The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Humorous

Wellness by Nathan Hill

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Wellness by Nathan Hill
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Nathan Hill has done it again! Wellness is so good, I think my heart both broke and grew at the same time, while reading it. Hill’s ability to capture both the beauty and horror of life are astounding. There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t want to spoil the magic of it for other readers! "Behind curtains, this, he thinks, is what lovers do-they are alchemists and architects; they invent the world around them." Indeed, this is what lovers do. Thank you for this wonderful book!

Wellness by Nathan Hill, (List Price: 30, Knopf, 9780593536117, September 2023)

Reviewed by Jessica Osborne, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

My Shadow Is Yours by Edoardo Nesi

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My Shadow Is Yours by Edoardo Nesi
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It is rare that I burst into tears reading the last sentence of a novel. I can count the number of times it has happened on one hand. Bawdy, ballsy, and brainy, My Shadow Is Yours is also tender and wise. A recent college graduate is hired to accompany a reclusive middle-aged novelist on a road trip to Milan. There he is scheduled to speak to an audience for the first time in 25 years when his one and only cultural landmark of a novel was published. As they travel across Italy, they bond over women, wine, and have violent, intensely personal arguments about life. Crushing and raw, caustic and funny. For me, it was perfection!

My Shadow Is Yours by Edoardo Nesi, (List Price: 16.99, Other Press, 9781635420685, September 2023)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale

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The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale
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A trilobite has a dream to become famous and it gets silly from there; what’s not to love? Nathan Hale has crafted a delightfully wacky, hilarious, and clever graphic novel filled with ape gods, extinct animals, Amber the walking whale, a video-making contest, and a floating talking cat head. Pure fun!

The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale, (List Price: 14.99, Harry N. Abrams, 9781419765537, April 2023)

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

Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree, Vol. 1 by Nikiichi Tobita

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Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree, Vol. 1 by Nikiichi Tobita
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I knew that someone was writing a comedy manga around the world of Elden Ring, but I didn’t know it was going to hit this level of scale! Following the journey that everyone who played the game also had, except this tale takes the world and twists the situations into joking situations. Very clever idea. I hope this is able to be continued until the conclusion.

Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree, Vol. 1 by Nikiichi Tobita, (List Price: 13, Yen Press, 9781975364892, May 2023)

Reviewed by Ethan Davis, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

Confidence by Rafael Frumkin

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Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
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Born con-artist Ezra Green meets Orson Ortman as a teenager, which kicks off a string of schemes and phony businesses. They hit the big time when they dream up NuLife, a process to increase bliss, and target the rich, powerful, and gullible. Ezra’s a scam artist, and would do anything it takes to protect Orson and their business. And even though his morals are undoubtedly questionable, I found myself rooting for him as he slowly loses his vision and remains as desperately in love with Orson as he was when they first met.

Confidence by Rafael Frumkin, (List Price: , Simon & Schuster, 9781982189730, March 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Hardin, Snail on the Wall in Huntington, Alabama

Good Men by Arnon Grunberg

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Good Men by Arnon Grunberg
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For a book that claims to “chart the downfall” of its protagonist, I knew the ride I was potentially in for. However, the end of the book seems to kick the reader down a notch as well. The trainwreck rubbernecker in me really loved the first 3/4ths of this one: just-a-guy, content with his simple job, generic work friends, paint-by-most-numbers marriage and run-of-the-offbrand-mill child(ren), marking off each on his failure checklist. These tragedies are handled in such off kilter ways, laced with a stealthy wit, to keep the story fresh and engaging without the need to step it up to a fast pace. And though I didn’t NOT like the final quarter, where people are just plain disgusting (the reader just as lackadaisically unobservant as our “hero” to the clues displayed throughout), the final lap just felt like the author rubbing your face in the filth of life. But then again, the book’s a self-proclaimed downfall chart. Please watch your feet as you exit the ride.

