south, he does the same to enslaved teen Annis. In the depths of Louisiana bound in rope and destitution, Annis must use the extensive knowledge of combat and foraging imparted to her by her mother, and by her warrior grandmother before her, to transcend her squalor and claim her humanity. Let Us Descend is an often-painful story with an excellent lead character whose story is explicitly her own to wrangle. Largely, it is about one family’s generational fight so that each descendant may have a better life than the last.
    ― Sam Edge from Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews
  
  
• Let Us Descend is a novel of American slavery loosely based on Dante’s Inferno. Through many circles of hell you are led on a heart-wrenchingly powerful journey. Annis struggles through the soul-searching harrowing hellish march from the Carolinas to Louisiana, in shackles. She speaks to her mother and her African warrior grandmother, and mystical spirits of good and bad. These memories and spirits comfort and strengthen her on this journey. She finds love and loses love, and this love becomes her measure of love. All very strong women at every turn. This a powerfully magnificent novel with an absolute break-neck breath-taking end.
    ― Amy Loewy from Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans, LA | Buy from Garden District Bookshop
  
  
• A visceral and haunting gut-punch of a novel. Annis’s journey through the hell of the American South’s antebellum era is harrowing but her spirit and tenacity will keep you turning the page with bated breath. The gorgeous writing, and magical realism of Let Us Descend will stay with you long after you finish.
    ― Chelsea Bauer from Union Ave Books in Knoxville, TN | Buy from Union Ave Books
  
  

About Jesmyn Ward

Jesmyn Ward received her MFA from the University of Michigan and has received the MacArthur Genius Grant, a Stegner Fellowship, a John and Renee Grisham Writers Residency, the Strauss Living Prize, and the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. She is the historic winner—first woman and first Black American—of two National Book Awards for Fiction for Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017) and Salvage the Bones (2011). She is also the author of the novel Where the Line Bleeds and the memoir Men We Reaped, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize and the Media for a Just Society Award. She is currently a professor of creative writing at Tulane University and lives in Mississippi.

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The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright
 W. W. Norton & Company / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Literary
More Reviews from Righton Books

Anne Enright is known for her poetic passages, but The Wren, The Wren also is full of actual poems, ostensibly written by the patriarch of the McDaragh family. Enright explores three generations of this Irish clan, and pain, abuse, neglect echo through the years… but this book also shows breathtaking beauty and hints of hope. Although the author has explored this territory before, this book is fresh and stunning, and may be her best yet.

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

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Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew
 W. W. Norton & Company / September 2023

Adult Nonfiction, People With Disabilities, Social Science
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

If this is what we can expect from the very extensive planned series "Norton Shorts", sign me up for life! Ashley Shew is a professor of science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech and specializes in ethics in tech and disability studies. This intro to disability studies is aggressively frank, passionate, and a real wake up call for those who do not live with a disability…yet. The author’s own personal story of being a self-described "hard-of-hearing, chemo-brained amputee" challenges the medical model of physical and neurodiversity disabilities and argues for a social model based on the fact that the disabled don’t need to be "improved" to make the abled feel better. With life-expectancies lengthening, post-COVID illnesses for many, and climate related health problems, most of us can count on being part of the largest minority in the world for some portion of our lives. Essential reading!

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne by Shannon Takaoka
Candlewick / October 2023

Magical Realism, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

Gracie Byrne is a has a real way with words, so when she finds a blank journal in the drawer of her new house, of course she writes in it and the result leaves her, well, kind of speechless. The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne perfectly captures the perplexing world of high school, the complex nature of families, and the giddy delight of basorexia. I learned a few new words, grooved on the 1980’s vibe, and absolutely wish I had been in High School with Gracie Byrne.

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

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Dust by Dusti Bowling
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / August 2023

Bullying, Children, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes
More Reviews from Main Street Books

This middle grade novel follows the life of Avalyn, an asthmatic girl who loves to spell words, read X-men comics, and spend time with friends. The bane of her existence is a group of bullies, known to her and her two friends, Nan and Dillon, as the Meanie Butt Band. Bryden, Valerie, Emma, and Carlos love to make fun of her and her friends, call them cruel names, and just be plain evil to her and the rest of the school. One regular day, a dust storm rolls in from the middle of nowhere, bringing with it a quiet boy named Adam, who may just turn out to be even bigger and scarier than he seems. The theme(s) of this book: friendship, self-acceptance, and helping people in need.

