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The week of January 24, 2023 Make a blind date with someone else’s favorite book! 
The Southern Bookseller Review was created with the idea that an avid reader can always trust the recommendation of an independent bookseller. Avid readers themselves, indie booksellers are in the business of matchmaking books to readers. They believe there is a book out there for every kind of reader, and it is their happy lot in life to put the right book into the right hands. The Snail on the Wall bookshop in Hunstville, Alabama has gone so far as to turn this…shall we say "calling"?…into a kind of love letter to their customers. They have just launched their Valentine Blind Date Book Exchange. It’s a lovely idea. Readers are invited to purchase a (paperback) book they love on the store’s website, choosing "Blind Date Book Exchange" as the shipping method. They write a little note to go with the purchase that begins "I love this book because…" It doesn’t have to be a brand new book, just a beloved one. The Snail will take your loved book, wrap it, and send it to someone who they believe will also love it. And in turn they will send you a book someone else loved, that they think you will like. Books are sent anonymously, so you’ll get a beautiful little Valentine’s gift along the happy confirmation that there are readers out there with tastes just as unique as yours. Deadline to participate is February 4th! |
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Southern Book Prize Finalist! What’s the best Southern book of the year? |
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Beyond Innocence : The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt by Phoebe Zerwick Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, Discrimination, Law Enforcement, Political Science, Social Science, Southern Book Prize Finalist 
Once upon a time, a man was unjustly imprisoned. DNA and dogged work freed him after 19 years. He lived happily ever after. Sorry, that last part didn’t happen. Even with DNA evidence, he almost didn’t get exonerated. Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt details Hunt’s journey from teen to convicted killer, innocent freed man, and activist with many twists. But the saddest part is what happened to him after freedom, and how it illustrates the plight of most of the exonerated. VOTE FOR THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE Reviewed by Rosemary Pugliese from Malaprop’s in Asheville, NC |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund Adult Fiction, Magical Realism Owen has an exposed space in his chest where Gail, a wise and chatty java sparrow, has lived since he was a newborn. His mother has hidden him from those who would hurt him because of his difference, but he’s a teenager now and must figure out who to trust and how to be — or even if he CAN be. I really enjoyed this sensitive and heartbreaking coming-of-age story about a queer boy, his bird, and their friends. Though not usually drawn to magical realism, I found myself almost believing in the possibility of Gail, and that was a real joy. Reviewed by Serena Wyckoff, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
“I have to be honest—I had a friend fic! It was a notebook I shared with two close friends during my first year of high school. We would write these stories to each other and pass the book back and forth. In Georgie, All Along, she and her best friend do the same, although their version of it is a little more focused than mine was—young Georgie and her best friend are very focused on imagining the perfect versions of their lives once they get to the new high school they’ll be attending. My friends and I, I’m embarrassed to say, were far more focused on our celebrity crushes! But I was really inspired by that hopeful, imaginative experience of my teenaged self—I wanted to think about what that notebook represented about the experience of growing up.” ―Kate Clayborn, Interview, Above the Treeline What booksellers are saying about Georgie, All Along 
About Kate Clayborn Kate Clayborn is the critically acclaimed author of contemporary romance novels. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Bookpage, and more. By day she works in education, and by night (and sometimes, by very early morning) she writes contemporary romances about smart, strong, modern heroines who face the world alongside true friends and complicated families. She resides in Virginia with her husband and their dog. |
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Everything Calls for Salvation by Daniele Mencarelli Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Fiction, Friendship, Italy, Literary Fiction, Psychological, World Literature Over seven days in a psychiatric ward in 1994 in Italy, the main character Daniele Mencarelli (who shares the author’s name and some life experiences) documents his involuntary committal. We spend most of our time on the ward itself with occasional flashbacks of the six patients’ and staff’s pasts. Mencarelli (author and character) is also a poet, and the language is beautiful and delicately translated by Wendy Weathly. While not dismissing the need for the truly suffering or dangerous to be treated, the author presents much to be considered about the way society categorizes those who are simply different or passing through a difficult phase of life. Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Women This is such a beautifully written story. The characters are so wonderfully honest and real. You are truly immersed in Eve’s world, you feel her pain and confusion. This is the story of one woman’s journey through grief and guilt after her husband takes his own life. Written like a memoir, straight from Eve’s thoughts and feelings, we follow her through every up and down, her highs and her lows. This is a beautiful reminder about the struggles of mental illness and the hidden pain of those around us. This is a must read! Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina |
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One Last Shot: Based on a True Story of Wartime Heroism by Kip Wilson Novels in Verse, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction Kip Wilson’s novel in verse about photojournalist Gerda Tardo captures her passion for revealing truth through photography. It sweeps the reader from Gerda’s school days in Germany to the front lines in the Spanish Civil War. A compelling read. Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Cinderella–with Dogs! by Linda Bailey Adaptations, Children, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Juvenile Fiction Everything is better with dogs, and the tale of Cinderella is no exception. Not only does Cinderella get a fairy dogmother instead of a fairy godmother, but she also gets some nice updates to her story, including a chance to suggest she gets to know the prince first instead of marrying him right away. I loved all the dogs in this book, but there are plenty of cute cats to see on each page, too! Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles (Manga): Volume 1 by Shibamura Yuri Action & Adventure, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Manga, Media Tie-In Rio is a young orphan living in the slums of the kingdom of Beltrum. When he is stricken with a high fever, he dreams of a different world where he is called Haruto. When Rio wakes up from his fever, he realizes he is two people in one, both Rio of the slums and Haruto, from the other world. When Rio is forced to rescue a kidnapped princess, his troubles get even worst. When the nobles find the young princess with Rio, they accuse him of kidnapping, but after the princess awakens, she tells of how Rio saved her. As a reward, he is granted acceptance into the Royal Academy of Beltrum. An act that upsets the kingdoms noble people, who feel he does not deserve this prestigious reward. Whether he succeeds or not, is all up to him and his new professor, Celia. Perfect manga for fans of The Irregular at Magic High School, Magic Knight Rayearth, or Snow White with Red Hair. Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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Begin Again by Emma Lord Coming of Age, Emotions & Feelings, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction An January 2023 Read This Next! Title Emma Lord brings the feels in her new novel, Begin Again. Andie didn’t get into her first choice college with her boyfriend, but she has a plan. She works really hard and ends up getting in as a transfer student after her first semester at community college. The problem is that she planned her transfer as a surprise for her boyfriend….who did the same thing, transferring to the school Andie WAS at. Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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