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The week of July 9, 2024 Hey Y’all, Read These Next!  Read This Next! is not your average collection of beach books! "Uncanny." "Incredible." "Magical." "Weird." "Beautiful." These are just some of the comments booksellers had about the stories in the July collection of buzz-worthy and notable forthcoming titles. Aside from Kelsey Jagneaux’s review of The Coin below, here are four other books that Southern Indie booksellers love and want readers to put on their Summer Reading list. The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer Reading The Lost Story reminded me of being a kid, and of the many hours I spent immersed in magical faraway worlds. Inspired by the classic Narnia novels, Meg Shaffer’s second novel is both a fairytale for grown-ups and a love story. Recommended reading for anyone seeking to reawaken a sense of wonder. – Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez A family drama that centers on a mother’s secret, this novel is honeyed with warmth, truth, and the secrets that–once revealed–eventually bring us closer together. A beautiful book about finding happiness, no matter our paths. – Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas Smothermoss by Alisa Alering A hauntingly eerie tale about two sisters, Shelia and Angie, set in 1980s Appalachia. The imagery in this novel was so raw and creepy. I haven’t looked at rabbits the same since finishing this book. This is a weird novel but a fun one, trust me! – Anna Anabseh, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia The Striker and the Clock: On Being in the Game by Georgia Cloepfil It is hard to explain the exact mixture of nostalgia, joy, and melancholy this book wrung out of me in its short but powerful pages. Georgia Cloepfil put into words what bangs around in my heart when I think of soccer. A lyrical and poignant tribute to the beautiful game and the people it turns into players, into teams, into champions, and eventually back into people. – Morgan Holub, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia 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 Modern Fairies by Clare Pollard Adult Fiction, Literary Clare Pollard has done it again! I loved this book. I was enthralled by the cast of characters and the vivid descriptions of the Sun King’s court. What really stuck out to me was the historical context of the origins of “fairy tales” and the weight that context (the drama and machinations of Louis XIV’s France) gives them. It will dazzle you then send you down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Highly recommended! Reviewed by Chelsea Bauer, Union Ave Books in Knoxville, Tennessee |
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The Coin by Yasmin Zaher Adult Fiction, Middle East, World Literature 
A July Read This Next! Title Yasmin Zaher’s stellar debut never lets the reader get quite comfortable in its prose, and it is in that discomfort The Coin finds its brilliance. New York feels at times surreal through the eyes of the narrator who slips further and further into what I can only describe as a justifiable madness. As the narrator stumbles through a life forced upon her in America, she becomes increasingly more untethered to her life. Her homeland, Palestine, is out of reach, and in flashbacks to her childhood, we can glimpse the parts of herself she left there. Zaher ruminates on statelessness, nature, opulence, and beauty in the narrator’s slow spiral. The Coin is an incredible debut! Reviewed by Kelsey Jagneaux, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Sharks Don’t Sink by Jasmin Graham 
My family spent a lot of time in the waters of Myrtle Beach. I loved science, and was curious about the ocean beyond a food source, and I would ask my family questions that they couldn’t always answer. So my parents sent me to MarineQuest, a five-day, sleep-away science camp. Once I realized that I could do this as a career—get paid to play in the ocean with fish everyday—I applied to all the marine biology schools. ― Jasmin Graham, Interview, Sarasota Magazine What booksellers are saying about Sharks Don’t Sink 
Jasmin Graham is a marine biologist in the field of elasmobranch ecology and evolution, currently specializing in smalltooth sawfish and hammerhead sharks. She is the co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization providing support for women of color in the field of shark biology and ecology, in order to foster greater diversity in marine science. She is a recipient of the WWF Conservation Leadership Award, the Safina Launchpad Center Fellowship, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. |
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The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology Give me a warrior woman any day of the week. I had a lot of fun reading this book and loved the consistency of Meilin’s motivations. At times, it was almost a strange sort of exploration of the internal struggle that manifests when one is trying to break from the norms they grew up with, even though those norms are actively oppressive…the self-loathing and the hopelessness…But then, we get a scene with Lei or Sky, and we’re like “oooh, shiny!” and all our deep, dark thoughts subside for a moment. Did I want to tear up my copy and throw it across the room when I read the ending? Yes. However, I’m okay with that. Reviewed by Caroline Johnson, Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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The Sugar Rush by Peter Gregg Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Culinary Peter Gregg was told by a friend, “You make sugar once, you’re gonna wanna make it the rest of your life. I hope to be a sugarmaker until the day I die. We call it “The Bug.” It gets in your blood and never leaves.” The Sugar Rush will have all readers along with Peter and his pal Bert as they struggle to make the five-pounder goal of making maple syrup like the pros in the maple syrup field. Readers will laugh and cry at the successes and failures along the way during the sugar-making months of January through April as the trees are tapped and the sap runs to the sugar house. The trip will include some delicious meals and moments of pure zen when everything is going perfectly, and the beauty of the natural world is apparent. We will all be there when Peter is discussing his life and having memorable moments with Bert and his neighbors. Real maple syrup will never taste the same on pancakes after reading The Sugar Rush. Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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Our Bodies Electric by Zackary Vernon Coming of Age, Young Adult Fiction I am just in love with this book. I spent a lot of time debating whether or not to feature this as a queer book. I realized I was thinking about it too hard. 14-year-old Josh struggles to live up to his parents’ puritanical Southern Baptist standards. As he slogs his way to high school, he falls in love, obsesses over David Bowie, and makes his own thongs, stumbling through a puberty that is cringingly realistic. This book is painfully funny. As Josh and his friends realize maybe even the adults don’t have it figured out, they discover there is room just to be themselves. Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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In Time by Marina Ruiz Children, Concepts, Date & Time, Juvenile Fiction
A July/August Read This Next! Kids Title In Time perfectly describes the different ways the passage of time is experienced: From the young — slow and never moving; From the old — fast and never enough. The illustrations will have you looking over each page again and again before turning to the next. By the end you’ll be reminded what it felt like to view time as a child, but ultimately, you’ll be left with the understanding of why time takes time. Reviewed by Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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First Test Graphic Novel by Tamora Pierce Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction Pierce’s series is beloved for a reason, and I am SO happy it’s becoming a graphic novel series. A strong female heroine trying to prove herself in a society where women are not welcome in the community of knights. Uplifting, hopeful. Small acts of bravery and bold friendship! Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Banned Books, Basketball, Class Differences, Comics & Graphic Novels, Emotions & Feelings, Native American, Sports & Recreation, Young Adult Fiction Simultaneously heartbreaking and humorous. A fictionalized tale of the author’s life as a young teen, chronicling his battle with being loyal to his home and breaking away to meet who he was destined to be. Reviewed by Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them. ” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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