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The week of February 27, 2024 Meet Resist Booksellers.
Resist Booksellers in Petersburg, VA has made a tremendous impact on their community in less than 2 years of being open. Petersburg did not have its own literary space previously, and Resist stepped in to fill the void. They work hard to support community needs, including partnering with local schools and the public library to provide resources, literacy programming, and fun. They are currently working to deepen their community partnerships and to build a network of Little Free Libraries across the city. Owner Demetrius Frazier is the current Chief Learning Officer of a multi-billion dollar manufacturing company and Board President of Black Men Read, a literacy nonprofit he co-founded in 2019. Demetrius loves to read, of course, and he is currently reading Refresh: The Journey to Find Peace by Gary T. Taylor, which he says is “an amazing work that simplifies the work it takes to find peace in your life.” Demetrius said that the best part of being a bookseller is “the pure joy of connecting with book lovers about books and community leaders on improving literacy outcomes in the community.” You can learn more about Resist Booksellers on their website: https://resistbooksellers.com and you can follow them on Facebook and YouTube @resistbks, Instagram and TikTok @resist_bks, and LinkedIn @resistbooksellers.      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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Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Essays, Humor, Literary Collections, Memoirs Samantha Irby is a writer like no other. She has the ability to draw out all the hilarious moments of everyday life with charming self-deprecation and laugh-out-loud prose. The humor in her writing often disguises her brilliance — don’t be fooled — Samantha Irby is a genius. Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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I Love You So Much It’s Killing Us Both by Mariah Stovall Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Women A beautiful punch in the gut like one from the mosh pit on a Saturday night. Mariah Stovall’s full-length debut sweeps her readers into the tender yet vicious embrace of teenage friendship and meditates on putting on your own life jacket before trying to help others. Stovall reveals connections and personal history slowly, moving between past, present, and future, all woven through with the heroes of post-hardcore, punk, and emo. This novel bears a re-read to untangle the ways that music and fiction intertwine. Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal 
For the longest time, I wanted to write something dapper—crisp clothes and the cutthroat alleyways of old London— but when my protagonist set foot on the page with her brown skin and foreign roots, straightening her tweed suit and tucking her pocket watch away, she was angry. I realized, then, that I couldn’t write “something dapper” without also addressing colonialism. In my debut novel, We Hunt the Flame, we saw a girl fighting for her own kingdom. In A Tempest of Tea, we see a girl and her crew fighting for a country that isn’t theirs to save, but they’ll do it anyway. Oh, and did I mention there are vampires? What booksellers are saying about A Tempest of Tea 
Hafsah Faizal is the New York Times bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars, and the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. When she’s not writing, she can be found designing, deciding between Assassin’s Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in North Carolina with her husband and a library of books waiting to be devoured. hafsahfaizal.com |
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Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange Adult Fiction, Literary Tommy Orange delivers another masterpiece. His prose is striking and his characters are compassionately rendered. People are going to compare it to his debut, but Wandering Stars stands on its own as propulsive, unforgettable fiction. I remain in awe of Orange’s scope of vision and storytelling. Reviewed by James Harrod, Malaprop’s in Asheville, North Carolina |
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My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional, Hispanic & Latino My Side of the River tells the poignant story of Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, a fifteen-year-old honors student abruptly separated from her family by immigration policies. Alone in the United States, she is forced to navigate the challenges of finding shelter and resources while relentlessly pursuing academic excellence. Highly recommended for readers who appreciated Dear America and looking to explore topics of immigration and identity. Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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This is How You Fall in Love by Anika Hussain Young Adult Fiction Zara and Adnan have always been the best of friends. But everyone from their parents to their classmates ships them relentlessly. But when Adnan posts an ill-advised, but vague photo on social media with his new girlfriend, Zara suddenly finds herself on a fake relationship with her best friend. Everyone is THRILLED….except for Zara. Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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Ferris by Kate DiCamillo Children, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Multigenerational Ferris Wilkey’s summer is not relaxing. Her sister wants to be an outlaw and her grandmother starts seeing a ghost. Before the summer ends, an act of kindness will bring light and joy to her entire household and found family. Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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49 Days by Agnes Lee Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction An introspective and emotional exploration of life after death, both for those who have been lost and have experienced a loss, Lee has succeeded in capturing the full spectrum of emotions in a limited range of color. From scenes of laughter to those where no one can bear to speak, her graphic novel explores the different ways in which we know one another. What a deeply human story, and what a deeply moving way to consider each other. Part slice of life, part emotional trial, this is a particularly successful emotional exploration of grief. Reviewed by Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour Abuse, Banned Books, Family, Ghost Stories, Orphans & Foster Homes, Physical & Emotional Abuse, Young Adult A powerful ghost story about transformative healing. I could not put it down. Beautiful. Reviewed by Abbe Townsend, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “I think of reading like a balanced diet; if your sentences are too baggy, too baroque, cut back on fatty Foster Wallace, say, and pick up Kafka as roughage. ” |
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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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