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The week of August 5, 2025 The Bookstores of Atlanta (Part I) August is the month when Southern indie bookstores meet for their annual trade conference to talk to publishers about the books coming out in the fall. This year the conference was held in Atlanta, and one of the things all the booksellers did was tour some of the many bookstores in the greater Atlanta area. This week and next SBR introduces some of those stores. The city is home to an amazing number of diverse bookshops, each with their own unique character and mission. 
Books & Brew is a place where people can socialize, work, and find comfort throughout the day and into the evening. Their beer selection is a rotating list of local and seasonal brews, and they curate a selection of bestsellers, new releases, and used books. Books & Brew strives to be a place where people can connect their love for books with their appreciation for spirits. Learn more by following them @thebooksandbrew. 
Atlanta Vintage Books is a neighborhood bookstore in one of Atlanta’s most ethnically diverse and vibrant communities. Their 5,000 square foot bookstore holds over 75,000 vintage, collectible, and used books. Don’t let the “Vintage” in the name fool you! While they do have a considerable collection of rare and vintage books, most of their inventory is gently used books covering a wide range of subjects. Learn more by following them @atlantavintagebooks. 
Open since 1979 in Atlanta’s Toco Hills neighborhood, Tall Tales is a locally owned and operated, full-service independent bookstore. Known for its cozy atmosphere and friendly staff, the shop offers a wide selection of books across various genres, including fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, and more. It frequently hosts author events, book signings, and readings, making it a vibrant hub for book lovers and literary enthusiasts. The store’s commitment to fostering a love for reading and supporting local authors has made it a cherished destination for both locals and visitors. Learn more by following them @talltalesbooks. 
Brave + Kind Bookshop is a Black owned, women led children’s bookstore that thoughtfully curates a selection of diverse, classic, artful stories, creative workshops, story clubs and special gifts. Located in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur, they offer a space that prioritizes inclusivity and representation. Besides children’s books, Brave + Kind holds workshops, camps, multilingual story times, parties, and more. Owner Bunnie Hilliard says the best part of being a bookseller is helping people see themselves or their loved ones in stories. Learn more by following them @braveandkindbooks. 
Together with their nonprofit programming partner, Charis Circle, Charis Books and More fosters sustainable feminist communities, works for social justice, and encourages the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. They are the South’s oldest independent feminist bookstore, celebrating radical and independent voices in the South since 1974. They specialize in diverse and unique children’s books, feminist, and cultural studies books, books on anti-racism and ending white supremacy, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer fiction and nonfiction. Learn more by following them @charisbooksandmore. Bookstore profiles by Candice Huber, SIBA Membership Coordinator.
Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst Fantasy, Fiction, Romance Sarah Beth Durst is such a skillful writer. The Enchanted Greenhouse is a return to the world introduced in The Spellshop, but is a standalone novel. This is the story of Terlu Perna, the Librarian who created a sentient plant out of loneliness. As punishment, she is turned into a statue and displayed in the Library she worked in. Next, she awakens, freezing in the snow, hungry, and confused. She was brought to an island and awoken by a very grumpy gardener. The island is full of failing enchanted greenhouses. Terlu agrees to help the gardener and a sentient rose save the greenhouses. The coziest of cozy books! Terlu is such a lovely character! We have another winged cat, flying mini dragons, a strong and silent baking gardener, and lots of plants! Durst had me hanging on every word. Reviewed by Sarai Rivera, Spellbound Bookstore in Sanford, Florida |
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The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology For fans of Peter S. Beagle, Sachar’s adult debut is the story of a magician called to facilitate a (reluctant) princess’s marriage to a powerful king. Balancing the demands of monarchs with the passions of young lovers, the magician’s story is a fun, pseudo-classic fairy tale. Reviewed by Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia |
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One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun Adult Fiction, Fiction, Magical Realism A sad book that makes you feel starry-eyed and sweet doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, and if it did, do you even want to read right? Bringing romantic realism and magical realizing to the table, Shadows gives us love in the time of gentrification, at a pace somewhere between meandering and stopping-to-look-for-the-rose-smell, sparking the part of your brain that releases the morose and dreamy warm fuzzies. Also: unruly shadows: gotta keep an eye on those. Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
― Xenobe Purvis, Interview, Indies Introduce, American Booksellers Association The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis 
Xenobe Purvis was born in Tokyo in 1990. She studied English Literature at the University of Oxford, has an MA in creative writing from Royal Holloway, and was part of the London Library’s Emerging Writers Programme. She is a writer and literary researcher, with essays published in the Times Literary Supplement, the London Magazine, and elsewhere. |
There are many examples of this kind of thing throughout history. I was actually inspired by a specific historical event; I came across the true story of a village in Oxfordshire in the 1700s in which a great rumor was said to be spreading that five sisters had been “seized with frequent barking in the manner of dogs.” I was obviously fascinated to imagine how the girls’ community would have responded to their case, and how this rumor spreading might easily have become dangerous and even violent…I agree [that the] incredibly sinister aspect of Shirley Jackson’s work, the vilification of the mundane…is definitely terrain that The Hounding shares with Jackson’s stories. Like her, I’m very interested in thinking about the everyday awfulness of people, but I also wanted to try to understand even my most detestable characters. I really wanted to find a degree of sympathy for all of them in order to inhabit their thoughts and feelings.
