The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Fiction

First Position by Melanie Hamrick

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First Position by Melanie Hamrick
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The trope of the lovable anti-hero is beaten out only by that of the detestable anti-hero. Sylvie Carter is inherently unlikable, the hapless victim of every event of the story, including her own poor decisions, the least of which is becoming sexually involved with yet another member of her ballet company, even after the first affair launched her fall from grace. Possibly the most frustrating character since Scarlet O’Hara, her narration is filled with shocking scandal and incredibly loving description of a professional dancer’s lifestyle – and I adored every page.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick, (List Price: 17, Berkley, 9780593638149, June 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Graben, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Wolfsong by TJ Klune

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Wolfsong by TJ Klune
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This is my first foray into TJ Klune (I know, I know, I’m behind the times) and I have to say, I loved Wolfsong! I had only read YA gay love stories and it was such an interesting change up reading a book written for gay men opposed to women attempting to write gay men. I loved Ox and how he developed his pack. I also loved that he was just a "What you see is what you get" kind of guy. Not everyone in the world is a deep thinker or an overthinker. And we need a balance. The only thing I didn’t care for was Ox being attracted to Joe when he was still a few months underage. I know that there wasn’t a power imbalance in their relationship, but I’ve seen a lot of hate groups accusing LGBT people of intentionally targeting young people, so I would be afraid for someone who has not read the story in its entirety to judge wrongly from that fact alone.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune, (List Price: $29.99, Tor Books, 9781250890313, July 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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The Apartment by Ana Menéndez

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The Apartment by Ana Menéndez
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I feel now as if I live in apartment 2B. Having lived in it through the decades that Menendez’ book covers, I feel that its bumpy floors and cast iron pan are a part of me now, too. The writing here was lovely and the pace meditative. Menendez fleshed out each life that touched this apartment so effectively that I felt I had visited them when a new chapter begun. The characters were vivid and real, and the place work was so strong that Miami Beach was a character in itself. Highly recommend this one.

The Apartment by Ana Menéndez, (List Price: 27, Counterpoint, 9781640095830, June 2023)

Reviewed by Becca Sloan, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

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Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca
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Eric Larocca’s newest novel Everything the Darkness Eats weaves cosmic horror with small town prejudice into a tale of creeping dread. Larocca never shies away from the gruesome or the traumatic and weaves these darkest parts alongside love. This Connecticut town is neither cozy nor warm, and is instead full of mysterious and bizarre disappearances, unrestrained bigotry and the dark effects of its most powerful resident Mr. Crowley. Interweaving two resident’s attempts to uncover and stop the horror, Larocca forces his characters to reckon with what means the most to them and to what lengths they’ll go for closure, revenge, and love. Perfect for fans of Clive Barker and other cosmic horror.

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca, (List Price: 16.95, CLASH Books, 9781955904278, June 2023)

Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao

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The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao
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It is a slow burn in the beginning because the surroundings and terms are unfamiliar and confusing. However, even though it remains confusing, it is a gripping story different from anything I have read. The characters are difficult but interesting. It is wonderful to think of a flying city but sad to think of a world in violent turmoil that doesn’t allow them to land. It has a surprising ending that is ‘eyebrow raising.’

The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao, (List Price: 16.95, Titan Books, 9781803361246, June 2023)

Reviewed by Robin, A Novel Escape in Franklin, North Carolina

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Zero Days by Ruth Ware

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Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati
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Gabe and Jacinta are professional "hackers" hired by companies to investigate security weaknesses. After one such investigation, Jacinta returns home to find Gabe murdered. When Jacinta realizes she’s the prime suspect, she runs, trying to survive long enough to discover who murdered Gabe and why. You will be racing with her, pursuing the culprit in an effort to prevent his escape and stop Zero Day and disaster. You may recognize this story as a 21st century version of the movie, The Fugitive, with similar action and suspense. Zero Days…another exciting thriller by Ruth Ware!

