The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Adult Fiction

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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The Four Winds
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A stunning tale of perseverance, family, friendship, and hope, The Four Winds absolutely blew me away. Kristin Hannah describes a time in American history that is often overlooked through the eyes of characters so human I’m amazed they aren’t real people. Hannah weaves the struggles of the time seamlessly with ones any mother can relate to: working ten hours a day for mere pennies and a son who gets into fights at school; using a rope to guide her to the barn because the dust in the air is so thick she can’t see, then coming inside to an obstinate teenage daughter who just wants her dad. The reader can relate to Elsa enough that they can easily see themselves even in her most dire circumstances. The Four Winds tells the story of an American dream that isn’t meant for everyone, and how those left behind can band together to make that dream work for them. It’s one I will not soon forget.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (List Price: $28.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250178602, 2/2/2021)

Reviewed by Tia at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

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How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
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A debut novel set in a tropical paradise, this story looks at race, class, gender, and privilege from many viewpoints. I look forward to reading what comes next from Cherie Jones.

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones (List Price: $27, Little, Brown and Company, 9780316536981, 2/2/2021)

Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee

My Year Abroad
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Instead of the college semester abroad he was anticipating, a suburban New Jersey slacker ends up being hired by a high-octane Chinese entrepreneur who immerses him in the hedonistic lifestyles of Asian billionaires. This is the sixth book by the award-winning Chang-Rae Lee, and his dry wit and keen observations are instantly recognizable.

My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee (List Price: $28, Riverhead Books, 9781594634574, 2/2/2021)

Reviewed by Anne Peck, Righton Books in St. Simons Island, Georgia

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Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley

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I loved this short but intense detective novel. For me, it doesn’t get better than Leonid McGill for a P.I. protagonist. Morally ambiguous, wily and cunning, he is instantly likable and someone I hope to see in future Mosley books.

Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley (List price: $24.00, Mulholland Books, January 2021)

Reviewed by Jamie Southern Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.

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The Truants by Kate Weinburg

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The Truants
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Kate Weinberg’s debut novel of suspense weaves a tale of obsession, deception, and misguided love. Jess Walker is a young woman who enters an uninspiring university in East Anglia for the sole purpose of being a student of the charismatic professor of literature, Lorna Clay, who seems to have taken the position under a cloud of suspicion from her past. Clay will be conducting studies on the life and work of Agatha Christie, with an underlying theme, “People disappear when they most want to be seen.”

Jess not only falls under her thrall, but also that of her three new friends who introduce her to a lifestyle of excess and awakenings, with tragic and life-altering consequences.This is a moody, mesmerizing, and literary read.

The Truants by Kate Weinburg (List price: $17.00, G.P. Putnam’s Sons), recommended by The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC.

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The Burning God by R. F. Kuang

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The Burning God
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With The Burning God, R.F. Kuang brings her Poppy War trilogy to a thunderously satisfying conclusion. Full scale war and destruction has come to the land of Nikan and Rin must once again rise to the challenge of saving her people without succumbing to her ever growing desires for power and revenge. Not many fantasies truly put a focus on the genocide, loss, and psychological damage that war brings to its victims but Kuang weaves these intricately into her story of godly abilities and conquest; loss and death always come hand in hand with victory. Kuang’s strong eye for character development is once again the shining star of the novel and readers who have been following since book one will have a hard time saying goodbye. A truly great modern fantasy trilogy and one that I look forward to recommending for years to come.

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang (List Price: $26, Harper Voyager, 9780062662620, 11/17/2020)

Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.

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the prophets
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Lyrical prose, a love story too long untold, and exquisitely rendered characters too long ignored make for a haunting debut. The forbidden love story between Isaiah and Samuel pierces every page, their lives reverberating across the plantation, through the ancestors, and history itself. Infused with agony and love and joy and rage, every character’s story within these testaments acts as a spark, a collection of embers that sets fire to historical record and ignites a more complex history of enslavement and the Deep South.

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. (List Price: $27.00, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593085684, 1/5/2021)

Reviewed by Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins

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Wild Rain
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Wild Rain is great historically representative, slow burn romance between a lady rancher and a city slicker reporter. I loved seeing the diversity of the West as it really was, and the chemistry between the two leads sizzled. When can I get more of this series?

Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins (List Price: $7.99, Avon, 9780062861719, 2/9/2021)

Reviewed by Lizy Coale, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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Love and Other Lies by Ben McPherson

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Love and Other Lies
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At the beginning, Love and Other Lies was a fast paced typical thriller to read. One which centered on a horrific event–the mass killing at a summer camp for teens, and the disappearance of one of the young campers. It was about the relationship between husband and wife, the love they still have for each other after 15 years of marriage and the lies they might be telling, and about their relationships with their teen daughters. Then you begin to realize what might have really happened and it suddenly becomes an extremely thought-provoking and unnerving story that could have easily been taken from true events. It shows the horrors that can occur with the rise of white supremacy, and how normal people with the best values can be infected by political ideology.

Love and Other Lies is not a feel good story by any means, but it is an important story with lots and lots of topics to discuss and a story that is definitely pertinent to the times in which we live. This is a book that you will think about for a long time after you put it down.