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A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews Adult Fiction, Fiction, Magical Realism 
An August Read This Next! Title Toews is an author unlike any other; the personal nature of her writing is global in its appeal. This autobiographical work uses a pastiche—a literary conceit that requires Toews to answer the question "Why do I write?" — to send Toews toward herself and the request her late sister asked of her. If my sister is gone, what does it mean to write to her still? asks the author. At its core—and this book is all core — this book entreats a reader to feel the most difficult emotions. It reminds us not to leave each other alone. Being together may not save us—it did not save Toews’s sister—but Miriam Toews argues that feeling together is still worth doing. Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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What Is Wrong with Men by Jessa Crispin Adult Nonfiction, Feminism & Feminist Theory, Social Science Exceptional cultural criticism that convincingly and insightfully mines the seemingly disposable popular commercial ’80s to early ’00s films of Michael Douglas to expose the political, cultural, and sociological currents thrumming beneath the surface (or, at times, on the surface) of the texts and roiling through America. A terrific and fun read, while also being exemplary of the form for cultural criticism written for a general audience. Reviewed by Matt Nixon, A Cappella Books in Atlanta, Georgia |
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Fateless by Julie Kagawa Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction It was so awesome being back in a world created by Julie Kagawa. It’s so easy to get swept up in her world-building and storytelling. It did take a little bit to get into, but I truly think that is only because of the immense world-building needed. The only problem I have now is how long do I have to wait for book 2?!? Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Oxford, North Carolina |
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The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall Children, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Orphans & Foster Homes Gwen MacKinnon has spent much of the eleven short years of her life feeling unwanted, but it only takes two weeks in a small Massachusetts town–plus one unruly dog, an enthusiastic four-year-old, the coolest older cousin, the corniest uncle, some love and attention, and an entire clan of tiny, winged creatures convinced she is destined to be a hero–for Gwen to understand that home isn’t just a word. This new book by Jeanne Birdsall is absolutely worth the wait (tbh I needed the time, I’m still recovering from The Penderwicks in Spring), full of Birdsall’s signature heart and community love, with some very unique world-building for the lore of the Lahdukan. Gwen is a delightful character to join on her journey of fate, discovery, and courage. Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction A burnt-out teen joins a local theater program in this delightful story for fans of Eliza, From Scratch. Finding solace in messaging with Peri, the bear in their production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Angelica works to uncover his true identity, finding community and new love along the way. Reviewed by Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (10th Anniversary Edition) by Sherman Alexie Banned Books, Class Differences, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction Simultaneously heartbreaking and humorous. A fictionalized tale of the author’s life as a young teen, chronicling his battle with being loyal to his home and breaking away to meet who he was destined to be. Reviewed by Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
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Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick by Taylor Jenkins Reid Adult Fiction, Bestsellers, Fiction, Literary, Sagas, Women When Taylor Jenkins Reid writes a book, she crafts a work of art! Setting this story during the 1980s NASA integration of female astronauts, TJR has outdone herself with her world-building, her character development, and her ability to create a story both compelling and enriching. I come away from her books feeling like I’ve lived a life I’ve only ever dreamed of. And this book is exceptional. Evelyn Hugo walked so Joan Goodwin and Vanessa Ford could run… or soar. Reviewed by Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming, our own consciousness in someone else’s mind.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
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