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

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Parasocial by Alex de Campi
Image Comics / October 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror
More Reviews from E. Shaver, bookseller

What an interesting take on modern day parasocial relationships! I loved how it referenced modern fan lingo and even Ao3 with the kidnapping and how it just kept devolving from there. The playlist was a lovely touch as well, it really added to the experience.

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

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
Balzer+Bray / February 2020

Adaptations, Banned Books, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Young Adult
More Reviews from Bookmarks

Damsel messed me up beyond all belief, so when I heard about Red Hood, I knew I needed it in my hands immediately. It did not disappoint one bit, and I can’t quite find the words to explain just how it made me feel. It made me cringe, it made me angry, and above all it had me on the tips of my toes the entire time. Arnold has this innate talent to take fairy tales and rip them apart to tell you a new one that you didn’t know you needed, one that actually puts women in a position of power. Men think we want to be queens and princesses when really we just want to be able to protect ourselves and the women that can’t protect themselves. She just gets it.

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“I believe in any kid’s ability to read any book and form their own judgments. It’s the job of a parent to guide his/her child through the reading of every book imaginable. Censorship of any form punishes curiosity.”
— Sherman Alexie

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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Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

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The Caretaker by Ron Rash
Doubleday, Wednesday Books, / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Historical, Literary, Small Town & Rural
More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

In The Caretaker, set in 1950s Appalachia, acclaimed Southern author Ron Rash examines the power of love and how it can drive us to reckless actions or can transform us into stronger versions of ourselves. Rash’s title character, Blackburn Gant, will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book and I’m campaigning for a sequel.

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

Bookseller Buzz

Spotlight on: North Woods by Daniel Mason

“You know, even though I’ve – I love writing about nature, I had previously really mostly written about nature as a kind of setting. And this time around, I thought, I want to write about it as a kind of protagonist. What would it be like to treat it like I treat my human characters? And, of course, all the good stuff that makes up the stories that we want to hear about human characters – all the drama, the sex, the violence, the treason – are ones that we can find in the natural world, as well.”
― Daniel Mason, Interview, NPR

What booksellers are saying about North Woods

• Daniel Mason’s North Woods is a masterful literary art form exploring the four-hundred-year history of the woods surrounding a particular house in western Massachusetts. Mason uses songs, journals, letters, medical notes, and other techniques to share the lives of those who live, love, suffer, create, and die there. The manner in which this book reveals the life cycles of flora and fauna is lyrical, respectful, and full of wonder and awe. Throughout North Woods humanity shapes and changes the environment, but the natural world very much reveals itself to be omnipotent.
    ― Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia | Buy from Avid Bookshop
  
  
• In times like these, art’s what gets us through. In North Woods, Mason meets us head-on: our fear of change, our place in nature, what it is we owe to the ancestors. It’ll be compared to The Overstory but its similarity to Lincoln in the Bardo ― the stories of those who came before us ― is what it recalls. That said: Mason’s his own man and his own master and doesn’t really need to be compared to anyone at all. He sits, at the top of the mountain, with the those to whom we give our eternal thanks for books we love.
    ― Erica Eisdorfer, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Buy from Flyleaf Books
  
  
• Majestic and sprawling and a grand ol’ adventure through time of one singular, special place starring as the ultimate main character with deep ties that bind these stories into one. Incredible.
    ― Jill Naylor from Novel in Memphis, TN | Buy from Novel.
  
  
• I read Daniel Mason’s book, North Woods, on a trip across the country. In the car, when I finished the last page, I turned to my husband and said, “Oh my gosh—I’ve got to start reading this again immediately!” Spanning around 400 years of inhabitants of a house in Massachusetts, this novel is haunting and haunted. Mason makes use of many literary forms, including the loveliest poetry and epistolary writing, to tell the story of the intertwined lives of the people who lived in the yellow house with the orchard of Wonder apples.
    ― Mamie Potter from Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC | Buy from Quail Ridge Books
  
  

About Daniel Mason

Daniel Mason is the author of The Piano Tuner, A Far Country, The Winter Soldier, and A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His work has been translated into twenty-eight languages, adapted for opera and the stage, and awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. His short stories and essays have been awarded two Pushcart Prizes, a National Magazine Award, and an O. Henry Prize. He is an assistant professor in the Stanford University department of psychiatry.

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Adult Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
 Sourcebooks Casablanca / September 2023

Adult Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
More Reviews from Parnassus Books

A September 2023 Read This Next Book!

This review is just me screaming to anyone who will listen what an absolute joy it is to read KJ Charles. The newest Doomsday book has us returning once again to Romney Marsh and cheering like crazy for Luke and Rufus to get their well deserved HEA. Hijinks, hilarity and heart stopping charm, Charles is a must read for historical romance lovers.

Reviewed by Katie Garaby, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones
 Grand Central Publishing / September 2023

Adult Nonfiction, Essays, Form, Humor
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

I will forever love Leslie Jones and this book just solidified that for me. It’s equal parts hilarious and touching and there are so many laugh-out-loud moments I could not keep it together. Jones has always been true to herself and who she is and I love the example that she sets in standing up for herself and her coworkers. This book is a true gem by a true gem.

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch
Sourcebooks Fire / October 2023

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Page 158 Books

My favorite aspect of this book is the way magic works in this world. It takes inspiration from paganism and I love how this book shows the real aspects of witchcraft through fantasy. It’s always very refreshing to see a book portray magic in a way that showcases real traditions and spiritual beliefs. I also loved how this book also stayed true to the historical aspects of when it was written. Even though this is a fantasy it’s set in a world that reflects our own and it takes place in the Holy Roman Empire which means that a lot of history is strewn across the book. I also love how the book doesn’t back down from discussing some of the harsh realities that people had to face during the period, especially when it focused on the catholic church and how its reign murdered hundreds of innocent people by burning them at the stake. It criticized the way the church was corrupted at that time by mentioning how paying the church got on out of accusations, and how the people burned at the stake did nothing wrong, other than be accused. This is a topic that is not often talked about in books like these so it was nice to have such information acknowledged. I loved reading about how magic in this world was used. I’m excited to read more from this series and its authors.

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Dogtown by Katherine Applegate
Feiwel & Friends / September 2023

Animals, Children, Dogs, Juvenile Fiction
More Reviews from South Main Book Company

My eight-year-old daughter and I are savoring this sweet book. What a lovely tale of friendship triumphing in the face of competition for scarce resources. Very short chapters, and adorable characters, make this a great confidence booster for a reluctant reader. Wonderful messages about adopting animals into family for life as well.

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

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Mall Goth by Kate Leth
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / September 2023

Comics & Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from Bookmarks

A charming YA graphic novel that perfectly captures mid-2000s culture, friendships, and tackles some tough subjects along the way. Leth’s bright art brings the story to life and I loved seeing her become more confident.

Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Decide for Yourself

Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books.

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Wednesday Books / July 2021

Banned Books, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Following Simon and his friends, Rowell’s fantasy centers their fight against the Insidious Humdrum, an evil that’s sucking magic out of the world and Simon is prophesied to defeat (and they’re trying to finish their last year of magic school at Watford). Featuring a ghost story, a love story, and an epic arc, this book has everything a book should have! Inviting queer characters to the forefront of the fight, Simon Snow discovers himself and his limitations, tackles his worst fears, copes with the trauma that comes with being Chosen, and falls in love, working through the pitfalls of a relationship built in the rubble of a war. His journey is incredibly poignant for anyone who has had to face their nightmare and came away scarred, only to discover that wasn’t the end of it. A wonderful, approachable, and shockingly personal fantasy trilogy that’s completely different from what you’d expect, Carry On stole my heart from the first page, and I hope it makes your heart sing the way it makes mine.

Reviewed by Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Parting Thought

“Books don’t offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw.”
— David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

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