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![]() December 14, 2021 SBP: The Fiction Finalists ![]() Last week we spotlighted the Children’s finalists for the 2022 Southern Book Prize. This week, we are taking a look at the finalists in the fiction category. Have you cast your ballot for the best Southern books of the year? VOTE HERE Here are what some booksellers have to say about the finalists in the Fictin category: The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia Razor Blade Tears by S. A. Cosby When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey by Shawn Speakman Adult Fiction, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction Antiquity Grey is born into the life of an outcast. “Grey-shamed” by the rulers of her city, and bullied by other members of her community, she is determined to prove her worth. With the help of friends and former enemies, she takes on the greatest threat of all; The Imperium. This was a fast-paced thrill ride through a climate-changed world filled with giant robots and bad guys with swords and laser guns. Myth and tech collide, creating the perfect recipe for a science fantasy adventure. Reviewed by Sophie Giroir, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer
![]() Kate Baer’s debut book book of poetry about some of the decidedly unromantic sides of motherhood, What Kind of Woman, rocketed onto the New York Times bestseller list after she posted a couple of poems to Instagram. Her honesty about her raw and even conflicted feelings, expressed in simple yet beautiful and accessible language, touched a chord with readers. "She puts into words what a lot of women won’t say out loud" noted one reviewer. It also touched a chord with a different note among internet trolls, so it was only a matter of moments before Baer’s Instagram inbox started filling up with rants and hate mail. It was as an early response to these that Baer wrote her first "erasure poem." "As a writer and a woman on the internet for the last 10 years, I’ve gotten pretty used to deleting or blocking or muting when people send unkind messages. But this one caught my eye." she wrote. Instead of deleting the angry message, she pulled out the interesting words and rearranged them (she was sitting in her minivan). Then she posted the result. Baer said it was just a whim, a way to deal with the hostility directed at her. But once again, her voice resonated with readers. She found complexity and nuance underneath the hostility and bullying. Baer’s new book, I Hope This Finds You Well, reclaims the viciousness directed at turns it into something empowering. "This new volume speaks to current events, moms, women, and anyone who is just tired of all the negativity in the world." says one bookseller below, "It’s cathartic and inspirational and beautiful." ![]() What booksellers are saying about I Hope This Finds You Well
About Kate Baer Kate Baer is a writer and poet based on the East Coast. Her work has regularly been featured on Joanna Goddard’s Cup of Jo, Romper, and Huffington Post. Her debut book, What Kind of Woman, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. |
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There Are Trans People Here by H. Melt Adult Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, Poetry H Melt’s poetry collection talks about pivotal moments in trans and queer history and honors those who came before them. Beautiful and touching, this collection shows another side to the struggles trans people continue to face. Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross Young Adult, Fantasy Clementine is a dream warden apprentice to her father until two usurpers show up one day and tear her dreams apart. Now her only concern is getting revenge. But when she finds that the men who stole her role have deeper motives that entangle her father and family, she has to tread more carefully than she ever expected. I absolutely loved Dreams Lie Beneath! This is one of those books that even the minor characters are lively, so much so that I found myself more fascinated with them than the main characters! All in all, this will be perfect for any YA fans of magical mystery. Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia |
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Chasing Homer by László Krasznahorkai Adult Fiction, Hungary, World Literature Chasing Homer is Laszlo Krasznahorkai’s latest novella, and it is a new turn for the author’s work, and for literature entirely. An unnamed narrator is (possibly) being chased across Europe by people never seen. Every chapter starts off with a QR code for drum music that literally sets the tempo for the barrage of perspective, and pages are often broken up by illustrations of creepy, abstract humanoids. This is a multi-media piece that works like a hand-cranked movie; as always, Krasznahorkai’s writing is innovative and powerful. A must read. Reviewed by Conor Hultman, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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New Year by Mei Zihan Children, Asia, People & Places When growing up, it is easy to focus on how far you come and how proud you are of yourself, but it is easy to forget how much your parents may miss you and long for your presence. While growing and building your own families, you inevitably separate a little from your own. This book shows readers what a parent may think while their child is off being a grown up – proud but longing for more time with them. Mei Zihan beautifully tells of Lunar New Year and the toll that the holiday season has on him without his daughter at home. Zihan demonstrates how much he misses his daughter while also respecting her growth and being proud of the woman she has become. Beautifully told and illustrated. Reviewed by Stephanie Carrion, Oxford Exchange in Greenville, South Carolina |
Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King Adult Fiction, Short Stories (single author) A Fall 2021 Read This Next! Title I enjoyed every word in these brilliantly-written stories. Each story offered warm and immersive portraits of real, layered characters. Original, literary, human, and peppered with heart wrenching, high-stakes moments that jolt the reader’s emotions in the best way possible. A wonderful collection. Reviewed by Melissa Summers from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
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Parting Thought “A story can always break into pieces while it sits inside a book on a shelf; and, decades after we have read it even twenty times, it can open us up, by cut or caress, to a new truth.” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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