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Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox

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Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox
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With this essay collection, Rachel Knox invites us to her reunion – a family reunion where our warmest childhood memories pass a beer to freshly unearthed secrets; a high school reunion where the fragile but brave new identity of an escapee seeks the glance of an old crush. These essays are by turns inquisitive, piercing, and funny – but you don’t have to be from Florida, or even want to go there, to be moved by this book. You just have to have a hometown and know what it feels like to leave it, only to discover it’ll never leave you.

Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox, (List Price: $28, University Press of Florida, 9780813081519, March 2026)

Reviewed by Candice, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida

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Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion by Chris DeVille

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Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion by Chris DeVille
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Calling all indie rock fans! This is the music history book we didn’t know we needed, and for many millennials, it’s about the soundtrack to our teenage years and young adulthoods. With sharp descriptions, thorough research, personal narratives, and self-deprecating humor, Chris DeVille explores the definition of “indie”; the role The OC and other early 2000s media played in popularizing the genre; its intersections with EDM, folk, hip hop, and pop; and much more. Each chapter opens with a playlist on which you’ll find old favorites and maybe also discover some songs you missed when they were first released. Reading this brought back lots of memories and was the most fun I’ve had with a book in a long time!

Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion by Chris DeVille, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250363381, August 2025)

Reviewed by Sarah Rhu, Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, North Carolina

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Dickens and Prince by Nick Hornby

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Dickens and Prince by Nick Hornby
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This was a quick and fun read about two seemingly incredibly different individuals who actually had much more in common than I knew. Hornby’s writing is engaging and funny as always. I came away with some fantastic trivia knowledge and a greater appreciation for both Charles Dickens and Prince. This will be a hit with the pop culture nerds.

Dickens and Prince by Nick Hornby, (List Price: $18, Riverhead Books, 9780593541821, November 2022)

Reviewed by Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

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My Body by Emily Ratajkowski
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As a society, we have become wired to see women – especially those in the spotlight – as objects to use to our satisfaction to the point that it is difficult for women to see how we are being used. Emily Ratajkowski has experienced this time and time again as a model and actress – used for her body and being made to feel as though she does not own herself. Throughout these stories, readers are shown how Emily Ratajkowski was and still is treated. This book feels like catching up with an old friend and letting it all out. Ratajkowski discusses important topics that will force you to restructure the way you think of the women who “entertain” you.

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski, (List Price: $26.00, Metropolitan Books, 9781250817860, November 2021)

Reviewed by Stephanie Carrion, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida


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