The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Action & Adventure

Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson

, ,
Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Paige expects to wake up to her parents, younger brother, best friend, and a promising future in basketball. What she doesn’t expect is for that future to be seized from her, as her loved ones, and every other human on Earth for that matter, have mysteriously perished. This is an exhilarating and unpredictable survival story, realistic with an intriguing sci-fi supplement. There are moments of action, moments of sadness, and moments of banter, all brought to life by Carson’s descriptive writing style and genuine characters. I would highly recommend!

Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson, (List Price: $17.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780062691934, October 2021)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina


Treasure in the Lake by Jason Pamment

, ,
Treasure Lake
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Iris and Sam are best friends, but where Sam is content to remain in their small town of Bugden, Iris dreams of traveling for far-flung adventure. But one day the lake runs dry and they discover an abandoned town that had been hidden there. There they find themselves on an adventure they never expected and learn the importance of home. This is a delightful story for any kid who has dreamed of traveling to dig for treasure or setting sail for adventure, and a reminder that some of the best adventures can happen right in your backyard.

Treasure in the Lake by Jason Pamment, (List Price: 12.99, HarperAlley, 9780063065178, September 2021)

Reviewed by Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

, , ,
A Psalm for the Wild Built
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

I don’t typically read sci-fi but on a recommendation from a fellow team member on the podcast What Should I Read Next, I read “A Long Way to a Dark Angry Planet”. With this title, I believe that I will read anything Becky Chambers’ writes. This novella was WONDERFUL! It was just what I needed this weekend; engaging but comforting. I cried at the end; it was the release I didn’t know I needed. Al of my friends need to read this because, as the dedication says, it’s “for everyone who needs a break”, and after the year we have had, we all need this break.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, (List Price: 20.99, Tordotcom, 9781250236210, July 2021)

Reviewed by Shannan Malone, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

, , ,
A Psalm for the Wild Built
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

I love love love this book. It’s like Becky Chambers expanded the conversation between the whale and the petunias in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy but added 100% more robots.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, (List Price: 20.99, Tordotcom, 9781250236210, June 2021)

Reviewed by Katie Brown, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina

The Marvelous by Claire Kann

, , ,
The Marvelous
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Jewel Van Hanen created a video diary app several years ago called Golden Rule. Since then, she’s held 9 weekend retreats on her estate for a very select few group of users. But a year ago, she dropped out of the public eye. Now she’s back with a new weekend, but this one’s different. It will be a weekend filled with puzzles and games and at the end, two winners will receive a big cash prize. Told through the POV of three of the six competitors, The Marvelous will keep you on your toes with nonstop riddles and action.

The Marvelous by Claire Kann (List Price: $18.99, Swoon Reads, 9781250192691, 6/8/2021)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

, , , , ,
Son of the Storm
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

“You say you want liberty, but you can never be free alone. None of us are free until all of us are. To be free of Bassa requires power– power in service of us all. Not for you to derive joy from controlling a beast.”

In Son of the Storm, Suyi Davies Okungbowa introduces readers to a complex and fascinating new world. One with a complex cast system in which power is isolated in the bloated elite, the truth is hidden even from scholars, and anyone who looks different is exiled to the dangerous fringes of the continent. As a secret power from the time of a mad emperor reemerges and a sunken nation reappears, a young scholar and his intended follow two very different paths to save themselves and their people. I was completely entranced by this story. While he pulls no punches, Okungbowa does not need to lean into the grotesque to make his world compelling. I yelled, I cheered, I felt conflicted about my loyalties, and I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next. Content warnings for harm to children and pregnancy in addition to violent fantasy elements.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (List Price: $16.99, Orbit, 9780316428941, 5/11/2021)

Reviewed by Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, Avery Fischer Udagawa (Trans.), Miho Satake (Illus.)

, , ,
Temple Alley Summer
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

It’s summer break! There’s time for fun and friends, but Kazu has decided to investigate a paranormal occurrence tied to the history of his street, Temple Alley. As Kazu and his friends discover new clues about the past by talking to family members, nagging neighbors, and even reading ancient magazines, they realize that they might have to rely on their peculiar neighbor, Ms. Minakami, to solve the mystery. Complete with a story within a story, this summertime sleuth is mischievous and magical.

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, Avery Fischer Udagawa (Trans.), Miho Satake (Illus.) (List Price: $18, Restless Books, 9781632063038, 7/6/2021)

Reviewed by Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter by Beth McMullen

, ,
Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

My ten-year-old son and I read this book together and we loved it! As soon as we finished it, and with the foreshadowing to the next book, he exclaimed, “I want the next book NOW!”

Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter by Beth McMullen (List Price: $17.99, Aladdin, 9781534456693, 8/25/2020)

Reviewed by Marcia Albert, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, Stephanie Yue (Illus

, , ,
Katie the Catsitter
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

This graphic novel is perfect for anyone who loves cats! I love a good superhero comic, but this one was extra special in that the line between superhero and supervillain was blurred. Katie is just trying to make enough money to attend camp, but she soon starts to speculate about what her new boss might be doing on her night shift. 217 cat sidekicks make this comic a purr-fect read!

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, Stephanie Yue (Illus (List Price: $12.99, Random House Books for Young Readers, 9781984895639, 1/5/2021)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

How to Pack for the End of the World by Michelle Falkoff

, , ,
How to Pack for the End of the World
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

“Everyone thinks they have to save the world, but they have to save themselves first.”

Amina is a new student at the prestigious Gardner Academy. A scholarship student from the Boston area, her parents send her to the boarding school after an attack on their Temple leaves her with persistent nightmares and an unhealthy obsession with the specter of Fascism. She has no interest in leaving home, but once at Gardner she meets a group of like-minded students who also fear a coming crisis. Together they form the Eucalyptus Club and work together to prepare for such events as nuclear holocaust or government overthrow. But someone is targeting their group with malicious intent, and it will take all of them to find out who. In How to Pack for the End of the World, Michelle Falkoff mixes the mundane every day of high school (albeit an elite boarding school) with the very real existential dread that today’s youth must learn to cope with. The concerns of Eucalyptus are based in reality and while the games the students play may seem too direct at times, they will speak to a generation that is growing increasingly intent on speaking out before it is too late.

How to Pack for the End of the World by Michelle Falkoff (List Price: $17, HarperTeen, 9780062680266, 11/10/2020)

Reviewed by Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann

, ,
Cinders & Sparrows
buy this book

Cinders & Sparrows is so perfectly atmospheric and spooky! I loved rooting for Zita as she came into her powers and her self-confidence, all while unpuzzling the many mysteries of her new home.

Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann (List Price: $16.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780062289957, 10/13/2020)

Reviewed by Itinerant Literate, Itinerant Literate Books, LLC in North Charleston, South Carolina

Short & Sweet by Josh Funk

, ,
Short & Sweet
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Dig into another adventure with your favorite breakfast foods in Short & Sweet. Another rhyme-tastic adventure, this time with our heroes shrunk down to size and the newly reformed Baron Von Waffle working to save the day. This series is pure fun and every illustration provides plenty of goofs to keep everyone entertained. Pass the syrup and settle in!

Short & Sweet by Josh Funk, (List Price: 16.95, Sterling Children’s Books, 9781454934271, September 2020)

Reviewed by Sami Thomason, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

Scroll to Top