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The week of September 5, 2023 Booksellers on the Bestsellers
The Southern Indie Bestseller List that appears in this newsletter is compiled from sales made at independent bookstores in the Southeast, compiled by the American Booksellers Association. There are always interesting differences compared to other national bestseller lists such as that of the New York Times (which does not include Good Night Outer Banks on its list this week.) As such, it is a reflection of what Southern readers are reading. And because some of those Southern readers are booksellers, here is what they have to say about some of the books on this week’s list: The Last Ranger by Peter Heller Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond Trust by Hernan Diaz I Will Read to You by Gideon Sterer, Charles Santoso (illus.) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Read This Next! highlights new books that are receiving exceptional, and exceptionally enthusiastic, buzz from Southern indie booksellers. 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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My Shadow Is Yours by Edoardo Nesi Adult Fiction, Cultural Heritage, Fiction, Humorous, Italy, World Literature It is rare that I burst into tears reading the last sentence of a novel. I can count the number of times it has happened on one hand. Bawdy, ballsy, and brainy, My Shadow Is Yours is also tender and wise. A recent college graduate is hired to accompany a reclusive middle-aged novelist on a road trip to Milan. There he is scheduled to speak to an audience for the first time in 25 years when his one and only cultural landmark of a novel was published. As they travel across Italy, they bond over women, wine, and have violent, intensely personal arguments about life. Crushing and raw, caustic and funny. For me, it was perfection! Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White  An August 2023 Read This Next! Title
“I think the best horror is a combination of the fear of something inside themselves and something external, especially when one of them inherently feeds the other. However, external horror is what speaks the most to me as both a writer and reader. I can’t speak for all marginalized identities, obviously, but external horror for a lot of marginalized identities is terrifying because it’s real. The world is always lurking, waiting to make a horror movie of our lives or the lives of those we love. It doesn’t care about your internality. You’re different, and therefore a target. For me, the best horror acknowledges that, illustrates that, and allows the internality of both the character and the audience to expand from there.” ― Andrew Joseph White, Interview, Scifi Pulse What booksellers are saying about The Spirit Bares Its Teeth 
About Andrew Joseph White Andrew Joseph White is a queer, trans author from Virginia, where he grew up falling in love with monsters and wishing he could be one too. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 2022 and has a habit of cuddling random street cats. Andrew writes about trans kids with claws and fangs, and what happens when they bite back. |
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Wellness by Nathan Hill Adult Fiction, Family Life, Fiction, Humorous, Literary Nathan Hill has done it again! Wellness is so good, I think my heart both broke and grew at the same time, while reading it. Hill’s ability to capture both the beauty and horror of life are astounding. There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t want to spoil the magic of it for other readers! "Behind curtains, this, he thinks, is what lovers do-they are alchemists and architects; they invent the world around them." Indeed, this is what lovers do. Thank you for this wonderful book! Reviewed by Jessica Osborne, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs Meg Kissinger begins with an intimate portrayal of a family silently battling mental illness and ends with an exploration of the mental health system that failed them. Her writing is both compassionate and thought provoking. She evokes sympathy for the plight of those with mental illness and anger at the failings of our mental health system. Reviewed by Horton’s Books in Carrollton, Georgia |
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Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction Curious Tides centers a lush magic system unlike anything I’ve seen before. The celestial lore was beautifully crafted, and Lacelle’s prose is as captivating as a high tide. I deeply appreciated the subtle LGBTQIA rep and the care with which each interpersonal entanglement was treated. I’ve no doubt that Curious Tides will become a staple in the dark academia/fantasy niche, and I cannot wait for the sequel. Reviewed by Isabel Agajanian, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida |
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Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant Children, Curiosities & Wonders, Juvenile Nonfiction Long gone are the days of perusing encyclopedias for fun random information, but Information Junkies unite! Now we have Stuff Kids Should Know, a spin off from the wildly popular podcast of the same name that provides curious kids a place to discover amazing random information. Stack them up. These make the perfect holiday gift. Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Roaming by Jillian Tamaki Comics & Graphic Novels, Literary Mariko and Jillian Tamaki are back with another slam-dunk of a graphic novel, this time their adult debut. I was captivated! This story of three friends visiting New York for the first time in 2009 after their first year of college was so relatable, especially the way they captured the different pairings between the trio. Zoe and Dani are long-time best friends who are reuniting after a year apart, but Fiona is the Dani’s new friend from college. I loved seeing the way tensions rose and dissipated. And as usual, Jillian Tamaki’s art is gorgeous! Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, 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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Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love Banned Books, Children, Hispanic & Latino, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction, LGBTQ+, Non-Religious Celebrations, People & Places, United States A beautiful and light-hearted story for every kind of fanciful and imaginative kid! Jessica Love’s illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and so easily portray Julian’s wish to be a magical creature. This is a delightfully simple story that explores gender expression and individuality. Careful details also help communicate Julian’s fear of revealing his identity to his Abuela, an important representation that kids need for all kinds of situations. Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, 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 “It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.” |
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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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