|
|
|
|
The week of November 8, 2022 Help choose the best Southern books of the year 
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 Adult Fiction, Women 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 |
 |
|
Spotlight on: Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
“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. What booksellers are saying about Bloodmarked 
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. |
 |
|
|
The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase Adult Fiction, Animal, Friendship, Japan, World Literature 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 Adult Nonfiction, Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions, True Crime "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 Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction 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 Adaptations, Children, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Juvenile Fiction 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 Children, Comics & Graphic Novels, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery& Detective 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 Adult Fiction, Coming of Age 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. |
[ 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.” |
Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive The Southern Bookseller Review.
Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you no longer wish to receive these communications.