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The week of August 30, 2022 September books to read next. 
September 2022 Read This Next! Selections Southern booksellers have selected their "read this next!" list of September books. Full reviews will be published on September 1st, but here is an early peak of what they have to say: Artemis Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery We Spread by Iain Reid When You Take a Step by Bethanie Deeney Murguia Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Delphi by Clare Pollard Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction Beautiful at the sentence level, Pollard’s Delphi deftly captured the weird, stagnant time of the early covid-19 pandemic through the first year. Her depiction of the strangeness of everyday life is lovely: the fear but especially the monotony. The main character had been researching divination methods of the ancient world prior to the pandemic; various forms of divination, ancient and modern, frame the short chapters. The methods are sometimes directly discussed or even used by the character to gain some semblance of control, but at other times, the chapter header appears only in an oblique nod: a flight of birds, a television unwatched. Taking a wider lens, the story is largely interior and for large stretches very little happens (though in an interesting way). The main character, her husband, and her son tackle isolation and conflict and the pressure to just go along with extended family’s risk assessments (whether stricter or looser); they take risks to connect with friends and coworkers that often turn out fine. There’s a flurry of the high-stakes plot near the end – even foreshadowed, the introduction of the conflict felt rather sudden, and the resolution arrived so abruptly that I turned the page expecting a denouement to find the acknowledgments page instead. But I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this book for a while. Reviewed by Ginger Kautz, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
“I’ve never (yet!) set fire to a large Scottish mansion as Devon does, nor numbered my body count in the dozens as Devon has. (Though hope springs eternal, as they say.) But I did grow up reading fairy tales and believing in false happy endings, as she did, and my life has been irrevocably altered by parenting, single or otherwise, as hers was. Out of personal apocalypse and a total collapse of hope, good things eventually came about—for me, and for Devon. The Book Eaters is both a love letter to fairy tales, and a critical examination of their flaws. Above all, it is a story about family love in the midst of ruination: how we define it and defend it, how we find it and fight for it.” –Sunyi Dean, Letter to readers What booksellers are saying about The Book Eaters 
About Sunyi Dean Sunyi Dean is an autistic SFF writer, and mother of two. Originally born in the States and raised in Hong Kong, she now lives in Yorkshire. When not reading, running, falling over in yoga, or rolling d20s, she sometimes escapes the city to wildswim in lonely dales. The Book Eaters is her debut, and you can find her online @Blind_Nycteris. |
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The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction A tight, Talented Mr. Ripley-esque mini-thriller where the thrill is in the revelation of the narrator’s psyche through her circumstances. And it has a biting critique of the publishing industry! Helen DeWitt runs away with this priceless gem: a literary thriller that is as exciting as it is intelligent and can be read in an afternoon. Reviewed by Conor Hultman, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs From the very first chapter in Acceptance you feel Nietfeld’s urgency to change her future and outrun the circumstances of her childhood. A memoir of mental health, foster care and homelessness, abuse, and this book is also the story of the struggle for education, for a way out, and to find one’s true path. Not since Educated have I felt as compelled by a memoir as I did by Acceptance; highly recommended for all readers. Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall Horror, Young Adult I absolutely adore beautifully written horror. There’s something amazing about taking something that should be absolutely terrifying and finding a way to write it so beautifully that it could be poetry. Yet despite the beautiful prose, I was still chilled to my bones. These Fleeting Shadows was dripping with beautiful pain and chills. This is the perfect release to snuggle up with on a dark and foggy night, but only if you’re sure your house is safe from everything that might go bump in the shadows. Helen and her family are well written as well as intriguing. Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia |
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But Why? by Elizabeth Pulsford Animals, Children, Juvenile Fiction, Rabbits With gorgeous, dreamy illustrations, But Why? asks the big questions children (and adults alike!) have about themselves and their place in the world. This picture book would be a sweet and tender springboard for meaningful discussions for the children in your life. Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol. 1 by Sourya Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction I love it when the first volume of a series catches your attention and leaves you wanting more. When I started Talli, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At first, I thought it was going to be a normal run-of-the-mill Shonen-like manga where nothing crazily drastic happens to characters. Boy was I wrong. The second limbs start to fly and characters have intense personal issues/trauma means that what you are reading is going to have some meat to it. Really excited to find out more about the lore and characters! Reviewed by Ethan Davis, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen Adult Fiction, Magical Realism, Women An August 2022 Read This Next! Title A poignant tale of wounded souls and their accompanying ghosts finding each other. Tinged with magic, interlaced with loss and longing, each character’s story unfolds in layers creating an intricate puzzle that teases and delights. A must read for fans of magical realism! Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “Reading is my inhale, and writing is my exhale. ” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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