The Southern Bookseller Review 11/8/22

The Southern Bookseller Review Newsletter for the week of November 8, 2022

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The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

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The week of November 8, 2022

Help choose the best Southern books of the year

2023 Southern Book Prize

Southern independent booksellers have selected the finalists for the 2023 Southern Book Prize (SBP), representing bookseller favorites from 2022 that are Southern in nature—either about the South or by a Southern writer.

SBP nominations are submitted by bookseller members of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) and culled from books that have received enthusiastic reviews from Southern booksellers. These 18 finalists, six in each category, received the highest number of nominations, making them a collection of the most beloved “hand sells” in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature of the year.

The finalists make up the 2023 Southern Book Prize ballot at www.southernbookprize.com. Many of the books will be familiar to SBR readers from reviews published in the newsletter. Readers can submit their picks for "Best Southern Book of the Year" through February 1, 2023. Submitted ballots are entered into a raffle to win a set of the finalist titles.

During the voting period, SBR will feature an extra review, spotlighting each of the finalists. The 2023 Southern Book Prize winners will be announced on February 14, 2023, Valentine’s Day — a gift from indie booksellers to readers who love Southern literature!

See the Southern Book Prize Finalists | Vote for your favorites

Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory


Read This Now!

Recommended by Southern indies…

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

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We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
Harper / November 2022


More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

Oh my goodness. I never thought any book would have me weeping more than A Little Life, but Catherine Newman’s We All Want Impossible Things broke that record along the floodgates. This is not to say the novel is a depressing one: in fact, its depictions of life-affirming, forever-friendships veritably burst with love and wit. Newman perfectly captures the confusing contradictions that accompany end-of-life care: the emergencies among the mundanity, the darkly hilarious moments that punctuate the slow-motion, eviscerating heartbreak. Some readers who’ve said goodbye to terminally ill beloveds may find that their wounds are too raw for this novel. I, on the other hand, read it a few months after cancer took a very close friend of mine and I found it to be incredibly cathartic. Many moments were eerily—no, magically!—similar to moments I shared with Becky toward the end. I underlined like mad and scribbled in the margins; more than once I started to make a mental note to share certain excerpts with Becky, knowing she’d recognize herself and our friendship in the words, then remembering she’s not anywhere I can reach her. Five stars. Pairs well with Kathryn Schulz’s Lost & Found and/or Janine Kwoh’s Welcome to the Grief Club.

Reviewed by Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia



Bookseller Buzz

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Spotlight on: Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

 

Tracy Deonn, Photo credit Kathleen Hampton

“Legendborn digs into what it means to be the only in a room. In the United States, we’re still in situations where Black students find themselves in a room and being the only Black person. The book that I wrote is about engaging with, deeply understanding, analyzing, holding on to, [and] reshaping your own Blackness in spaces where it’s being challenged or dismissed by other people.

The other theme that I wanted to really engage with is like the types of stories and the type of people that become legendary. Growing up in North Carolina [and] going to [the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill], [the Confederate monument] Silent Sam was up the entire time I was a student there and was the specter of a certain type of racism. How do these things become memorialized and legendary, and Black American people, whose ancestors were enslaved, get put in a position of absence of knowledge?
” ―Tracy Deonn, Interview, Shondaland

What booksellers are saying about Bloodmarked

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
  • I’ve thought for days about the review I would give this stunning sequel, but accurate words do not come to mind. I was blown away by the rawness and realness of Bloodmarked. Indeed, Tracy Deonn did not shy away from the rampant institutionalized racism built into the foundation of many influential organizations, like the Legendborn Order. Not to mention the Legendborn’s reaction to the revelation of Bree’s true lineage. Their approach to dealing with the ugly truth? Deny, deny, deny. It’s shameful and disgusting and Bree has to shoulder it along with the rising war between her world and the demons set to destroy it. Bree’s growth as a root user, ether user, and as King is stunning to witness. I truly believe this series should be required reading for young readers, not just because of the extraordinary Arthurian fantasy retelling, but because of the way the characters confront their trauma. It’s amazing, everyone needs to get a copy. I cannot stress this enough- READ THIS BOOK!
      ―Laney Sheehan from Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, NC | Buy from Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews

  • Can my review just be me… screaming incoherently? No? Well. Bloodmarked broke me into a million little pieces and left me a changed person in the end who wanted to chunk my arc at the wall but as I also loved it too much to hurt it, I did not do that. I merely shook it very violently and shrieked. Bree and the crew returned for an even more dangerous, action packed adventure with the truth unraveling around them faster than they can even keep up. I’m obsessed with this story, with the characters, and if I could live in it… I would not because I would not survive. Tracy Deonn has crafted an absolutely perfect story and has left me weeping on the floor, waiting for the next installment
      ―Caitlyn Vanorder from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

  • This book absolutely blew me away. Simultaneously a fast-paced fantasy novel and an expertly crafted meditation on Blackness, Bloodmarked had me hooked from page one. I loved the world building outside of UNC, and I cannot wait for the next book- I hope this series goes on forever!
      ―Mary Louise Callaghan from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

About Tracy Deonn

Tracy Deonn is the New York Times bestselling and Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award–winning author of Legendborn, and a second-generation fangirl. She grew up in central North Carolina, where she devoured fantasy books and Southern food in equal measure. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication and performance studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tracy worked in live theater, video game production, and K–12 education. When she’s not writing, Tracy speaks on panels at science fiction and fantasy conventions, reads fanfic, arranges puppy playdates, and keeps an eye out for ginger-flavored everything. She can be found on Twitter at @TracyDeonn and at TracyDeonn.com.

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The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase

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The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase
Viking / November 2022


More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

A pastoral fall pick for dog and animal lovers: this quick read throws you into the 5-year journey of Tamon, a German Shepherd, as he wanders in and out of the lives of his many different grief-stricken, down-and-out owners. This is the first translated works of Seishu Hase, a veteran of the Yakuza crime genre, whose teeth are bared in simple but sweet prose with moments of striking intensity. Struggle, plight, and grief are mirrored between human and animal as each character contends for their own survival and place in the world. Bittersweet, but ultimately a story of returning home in both place and spirit.

Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia



Con/Artist by Tony Tetro

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Con/Artist by Tony Tetro
Hachette Books / November 2022


More Reviews from The Country Bookshop

"To really make a forgery, you have to make something new that never existed and give it a reason for being born." The behind the scenes details of a front page story come to life as Tony Tetro, wild world traveler and accomplished art forger, combines with journalist and documentary film maker Giampiero Ambrosi to create a window into the man behind far reaching art crimes.

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

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

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The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / November 2022


More Reviews from Main Street Books

Newsflash: Lynn Painter is The Queen of the YA rom-com! She has grabbed a hold of this reader’s heart and will not let go. The Do-Over brings us Emilie Hornby, an over-achieving people pleasure who is ready for The Perfect Valentines Day. She has her checklist ready to seize her perfectly planned agenda. Things get off to a rocky start when she wrecks her car on the way to school and has to bum a ride with broody Nick Stark, her chemistry partner. Her day goes off the rails when she spots her perfect-on-paper boyfriend kissing another girl. The nerve! The only thing that could make this day worse is to have to re-live it….and the next morning she wakes up to another Valentine’s Day and so it goes. I enjoyed Lynn’s signature witty banter and sweet love story. The Do-Over will be perfect for any YA Rom Com reader and fans of closed-door romances.

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett

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The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett
Orchard Books / November 2022


More Reviews from Page 158 Books

A modern-day retelling of one of my favorite books as a kid. They don’t change the story, which I liked, they just add some modern takes. So much fun and beautiful. You will want this in your collection!

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

Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels by Serena Blasco

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Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels by Serena Blasco
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / November 2022


More Reviews from Fiction Addiction

Enola Holmes is BACK! The high-spirited independent sister of the World Famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, is back for more adventure and mystery. Enola Holmes has been able to avoid her brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes so far. At the same time she has solved mysteries, and saved lives. Now she is back for more adventures! Can she continue to evade her brothers, or will she finally have to turn to them for help? Where is her mother? Can she actually be found and reunited with her daughter, or has she truly abandoned her family? The beautiful artwork will draw you in, and the storyline will keep you reading. As with all Enola Holmes stories, at the end of each story are fascinating historical notes, such as the language of fans, cyphers, or how to create invisible ink. The Enola Holmes graphic novels are a perfect read for your younger mystery lovers or your young readers who love graphic novels.

Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Read This Next!

Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies…

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

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Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
 Ecco / November 2022


More Reviews M. Judson

An November 2022 Read This Next! Title

Now is Not The Time to Panic covers that wry space between childhood and adulthood – how we want to be seen and how others see us. Frankie and Zeke ask the questions about the nature of art both to the maker and the viewer, what does obsession really look like, and how do things spin out of control so smoothly. All against an early 90s world that may as well be a thousand years ago. The questions of consequences, family and what lies in front of us through a 90s era time warp. The writing is amazing. Sentences that stop you in your tracks. I loved everything about the novel!

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

Southern Bestsellers

What’s popular this week with Southern Readers.

Lucy By the Sea Truly, Madly, Deeply Hail Mary
My Body Pauli Murray

[ See the full list ]

Parting Thought

“It wasn’t until I started reading and found books they wouldn’t let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody else.”
– John Waters

Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com
Editor: Nicki Leone / nicki@sibaweb.com
Advertising: Linda-Marie Barrett / lindamarie@sibaweb.com
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