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The week of September 20, 2022 This is Banned Books Week. 
Usually when there are books in the news, SBR likes to post a reading list along with a a few comments from booksellers about each book and why they liked it. There are, we are sorry to say, plenty of lists to look at this week. The most frequently challenged or banned book in the country last year was Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, and SBR readers have already heard what many Southern booksellers think of that book. Usually when confronted with a challenge to a book, the advice is to read it and decide for yourself what you think of it. Or, don’t read it, if you’d rather not. It is up to each person to make up their own mind. But over the last few years book banning has shifted from localized challenges made mostly by parents against their children’s school and public libraries to wider-scaled tools used in political campaigns. 2021 was a record year for book bans — over 72 attempted bans of 1597 individual books. Sadly, 2022 is likely to exceed that number. From July 2021 to June 2022, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans lists 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles. Yet most people oppose book bans, regardless of their political affiliations. According to a poll by the American Library Association, 70% of voters oppose efforts to remove books from school and public libraries. So this week, yes, certainly visit your local bookstore and pick up some of these challenged books and read them. Readers can be trusted to decide for themselves what they think about the books they read. But if you want to do more, visit United Against Book Bans for ideas of how to stand up for your right to read. Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction This intertwined collection of short stories is a powerful and engrossing American debut from Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi. The stories travel from 1920’s Nigeria to modern day New York and back again, following multiple characters all interconnected by strong women whose choices echo on for generations. Very well paced and structured, each story moves quickly and seamlessly into the next. Romance, power struggles, day-in-the-life: this novel has something for everyone. Reviewed by Alex Einhorn, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
“I have always felt comforted and reassured by the presence of old trees and love to spend time walking in woodlands or forests whenever I can. It might sound strange, but I really do feel a kind of connection, or perhaps access, to a different way of being when I’m immersed in the natural world.” ―C. C. Harrington, Interview, Indies Introduce What booksellers are saying about Wildoak 
About C. C. Harrington Christina Harrison grew up in the UK. She spent her summer holidays in Cornwall where she loved to climb trees and run barefoot along pebbly beaches. She loves the natural world and believes that stories, much like the roots of an ancient forest, are capable of connecting readers and listeners in essential ways. Wildoak is her first book. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature and has since worked for a newspaper, taught literacy to children with learning differences and studied printmaking. She now lives in Maryland with her family and a dog who loves to eat manuscripts. You can learn more about her work at ccharrington.com |
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Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson Adult Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction Kate Atkinson has a wonderful way with words, combining laugh-out-loud wit with unexpected pathos. I gobbled up Shrines of Gaiety – which features a motley crew of characters in 1920s London, including a nightclub boss, a chief inspector intent on weeding out corruption in the police, a teenage runaway in search of fame, and a former WW1 nurse in search of said missing teenager – in just a couple of days. Recommended. Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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All the Women in My Brain by Betty Gilpin Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Personal Memoirs Hilarious and bittersweet, Betty Gilpin’s memoir about her life as an actress is a bit chaotic at times, but in a funny way. She writes as a very successful actress who also struggles with self-doubt and depression. The reader gets to go behind- the -scenes with Gilpin as she stars in various TV shows and movies, describing her work from a feminist perspective and as a veteran of the entertainment industry. Loved it! Reviewed by Lisa Uotinen, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia |
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Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie Childrens, Juvenile Fiction, Native American, People & Places, United States Beautiful and poignant, this stunning ode to Cree life sings with love for the relations that sustain it—between people, with the land, and the communal practices that have endured through generations. Flett’s warm, evocative artwork is, as always, a treasure, imbuing Sainte-Marie’s lyrics with tender resonance. Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Muhammad Najem, War Reporter by Muhammad Najem Biography & Autobiography, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional, History, Juvenile Nonfiction, Middle East, Military & Wars, Social Topics A Syrian kid living through the Syrian civil war decides to interview other kids his age using his phone to document what’s going on. He shares it on social media like YouTube Twitter and Facebook. He felt like he was being targeted by bombs for his news videos. Tense, informative, serious, sad, but also has happy moments. Read it all in one sitting. Hard to put down. Reviewed by Eliza, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Literary, Short Stories (single author) A September 2022 Read This Next! Title Jonathan Escoffery’s debut If I Survive You chronicles an American immigration story full of hope, heartbreak, promises broken, and most importantly the constant struggle. Told in interconnected stories, If I Survive You addresses class, race, and economic disparity but is also funny. Mark my words, Escoffery is a rising literary star Reviewed by Stuart McCommon Sullivan, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee |
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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 and writing, like everything else, improve with practice. And, of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones. Literacy will be dead, and democracy – which many believe goes hand in hand with it – will be dead as well. ” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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