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The week of December 17, 2024 Why indie? Giving something back to your local indie bookstore. In the mad rush to finish your holiday shopping there is something simple and heartfelt you can give to your own local indie bookstore: you can cast your vote for the Southern Book Prize. You not only have a chance to weigh in on the vital question of what are the "best Southern books of the year," but you can also let your local bookshop know why they are so important to you. Why indie? Because indie booksellers know exactly what books to suggest.
Because indie booksellers are good people.
Because indie bookstores are the heart of their community.
Because indie bookstores feel like home.
Nothing makes booksellers happier than hearing how much they have helped the people who come into their stores. Take a few moments to tell them how much you appreciate them. Vote for the Southern Book Prize and say something nice about your local bookstore! You can help! 
Independent bookstores in the South are still struggling in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. You can help: Donate to Binc; a relief organization for booksellers and comic book sellers. Visit the SIBA Hurricane Relief Resources page to donate directly to store fundraisers. And shop online at a store that has been impacted. 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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Brightly Shining by Ingvild Rishøi Adult Fiction, Holidays, Literary [Editor’s note: we inadvertently included the wrong bookseller review for Brightly Shining in last week’s newsletter. Here is the correct one.] This is a winter novel for those of us who name Hans Christian Anderson’s stories among our favorite fairy tales. Ronja’s voice is perfect – poignant and descriptive but still true to a ten-year-old. I felt for her and for Melissa, her older sister, dealing with a parent whose good intentions were never going to see the family through to the happy Christmas Ronja envisioned. The moment I finished the book, I immediately flipped back to the first page to reassess the beginning in light of how it ends… and nearly got sucked back into re-reading the entire novel. Reviewed by Ginger Kautz, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina |
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Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez Adult Fiction, Hispanic & Latino 
2025 Southern Book Prize Finalist A family drama that centers on a mother’s secret, this novel is honeyed with warmth, truth, and the secrets that–once revealed–eventually bring us closer together. Author Tita Ramirez weaves back and forth between a mother’s and daughter’s voices, illustrating each of the characters’ deep hunger for a meaningful life. This book flew by for me, my heart racing along with Monica’s as she figured out what it meant to choose herself, even if it made the people around her uncomfortable or unhappy. A beautiful book about finding happiness, no matter our paths. Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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Havoc by Christopher Bollen Adult Fiction, Literary Oh, my! I have no idea what I have just read. Definitely dark, often crazy, sometimes funny, and impossible to put down. A psychological thriller unlike anything I have ever read. A meddlesome 81-year-old woman who has an unstoppable urge to “help” people she thinks are troubled meets her match with an eight-year-old little boy who could be compared to Patty McCormick in The Bad Seed. Together, they wreak havoc upon each other and the guests and staff at the once opulent hotel in Luxor Egypt where they have gathered to escape Covid lockdowns in their home countries. You will not soon forget Maggie Burkhardt, or the ending! Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Time of the Child by Niall Williams 
It seems to me that all novelists are explorers of unknown worlds. They map them as they go, the white pages showing the tracks of their discoveries, making actual the imagined or unknown. Sometime during the writing of the early pages of This is Happiness, I knew that I had found a world in the west Clare village of Faha. For some time, I had subscribed to the belief in the enormity of small places, the idea that wherever human beings are living the possibilities of story are not bound by the limits of space or number but are in fact endless. With that novel, something occurred to me that hadn’t happened before. The longer I continued writing about Faha, the more I wanted to stay inside those pages. ― Niall Williams, Dubray Book Blog What booksellers are saying about Time of the Child 
Niall Williams was born in Dublin. He is the author of nine novels, including History of the Rain, which was long listed for the Booker Prize and Four Letters of Love, which will soon be a major motion picture starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Gabriel Byrne. His most recent novel, This Is Happiness was nominated for The Irish Books Award, The Walter Scott Prize, and was one of the Washington Post’s Books of the Year. He lives in Kiltumper in County Clare, Ireland. > |
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Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin Fiction,Women I can only hope that I’d be as strong as Eliza Kratke (not Kracky!) should everything I ever knew to be true suddenly turned out to be built on a web of lies. Lisa Sandlin’s Sweet Vidalia will have you cheering for Eliza as she picks up the pieces of her life and figures out how to be successful going forward. A thought-provoking novel on how to dig deep to find one’s inner strength no matter the obstacles. Reviewed by Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina |
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Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi Adult Nonfiction, Comfort Food, Cooking Ottolenghi was once my family’s favorite local cafe. I’ve collected the signed cookbooks for many years, and cooking from them reminds me of my London days. This latest book is a winner, and I’ll recommend it for cozy recipes that feature bold flavors and international influences that reflect the delicious London food scene. Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Ditching Saskia by John Moore Comics & Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, Young Adult Fiction What we all wouldn’t give to resurrect a lost one, even to spend just a few days with them? In Damian’s world you can, but one small hiccup is he ends up bringing back not his mom but a young dead girl. This story is all about the unexpected ways life gives us the answers we need. Themes of belonging, loss, guilt and abandonment and yet so much hope in the messiness. Perfect for fall and Studio Ghibli fans! Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo Children, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Parents Deep in the land of Norendy is the Hotel Balzaar where Marta and her mother live, waiting for Marta’s father to return from the war. Marta’s life is quiet and dull until the day that a mysterious Countess and her parrot arrive. The Countess says she has come to tell Marta seven tales. The tales teach Marta about hope and light, and take her on a fabulous journey of the imagination. A delightful read for anyone who enjoys being swept away by a dreamlike story! Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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Audrey Hepburn by Dorilys Giachetto Biography & Memoir, Comics & Graphic Novels, Nonfiction I’m not a huge reader of graphic novels, but when I saw this, I knew I had to open it up. I already had a lot of knowledge of her lifetime as she was a big idol of mine growing up, and she always reminded me of my dad. The content of this novel really spans her entire lifetime, summing it up perfectly, and I was also obsessed with the illustrative style used. I think it made it so much more special that her son, Luca, was part of the foreword as well. Reviewed by Kenzie Karoly, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 25th Anniversary Edition by Douglas Adams Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Science Fiction The perfect compendium for a beloved sci-fi classic, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 25th Anniversary Edition holds five novels that follow the adventures of a British man (Arthur Dent) as he’s whisked away through the galaxy with a strange set of comrades to save the Earth, the Galaxy and themselves. Adams balances humor, wit, and some scientific insight in this series; be amazed to read about sentient dolphins who have their own language and singing abilities, a supercomputer who finally figures out the meaning of life, and many other zany characters. Reviewed by Hilton Airall, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “I read; I travel; I become.” |
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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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