View this email online. | unsubscribe | SBR Archive | SUBSCRIBE TO SBR |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() February, 2022 Celebrating Black Voices The special edition of The Southern Bookseller Review celebrates Black voices. Some new, some familiar, some whose voices come to us out of the past. Among the books below is a debut novel by Brendan Slocumb which received so much…"buzz" seems not quite the right word for a story about a violinist…enthusiasm, let us say, that it was chosen as one of the five "Read This Next!" books for February by Southern booksellers. You can hear Brendan play here: ![]() Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory |
Read This Now! The best of southern publishing… |
![]() BUY THIS BOOK! |
Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Biographical Fiction This book is a treat, about a strong woman who embodied the post emancipation strength that coursed through many in the bright years before Jim Crow. Kianna Alexander brought the real Josephine Leary to life in her page-turning book of historical fiction that leapt off the page as Josephine became a new wife, a landowner, a business partner, a working woman creating a family life, a visionary with business dreams and eventually a real estate legend. While she built this life she encountered love, other strong women, racism, heaps of sexism, love and lots of friends. Great book! Reviewed by Kimberly Daniels, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, North Carolina ![]() About the Author:
|
![]() BUY THIS BOOK! |
Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Civil War Era, Historical Fiction, Southern Fiction I’ve never before encountered a novel to plunge me into the heart of the Civil War like this. As the War still rages, a Black Union Brigade is formed of recently freed slaves. Dick, semi-acknowledged son of a slave and her master, is an honest and eloquent observer of slave-master relations. Now he fights for Gen. Edward Wild, leading the hunt for rebel fighters as he steels himself to clash with his former master. I felt all of Dick’s emotional journey as he progressed from slave to wartime leader and beyond. The Outer Banks setting for much of the action is beautifully portrayed. Reviewed by Rosemary Pugliese, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, North Carolina ![]() About the Author: |
![]() BUY THIS BOOK! |
You Don’t Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, Essays, Literary Collections The gift of Zora Neale Hurston and her multifaceted works shine beyond decades. You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays covers the timelessness of her work. Zora Neale Hurston’s work holds an essential space in piecing the histories of America and the visibility of the lives of Black Folk. Hurston honors the language, spirit, and progressive movements that are exhibited in our history and heritage. This book gives us a deeper understanding of Hurston and her legacy. Reviewed by Jasmine from Cafe Noir, in Memphis, Tennessee ![]() About the Author: |
![]() BUY THIS BOOK! |
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Coming of Age, Feminist, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction Readers will be stunned by the force of Kaitlyn Greenidge’s latest novel. Set in Brooklyn during the Civil War era and the turbulent times after, the voice of Libertie Sampson describes her unique childhood as the freeborn daughter of a Black, widowed female doctor. Libertie’s mother has aspirations for her daughter to follow her path and join her in her practice. Two things prevent Libertie from choosing this course: her darker skin tone lessens her level of acceptance in the community and she doesn’t have the aptitude for medicine. Rather than face her mother’s disappointment, she marries a Haitian doctor and leaves the country with him. She finds herself lonelier than ever in this tumultuous island country. This is a highly immersive and unforgettable literary accomplishment. Reviewed by Damita Nocton, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, North Carolina About the Author: |

Spotlight on: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
![]() "As a young Black man growing up in North Carolina and learning to play violin, I’d been put down and discouraged in every way imaginable from pretty much everyone. I was a skinny nerd; I was wasting my time. Quit playing that violin; go join the military. No other Black kid in my high school played violin, let alone classical music. But there was always at least one person, one encouraging voice, to keep me going. I was very lucky in that I always had a mentor, someone to look up to—or sometimes just someone who was happy that I was happy doing what I loved. "—Brendan Slocumb (via Lithub) ![]() What booksellers are saying about The Violin Conspiracy
About Brendan Slocumb Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and holds a degree in music education (with concentrations in violin and viola) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more than twenty years he has been a public and private school music educator and has performed with orchestras throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. He is currently working on his second novel. |
![]() |
![]() PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK! |
The Last Suspicious Holdout by Ladee Hubbard Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Literary Fiction “I loved these interconnected stories. They are fiercely intelligent, warm in their own way, and absolutely absorbing. Hubbard has a deft sense of character and community and I really enjoyed piecing together the connections between the collection’s characters. Excellent excellent excellent.” -Roxane Gay . ![]() About the Author: |
Parting Thought "I write for young girls of color, for girls who don’t even exist yet, so that there is something there for them when they arrive. I can only change how they live, not how they think. " |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive The Southern Bookseller Review. Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you no longer wish to receive these communications.