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The week of May 16, 2023 The Bookstores of SBR 
There are about seventy southern independent bookstores which regularly review books for The Southern Bookseller Review. But there are nearly two hundred bookstores across eleven states listed in SBR’s Bookseller Directory. The directory is a list of bookstores who are part of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, and ever-growing network of bookstores invested in their local communities. A new bookstore is always a happy event. Here are some of the newest members of SIBA, and the SBR Bookstore Directory, from this spring: Book Ferret, Winston-Salem, NC Broadway Books, Ashland, KY The Copper Acorn Books & Gifts, Marion, VA GG’s Library, Prosperity, SC Ghostlight Books, Springhill, TN Greene Books, Athens, AL Paper Hearts Bookstore, Little Rock, AR Treat Yo Shelf Books, Mountain Home, AR When did you last visit your local bookstore? Think of what you could be missing! 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 Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong Adult Fiction, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Fiction, Literary The Double Life of Benson Yu is a clever novel about art, childhood trauma, and survival. Comic book artist Benson Yu found commercial success with his Iggy Samurai series, but a letter from someone from his past prompts him to start a new project. This project, an autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in 1980s Chinatown, forces him to revisit his pre-teen self (and vice versa). Different versions of characters from his past seem to coexist as Benson writes and rewrites his past to try to deal with traumatic experiences. For fans of complex stories (with a little time travel). Reviewed by Elizabeth Hardin, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama |
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The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Fiction, Lesbian, LGBTQ+, Literary I love when queer women make bad choices. Natalie is eighteen, freshly independent, and painfully naive when she starts an all-consuming relationship with Nora, an older woman who is connected to her own life in surprising ways. Fischer perfectly captures that enraptured feeling of first love, especially with someone older and more experienced. There are parts of this book that are also deeply melancholy; bits and pieces that made me exhale and set the book aside for a minute or two. A little bit heart-wrenching, this one will be perfect for Sally Rooney fans and sad gay people alike. Reviewed by Gaby Iori, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
[This story] was incredibly cathartic to write—though it’s equally terrifying to release it into the world. All my books are personal, but this one’s personal in ways that are unnervingly public. So much of Imogen’s internal monologue mirrors my own questioning process. And even though Imogen isn’t a public figure, she’s internalized the same discourse that kept me tied in knots. For me—and for Imogen—even the idea of questioning felt like a step out of bounds. ―Becky Albertalli, Interview, Nerd Daily What booksellers are saying about Imogen, Obviously 
About Becky Albertalli Becky Albertalli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); The Upside of Unrequited; Leah on the Offbeat; Love, Creekwood; What If It’s Us and Here’s to Us (cowritten with Adam Silvera); Yes No Maybe So (cowritten with Aisha Saeed); and Kate in Waiting. Becky lives with her family in Atlanta, and she’s still not tired of Oreos. You can visit her online at beckyalbertalli.com. |
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Pieces of Blue by Holly Goldberg Sloan Adult Fiction, Fiction, Literary, Psychological, Thrillers I’ve had a hard time trying to decide what to say about this book. I don’t want to say anything about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. This is a post-apocalyptic novel unlike any I have read. David’s writing is beautiful and propulsive though the story is kind of a slow burn. Like most of my favorite books, this one left me both heartbroken and hopeful. Reviewed by Gaby Iori, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Quantum Criminals by Alex Pappademas Adult Nonfiction, Genres & Styles, Individual Composer & Musician, Music, Rock Perhaps they can’t buy a thrill, but now Steely Dan fans can buy awareness into the lyrics they’ve debated for almost 50 years. With Quantum Criminals, Alex Pappademas and artist Joan LeMay provide cultural context, educated speculation, and bold visuals illuminating the wild rogues and rascals populating the band’s songs. From the famous (Mr. Lapage, Hoops McCann) to the lesser known (Snake Mary, Pixeleen), you’ll have more insight into their memorable cast. Face it, there may not BE just one story behind each song. But Quantum Criminals sure is a fun excursion into what may (or may not) have been in Donald Fagen’s and Walter Becker’s minds. Reviewed by Rosemary Pugliese, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina |
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They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody Class Differences, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Social Themes, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction Dylan and Jonah have a long history of despising each other. Their friends have long insisted that the boys secretly have the hots for each other, though. So Dylan and Jonah agree to fake date for a while, and then they can break up and go about their lives without their friends trying to get them together. Except while they’re ‘dating’, they get to know each other — that Jonah works too much because his sisters are everything to him and he doesn’t want them to be taken away, and that Dylan has a brother he hasn’t even talked to in years because of something that happened in their past. And as they open up to each other, they find that maybe friendship — or more — could actually be there after all. This is a poignant story that is as much about Dylan and Jonah’s separate trials as it is about their romance, which makes it that much more satisfying when things work out for them. Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina |
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Summer Is for Cousins by Rajani LaRocca Children, Emotions & Feelings, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes, Travel I still fondly remember the summers spent with my cousins; playing at the beach, board games, sharing secrets under the covers, and of course the ice cream. Growing up my favorite person in the entire world was my older cousin Michael. And I always worried that the next time we saw each other, he would have forgotten me and all the memories I treasured. But just like Michael and I, Dhruv and Ravi understand each other. This book wonderfully captures the whimsy of childhood summers, the distance that comes from being apart, and the moments that matter. Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Lost in Taiwan (A Graphic Novel) by Mark Crilley Action & Adventure, Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction Imagine being in a country you know nothing about without your phone to guide you. You might be amazed at what you find, discover about an unknown place or even about yourself. This book takes you on journey through Taiwan and immerses you in the culture. I really loved the adventure of it all and the amazing graphics. Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies… |
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The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson Country & Ethnic, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction, Native American, People & Places, United States A May 2023 Read This Next! Title Ziggy is just a regular kid. Well, a regular kid who encounters talking coyotes, singing frogs, prophesying snakes, truth-telling horses, a very interesting Grandma, and Nunnehi- spirits who protect those of Cherokee descent. Funny, sad, wise, and jam-packed with adventure, Ziggy’s story, The Storyteller, may be the very best book you’ll read in 2023. Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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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 |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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