The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Friendship

Built to Last by Minh Lê

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Built to Last by Minh Lê
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A delightful story about friendship and the power of imagination! I love that even after their grand plans fail again and again, the two protagonists rely on each other and trust in their friendship. This book is so beautifully illustrated, like all books Dan Santat illustrates!

Built to Last by Minh Lê, (List Price: $18.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780593569177, April 2024)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

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Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
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“On her eightieth birthday, Helen spent the day moving things in the kitchen cupboard. Three years pass with nothing to fill their pockets. Then, early one morning, something happens.” Helen Cartwright is waiting to die. Her husband and son have passed, and she is ready to go. She has returned to her childhood town in an English village and she has been living a quiet life. This love story begins with her finding a mouse in her house and as the love grows with the mouse Sipsworth, so does Helen’s contacts. This is such a loving, moving story told with such skill and heart. This reviewer can’t wait to reread this tiny tale perhaps many times. Anyone who reads it will never look at a mouse or an octogenarian the same way.

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy, (List Price: $26.95, David R. Godine, Publisher, 9781567927948, May 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Exhibit by R. O. Kwon

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Exhibit by R. O. Kwon
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Sexy sentences, startling images, and complicated and unexpected characters flesh out Kwon’s impressionistic peek inside the art world and the people who inhabit it. I kept finding myself picking up this book and flipping back to sections, re-reading them, and feeling like they were perfect little arias. Two women, with different art forms, brush up against one another at just the right time and form something larger than the sum of their parts. Not for those who need fast-paced, plot heavy action – but this book 100% rewards the lover of graceful language and intricate interiority. Loved, loved, loved.

Exhibit by R. O. Kwon, (List Price: $28, Riverhead Books, 9780593190029, May 2024)

Reviewed by Rachel Knox, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida

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Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin

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Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin
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I read Crow Talk very slowly not wanting the words to ever end. Between the beauty of Beauty Bay and the cozy caretaker cottage and the facts about birds and especially crows, the story of Frankie was a touching tale of nature and love. Frankie has suffered a set back with her dissertation on spotted owls and sadly doesn’t know what to do next except escape to her family’s old summer home on the bay. Every page glows with the breathtaking view of the natural world and when Frankie rescues a young crow, the healing begins for Frankie and the neighbor Anne with her son Aiden. Besides the wonder of nature, this story dwells on family and healing and love and will be remembered by all who luckily read these words.

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin, (List Price: $28, Dutton, 9780593473887, April 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin

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Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin
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A beloved family lake house, a lonely ornithologist, and a heartbroken mother trying to communicate with her young son come together in this beautiful story of family, love, and overcoming grief. Eileen Garvin does such a solid job weaving characters’ stories as they grow together. Just as in her previous novel, the reader gets a cohesive, heartwarming story while Garvin shows how nature helps heal our hearts. A delightful, fulfilling read!

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin, (List Price: $28, Dutton, 9780593473887, April 2024)

Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia

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Wedding Issues by Elle Evans

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Wedding Issues by Elle Evans
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Laugh out-loud funny book just in time for wedding season. This book engages family, friends, the wedding industry, and a fast-paced plot perfect for the beach. I gave this to my future daughter-in-law, hoping she can find the fun in the planning. A must-read for any bride.

Wedding Issues by Elle Evans, (List Price: $17.99, Zibby Books, 9781958506745, April 2024)

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

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We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

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We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
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In We Are Okay Nina LaCour carefully reveals Marin’s grief and coming of age with depth and clarity. LaCour’s work is striking and memorable, with a singular attention to detail and arresting emotional honesty. This novel is beautifully executed and will resonate with every one of its readers.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, (List Price: $17.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9780525425892, February 2017)

Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

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Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

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Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
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Adamo’s Not Like Other Girls pairs the emotional power of Speak with a mystery full of plot twists a la A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. This would be a great pick for teen book clubs.

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo, (List Price: $19.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9781547614004, April 2024)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty

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Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty
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I love this fun story about what makes us unique AND what unites us with others who may not look like us or speak the same language. Great for teaching empathy and kindness, to others and ourselves!

Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665949583, March 2024)

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

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The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour

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The Apartment House on Poppy Hillby Nina LaCour
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Fans of Ramona Quimby will love Ella, the unofficial ambassador of Poppy Hill. She’s lived in the building her whole life and knows the ropes, so she’s happy to help new neighbors Cleo and Leo when they move in. This darling book is full of quirky characters and is LGBTQ-positive and really heartwarming. I am already looking forward to more in the series!

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour, (List Price: $14.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797213736, November 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong

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Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong
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Secrets, always secrets. Every night, secrets. And with the nighttime aesthetic, beautiful white on black line work to contrast with the daytime bright whites and classmates from whom he hides his truths. But with trust, surprises come out from unexpected places. A great story for talking about identity, secrets, sharing, trust, and friendships. Could be used for Halloween but certainly should not be limited to that!

Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong, (List Price: 18.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665917384, August 2023)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki

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This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
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This poignant story paints those subtle shifts from childhood to adulthood for Rose as she spends time at a lake house with her parents, who are going through a rough patch, and her younger friend Windy, who suddenly seems immature. It’s a quiet story, full of melancholy and growing pains, but still so lovely and achingly honest.

This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki, (List Price: $18.99, First Second, 9781596437746, May 2014)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

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The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
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This is the story of Johannes, a wild dog who lives in the park. He runs his round because he is the Eyes for the keeper of the Equilibrium. He decides one day to gain a greater purpose and free his friends the bison. Though for children, I think this story would be enjoyed by anyone who has ever run and felt faster than the sun. Johannes is absolutely endearing, arrogant, feral, and free. Above all else, he’s free and wonderful. I found myself elated with every triumph and breathless with every close call. I loved it and was in tears by the beauty of the writing at the end. I absolutely cannot wait to recommend this to everyone I know. "To be alive is to go forth. So we go forth." Don’t let Johannes slip by you! He’s faster than light, so it might be hard.

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, (List Price: $18.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9781524764203, May 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth

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Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth
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Any child who has ever been teased will relate to this delightful picture book about a young girl who at first feels embarrassed for being perceived as different and then learns to celebrate her own uniqueness. It also has lovely themes of family and friendship. Interestingly enough, my name Jill inspired a very similar schoolyard rhyme as the one that Anjali experiences in the story.

Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth, (List Price: 18.99, Random House Books for Young Readers, 9780593648834, April 2023)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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