Zero Days by Ruth Ware, (List Price: 29.99, Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982155292, June 2023)

Reviewed by Karen Solar, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

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The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
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Loved this book! Jack Masterson, the famous author of the Clock Island children’s series has finally written another installment after years as a recluse. He announces a contest where the winner will receive the only copy of the new book. Lucy Hart is a down on her luck teachers aide in California. She wants nothing better than to adopt Christopher a bright 7 year old orphan that she has become attached to. But with her financial instability it looks like that may never happen. Unexpectedly Lucy receives an invitation to come to Clock Island and be a participant in Jack’s contest. Could this be the miracle she and Christopher need? A heartwarming book that has an absolutely gorgeous cover.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, (List Price: 28, Ballantine Books, 9780593598832, May 2023)

Reviewed by Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

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Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

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Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
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An exhilarating, edge-of-your-seat ride, a tender and triumphantly queer journey, and a groundbreaking masterwork of science fiction about fascism, deradicalization, war and peace…Some Desperate Glory is destined for not only the highest heights of Best Of lists and award nominations (or there is no justice in this reality or any other!), but fierce love from fans and frenzied recommendations from readers like this one.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, (List Price: $28.99, Tordotcom, 9781250834980, April 2023)

Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia

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The Say So by Julia Franks

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The Say So by Julia Franks
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A June 2023 Read This Next! Title

This is such a smart novel about the true power of our choices. It made me think about my own mother and daughter, and how the act of motherhood is as fundamental as it is complex. It’s also a sharp picture of transformation in our little corner of the South. What a great book for book club discussion!

The Say So by Julia Franks, (List Price: 28, Hub City Press, 9798885740074, June 2023)

Reviewed by Ashley Warlick, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby

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All Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
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A June 2023 Read This Next! Title

Mr. Cosby has upped the ante once again! Instead of down at the heel ne’er do wells searching for something better he has segued to a sheriff fighting the ills permeating the air of his small town. Bad air that wasn’t know until a school shooting that opens up a veritable Pandora’s box of evil and depravity. Written in his inimitable style, strong yet compassionate, he gets deep into the heart and soul of his characters and makes them come alive like no one else writing today.

All Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, (List Price: 27.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250831910, June 2023)

Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

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Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

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Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig
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Chang-Eppig’s debut novel is a thriller from the first page – reading this book is like watching a pirate battle come to life! The perfect blend of action and historical fiction, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a thriller from the very first page! Rita Chang-Eppig brings Chinese pirate Shek Yeung to life in such vivid detail that you can’t help but feel like you’re fighting alongside this ruthless warrior. The story is so gripping you won’t want it to stop, but you’ll be dying to know how it ends. A must-read for anyone who loves a historical thriller!

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig, (List Price: 28.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639730377, June 2023)

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

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Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess

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Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess
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This one’s complicated. I picked it up with the expectation that I’d read just enough to confirm my guess that it’d be too cringey to stomach – because it’s about a liberal Black woman and a moderate-to-conservative white man who fall in love. But I quickly found that this book is NOT a romance, at least not in any genre sense. There’s romance in it, and certainly some heady chemistry, but it’s way more nuanced than that. Through the lens of this problematic relationship (which will spike your blood pressure and keep it high, I promise), Rabess interrogates identity–both individual and in-group–in a really brilliant, intensely readable, morally complex way.

The big question here is: can someone’s care for you as an individual outweigh their lack of understanding/care for you as a member of an identity group? How does complicity in systems of power–the main character works in finance–play a role in that determination? It’s extremely tangled, and Rabess doesn’t provide answers. Just really adept storytelling.

Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess, (List Price: 27.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781982187705, June 2023)

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

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Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams
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Stacey Abrams does it again with another scintillating page-turner. Rogue Justice picks up right where While Justice Sleeps left off, and this time Avery is thrown into a plot involving hacking, cryptocurrency, and energy grids. I definitely learn something every time I read a book by Stacey Abrams!

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams, (List Price: 29, Doubleday, 9780385548328, May 2023)

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

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At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich

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At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich
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Out of necessity, Laura has chosen to live a simpler, yet, courageous life in a secluded, rustic cabin in the woods on the outskirts of an Italian village. Necessity turns into a reorganization of priorities, which I wholly admire, as Laura shares her thoughts with the reader on living with nature, interacting with others, and what it means to survive. Beautiful.

At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich, (List Price: 26, Two Dollar Radio, 9781953387318, June 2023)

Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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The Nature Book by Tom Comitta

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The Nature Book by Tom Comitta
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A deftly experimental book that seeks to portray a world sans humans, Nature Book borrows from a history of rich, descriptive prose to reconstruct the cycles of days, seasons, and migrations as they continue quiet and unobserved, separate from human society. And yet, human description and literary convention make up the entirety of this story! This beautifully avant garde novel from an organic and unfettered nonbinary perspective is an awe-inducing teleportation into a beautiful cosmos and a rapidly changing climate as captured throughout the history of literature. Great for reading piecemeal or overwhelmingly all at once.

The Nature Book by Tom Comitta, (List Price: $17.95, Coffee House Press, 9781566896634, March 2023)

Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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