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The week of December 24, 2024 New Year, great new books to read with your kids.
To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell Victor, the Wolf with Worries by Catherine Rayner Toto by Hyewon Yum All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa Just how far are you willing to go for a bet? Would you kiss a cute stranger on the subway? I have followed this comic for so so long and I’m elated to see it in print! Team subway boy all the way! – Lana Repic, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia You can help!  Independent bookstores in the South are still struggling in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and now 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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The Mango Tree by Annabelle Tometich Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Memoirs
2025 Southern Book Prize Finalist The Mango Tree was a book I didn’t know I needed. Annabelle Tometich is from my hometown of Fort Myers, Florida, and she perfectly puts our little town on the map in an honest and lyrical way. All while telling the story of her unique, flawed, and loving family. It starts with a bang and ends with a hug. If you are a memoir reader this is for you. Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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The Ancients by John Larison Adult Fiction, Apocalyptic Post-Apocalyptic, Fiction, Science Fiction A detailed and unswerving fable about the impossible choices ahead of us—both as individual people and as a collective species. John Larison’s particular concern is the way that stories of the past can function either as cautionary tales, informing our commitment to a wiser trajectory, or, in the wrong hands, as convenient and exploitative mythology to waylay any doubts that our bright and bountiful future is somehow guaranteed. This book is a testament to the importance of stories that remind us to watch our footing while we climb, and always extend a hand behind us. Reviewed by Charlie Monroe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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The City in Glass by Nghi Vo  I’ve been describing The City In Glass as three hundred years of grief and city planning. It’s about a demon named Vitrine who loves a city called Azril, and what happens when angels from across the sea destroy that city. Vitrine has to decide what she does after the end of the world and what revenge she can possibly take on one of the angels responsible. If The City In Glass was inspired by anything, it’s the end of the world and how often in your life you might be confronted with such a terrible thing. It’s inspired by what comes after the end of the world, because so far as I know, there’s always been a time after the end of the world, whether or not we’re around to see it. ― Nghi Vo, Interview, Paul Semel What booksellers are saying about The City in Glass 
Nghi Vo is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. |
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The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Literary, Magical Realism This novel is uber-Murakami, the author back to the magical best of his earlier novels such as Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World (note: this makes sense, as the author writes in an afterword that this novel was a second attempt at reworking a novella, the first attempt being Hardboiled Wonderland). You don’t read a Murakami novel; you live it, holding on for dear life until it lets you off at the end, slightly confused but highly entertained. A magical world slowly unravels through an unnamed girl, while everyday life interweaves with it, featuring all the traditional Murakami Bingo tropes (loneliness, high school, jazz, pasta recipes, The Beatles, wells, libraries, cats…all the greatest hits!) There were a few minor logical bugbears, but plot logic was never Murakami’s strong suit. The simplicity of his language has long been a feature, but lately has felt more like a bug at times, with the repetition of banal thoughts (‘it was just my conjecture, but I was sure of it’; I nodded vaguely’ etc.) – perhaps as one of my all-time favourite authors I have come to expect more, but it was still great to be back in Murakami world. Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates Adult Nonfiction, Essays, Social Science In these essays, Ta-Nehisi Coates demonstrates a concept we should all practice; that is, the ability to unlearn what we’ve always believed to be true when presented with new facts. He accomplishes this through the lens of storytelling and its power to change people. The most profound example is when he travels to Palestine and realizes the narrative accepted by the Western world (a narrative he himself used in a previously published piece on reparations) is far removed from reality. These extremely powerful essays will be recommended reading for years to come. Reviewed by Becca Naylor, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow Alcohol, Drugs, Emotions & Feelings, Substance Abuse, Young Adult Fiction Everyone deals with problems differently. Fifteen-year-old Bella chooses alcohol to solve hers. Her home life sucks, she gets dumped by her boyfriend, and she is spiraling. After a terrifying blackout and a trip to rehab, she slowly takes the steps of rebuilding her shattered life. This is a heartbreaking story of a girl who has hit rock bottom and must make the choice of life or death. Reviewed by Suzanne Carnes, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia |
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Tiana’s Perfect Plan by Anika Noni Rose Children, Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction So fantastic to be back with Prince Naveen and Tiana after so long! I was expecting to have a book about the restaurant or Tiana and Naveen on their own, but I was so pleasantly surprised with the idea of Tiana having to impress her in-laws. It’s the perfect storytime book for any parents looking for one that can entertain them as well as their children. Reviewed by Anna Trevathan, The Bottom in Knoxville, Tennessee |
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The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 2 by Sumiko Arai Comics & Graphic Novels, East Asian Style, Manga This series is utter perfection, NO NOTES. I’ve been keeping up with this one since it was unofficially translated, and I love that it has an intersection of two of my favorite things– rock music and gay stuff 🙂 The pops of bright green with the art style are so eye-catching and fun, so glad more people get to experience this story!! Reviewed by Sam Conners, 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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Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Fiction, Literary Atwood is the queen of dystopian fiction. Be prepared to read the full trilogy if you start Oryx and Crake. Alone, this was a great read, but completing the circle ties it all together nicely. Fans of Station Eleven who haven’t read the MaddAddam trilogy from Atwood definitely need to add this to their list! 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 “Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvellous adventures that anyone can have.” |
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