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March 1, 2022 The joy in telling stories that honor the complexity of the human heart.
The first book featured on this month’s Read This Next! list is Lee Cole’s new novel, Groundskeeping. This is one five books that Southern booksellers have selected as "favorite hand-sells" — the books they are really looking forward to pushing into the hand of their customers. Books don’t make the Read This Next! list because of one very enthusiastic review. Every book has at least several, and usually a double-fisted handful of excited "five stars!" notes from booksellers. Readers can find out in detail just why Josh from Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia loves it below, but Lindsay from Parnassus in Nashville says "Lee Cole’s debut novel is a superb take on the messiness of writers’ lives and relationships." And Jude at Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi wrote that "Debut author Lee Cole has written such an assured novel that it’s hard to believe it’s his first…Cole’s characterization is particularly strong, with even the smallest bit part coming alive on the page. A tender, nuanced novel that will earn its place in your heart and mind." Behind every great book at SBR is one…two…maybe even ten great booksellers!
Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Booth by Karen Joy Fowler Adult Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Civil War Era, Historical Fiction Booth is about more than resurrecting a villain from the history books, though it does shine a spotlight on John Wilkes Booth from birth to his infamous assassination of President Lincoln. This is a tale of the entire Booth family, who might be remembered for their theatrical celebrity — from father Junius Booth to his three thespian sons, Edwin, John, and June — but for the crime that brought shame to the clan forevermore. The story takes its time, meandering through births, deaths, and sibling conflicts, and focusing much of its attention on the sisters who had to live in their brothers’ shadow. In the background throughout is Abraham Lincoln, who was gradually making his way to the White House, while the issue of slavery increasingly divided the country. We know about the big battles, from Gettysburg to Antietam, but here we also see the smaller riots and uprisings that inflamed someone like Booth to take matters in his own hands. Reviewed by Lady Smith, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Chorus by Rebecca Kauffman
"I think character development will always be my first love. It wasn’t until the characters in this book became distinct to me that the story itself began to sweep me up as well. Whatever type of story I’m engaging with as a reader or a writer, and whatever sort of craft challenge I undertake, my primary interest is always in people. Whether my books are plotty or meandering, I think I’ll always take the most joy in telling stories that honor the complexity of the human heart. "—Rebecca Kauffman (via Guernica) 
What booksellers are saying about Chorus
About Rebecca Kauffman Rebecca Kauffman received her M.F.A. in creative writing from New York University. She is the author of Another Place You’ve Never Been, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Gunners, which received the Premio Tribuk dei Librai award, and The House on Fripp Island. Originally from rural northeastern Ohio, she now lives in Virginia. |
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Listening Still by Anne Griffin Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women Simply beautiful! This is the story of Jeanie Masterson, who can hear the newly dead, and it is not cheesy or cliché or gimmicky; it is beautiful in its entirety. I had the pleasure of listening to an advanced copy of this, narrated by Nicola Coughlan, which only elevated my experience with this book. Kudos to Coughlan who incorporated small pauses and breaths and the sound of tears in one’s eyes, during dialogue, creating realistic-sounding conversation. The production studio’s attention to detail was on point as well, as characters who were on the other end of a phone call sounded tinny and small. Really well done! Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee |
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Catalina Incognito by Jennifer Torres, Gladys Jose (illus.) Children, Hispanic & Latino, People & Places, United States Catalina Incognito is the first book in what’s sure to be a charming new chapter book series. Gifted with a magic sewing kit on her eighth birthday, shy and reserved Catalina learns about taking chances and trying again — and also solves the mystery of her aunt’s missing ruby. I loved the way Spanish phrases are mixed in throughout the book. Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan Asian American, Coming of Age, Diversity & Multicultural, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Family, Magical Realism, Young Adult I picked up this book because 1. it has a full moon on the cover. I’m a complete sucker for a moon and as I have yet to be steered wrong by this, it will continue to be an indicator of a great story to me. And 2. I am adoring this retelling trend YA is on right now. Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology had me swiftly plucking this from the arc box. Other favorite motifs include: unearthly fireflies, a mysterious and magical book, & unexplainable “natural” happenings. The romance between Luna and Hunter is so sweet and swoon-worthy and doesn’t veer outside the plot (which is a pet peeve of mine).The story takes place in the early 90s which I forget until someone mentions a windbreaker, lol. I learned SO MUCH about Chinese versus Taiwanese culture–I never knew there was/is an identity issue and found it fascinating as Pan expertly weaves it into the Romeo & Juliet narrative. And speaking of R&J, the closer I got to the ending, the more anxious I was about how close to the play Pan would go. No spoilers here, but the ending is chef’s kiss. Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi Adult Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Politics Reading might not seem the most obvious of radical acts – but in Read Dangerously, Iranian-American writer Azar Nafisi shows that it can be. Drawing on her experiences of living in the Islamic Republic of Iran and in today’s America, and citing authors as diverse as Plato, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood and Elliot Ackerman, the bestselling writer of Reading Lolita in Tehran illustrates how literature can counter oppression. An erudite, accessible and inspiring book. Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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Groundskeeping by Lee Cole Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Literary Fiction, Southern Fiction A March 2022 Read This Next! Title Every character in this book felt so much like someone I’ve known. I have lived most of my life in southern college towns, where professors and liberal arts types live in tense bubbles amidst a sea of religious conservatism and working class anti-intellectualism. This familiar setting forms the backdrop of Lee Cole’s debut novel Groundskeeping, which is at its heart a love story between Owen and Alma, from two very different backgrounds. But more than a simple love story it is also a pitch perfect exploration of the nuanced ways race and class form the boundaries of relationships in these communities. I laughed, I cheered, I cringed with recognition, I shared the characters’ pains and sorrows, and I absolutely could not put this book down. Reviewed by Josh Niesse from Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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