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The week of July 26, 2022 What to read in August 
A preview of Read This Next! SBR receives about a hundred reviews from booksellers every week–some about new books, some about rediscovered older books, some about the books everyone is hearing about, and many many about the books booksellers wish everyone was hearing about. When SBR receives several reviews for the same book, we say the book has "buzz." Books with bookseller buzz have their own category on the website and there is always one highlighted in the weekly newsletter. When SBR receives many reviews for the same book, it gets added to the Read This Next! list — a monthly list of five books receiving especially enthusiastic and excited buzz from booksellers. The August Read This Next! will be published August 1st, but here is a sneak peak of what’s on the list. : Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood My Pet Feet by Josh Funk, Billy Yong (illus.) Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah Adult Fiction, Africa, East Africa, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, World Literature Here’s how you take a great sin–maybe The great sin–and particularize it so that our minds can grasp it. The Germans and the British and the Portuguese and the Dutch (and now, of course, the US and China and ad nauseam)–all of these governments have, at one time or another, wanted to get their hands on Africa–really get in there–all the way in–and do what they want to it. Gurnah and his magical Nobel Prize-winning pen tells us the story of a family battered by the complexities of colonialism and their risings and fallings and re-risings. Deep, satisfying, horrifying, wonderful. Reviewed by Erica Eisdorfer, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
“I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes something scary. I think that there’s a lot to be said for danger, for the unknown, for hostility to life. Crocodiles are scary because they want to eat you. The dark is scary because it wants to hide things from you. Outer space is scary because it wants nothing from you at all, it is not even aware of you, and yet it can take everything from you with less conscious effort than you and I spend on a heartbeat. But the scariest thing, I think, is not a thing but a place; that place isn’t really a place so much as a relationship. The scariest thing is the space under your bed.” –Sarah Gailey, Letter to readers What booksellers are saying about Just Like Home 
About Sarah Gailey Hugo Award Winner and Bestselling author Sarah Gailey is an internationally published writer of fiction and nonfiction. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and the Boston Globe. Their short fiction credits include Vice and The Atlantic. Their debut novella, River of Teeth, was a 2018 Hugo and Nebula award finalist. Their bestselling adult novel debut, Magic For Liars, was published in 2019. Their most recent novel, The Echo Wife, is available now. You can find links to their work at sarahgailey.com and on social media at @gaileyfrey. |
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We’re Not Broken by Eric Garcia Adult Nonfiction, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Psychology, Psychopathology As a neurotypical person, I learned so much from We’re Not Broken. Given that Eric is a reporter for a living, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is such a well-researched book. The author is also a friend, and I’m so proud of this fantastic book he’s written — not only for bravely telling his story, but also for, as he writes in the book, bringing as many autistic people along with him as he can. Reviewed by Emily Liner, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi |
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A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows Action & Adventure, Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Gay, Historical, LGBTQ+, Romance The closeted son of a nobleman has his life completely up-ended in one day. After being informed of his betrothal to a noblewoman of a neighboring country to cement a trade alliance, Val is forcibly outed by his abusive ex-lover in the worst possible way. Fortunately for him, the neighboring country is much more accepting than his own and the ambassador’s response to this new information is to switch Val’s intended marriage partner to the brother of the previous woman. The story from there unfolds on two plot lines: the very sweet romance between Val and his husband-to-be and the very bloody political intrigue that erupts due to objections to the political alliance their marriage represents. Overall excellent and I highly recommend it. Reviewed by Kelly McLeod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez Superheroes, Young Adult This was a fabulous debut! The main character was obnoxious but in an eventually relatable way that you come to love by the end. She’s a strong woman who makes good decisions for herself. The supporting characters were charming. The college campus setting was really inviting. But the greatest thing was the references. SO MANY GOOD REFERENCES! When one of the characters goes to the hospital and is in Room 616 I had to stop reading for a minute because it was just too good. Reviewed by Lizzy Nanney, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina |
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Everything in Its Place by Pauline David-Sax Books & Libraries, Children, Juvenile Fiction This is a quiet and sweet story that’s perfect for readers of all ages; it truly feels like a picture book for any reader. It perfectly captures the way books can cure loneliness. I loved the combination of collage and colored-pencil illustrations. Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe: A Graphix Chapters Book (Mimi #1) by Shauna J. Grant Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Juvenile Fiction Cuteness explosion! This precious kid’s graphic novel follows gap-toothed, pigtails-wearing Mimi and her magical toy dog Penelope. Mimi is all things cute, yellow rain boots, pink tutus, and bows and hearts and she loves it! Until it starts to get in the way, you can’t be cute and help, you can’t be cute and get messy when you play, and Mimi has had enough of the cute! Her solution? Become a superhero of course! Can Mimi prove everyone wrong and show that you can be cute and also be the best superhero in the universe? Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs A July 2022 Read This Next! Selection This book! I loved it! Hauser made me feel less alone in the world, with her wit and frank yet conversational tone, she lets the reader know that life is messy and doesn’t always go as planned, and not only is that ok, it can be wonderful. Reviewed by Jessica Osborne, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, 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 “What a blessing it is to love books as I love them;- to be able to converse with the dead, and to live amidst the unreal!” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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