Love and Other Lies by Ben McPherson (List Price: $16.99, William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062406149, 2/9/2021)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina.

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All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz

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I enjoy the series with the Paranormal content. It is very interesting and does not engulf the characters or the plot, so if it is not your thing you will still have a great plot and suspense. North has some issues with questions that remain about his Grand Fathers loyalty, a strange and sudden onset health issue, but in every other aspect has his life well ordered. He excels at his job, lives in a home he enjoys and is challenged intellectually. Sierra is his opposite in so many ways, raised in a free spirited fashion by non-conforming parents, she has started another career path after many failed attempts. North has a high priority job and not much time to find local help, Sierra is available and selected for him, not a comfortable situation.The seriousness of the situation does not leave time for finesse or subtlety on either end. What follows is an intricate plot to try and understand what may have fallen into the wrong hands in the past. The location and exploration of the closed Fogg Lake labs has just begun, so they have no idea how much danger is ahead. This is a great and entertaining series. Lots of suspense, twists and good character development.

All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz (List Price: $27, Berkley, 9781984806819, 1/5/2021)

Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

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Before She Disappeared
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When I want a good book, but don’t want to do a search for a book I might like, I grab the latest Lisa Gardner book. I know I will find a great plot, characters and superb writing. This book just confirms my premise. Frankie leads an all-new cast of characters, and the novel is fast-paced look at a darker side of life. Most of us are fortunate to never be the victim of a violent crime, and your loved one disappearing is a particularly brutal example. When the police have been unsuccessful and hope seems lost, Frankie arrives. She is not a retired cop, private detective, well-funded or connected. She is a broke currently sober addict on the run from the demons of her past. She is flawed, relentless and brilliant in her determination. Another fantastic production from Lisa. It is a standalone so don’t delay!

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner (List Price: $27, Dutton, 9781524745042, 1/19/2021)

Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton

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Waiting for the Night Song
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If you only read one book this year, this should be the one. It really puts many current issues such as climate change, immigration, and racism into a perspective you can feel personally by immersing you in the story and letting you identify with the characters in the book. Waiting for the Night Song is a lyrical and amazing story about nature and what will happen if we continue to ignore climate change. It is the story of wonderful, productive and caring people who live in fear because of immigration laws, a story about childhood trauma and the effect it has on the three children involved, a story about determination and doing what you believe is right regardless of the consequences, and above all else it is a heartfelt story about family and friendship and just how far and how many lies one will tell or how many secrets one will keep to protect them. If you loved Where the Crawdads Sing, put this at the top of your list. My favorite quote from the book: “When someone says you’re overreacting, but you know you’re right, keep reacting until it’s over.”

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton (List Price: $26.99, Forge Books, 9781250269188, 1/12/2021)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker

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Happy Singles Day
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Hate-to-love romance fans are going to enjoy this one! Paige is a successful business owner who doesn’t need a man in her life to complete her, but she does need a vacation and a break from work. After finding a secluded beach location to celebrate her being single the day after Valentine’s Day, she meets Lucas the bed and breakfast owner. He’s a real jerk to her–since all he needs in his life is his daughter and sister, he doesn’t need a girlfriend in his life to complicate things. But as they get to know each other during her stay, tensions rise physically and emotionally and they begin to question everything they stand for!

Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker (List Price: $14.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728216492, 1/19/2021)

Reviewed by Deanna Bailey, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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Shipped by Angie Hockman

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Shipped
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Henley has a job she loves at an adventure travel company, but between trying to get ahead there and taking classes for a higher degree, she doesn’t have time for family, friends, or even herself. But when she and a coworker are both up for a big promotion, she goes all in. The only trouble is that the coworker is her nemesis. Ever since he took credit for one of her ideas in his first week at the company, they’ve been at war. So, when as a test for the promotion, she and the dreaded coworker are sent on a cruise to the Galapagos, Henley is less than thrilled. I loved this sweet, friends-to-lovers romance! The wacky hijinks of the cruise, coupled with two people who hate each other, up for the same job, a misfit sister, and a large Russian lothario is a recipe for a fun read!

Shipped by Angie Hockman (List Price: $16, Gallery Books, 9781982151591, 1/19/2021)

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

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What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz

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What Could Be Saved
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I devoured the majority of What Could Be Saved in a single day, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. As the oldest of four children, I’ve always been drawn to family dramas, and nothing strikes my core deeper than imagining the loss of a sibling, which is exactly what drives this novel. Liese O’Halloran Schwarz has created a heartbreakingly beautiful story told through alternating timelines from before and after the Preston family’s only son goes missing while they are living in 1970s Thailand to his sisters’ shocking discovery that he may still be alive in 2019. This is an emotional, meditative story about reconciling and accepting the life we have while making peace with the loss of the life that could have been. The perfect recommendation for readers who enjoy family stories like The Dutch House and The Last Romantics, I know for certain What Could Be Saved will be on my best of 2021 list.

What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz (List Price: $27, Atria Books, 9781982150617, 1/12/2021)

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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