A seasonal list of the favorite books of Southern indie booksellers, for your reading pleasure!
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The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell
I love a horror anthology and a final girl story is even better! This book is a mix of powerhouse authors of color that portray strong black women triumphing over baddies – both human and not. Don’t worry, not EVERYONE survives, so you’ll still get lots of heart-pounding terror, thrills, and chills – plus a side of humor in some tales!
The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell, (List Price: $19.99, Flatiron Press, 9781250871657, April 2024)
Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
The Book That Can Read Your Mind by Marianna Coppo
Is this a picture book? A magic trick? It’s pure fun! You will want to read this over and over again.
The Book That Can Read Your Mind by Marianna Coppo, (List Price: $17.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797229010, March 2024)
Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty
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
Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson
Fast-moving, silly, with just the right amount of character introspection. When you fail at something you’ve literally dedicated your life to, it can feel like you’ve failed at life. Mira’s journey is very literal in that she gets injured and can no longer skate, disrupting her parents’ plans for the Olympics. Luckily, she’s kidnapped by a vampire roller derby team that is in desperate need of a “mandatory human member.”
Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson, (List Price: $13.99, Labyrinth Road, 9780593485712, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Snail by Minu Kim
What a delightful book. I absolutely adore the illustrations, black and white drawing with minimal use of color.
Snail by Minu Kim, (List Price: $22, Pushkin Children’s Books, 9781782694069, March 2024)
Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch,Bookseller, Bookmarks in , North Carolina
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
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
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner
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!
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner, (List Price: $30, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538756652, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell
A beautifully written tribute, documentation, and exploration of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro, NC (and environs) indie music scene in the decade leading up to Y2K. The scope of what Maxwell covers is impressive: musical personalities- musicians and bands, yes, but also the producers, promotors, WXYC DJs and station managers, the labels big and small- Merge, Mammoth, and others. The migrations and importance of clubs like Cat’s Cradle and Local 506, recording studios (The Yellow House!), the rise of the internet and streaming radio, Maxwell illustrates the importance of the local ecosystem- the ‘zines and copy shops (Kinkos, Copytron) and then, ultimately, the internet and the changing of music distribution. A fantastic read on many levels, whether you want to revisit the bands (Superchunk, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Pipe, The Veldt, Ben Folds Five, The Pressure Boys, Sex Police) or just understand how a small community turned out some kick-ass music. An illustration of how indie music created a magical Third Place, coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg as “a place where people meet, exchange ideas, have a good time and build relationships”. An eloquent honoring of a place and time where indie rock was paramount and the community was passionate for it.
A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell, (List Price: $30, Hachette Books, 9780306830587, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall
I’m happy to report that Women! In! Peril! lives up to its obsession-worthy title and cover. This short story debut is full of smart, fresh fiction that I wanted to savor. Marshall brings a hilarious voice to inventive literary stories about women whose struggles range from divorce to the destruction of the human race. Singular characters like a former ballerina with memory loss and a lesbian whose girlfriend thinks she’s carrying the baby Jesus make up this exciting and unabashedly queer collection!
Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall, (List Price: $17.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732272, April 2024)
Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
A wonderful romp of a debut novel. Lauren’s search for “the right man” becomes hilarious drama when she discovers her attic has the magical ability to spit out one “husband” after another for her to “try on.” She sends one man after another back up the attic stairs, hoping the next one will be that “perfect man.” Every page is both fun and funny and the suspense for how she’ll finalize things will keep you reading.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio, (List Price: $29, Doubleday, 9780385550611, April 2024)
Reviewed by Patience Allan-Glick, Underground Books and Hills & Hamlets Bookshop in Carrollton, Georgia
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
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.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, (List Price: $18.99, Avon, 9780063310681, April 2024)
Reviewed by Gaby Iori, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina