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Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus

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Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus
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There is nothing better than people who love movies writing about why they love movies and how those movies impacted them!!! While I don’t have a huge connection to Night of the Living Dead I was still totally taken by this book. As a cinephile and filmmaker, I’m uber impacted by films, and seeing such a raw passion and love for a film on paper is really special. Educational and passionate, this is a great recommendation to horror/sci-fi film fans!

Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus, (List Price: $28, Counterpoint, 9781640097155, March 2026)

Reviewed by Lily, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
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Fantastic update to the classic story of Little Women – with modern sisters searching for Beth’s killer (which definitely wasn’t natural causes this time around). Great debut, excited to see what Katie Bernet does next.

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet, (List Price: $19.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665988698, January 2026)

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

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The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

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The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
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I was thrilled to see this sequel coming out and Laura Dave absolutely nailed it, once again! We pick up exactly where we left off, and while most sequels spend the first 30 pages or so catching you up to the story, she does not waste our time, and we are thrown right into it. Not to worry, though, I remembered only the bare bones of the first book, and by telling this story on a dual timeline (now and years before), you get caught up bit by bit. Just like the first book, you will be racing through the pages to find out what happens next.

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave, (List Price: $29, Scribner, 9781668002964, January 2026)

Reviewed by Allyn Oliver, The Bluffton Bookshop in Bluffton, South Carolina

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Television by Lauren Rothery

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Television by Lauren Rothery
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A traipse through time and the relationship of a movie star and his best friend/lover/partner. Set in the glamor and depravity of Hollywood, Rothery turns modern feelings of appearances and sex, phones and art, love and grief into a timeless and impressionistic drama. With each unexpected turn and change of form, you’ll relate to each character more intrinsically. I couldn’t put this down!!!

Television by Lauren Rothery, (List Price: $28, Ecco, 9780063443327, December 2025)

Reviewed by Ross Ramirez, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 by Salomey Doku

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Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 by Salomey Doku
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A-d-o-r-a-b-l-e!!!!The illustration and the color palette immediately drew me in. Cheesy was done in the best way possible. Cute little love story with loads of diverse characters. Representations mentioned: dyslexia, color blindness, stutter, and vitiligo. So happy to see at the end that the story will be continuing. Will definitely be following along with this series!

Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 by Salomey Doku, (List Price: $24.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593711170, April 2025)

Reviewed by Stephanie StJohn, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

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The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
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Such a fun book! I was craving a fun, original fantasy novel, and this delivered everything I wanted. It had depth without being super dark, the characters were fun and lovable, and the magic system is very cool! I’m looking forward to book 2

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, (List Price: $19.99, Orbit, 9780316368865, December 2022)

Reviewed by Athena Palmer, Shelf Life Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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After Image by Jenny George

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After Image by Jenny George
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Naturalistic and atmospheric, these poems absolutely enveloped me.

After Image by Jenny George, (List Price: $17, Copper Canyon Press, 9781556596957, October 2024)

Reviewed by Andrew Preston, Coffee Tree Books in Morehead, Kentucky

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Atavists by Lydia Millet

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Atavists by Lydia Millet
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In an age of futility, where “abnormality is the new normal,” where everything feels depressing, and where rationality is not a given, the interconnected stories and characters of Atavists feel like a portrait of now. These stories are like moral litmus tests, digging into the compulsions of everyday people during this five-years-post-covid time, where regression is high and the worst base instincts of humanity are on display (jealousy, greed, fear, rage, etc.), all set among the absurd bleak backdrop of living at the end of the world among divided neighbors and messy morals. Yeah, it’s bleak, but it’s also compulsively readable thanks to Lydia Millet’s talent of getting at the granularity and nuance of what is going through people’s minds, what still makes us human, even and especially as tension is pulled to snapping points.

Atavists by Lydia Millet, (List Price: $27.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324074410, April 2025)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
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I read this book years ago and still think about it all the time. For years, no one in the medical community cared where HeLa cells came from. I find it fascinating that one person (Skloot) being curious enough and determined enough can lead to such a powerful story being uncovered. Henrietta Lacks’s story matters.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, (List Price: $18.99, Crown, 9781400052189, March 2011)

Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin

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Hunger's Bite by Taylor Robin
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What should be another routine crossing of the Atlantic for Emery, Neeta, and their ship/home, the S.S. Lark, turns deadly when new management steps in, their intentions…less than good. Perhaps even a little demonic. Robin’s debut graphic novel is enthralling; the artwork in this book alone should catch your eye, every panel crafted with great color sense, expression, emotion, and such dynamic textures.

Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin, (List Price: $24.99, Union Square & Co., 9781454950240, February 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

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Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
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I hardly know where to start…I loved everything about this book! Ramona is spectacular in her extraordinary ordinariness ( and I mean that in the very BEST way). She is every girl – sure of herself until she isn’t – and struggling to find her way back while remaining true to herself. Her cast of supporting characters are the kids we encounter every day. They are gay, straight, black, white, struggling, privileged, confident and questioning and they are NOT “issues.” They are just regular kids, and their stories are spectacular. This is the perfect addition to the #WNDB [We Need Diverse Books] canon and exactly what bookstore shelves should be filled with!

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, (List Price: $11.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780062418364, May 2018)

Reviewed by Laura Donohoe, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina

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Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee

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Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee
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LITERALLY SO CUTE!!! This book is perfect for any pre-teen to read. And also just for anyone else. You follow the main character in her time before turning twelve, experiencing all the problems pre-teen girls go through- first periods, graduating from training bra to normal bra, shaving, feeling out of place, and discovering your sexuality. This book also includes segments where she deals with a toxic religious youth group. Telling her that women were made by god to complement men. How women should dress modestly to keep boys’ thoughts at bay. And how being gay makes god cry. Beautiful, happy ending. Wonderful read.

Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee, (List Price: $21.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593650066, October 2024)

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

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The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert

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The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert
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Souls in lanterns. An eternal moon. A land with no time. This is reality during the reign of the current Night Mother. The title is held for those who guide lost souls to the moon and is passed down mother to daughter. But what if this mother is separated from her daughter? What if she takes souls that aren’t ready and thus not hers to take just yet? This gorgeous graphic novel is oozing with detail and keeps the reader wanting more. I know I’m ready for volume two already!

The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert, (List Price: $14.99, Oni Press, 9781637154946, October 2024)

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

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Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

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Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
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Artwork was good but a bit simplistic. I enjoyed following Mia’s story as she tries to reconnect with her father and learn to balance her Hebrew and Native American heritages. Anyone dealing with divorced parents and different cultural backgrounds will enjoy this book.

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen, (List Price: 15.99, Heartdrum, 9780062983589, August 2023)

Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Planta Sapiens by Paco Calvo

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Planta Sapiens by Paco Calvo
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In Planta Sapiens, author Paco Calvo invites readers to challenge the notion of plants as static, reactionary organisms devoid of any agency or cognition. Through a mix of historical context, narrative, and research, Paco investigates the microscopic chemical reactions that drive plant biology and behavior – processes that he and a small contingent of his fellows believe may actually point to plant sentience.While the research findings are thought-provoking, I found myself more interested in the personal journey taken by Calvo to shift his own perspective on plant biology, as well as the significant pushback his thinking has received from the greater scientific community. Overall, I found this book entertaining, though I suspect that it may only find an audience with those who are already interested in the subject matter.

Planta Sapiens by Paco Calvo, (List Price: 28.95, W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393881080, March 2023)

Reviewed by Elliot Ambrose, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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