February 2023 Honoring Black Voices and Black Stories. 
In honor of Black History Month this special edition of SBR celebrates Black voices and Black stories. Readers often talk about discovering new books and new writers, but the truth is Black and Brown writers and stories have always been a part of our literary landscape. It isn’t a question of "discovering" so much as simply listening to the stories they are telling. 
SBR exists to encourage readers to shop at their local indie bookstore, because those booksellers are part of, and invested in, their community. It is worth noting, however, that none of the bookstore reviews in this newsletter come from Black-owned bookstores. Like Black stories, Black-owned businesses are part of every community. Readers can find a map of Black-owned bookstores at Bookshop.org (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Here are links to some of the stores in the South: Pyramid Art Books & Custom Framing (AR) The next time you decide you’d like to discover a new book, start by discovering a new bookstore. “Discomfort is a necessary part of enlightenment.” |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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A Is for Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker, Upfromsumdirt (illus) African American & Black, Alphabet, Children, Concepts, Diversity & Multicultural, History, Juvenile Nonfiction, State & Local, United States I have read many alphabet books, but this one is a revelation. Walker’s novel approach to the time-honored alphabet book creates not only a read-aloud treasure, but a resource for families. Parents can get as much out of this book as their children, so take your time with each letter. Savor each page. Explore the glossary at the end of the book. Reflect on your own gaps in knowledge and why they exist. This book is a jumping off point—the beginning of the conversation but definitely not the end. Reviewed by Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky 
Frank X Walker, the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate, is an artist, writer, and educator who has published eleven collections of poetry, including Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York, Expanded Edition; Masked Man, Black: Pandemic & Protest Poems; and Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded an NAACP Image Award and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award. The recipient of the thirty-fifth Lillian Smith Book Award and the Thomas D. Clark Award for Literary Excellence, he is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets. 
Upfromsumdirt is an award-winning artist who has galleried in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee and participated in curator Tewodross Melchishua’s traveling art exhibit entitled M3: MCs, Mics and Metaphors. His work has also been featured on the covers of African American Review and Tidal Basin Review, and he has created book cover designs for a number of authors, including Crystal E. Wilkinson, Dr. Adam J. Banks, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Keith Gilyard, and for his own chapbook collections, Caul & Response and Tangerine Tubman: A Long-Playing Poem. upfromsumdirt’s art or poetry has been featured online at Connotation Press, About Place Journal, New Southerner, Accents radio program, and Nat Creole Magazine. |
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They Got Daddy by Sharon Tubbs Biography & Autobiography, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional, African American & Black, History, Social Science, Race & Ethnic Relations, Adult Nonfiction An unforgettable journey through racism and faith across the generations. From the book: Granddaddy followed them toward the road, away from the house and just beyond earshot of Big Mama inside. When they reached that car, that’s when evil showed itself. The men weren’t looking for the Lord’s house. No yearning for worship abided in their hearts. And all that chumming about hounds and hunting turned dark. No dog barked from the back seat. Suddenly, they forced Granddaddy inside that car, their expressions turning mean, raw. Get on in there, nigger. He asked where they were going, and the barrel of a gun cracked his temple. One man pressed his head down, his cheek hugging the floorboards. There were four men now, two having waited in or near the car while the other two lured him there. They contorted his body to keep his face and gaze down. Passing drivers didn’t see Granddaddy in the car, and Granddaddy couldn’t get a good look at the other two men in the car. When it comes to what happened next, relatives’ accounts vary slightly, with one sibling remembering something that another didn’t mention or couldn’t recall. Like tellers of the Gospels, each narrator focused on the scenes that struck meaning in their own hearts. 
