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The week of November 22, 2022 #IndiesFirst. And Often. 
Black Friday? What is that? This coming weekend is "Small Business Saturday" and "Indies First" — a national campaign to celebrate and support independent bookstores. Many small businesses have special events and sales on November 26th to thank their customers for their regular support. If you happen to live in the Greater Atlanta area, for example, you can binge on an indie bookshop crawl, including the After party sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. No matter where you are, check in with your local bookshop to see what they’ll be doing. When you venture out this weekend to shop for gifts for friends and family, shop at the local businesses that will know who you are when you walk in the door. Shop indie first, and often. |
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Southern Book Prize Finalist! What’s the best Southern book of the year? |
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Spine Poems by Annette Dauphin Simon Adult Nonfiction, Language Arts & Disciplines, Poetry, Southern Book Prize Finalist,
Writing 
I love that the concept of this book seems so simple, but author and creator Annette Dauphin Simon turned it into something complex and spectacular. What fun it is to have these facts and quotes accompany the poems, especially with the beautifully composed photos. Spine Poems is funny, delightful, informative, and even touching at times. I can’t wait to put this book into the hands of every book lover I know! VOTE FOR THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Ocean’s Echo by Evelina Maxwell Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera Antenna is a neuromodified ‘reader’ who can read emotions and minds. He’s also a spoiled, rich playboy who’s now been conscripted into the military, forced to sync with neuromodified architect Surit who can control others. But when Surit finds out that Tennal is not there of his own free will, he refuses to execute the illegal sync, and the two determine to fake it until Tennal can manage an escape. Through action-packed missions involving possible traitors, political intrigue, and family secrets uncovered by them both, Tennal and Surit forge a bond that brings them closer to each other than either has been to anyone else — but can it transcend Surit’s principles and Tennal’s desire for freedom? I loved watching both Tennal and Surit’s character growth within Maxwell’s wonderful world building, and the slow burn romance was amazing.. Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
“I set out secretly thinking of this book as my own homage to You’ve Got Mail, and specifically a bit of a hat tip to Parker Posey’s character. But looking back, I’m really amazed how much more of my love of that movie seeped into the book. The publishing industry, the quaint bookstores, the love for New York, the enemies-to-lovers, and the flirting over email.” ―Emily Henry, Interview, She Reads What booksellers are saying about Book Lovers 
About Emily Henry Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @emilyhenrywrites. |
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White Horse by Erika T. Wurth Adult Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Indigenous, Supernatural, Thrillers Indigenous woman Kari James loves heavy metal, Stephan King novels, and her local bar. When her cousin unearths a bracelet that belonged to Kari’s mother, Kari is suddenly haunted by both her mother and a horrible entity. In order to rid herself of both spirits, Kari will have to face her past and unearth secrets about her family. This engrossing debut blends horror with mystery with a deft hand, and I look forward to what Wurth does next. Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Offended Sensibilities by Ganieva Alisa 21st Century, Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction, Political, Russia, World Literature A novel that takes place in a Russian town where officials are dropping dead after a recent law that stifled forms of expression has been passed, following the real-life events of a Pussy Riot church protest. The neo-noir feel that envelopes this political yet humorous novel fits perfectly and makes this a fantastic and original read. Though this deals with conversations on nationalism, religion, and sexuality among others, the light humor and prose kept this novel more digestible and entertaining. Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur Asia, Family, Multigenerational, Occult & Supernatural,
Paranormal, People & Places, Young Adult Fiction This debut is a compelling family drama about generational trauma and secrets in a large family of Afghan-Uzbeki immigrants. As Sara deals with the impending divorce of her parents and the slow painful loss of her grandmother to dementia, she begins to see ghostly apparitions in a home her family’s construction company is renovating. Sara gets pulled into a web of family secrets and realizes that even though her family has a strong storytelling tradition, the stories she’s been told her whole life aren’t the whole story. At times creepy, but ultimately redemptive, this story is all about confronting literal and figurative ghosts. Reviewed by Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes Children, Diseases, Health & Daily Living, Illnesses & Injuries,
Juvenile Fiction, Music, Performing Arts, Stories in Verse A sad and touching story in verse set during the first half of 2020. This book is both painful and necessary, I can’t stop thinking about what the kids have lived through and knowing they need books exactly like this to help them process. Thank you Ms. Grimes. Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat Cheerleading, Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Friendship,
Juvenile Nonfiction, Prejudice & Racism,
Social Topics, Sports & Recreation Christina Soontornvat’s graphic memoir depicts the challenges & joys of middle school life as a Thai-American in Texas centering around her dream of making the school’s cheer squad. For fans of Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl, Jerry Craft’s New Kid or any of Raina Telgemeier’s many graphic novels. Reviewed by Elese Stutts, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical An November 2022 Read This Next! Title Rebecca Roanhorse is a fantastic world-builder and her skills are razor-sharp in her newest fantasy set in an Old West mining town where angels had battled demons in an ancient war. Main character Celeste attempts to clear her sister from a murder charge but is impeded and manipulated by the Divines — the ruling class who are descendants of angels and dispense justice while wearing white robes and masks. As she searches for clues to free her sister, she stumbles into a bigger mystery that threatens her life and the future of the Fallen, who are the descendants of the demons and are the laborers and miners in the town. A gritty but good read! Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” |
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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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