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The week of November 21, 2023 November is Picture Book Month
 A picture book is worth a thousand memories. As the beloved children’s illustrator Anthony Browne says in the quote at the end of this newsletter, picture books are "not books to be left behind as we grow older." Our introduction to the magic world of books and reading, our first picture books stay within us as those fun beach-read romances we consume by the dozen never will. This coming weekend, when you are doing some of your holiday shopping at your local bookstore on Small Business Saturday, spend some time with the picture books in the Children’s section and let yourself remember the magic. Some recent picture books Southern booksellers have loved: The North Wind and the Sun by Philip C. Stead Okra Stew by Natalie Daise The Garden Witch by Kyle Baudette There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds When the Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson The Truth about Dragons by Julie Leung Find more picture books recommended by booksellers at SBR. Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Southern Book Prize Finalist 2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist 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 |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman 
Q: Why set the novel in the 70s? What booksellers are saying about West Heart Kill 
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 21st Century, Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Fiction, Humorous, Ireland, Literary, World Literature 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 Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs 
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 Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction 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 Children, Flowers & Plants, Juvenile Fiction, Science & Nature 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 Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance 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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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Family Life, Literary, Women 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. |
[ See the full list ] |
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. ” |
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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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