|
|
|
|
|
|
March 29, 2022 April is Poetry Month
They shut me up in Prose – 
"Poetry Month" is a favorite among booksellers, many of whom read and love poetry but have few chances to talk about it with readers. April is the one time of year they can get away with foisting poetry on their unsuspecting customers. They can do fun and silly in-store things like give discounts to customers who recite a limerick at the cash register, or create poetry videos with sock puppets, and of course by creating reading lists. Because poetry is important to booksellers, it is important to SBR. Readers can look forward to extra poetry reviews this coming month, and a special all-poetry edition the week of April 15th. In the meantime, here is a list of some of the poetry currently reviewed by booksellers: Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose I would not call myself a poetry reader, but there is something about Nikki Giovanni’s poetry that speaks to me so deeply. Sentimental and comforting, Make Me Rain covers a wide range of topics from quilts and rising bread to the social change we so desperately need in our world. (Buy from Bookmarks) Sparrow Envy I found myself underlining something on nearly every page of this slim volume—Lanham’s distinctive voice sings with awe of the natural world and clear-eyed candor of the obstacles a Black man faces in engaging this awe. (Buy from Avid) Refractive Africa These odes to African intellectuals by Will Alexander are so rich in imagery and sound that every line has something you’ve never read before. I’m not kidding! (Buy from Square Books) Read more bookseller recommended poetry Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
|
|
|
Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada Adult Fiction, Fiction, Japan, World Literature Scattered All Over the Earth is undeniably a classic. A pilgrimage novel with a growing cast of memorable characters embodying a beautiful kaleidoscope of language, loss, identity, and home. Tawada’s vision is, as always, wonderfully unique, often funny and particularly here, where she’s at her most poignant. Thankfully, this is only the promising beginning of what is set to be a masterpiece trilogy of books. Reviewed by Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
|
|
|
Bookseller Buzz |
 |
|
Spotlight on: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
"With Elizabeth Zott, I wanted to create a character who speaks for anyone who’s been held back, disbelieved, maligned, or underestimated. But I also wanted to create a character who refuses to put up with it. Elizabeth Zott has a disregard for societal limits. She rejects religion, stereotypes, racism, sexism, elitism, and food that comes in cans. "–Bonnie Garmus What booksellers are saying about Lessons in Chemistry 
Bonnie Garmus Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open-water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Born in California and most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99. |
 |
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke Europe, Historical Fiction, Jewish, LGBTQ+, Young Adult A beautiful and strange novel full of magic, friendships, and hard truths. The search for voice & freedom, the drive to be heard, a reconciliation with past trauma and a future filled with hope weave a story I couldn’t let go of. The city of Budapest and the Danube are integral characters as Csilla discovers her worth. Along with a student revolutionary leader and a kind hearted angel of death, Csilla transforms the world around her into one filled with color. Reviewed by Susan Williams, M Judson Booksellers and Storytellers in Greenville, South Carolina |
|
|
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Adult Nonfiction, African Studies, LGBTQ+, Social Science, Women’s Studies One of the most substantial and honest collections of essays about sex and pleasure I’ve ever read. Each author bares it all in order to give the reader permission to tell the truth about their relationship with sex. By centering voices and experiences that typically get left out of anthologies like this, we get to witness a multidimensional sexuality meditation through the lens of discovery, exploration, and joy. What a gift! Reviewed by Eden Hakimzadeh, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida |
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey Adult Fiction, Family Life, Siblings This book had me hooked from page 1. Every bookseller has their faults and mine is a certain snobbishness when it comes to “women’s fiction.” Perhaps it is a leftover reaction from male-dominated classrooms or simply a dislike of the marketing surrounding such novels. Either way, I find myself avoiding and dismissing women’s fiction as best I am able. When I was asked to read this novel and review it, I thought “why not? It’ll be a nice fluffy read over Christmas.” I was wrong. This multi-generational saga, written with compelling prose and an arresting tenderness for the female story, grabbed my heart from about the second chapter in. The female struggle of being defined by your usefulness but longing to be your own definition, soaks through every page of this novel and you leave the book asking yourself some very important questions. This one is going in my staff picks when it comes out! I cannot wait to share it with my favorite customers (and my grandmother!!) A resounding thank you to the author for taking me down a few pegs when it comes to my opinion on women’s fiction. I hope this book blows up the market. Reviewed by Annie Childress, E Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
Eggs from Red Hen Farm by Monica Wellington Agriculture, Children, Juvenile Nonfiction, Technology A practical picture book that explains where eggs come from AND teaches young readers how to read a basic map — what fun! I loved maps when I was a kid and this book is a great introduction to the concept of getting on the road to move from one place to the next. Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
|
Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
BUY THIS BOOK! |
|
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Alien Contact, Science Fiction A March 2022 Read This Next! Title This book was exactly what it needed to be. It’s fun, it takes familiar ideas about kaiju and puts a fresh spin on them, and adds in entertaining characters who care about what they do. It’s so very much an antidote and relief from things taking themselves too seriously, but landed the narrative beats when it needed them. Here, Scalzi show the artistry of solid craftsmanship, and I want more. Reviewed by Alex Mcleod from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL |
|
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
|
|
|
Parting Thought “Happiness. That’s what books smells like. Happiness. That’s why I always wanted to have a book shop. What better life than to trade in happiness? ” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive The Southern Bookseller Review. Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you no longer wish to receive these communications.