From the author: "The stories of our past, mine and yours, peek at us from newspaper pages and court documents. They whisper through the traumas of our elders and ourselves, telling us that the "they" who "got Daddy" were not confined to four men in a car. No, "they" include the many others who allowed him to get gotten in the first place. "They" are those who sat idly by afterward, benefiting from the privilege that propelled tragedy to take place. Now these same stories, like ours, come alive again, not for unnecessary shame, but because they are the leavening agent for healing. The kind of healing that stirs each of us when we process the truth of our history. With true healing, we begin to taste true struggle and overcoming strength. We appreciate humility and fight for accountability. And, through our successes and our failures, too, we are girded by faith in something greater than ourselves."-Sharon Tubbs "A gorgeous and haunting book, spun so carefully you can smell the dirt roads and the shirt starch and the bologna sandwiches. You hear the poetry in the voices of the characters. You feel how suddenly darkness drops and meanness strikes, and how steadfastly the family of Preacher Page leans on its faith. A triumph of reporting and storytelling."—Kelley Benham French, senior editor, USA TODAY and author of Juniper: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Maame by Jessica George
“I have conversations with myself every day. It’s just an easy way to get out of my brain. It’s a great tool for Maddie because it’s meant to highlight how alone Maddie feels. She doesn’t feel like she has people to talk to, so that’s where the conversationalist tone comes from. I think we see a little less of that by the end, because she has come to this place where she’s more open to being dependent on her friends and family. ” ―Jessica George, Interview, Everything Zoomer What booksellers are saying about Maame 
About Jessica George Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. Maame is her first novel. |
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Time’s Undoing by Cheryl A. Head Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Detective Inspired by true events from the author’s family, Time’s Undoing is the story of a Black journalist in 2019 investigating the unsolved mystery of her great-grandfather’s death in 1929 Birmingham. Told in alternating timelines, the novel explores racially-motivated crime, the lengths people will go to cover up the truth, and the powerful bonds of community, family, and love. This is a gripping story full of history, emotion, and suspense that I guarantee will be on my Best of 2023 list! Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Literary Fiction If you want to see racism from the eyes of a twelve-year-old, if you are interested in the complexities of racial divide and healing, and you want to read a compelling novel, Nyani Nkrumah has written a book for you. Wade in the Water shows how one little girl, Ella, is affected by the racism she experiences in the white and black communities. Her friendship with an older white woman, who is trying to make her own race reckoning, brings some surprises that you may or may not see coming. Nkruman shows the raw, emotional sides of her characters in a truly gifted way. Reviewed by Linda Hodges, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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Black Country Music by Francesca T. Royster Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, Country & Bluegrass, Genres & Styles, Music Country music encompasses so much more than one would be led to believe by what’s being promoted and by what has been written and rewritten about countless times. Thankfully, Francesca Royster’s new book tells the story of Black songwriters/performers/fans in the white male-dominated world of popular country music. It’s a history that has been obscured, hidden, white-washed, overlooked and outright denied for way too long. This is a really fantastic and inspiring book that opens up a whole new world of country and folk music. If you think you know it all you don’t! Reviewed by Colin Sneed, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Come Home Safe by Brian G. Buckmire African American & Black, Social Themes, Violence, Young Adult Fiction Come Home Safe is unlike any book I’ve ever read. Reading this book with my son opened up dialogue about an issue that is difficult to talk about but extremely important for everyone living in todays social climate. Buckmire does an excellent job writing about the importance of knowing the law and your rights and how beneficial that knowledge will be when interacting with law enforcement. I would recommend this book to parents and educators looking to have conversations about social justice. Excellent book! Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter & Daniel Miyares African American & Black, Children, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Multigenerational Nell plants a tree and it grows into a base for games, a spot for reading, and a place for generations to gather. This beautiful picture book celebrates extended families and the delight of spending time together. Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen Diversity & Multicultural, Friendship, Own Voices, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Social Themes, Young Adult Filled with a neat balance of relatable humor and serious topics, You Truly Assumed is a memorable coming-of-age novel that touches on the struggles of three black, Muslim women and their fight to create a safe space and a voice to be heard for people just like them. You Truly Assumed is the perfect novel for teens or young adults who feel they don’t have a voice in the face of prejudice and fear, as it features funny, relatable characters and the raw effects of real events. Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina |
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Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Southern The shooting deaths of two sisters and their brother, prominent members of the African-American community, set tongues wagging in West Mills, NC. Except for those holding their voice over secrets. Told from alternating perspectives, the mystery unfolds amid lives threatened by the racism and homophobia of the 1960s and 1970s. This is a great read on so many levels, can’t wait to hand sell this one. Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Parting Thought “I’m a firm believer that language and how we use language determines how we act, and how we act then determines our lives and other people’s lives.” |
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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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