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The week of February 20, 2024 Listen Black.
 Readers like to be told stories as much as we like to sit and read them. This is one reason the Southern Bookseller Review provides an audiobook link for each review whenever possible. Audiobooks come from Libro.fm, the indie bookstore alternative to, well, any other audiobook option. If you click on an audiobook link on any of the reviews in this newsletter, you will still be directly supporting the indie bookstore that is recommending the book.  Listening to someone read you a story carries just as much pleasure now as it did when you were a child and your parents were reading to you before bed, or when you used to visit your library for storytimes. Most new books these days have audio versions. The books on the Southern indie bestseller list at the end of this newsletter all have audiobook versions on Libro.fm. And even better, most of your favorite books from long ago have since had audiobooks produced. Each one is a storytime you can carry with you. Check your Black History Month reading list on Libro.fm, and listen Black. 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 Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Women Yes, this book is 790 pages. Yes, I thought that was more than a little daunting, but I’m so happy that I challenged my attention span and read this novel. Part coming-of-age story, part examination of racial injustice in higher education, part sweeping historical saga, and part family drama, The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois spans centuries yet somehow still feels so focused and pictorial. Apparently, Jeffers is an accomplished poet, and the language here definitely reflects that. I’m going to stop this blurb here because if I talk too much, I won’t be able to stop for 800 pages myself, but if you commit to this book, it won’t disappoint you. Reviewed by Sam Edge, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by MZ Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology Oh my. This book is luminously beautiful. The storytelling, the mood-setting, the heartbreak, and the romance—it is simply perfect. I’m wandering around in a dreamy bubble after reading it nearly in one sitting. Reviewed by Elisa Forshey, Givens Books Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum  While I didn’t plan out the plot before starting to write, I knew the atmosphere I wanted to create. I wanted to write a novel evoking the mood of Kamome Diner and Little Forest. A space we can escape to, a refuge from the intensity of daily life where we can’t even pause to take a breather. A space to shelter us from the harsh criticisms whipping us to do more, to go faster. A space to snuggle comfortably for a day. A day without something siphoning our energy, a day to replenish what’s lost. A day we begin with anticipation and end with satisfaction. A day where we grow, and from growth sprouts hope. A day spent having meaningful conversations with good people. Most importantly, a day where we feel good, and our hearts beat strongly. I wanted to write about such a day, and the people within it. What booksellers are saying about Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop 
Hwang Bo-reum is the author of several essay collections, and Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop is her first novel. The novel was initially published after winning a contest held by the Korean platform Brunch. She lives in Seoul. Shanna Tan is a Singaporean translator working from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese into English. She was selected for two emerging translator mentorships in 2022. Her translations have appeared in the Southern Review, the Common, Azalea, and others. She lives in Singapore. |
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The Book of Love by Kelly Link Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Contemporary, Fantasy, Occult & Supernatural What a labyrinthine book this is – over 600 pages for a very simple premise: four people return from the dead, but only two can stay. To do so, they must compete and win magical challenges. That’s the pitch, but the reality of the book is much simpler. It’s about grief and coming of age – of finding one’s place as an adult in a world that keeps trucking on despite your pain and hesitancy. I loved this book because it reminded me of all my favorite fairy tales mashed into one: it’s whimsical, funny, heart-breaking, and gorgeously written. It takes a long time to get going, but I loved every moment of subtle character work that Link did as she set up the players of this story. Fans of whimsical tales such as any of Neil Gaiman’s work or Susanna Clarke’s novels will likely find a lot to enjoy here, as I did. Reviewed by Whitney Sheppard, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama |
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Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs  A February Read This Next! Title Crosley moves through multiple griefs in this memoir. The theft of heirloom jewelry, the loss of her dearest friend, and ultimately the loss of life as we knew it with the swift coming of the Covid-19 pandemic. Always insightful and frequently funny, this memoir was a joy to read even as the subject matter stung. One turn of phrase had me gobsmacked: "Ego, as it turns out, is depression’s comorbidity." How could you not want to spend a couple hundred pages with an author that can deliver a line so clever, cutting, and deep in self-awareness. Reviewed by Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana |
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My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino Occult & Supernatural, Paranormal, Young Adult Fiction Full disclosure, I’m a wimp when it comes to horror books so I almost didn’t pick this up because of the title and cover. I know…unpopular opinion. But the folk part of folk horror got my attention and Bovalino’s reader’s note really sealed the deal. She says "the realization that the scary things are not always the things we’re told to be afraid of [and] related: charming characters who we’re told to be afraid of, but realize are not actually the scary thing after all."Questioning what you’ve been taught to fear? Okay, yes please. I grew up in a small town, I’ve got this. I didn’t always agree with Leah, but the Lord of the Woods’ domain (and Tristan himself!) was so awesome, it was tempting to find my own way through the woods. Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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Today by Gabi Snyder Children, Concepts, Date & Time, Juvenile Fiction A January/February Read This Next! Kids Title Beautiful illustrations reminding kids (and their families) to appreciate the fleeting moments of perfection life allows in an imperfect world. Pause and make memories – what a gorgeous book for magical read-a-longs. Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina |
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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy Originally published in Spanish under the title Estoy fatal, gracias, this graphic novels follows Jo, a young witch who moves from Spain to London for a dream job making potions. But for all the good things in her life, there are quite a few bad things- an abusive team leader at work, a controlling roommate at home, and a boyfriend who tells her she just needs to more positive- and soon Jo’s depression and feelings that she’s trying so hard to keep locked away explode into literal dragons. This book is a charming way to learn to deal with overwhelming emotions, as Jo starts therapy and learns how to live with her feelings. I absolutely adore the world Pickle has created! Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Banned Books, Violence, Young Adult Fiction Korey Fields is dead, and Enchanted Jones wakes up next to him, covered in blood. Open and shut case? Nah, fam. Korey is an international star, and when he takes 17-year-old Enchanted under his wing, it seems like all of her dreams are coming true. Against her parents’ better judgment, Enchanted joins Korey’s tour entourage and obeys his every demand in the hopes of not only being a star in her own right, but also capturing his heart. Things quickly turn bad and Enchanted finds herself drugged, assaulted, insulted, and abused in countless ways. She’s trapped with no way out and as her desperation grows, she will do anything to get away from him. This book is a powerful look at victim blaming, parent blaming, and how people will overlook so many horrible things to keep their paycheck or their vision of a successful artist intact. Fiction, but taken from some very prominent headlines (no need to mention anyone by name here, we all know the reference). I can only hope that this will open people’s eyes to the injustice that victims face every day, and why so many abusers go unpunished. Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
     [ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “If we are truly a great nation, the truth cannot destroy us.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
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