The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Creativity

Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum

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Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum
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This book is an absolute love letter to reading. It’s a perfect collection for anyone who has ever found comfort in a story, whether you’re a lifelong bibliophile or just looking to reconnect with the joy of reading. The author beautifully reminds us why the written word is so essential and opens your eyes to the universal power of books. I can’t wait to share this one with all my book-loving friends.

Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum, (List Price: $27.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639737796, December 2025)

Reviewed by Kimberly Todd, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann

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Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann
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Loved reading Sally Mann’s Art Work: On the Creative Life, specifically because she makes the creative life so accessible. She reminds us of the real jobs alongside the artist doing the passionate work of art making and the passionate pursuit of the artist. The practicality of being an artist- the scheduling of creativity- becomes a demystifying act of the creative process through this book. Peppered with typewritten excerpts and ephemera from her adulthood- life alongside her art, Sally Mann’s book Art Work is a joy to read.

Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann, (List Price: $35, ABRAMS, 9781419780714, September 2025)

Reviewed by Kimberley Daniels, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Dear Writer by Maggie Smith

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Dear Writer by Maggie Smith
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So much more than a “how-to,” this book is a perfect primer for cultivating creativity within oneself. A cheerleader of a book in the best sense, it gives exercises to expand one’s artistic soul. This is a winner of a book and one to return to over and over and over.

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith, (List Price: $28.99, Washington Square Press, 9781982170844, April 2025)

Reviewed by Johanna Hynes, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

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The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
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The Creative Act: A Way of Being is a thoughtful exploration of life, how we live, how we think, how we are influence and obviously, how we create. Organized in very readable small chunks- this book is something to appeal to people wanting to shop in the religious section, personal growth as well as arts and music. Profound insights into how we exist are revealed throughout the book wordsmith into attractively consumable bites. By the end of the book, the reader will be inspired and possibly changed forever. This is a book for all ages but also is a book that will be the absolute best graduation gift of 2023.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9780593652886, January 2023)

Reviewed by Kimberly Daniels, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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