The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Adult Nonfiction

Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz

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Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz
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An exquisite view into the inextricable relationship among love, grief, and hope, Kathryn Schulz’s Lost & Found is a masterpiece. It’s been a while since I’ve underlined so many sentences and created marginalia—from page one, it felt as if I myself was part of Schulz’s story. Her metaphors are spot-on and stunning; her fondness for research and etymology manage to deepen our relationship to the work instead of distancing us. Five stars. I’ve already created a mile-long list of loved ones who will, like me, treasure this memoir.

Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz, (List Price: 27, Random House, 9780525512462, January 2022)

Reviewed by Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia


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White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad

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White Tears/Brown Scars
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White Tears/Brown Scars is an eye opening book for anyone like me who has not experienced racism on a daily basis. As a white woman, I felt I was the perfect audience for what Ruby Hamad had to say. While discussing race and racism is an uncomfortable topic for many people, Ruby shows us the importance of remaining calm, seeing, and hearing the concerns of our BIPOC colleagues, friends and neighbors. I truly appreciated this book.

White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad, (List Price: $16.95, Catapult, 9781948226745, October 2021)

Reviewed by Sophie Giroir, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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The Last Nomad by Shugri Said Salh

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The Last Nomad
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Reading The Last Nomad is like sitting with the author at a table with a cup a tea as she tells the story of her remarkable upbringing in Somalia. In candid, compelling prose, she shares her life as a nomad with her clan in the Somali desert, as a town dweller with her polygamous family and as a refugee from the civil war which tore her country apart. The lives of Somali women are the centerpieces of this engaging memoir, inviting us to understand their resilience and strength as they navigate their traditional and shifting roles in Africa and North America.

The Last Nomad by Shugri Said Salh, (List Price: $26.95, Algonquin Books, 9781643750675, August 2021)

Reviewed by Lia Lent, Wordsworth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas

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Between the Lines by Uli Beutter Cohen

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Between the Lines
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From the creator behind Subway Book Review, this is the newest Humans of New York, but for book lovers. This is a collection of short interviews Cohen conducted on the subway of New York City, documenting not only everyone’s reading list but also creating a conversation and connection. From beloved classics to niche dog-eared, worn books, this covers just about every genre you could think of. What I really love about this book is that it could’ve just as easily been a book full of tiny book reviews, but it’s something much more intimate. Cohen does a great job of telling these people’s stories all in about 400 words each. There’s representation of everyone; queer, trans, all races, all occupations. It’s raw, gorgeous and executed so flawlessly I can’t get enough of it.

Between the Lines by Uli Beutter Cohen, (List Price: $24.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781982145675, October 2021)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Nation on No Map by William C. Anderson

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The Nation On No Map
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In this inviting, direct manifesto, William C. Anderson outlines the influences and differentiating points about Black anarchism, outlines its necessity, and offers rebuttals to naysayers across the political spectrum. The Nation on No Map is concise, yet powerful and perfect reading if one is looking to charter further ideological horizons.

The Nation on No Map by William C. Anderson, (List Price: $15.00, AK Press, 9781849354349, November 2021)

Reviewed by Conor Hultman, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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A Killer by Design by Ann Wolbert Burgess

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A Killer by Design
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You probably know the names of John Douglass and Robert Ressler, the mind hunters of the FBI. But it was Ann Burgess who helped develop a more scientific way to interview serial killers and serial rapists in order to catch future criminals. Burgess caught the eye of the FBI because of her groundbreaking research into rape offenders, and she brought her analytical mind to what is now the Behavioral Science Unit. A must read for any true crime buff, and a fascinating look into the early days of profiling.

A Killer by Design by Ann Wolbert Burgess, (List Price: $28.00, Hachette Books, 9780306924866, December 2021)

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Cooking at Home by David Chang

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Cooking at Home
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This cookbook is excellent if you’re ready to level up by learning to cook without recipes (like my husband) or if you are terrible at cooking and just think it’s interesting to read about (like me). Highly recommend to cooks/eaters of all skill levels.

Cooking at Home by David Chang, (List Price: $35.00, Clarkson Potter, 9781524759247, October 2021)

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

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The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cuong Pham

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The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cook Book
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I’m a member of the Red Boat fish sauce cult and looking forward to new recipes to try with this sauce.