Good Men by Arnon Grunberg, (List Price: 18.95, Open Letter, 9781948830652, May 2023)

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenezf
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Is there such a thing as a meet-ugly? Out of an utterly disastrous first "meeting" (they didn’t actually even meet, just started jumping to wrong conclusions) grew a ten-tissue romance for the ages. I also was delighted that the town of Wakan, the actual seemingly "inanimate" objects in the vaguely magical town, such a huge silent character in Part of Your World, got a bit role in Yours Truly. No one does foreshadowing like Abby Jimenez.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, (List Price: 16.99, Forever, 9781538704394, April 2023)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

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Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
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This book is a masterpiece!!!!! Where to begin?! From the very first page, the narrator captivates the reader’s attention and affections. She is incredibly passionate and strong, while perfecting a gritty, humorous commentary that was absolutely intoxicating. The story itself shared a vital perspective- specifically that of a queer, Sri Lankan woman. Her story highlighted the perilous, and at times, violent nature of performative activism without the presence of active, internalized antiracism practices. It was truly an enthralling novel. Priya Guns is an incredibly talented author and I cannot wait to read their other novel(s) and rave about them!

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns, (List Price: $26, Doubleday, 9780385549301, February 2023)

Reviewed by Finn Fletcher, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp

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The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp
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The Wolf Suit is an absolutely charming picture book about anxiety through the eyes of a sheep in wolf’s clothing.

The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp, (List Price: $19.99, Annick Press, 9781773217208, October 2022)

Reviewed by Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco

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Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco
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Multiplying mice, sugary shapes, and family fractions star in this charming collection that practically shouts : Math is FUN!

Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick, 9781536201161, October 2022)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Rooster Fighter, Vol. 1 by Shu Sakuratani

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Rooster Fighter, Vol. 1 by Shu Sakuratani
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Rooster Fighter is a mad little manga about a rooster who kills demons. This inherently silly premise is played straight and hilariously so–the art and the fights are often epic and without gags: The gag is the premise itself. It’s a wonderful manga for people who don’t take things too seriously. Or keep chickens.

Rooster Fighter, Vol. 1 by Shu Sakuratani, (List Price: $12.99, VIZ Media LLC, 9781974729845, August 2022)

Reviewed by Alex Mcleod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Search by Michelle Huneven

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Search by Michelle Huneven
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A novel written as a memoir of Dana Potowski (who is also a restaurant critic) chosen as one of eight members of her church’s search committee for a new senior minister. This is a wonderful story of diverse ages and personalities striving to reach a decision that adheres to their mission and is best for all, regardless of their personal opinions – and each of the members has an opinion. I loved this book and stayed up way past my bedtime reading it because I couldn’t put it down.

Search by Michelle Huneven, (List Price: $27, Penguin Press, 9780593300053, April 2022)

Reviewed by Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder

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Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder
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A behind-the-scenes look into politics and what goes into keeping secrets even for a good politician. This book is filled with current event topics and the story of a family discovering themselves. Funny and poignant in parts. This is one to read for pure pleasure.

Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder, (List Price: $27.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250243775,  April 2022)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder

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Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder
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A woman running for the US senate, a son who’s floundering in academia and in his love life, and a daughter who’s off protesting in France and beginning a relationship with a dangerous right-winger–what could possibly go wrong?! It’s safe to say that no one writes family dysfunction quite like Grant Ginder. Hilarious, shocking, and astoundingly entertaining, you’ll read this book in one sitting and be devastated when it’s over.

Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder, (List Price: $27.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250243775,  April 2022)

Reviewed by Jen Minor, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sway with Me by Syed M. Masood

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Sway with Me by Syed M. Masood
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Arsalan is an old soul…which he gets from living with his great-grandfather Nana, who is over 100 and imparts all of his wisdom and eccentricities to Arsalan. When Arsalan starts contemplating how alone he will be when his Nana dies and all he’s left with is an abusive father he hasn’t seen in years, he decides to approach Beenish, the stepdaughter of a prominent desi matchmaker, for help to arrange a marriage. Beenish’s condition is that Arsalan partner with her for a dance designed to scandalize at her sister’s upcoming wedding. Even though everything about Arsalan and Beenish is at odds, Arsalan finds himself drawn in to Beenish’s world, finding friends and relationships he didn’t know he needed — including with Beenish. Fans of Masood’s first book, More Than Just a Pretty Face, will like this one just as much.

Sway with Me by Syed M. Masood, (List Price: 17.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316492416, November 2021)

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina


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