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The week of April 23, 2024 A whirlwind tour of Southern book shops!
"Today’s booksellers and librarians are extraordinarily good at understanding and motivating. Armed with empathy, wit, and professional training, they take the confused, the fearful, the frustrated, and help them become more keen-eyed, sharp-eared, and justice-attuned. What they do is crucial for this country, especially right now. They understand in their hearts and souls that in the beginning was the word." — James Patterson
This coming Saturday, April 27, is Independent Bookstore Day — a national holiday celebrated by indie bookstores across the country, and an excuse for parties, special events, and sales, not to mention the bookstore passport and "pub crawls" in many communities, including New Orleans, Charlotte (NC), Atlanta and environs, eastern Virginia, Kentucky, Tallahassee, and the Lakeland area of Florida. Readers can also play "Bookstore Bingo" on Instagram with SBR and twenty-four Southern indie bookstores. Complete your bingo card and you can be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to your local bookstore. Start here with SBR and enjoy a whirlwind Instagram tour through some of the best bookshops in the South! 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 Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Memoirs, Rich & Famous Well! I was so excited to be asked to be a part of this book! I wasn’t sure what to expect but it exceeded expectations! I am humbled to be in such great company. One of the best things about my job is the people. Book people are the actual best! This book proves it. Fierce, intelligent people across the country were interviewed about their jobs in the book world. We may live far apart, but the message is the same. We care about people reading. We will move heaven and earth to get children to read. We are compassionate and empathetic people who take the time to listen to customers’ stories. I love this world and am so excited to get people to understand how important books and their book pimps are. Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina |
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The Brush by Eliana Hernández-Pachón Adult Nonfiction, Caribbean & Latin American, Death, Grief, Loss, Nature, Poetry Powerful and devastating. The language is so concise and brilliantly moving. Every word makes a massive impact in this slim, arresting poem. Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Real Americans by Rachel Khong 
I know I was technically an adult when I wrote my first book, but Real Americans feels, to me, like the first book I’ve written as an adult. What I mean is that I worked at it diligently and devotedly. It felt more like a marriage—something I committed to, that I worked at—whereas Goodbye, Vitamin felt like flings, stolen moments. Even when I was at my busiest I made sure to carve out an hour in the mornings to write. On mornings I did the opening shift at The Ruby, I would make the communal pot of coffee, then place myself in the “podcast room” (this tiny dark closet hung with egg cartons and moving blankets) and write. For the first couple years, I only had those daily hours. And in the last years of writing the book it required more: three to four hours, artist residencies. I mean that in the best way, though. I got married a few months before Goodbye, Vitamin was released, and I think I learned a lot about writing a novel by being in my committed relationship. To both marriage and novel writing, there are challenges, annoyances and frustrations, but also really deep satisfaction, joy, belonging, intimacy, transcendence. ― Rachel Khong, The Rumpus What booksellers are saying about Real Americans 
Rachel Khong is the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction, and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR; O, The Oprah Magazine; Vogue; and Esquire. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Cut, The Guardian, The Paris Review, and Tin House. In 2018, she founded The Ruby, a work and event space for women and nonbinary writers and artists in San Francisco’s Mission District. She lives in California. |
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Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash Adult Fiction, Literary I know it’s still early in the year, but Rainbow Black is going to be on my Top Ten of 2024! Lacey is only thirteen when the Satanic Panic sweeps through her life, leaving her family in shambles. Despite the legal firestorms, the conniving therapists, and the loss of her entire support system, Lacey finds a way to survive, and years later, she’s living in Canada as Jo, a smart, capable lawyer with more secrets than she can stand. But America hasn’t forgotten her, and soon she’s the target of another witch hunt, but this time for a crime she did commit. This book will leave you outraged and weary of a legal system that abuses its power for nothing more than public appeasement. 5 Rainbow colored stars for this one! Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Small Town & Rural, Southern 
An April Read This Next! Title I loved this story about second (and third) chances and rekindled young love in a small southern town. Themes of alcohol addiction and commentary on American gun violence give Colton Gentry’s Third Act depth that would make this romance a fabulous book club selection. And I loved the restaurant setting! Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
An April Read This Next! Title It’s actually unfair how good this book is. Kuang seamlessly weaves together grief, trauma, and hope in a way that cracked me open. Grant and Helen are linked by a horrific tragedy, and eventually wind up in the same television writers’ room, both trying their hardest to escape from themselves. A love letter to competency porn, vulnerability, and tripping headfirst into something great with the last person you should be falling in love with. An incredibly moving, honest debut. Reviewed by Gaby Iori, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction I loved Once Upon A Broken Heart and was very excited to receive a review copy of The Ballad of Never After. Stephanie Garber has done an amazing job of bringing fairy tales to life along with the curses intertwined within them. Garber didn’t just bring one story to life but a story within a story, within another story. Fairy tales are not all gold and glitter, and you see this more so in The Ballad of Never After. You fall in love with all the characters, whether they are "good" or "bad." I really hope there is a third book in this series, and I am impatiently waiting for it. Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina |
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Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan Children, Humorous Stories, Juvenile Fiction The story is already so creative with its twists and turns, but the illustrations are key to understanding this lively story. The weird little kid? The weird townspeople? The weird spider? Perfect combo. Jess Hannigan is definitely someone to keep an eye on! Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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My Gemini by Yuu Morikawa Comics & Graphic Novels, Crime & Mystery I loved it! I’ve been looking for a standalone manga and this scratched all my itches. The art is gorgeous, and I love the mysterious vibe it has. The mystery around the twins and their relationship was very well done. I think the main character, John, could’ve been explored a little more and made him more important. "Hyde" kept telling him how important John is to him and his brother, but I wish we saw a bit more of that. The pacing and writing were both great, and the ending made me satisfied, even though it’s a little bittersweet. Reviewed by Kamilah Wong, E. Shaver bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Damsel by Elana K. Arnold Adaptations, Banned Books, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Young Adult Fiction This definitely crosses over to adult readers who grew up on Patricia Wrede and loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted. Extremely well-written and smart fantasy. Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky, My pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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