Powerful and devastating. The language is so concise and brilliantly moving. Every word makes a massive impact in this slim, arresting poem.
The BrushThe Brush by Eliana Hernández-Pachón, (List Price: $17, Archipelago, 9781953861863, March 2024)
Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
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I am a devoted follower of the cult of Amanda Montell, and The Age of Magical Overthinking is the psychological balm I didn’t know I needed right now. Amanda Montell has the unique ability to give us perspective on the current cultural zeitgeist that we are too close to to see wholly and to equip us with the tools and language to have important conversations about them. The Age of Magical Overthinking is an astute examination of the cultural moment of now and how we as individuals exist within it…all told with her signature wit and enthusiasm that makes Amanda Montell one of my perennially favorite authors to hand-sell at our bookstore.
The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell, (List Price: $28.99, Atria/One Signal Publishers, 9781668007976, April 2024)
Reviewed by Caroline Barbee, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi
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Sociopath is an illuminating memoir about Patric Gagne’s lifelong quest to understand herself and her lack of emotion. As a child who is aware that she is different from her family and peers to an adult striving for true intimacy, Patric shines a light on sociopathy and related antisocial behaviors. I started reading Sociopath with my own preconceived notions and prejudices around the word “sociopath” and finished with a deeper understanding and empathy.
Sociopath by Patric Gagne, (List Price: $28.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668003183, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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What I hope is the beginning of a Leila Mottley renaissance, woke up no light is a poetry collection that solidifies Mottley’s status as one of our time’s best new young writers. Split into four sections defined as girlhood, neighborhood, falsehood, and womanhood, Mottley’s poetry reads as tender yet raw, her musings especially on womanhood and coming into your own are glittering pieces of writing that any reader can acknowledge are full of both heart, hardships, and truth. A remarkable collection for people looking to get into poetry, or for the established readers of the genre!
woke up no light by Leila Mottley, (List Price: $28, Knopf, 9780593319710, April 2024)
Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
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A bilingual and elegiac collection that explores transnational sorrow with an openness to delving into the gulfs loss creates, rather than succumbing to them. Memories of family and political histories intertwine with cultural unrest and the sensorially intimate to form poems with a sketchy quality—much like the drawings in the book—with deep feeling and sense of possibility. Disarmingly beautiful.
The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera, (List Price: $17, Graywolf Press, 9781644452790, April 2024)
Reviewed by Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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Mary Oliver writes poetry for the soul. I have never felt so seen that when I read the words she has so lovingly crafted. Her poetry is simple and uncomplicated but will strum your heartstrings in perfect rhythm. Oliver understands the human need for unconditional forgiveness.
DevotionsDevotions by Mary Oliver, (List Price: $20, Penguin Books, 9780399563263, November 2020)
Reviewed by Faith Skowronnek, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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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
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This collection is a welcomed haunting, visceral and animal, an aching in your bones no matter how tenderly you’re held. Some of my favorites read like a whispered denunciation, so deeply intimate and all the more powerful, as though excavating the self, a history, and society itself with a partner rather than an audience. Both rooted in place and observed from a distance, these poems balance rich imagery with the complexity of memory, the language nearing the ethereal.
Judas Goat by Gabrielle Bates, (List Price: $16.95, Tin House Books, 9781953534644, January 2023)
Reviewed by Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Rothfeld begins with the promise of un-containment. If all things are in fact too small, then this book cannot contain all that it hopes to include and isn’t there something beautiful about that? Truly, what Rothfeld deftly handles is the ways that excessiveness bleeds into all aspects of lived experience – minds, bodies, and things. At times this collection hits a wall, particularly as Rothfeld realizes the limits of her own experience. So, while I don’t wholeheartedly agree with everything Rothfeld says here, her nuanced thinking on particularly the move towards owning less, thinking less, and doing less of the last decade reveals my own thoughts in the process. Perhaps what ties these lightly disparate essays together is the promise that wanting and longing are active and pressing parts of our lives.
All Things Are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld, (List Price: $27.99, Metropolitan Books, 9781250849915, April 2024)
Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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Hanif Abdurraqib’s newest book focuses his signature poetic lyricism and prescient cultural criticism on yes, basketball, but also on so much more. Abdurraqib asks his reader to consider what it means to “make it,” who gets to achieve that success, and if that success could be considered worth it. Perhaps most poignant, to me, is the way that Abdurraqib weaves personal history with the narrative of city, team, and people. So yes, let us sit and commiserate, and let us share what we can in these pages for the time we have.
There’s Always This YearThere’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib, (List Price: $32, Random House, 9780593448793, March 2024)
Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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I have read everything Morgan Parker has written and thus knew this essay collection would be incredible, yet it still surpassed my expectations! I was immediately absorbed in her ideas and prose. I always love reading essays by poets because they don’t waste a single word. A fabulous, thoughtful, candid, collection that speaks straight from the heart. A must-read!
You Get What You Pay For by Morgan Parker, (List Price: $28, One World, 9780525511441, March 2024)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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As the kids of two scientists, reading Greenfieldboyce’s collection of musings felt like another night at the family dinner table: the warmth of the personal, but you’re also going to learn a little something. Her journalistic voice seamlessly layers science-fact with the soft moments of the day-to-day, intriguingly connecting her two world spheres. Equal fascination and reverence is granted whether she is discussing conversations with her children, connections made in shared silence, or the biological make-up of a common flea.
Transient and Strange by Nell Greenfieldboyce, (List Price: $27.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393882346, January 2024)
Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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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.
Quietly HostileQuietly Hostile by Samantha Irby, (List Price: $17, Vintage, 9780593315699, May 2023)
Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Notable for its emphasis on relatable, whole, plant-based foods, JoyFull steers clear of imitation replacements found in many vegan cookbooks. Complete with recommendations for wellness practices and daily habits, as well as thoughtful insights, JoyFull exudes sincere, earnest energy. It stands out in the cookbook landscape, offering more than just a collection of recipes–it also extends an invitation to approach cooking and meal prep with mindfulness, caring for our bodies in a loving and intentional manner. Highly recommended for readers of all diets, not just those favoring plant-based or vegan foods.
JoyFull by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, (List Price: $35, S&S/Simon Element, 9781982199722, February 2024)
Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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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 appreciate Dear America and looking to explore topics of immigration and identity.
My Side of the RiverMy Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250277954, February 2024)
Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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