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The week of December 19, 2023 How does Santa get down the chimney?
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas by Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illus.) How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illus.) Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien 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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The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump Adult Fiction, African American & Black The US has been a breeding ground for utopian societies since its earliest days. The seekers we meet in ‘The New Naturals’ are brought together by grief, anger, marginalization and mental illness, dreaming of a better place and acceptance. A sad but ultimately hopeful tale. Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb, Erin Kraan (illus.) 
I’m the Buffalo Fluffalo What booksellers are saying about Buffalo Fluffalo 
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Bess Kalb is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer and the bestselling author of Nobody Will Tell You This but Me, a New York Times Editor’s Choice. She wrote for eight years on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has written for the Emmy Awards, the Academy Awards, and the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She is the head writer and executive producer of the WGA Award-nominated Yearly Departed, and is currently adapting Nobody Will Tell You This but Me into a feature film with Sight Unseen Pictures. She lives with her husband and two boys in Brooklyn. This is her debut picture book.
Erin Kraan is a children’s book illustrator, woodcutter, and printmaker. She loves the process of carving her characters into wood and seeing how their quirky and whimsical identities come to life through the ink in the prints. Erin lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia. |
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All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Crime, Mystery & Detective, Small Town & Rural, Southern, Southern Book Prize Finalist, Thrillers 
2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist All The Sinners Bleed is crime fiction at its best. Cosby has created a genre all his own with this and his first two novels that I’d call “Virginia noir.” And I’m totally here for it. This one follows a small-town sheriff (with an FBI background) that’s chasing a serial killer that has an obsession with religious iconography and targeting very specific victims. This police procedural that sets a new standard for thrillers and it also highlights the overt/covert social tensions that are prevalent in rural communities. Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee |
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Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib Adult Nonfiction, Essays & Travelogues, Travel  A December Read This Next! Title It’s interesting to me that the subtitle of this book describes it as an “irreverent” history of travel, because I found this to be some of the most moving travel writing I’ve read in recent years — it’s funny, witty, sometimes scathing, but it’s also deeply sincere, personal, and imbued with a love of the world and the people who inhabit it. Each chapter is perfectly constructed and packed with gorgeous sentences. I really appreciated the perspective that the author shares in this book; it will change how I think about traveling. I want to push this book into everyone’s hands! Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Begin Again by Emma Lord Coming of Age, Emotions & Feelings, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Southern Book Prize Finalist, Young Adult Fiction
2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist Emma Lord brings the feels in her new novel, Begin Again. Andie didn’t get into her first choice college with her boyfriend, but she has a plan. She works really hard and ends up getting in as a transfer student after her first semester at community college. The problem is that she planned her transfer as a surprise for her boyfriend….who did the same thing, transferring to the school Andie WAS at. Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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The Drama Llama by Rachel Morrisroe Children, Juvenile Fiction, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance I loved, loved, LOVED this book! A great book that teaches children with anxiety how it can affect you and teaches you the best way to help deal with anxiety…talk to someone. As someone who deals with anxiety on a daily basis and has a child who deals with anxiety this book was everything I hoped and more! Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina |
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Disaster Dates & Lucky Escapes by Tess Smith-Roberts Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance Olive is a serial dater navigating the wild west that is online dating apps. Horribly hilarious, this comic is quite colorful in both its illustration and writing. Reviewed by Sydney Bozeman, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Verity by Colleen Hoover Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Psychological, Thrillers Creepy circumstances, despicable characters, heavy issues…yet another Colleen Hoover novel I couldn’t put down! Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Luckily, I always travel with a book, just in case I have to wait in line for Santa, or some such inconvenience.” |
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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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