The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cuong Pham, (List Price: $25.00, Mariner Books, 9780358410973, October 2021)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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PEN: An Illustrated History by Carles Torner

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PEN
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PEN International believes as I do that freedom of speech is the fundamental tool against repression, racism, and terror. I congratulate them on their 100-year anniversary! 

PEN: An Illustrated History by Carles Torner, (List Price: 59.95, Interlink Publishing Group Inc, 9781623719029, November 2021)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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I’m Dreaming of a Chris for Christmas by Robb Pearlman

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I'm Dreaming of a Chris for Christmas
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Winning the award for most asked for stocking stuffer on the Fountain staff! Not just coloring Chrises, but Chris crosswords, Chris mazes, connect-the-Chrises, and more! PG-rated, this collections brings together Chrises from Hollywood, music, and sports. Obviously Hemsworth, Evans, Pine, and Pratt, but also Rock, Rinaldi, Jericho, Walken (in-a-Winter-Wonderland), and more! Seriously, I’m cracking up just looking at it.

I’m Dreaming of a Chris for Christmas by Robb Pearlman, (List Price: $14.95, Smart Pop, 9781637740200, November 2021)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Yes, You Can Wear That by Abby Hoy

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Yes, You Can Wear That
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I am forever in search of great body-positive reads and Abby Hoy nails it. This book is a perfect combination of pictures and her memoir. It is inspiring and confidence-building and I immediately followed her on social media to get more gorgeous outfit ideas and self love. Every body is a good body and yes, you CAN wear that!

Yes, You Can Wear That by Abby Hoy, (List Price: $24.99, Tiller Press, 9781982155582, November 2021)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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This Boy We Made by Taylor Harris

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This Boy We Made
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This Boy We Made is heart-wrenching. I couldn’t put it down. As a mother I was absolutely enveloped in the author’s journey through this incredibly difficult time in her life. At every turn I was in awe of her grace in dealing with what life continued to throw at her.

This Boy We Made by Taylor Harris, (List Price: $26.00, Catapult, 9781948226844, January 2022)

Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Booze Over Broadway by Tiller Press

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Booze Over Broadway
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Booze Over Broadway combines two of my favorite things: Broadway and fun drinks! Needless to say I was overjoyed to stumble across this book. The names of the drinks are witty, the commentary is deeply amusing, and the content of the recipes are tasty and fun! I can’t wait to buy myself a copy of this book for my cookbook collection.

Booze Over Broadway by Tiller Press, (List Price: $19.99, Tiller Press, 9781982160005, December 2021)

Reviewed by Mary Louise Callaghan, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Going There by Katie Couric

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Going There
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Katie Couric—her name brings to mind that fabulous smile and the many times we have all viewed her on CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and the Today Show as well as her own show Katie. What we all knew about her skills and intelligence on air, we knew little of her personal life before this revealing book. Yes, we knew about her husband Jay and his tragic passing from cancer and her successful efforts in cancer awareness. What’s revealing in Going There is the behind-the-scenes Katie—her childhood, her eating disorders, her love life, her daughters, her wishes of what she could have done better and her accomplishments. We also relive the past forty years of news stories with her takes on history. This book is our story of the past forty years through Katie Couric’s knowledgeable view. And after reading this book, we have all spent time with a friend we may never meet personally.

Going There by Katie Couric, (List Price: $30.00, Little, Brown and Company, 9780316535861, October 2021)

Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Like Crazy by Dan Mathews

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Like Crazy
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I don’t know whether to call this an ‘end of life’ story…or a memoir…or a roomie rom-com…or a family saga.. but I do know I couldn’t wait to see what happened next in Perry & Dan’s Great Adventure/Social Experiment. Such wide ranging appeal I’m not sure if it will go in our non-fiction section…or our Pride shelves.. or the memoir table…humor…maybe all of them!! Zaniest, craziest true story of a boy and his momma…and yes, it will bring you to tears—of laughter, joy and a wee bit of sadness.

Like Crazy by Dan Mathews, (List Price: $27.00, Atria Books, 9781501199981, August 2020)

Reviewed by Jamie Anderson, Downtown Books in Manteo, North Carolina

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