|
|
|
|
The week of October 1, 2024 Responding to Helene: How to Help 
The plan this week was to talk about some of the new October books that booksellers are most excited about. But then five days ago Hurricane Helene crashed into the Florida Gulf Coast and barreled its way up through the southeastern US with devastating effect. Anyone with a television or a social media account, has seen the pictures. Many of the bookstores featured in SBR, and more to the point many of their booksellers who write the reviews, have been impacted by the storm. The Southern Booksellers Alliance, which publishes this newsletter, has estimated that up to 200 independent bookstores were in the path of the hurricane. So far only a few have reported suffering physical damage, but many bookstores are unable to contact some of their employees and are very concerned for the welfare of their staff. And of course many stores are still without power or basic utilities and can’t safely operate. Even when these are re-established, their communities are still trying to recover. Roads are closed, travel and communication is difficult, and basic supplies are scarce. It will take a long time for it to once again be business as usual. How can you help? Readers who want to directly support booksellers in need can make a donation to Binc, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. This organization provides relief to booksellers facing unexpected crises. They are already providing disaster relief to booksellers in the wake of Helene. Right now, a donation made to Binc will be matched by Macmillan Publishers, doubling the impact of your donation. Click here to support booksellers in need. Another, simple thing to do is to buy books from indie bookstores online. Even if a bookstore’s physical shop is closed, their website is up and running. Buying your books via their websites will help bookstores to keep their staff employed, their business running, and the lights on, (so to speak), until they can once again open their doors. …. Read This Next! October  The books on the October Read This Next! list range from legends to the legendary, and from homey to horror. They are, as Kelley Dykes from Main Street Reads says below "the perfect book(s) to distract you from real life." The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
|
|
|
Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
|
|
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Camarillo Gonzalez James Adult Fiction, Hispanic & Latino Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel Marcia Marquez in a multi-generational novel about ancestral crimes on the Texas border? It took no time at all for me to know The Bullet Swallower was going to be one of the first books I picked up for 2024. In two separate times we follow both the odyssey of the bandit Antonio Solero, scion of a cursed mine owner born with literal gold in his eyes, and his descendant Jaime, one of Mexico’s most recognizable actors of the 20th century who must uncover the cosmic truths of his family’s violent past. Elizabeth Gonzalez Jones’s prose is glittering with beauty and stagecraft while still packed with action. Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
|
|
Calico by Lee Goldberg Adult Fiction, Thrillers Following a dramatic fall from grace with the LAPD, detective Beth McDade has landed in the lonely desert city of Barstow. Located between LA and Las Vegas, Barstow is, for the most part, a quiet town. That changes on Feb. 2nd when Beth is called to investigate the death of an apparently homeless man who ran into the path of an RV. Wearing raggedy clothes with no buttons or zippers and with only a couple of coins dated in the 1880s in his pockets, Beth can find no evidence of who this man is or was. What’s more, during an apparent electrical storm that same evening that resulted in two separate explosions on nearby military bases, another traveler heading back to LA from Las Vegas seems to simply disappear along with his SUV while in the same area. A few days later, when an old grave is encountered at a nearby construction site, Beth’s investigation takes a wild turn when the construction site body is determined to be that of the missing traveler, but the remains themselves appear to be over 100 years old. Beth continues to investigate the case when she is confronted by the military police and told in no uncertain terms to let it go at the risk of her career and possibly even her life. This one is a roller coaster ride with some incredible twists that will keep you turning pages until the end. A taut thriller that takes the imagination on a wild ride. Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bookseller Buzz |
 |
|
Spotlight on: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang 
I wrote A Song to Drown Rivers when I was twenty-one—a time when I could feel my world changing shape around me, when my teenage years were starting to feel increasingly distant but adulthood still felt like an abstract concept I hadn’t fully grasped yet—but the seeds for this book were planted long before that. It began with the myths my mother told me when I was a child. Stories about women so beautiful they could bring kingdoms to their knees, about first and final loves so fierce they lived on even in death, and kings as cruel as they were cunning. Even then, the tale of Xishi—the girl, the concubine, the spy—stood out to me. What was it like, I found myself wondering, to have to conceal your true thoughts at every turn? To be tasked with the tremendous mission of making the man you loathe fall in love with you? What booksellers are saying about A Song to Drown Rivers 
Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to-do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who’s a good dog. |
 |
|
|
The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Epic, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Own Voices, Transgender The Sapling Cage ushers in a strong transfeminine voice to the witch fantasy subgenre! As the reader follows the journey of Lorel, a trans girl who swaps places with her childhood best friend to join a witch coven, they are introduced to a rich fantasy world full of antagonistic knights, vicious monsters, and sinister magical rituals. The author, Killjoy, does a great job at balancing the immense conflict between the witches and their surroundings with Lorel’s personal conflict with her body and identity. This book is a rewarding read due to its captivating cast of characters, introspection on queerness, and exploration of themes such as the hoarding of wealth and power. Reviewed by Catherine Pabalate, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
|
|
The Slow Road North by Rosie Schaap Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Memoirs A memoir of love and grief and the winding paths that mourning takes. Candid about complicated relationships and the power of place to heal, this memoir takes its time, revisiting the past, excavating the present. Blending her story with the comfort (and conflicts) she finds in a very small town in Northern Ireland, Schaap’s ability to reflect and interweave lives and loves enchants and can break hearts as well as heal them. Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf Supernatural, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction Both horror and mystery, this book gave me chills and made me question how we define “monster.” It combines supernatural and real-life horror to tell a story about trauma, protection, and the bonds of girls. I was constantly trying to piece together how all the screamers were connected if the past had any impact on the current, and if the terrors inside St. Bernadette’s were real. Hanna Alkaf’s use of multi-perspective drove the story in a way that I really enjoyed. The girls felt real and I related strongly to Rachel and her constant drive to be a perfect daughter. I also loved that the book was set in Malaysia. It’s not an area I’m familiar with, so I enjoyed researching some of the phrases and other cultural references. For anyone who has an interest in mass hysteria events, old buildings full of secrets, or the ways in which trauma impacts protection, The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s is the perfect fit. Reviewed by Ashley White, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana |
|
|
Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Juvenile Fiction, Legends & Mythology 
A September/October Read This Next! Kids Title Two sisters, friendly oddball Beatrice and fiercely unhappy Magnolia, seek something special from the forbidden forest, come face to face with its magic silk-spinning monster, Bog Myrtle, and learn about environmentalism, labor rights, and anti-capitalism along the way, in this creepily-cute and razor-sharp fable that has all the old-school deadly morality of the Brothers Grimm. A challenging (in both content and vocabulary), dark, yet adorable picture book for fans of Jon Klassen’s The Skull. Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia |
|
|
Dr. Seuss Graphic Novel: The Grinch Takes a Vacation by Kaeti Vandorn Comics & Graphic Novels, Humorous, Juvenile Fiction The Grinch Takes a Vacation is the latest installment of this new series of Dr. Seuss characters starring in their own graphic novels. Suitable for early readers starting to dip their toes into graphic novels, they’re going to love seeing the classic character going on an adventure. This is a great answer for those kids who always wondered what happened to the Grinch after he and the Whos became friends at Christmas. Still a little grumpy at times, but still loveable, this is for any reader who wants a more in-depth story. Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia |
|
Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
|
|
Furyborn by Claire Legrand Banned Books, Dark Fantasy, Epic, Fables, Fantasy, Girls & Women, Legends, Myths, Romance, Royalty, Young Adult Fictions This book is full of my favorite kind of character- strong, stubborn, and super-flawed. Told alternately, Furyborn is about two women separated by time but full of magic, fury and secrets and a connection that becomes clearer as the story unfolds. The wait for the next book in the series is going to be torture, but I’ll endure! Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” |
|
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive The Southern Bookseller Review.
Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you no longer wish to receive these communications.