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June 15, 2021 How to check out more books than you're allowed at the library. The Southern Bookseller Review congratulates historian and journalist David Zucchino, who received the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction for his book Wilmington's Lie. 
Zucchino appeared on the Reader Meet Writer series in January, shortly after his book was published in paperback. The book covers the events that lead up to, and the repercussions of what has been deemed the only successful coup in American history -- The 1898 Race Massacre in Wilmington, North Carolina. What booksellers have to say about Wilmington's Lie: Rosemary Pugliese from Malaprop's in Asheville, NC: Samantha Flynn from Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC: Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory Coming up on the Reader Meet Writer Author Series:
Chris Offutt is the author of the short-story collections Kentucky Straight and Out of the Woods, the novel The Good Brother, and three memoirs: The Same River Twice, No Heroes, and My Father, the Pornographer. His work has appeared in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays, among many other places. He has written screenplays for Weeds, True Blood, and Treme, and has received fellowships from the Lannan and Guggenheim foundations.
Terry Roberts' direct ancestors have lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina since the time of the Revolutionary War. His family farmed in the Big Pine section of Madison County for generations and is also prominent in the Madison County town of Hot Springs, a consistent setting in his novels. His newest book, My Mistress' Eyes Are Raven Black, is a literary thriller set on Ellis Island and is due out from Turner in Spring 2021. |
The Killing Hills with Chris Offutt
My Mistress' Eyes Are Raven Black with Terry Roberts|
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies... |
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The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction If you’re wondering which Great Gatsby adaptation to read this summer, look no further. I read it in one day because leaving it unfinished for even one night felt like a crime; it surpasses “unputdownable.” This is the Great Gatsby we need, narrated by a queer, Viet Jordan Baker who is both outside of society yet more connected in society than everyone else around her. The slightest touches of magic bring The Chosen and the Beautiful to life, displaying a world where not all that glitters is gold, yet firm anchors to the original make every line sing true. I truly love this book. Reviewed by Lizy Coale, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt
Chris Offutt credits his love of crime fiction to the mystery stories he discovered on the shelves of the bookmobile that visited weekly when he was a child. "There was a four-book limit per person," he remembers, "I circumvented that—an act of minor crime—by getting library cards in the name of my two pre-school siblings and the family dog." Offutt's novels and stories are usually called "literary" or "Appalachian" fiction, but the author is insistent that he has always been in some sense a crime novelist. He cites noir and hardboiled writers as influences, and marks Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress as a major inspiration. With his new novel, Offutt says his status as crime novelist is unambiguous. "I followed the age-old trope of placing a dead body in the first chapter." But it is the Appalachian people, the culture of the isolated Kentucky folk, who are still at the center of the story. 
What booksellers are saying about The Killing Hills
About Chris Offutt Chris Offutt is the author of the short-story collections Kentucky Straight and Out of the Woods, the novel The Good Brother, and three memoirs: The Same River Twice, No Heroes, and My Father, the Pornographer. His work has appeared in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays, among many other places. He has written screenplays for Weeds, True Blood, and Treme, and has received fellowships from the Lannan and Guggenheim foundations. |
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Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng Adult Fiction, Asian American Linda Rui Feng pulls you in with the intertwined stories of four individuals starting during China’s Cultural Revolution in the 60’s and ending up in America in the 80’s. You will love these characters and be moved by the storytelling in this engrossing debut. Reviewed by Karen Hayes, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi Adult Nonfiction, Asian American, Biography & Memoir A dazzling and devastating look into the life of one of the most unique voices of modern lit. Read to learn how an Ogbanje navigates the highs and lows of success. You may have more in common with a god than you think. (would ‘spirit’ be a better substitute for ‘god’ here? I can’t recall if they refer to themselves as ‘god’ or ‘godly’ throughout) Emezi paints their world with a set of custom brushes. No matter the angle of your view, the picture comes to life in this book. Although these letters are personal and specific, the messages relayed will resonate with a wide audience. The prose, as always, is visceral, raw, and unflinching. The words center around heartbreak and personhood, destruction and growth. A sibling book to their astounding debut, Freshwater. Reviewed by Caroline Bergeron, Garden District Bookshop in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult This was my first time reading Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YA, and now I want to go back and read everything she’s written. I loved the representation in this book: not only are the characters racially diverse, but there is also great LGBTQ representation, plus the main character has OCD and a side character has depression. It is great to see so many different kinds of characters in one book. The set-up is perfect for a sweet romance: Quinn Berkowitz is the daughter of wedding-planner parents, and she’s expected to join the family business officially after college. But Quinn feels jaded about romance and wants to pursue her own dreams. A great book about finding yourself! Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
That first day of school can be hard on anyone, but especially if your name is looonnng, AND has two s’s, and if your style is a little more colorful than your new classmates. But no matter what, it is important to be yourself. Stunning illustrations reminiscent of the brilliant Molly Bang bring this important ‘first day of school” book to life This one is a Must-have for rising kindergartners. Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies... |
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The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction, Southern, Thriller A Spring 2021 Read This Next! Title Returning to his hometown on military leave, Mick walks into a whole slew of family problems that he initially attempts to avoid, secluded in a cabin and chock-full of bourbon. Being called on to assist in tracking down a murderer puts him hesitantly back on his feet. It’s a distraction and we immediately see that he’s equally brilliant and broken enough to solve (kinda sorta) the mystery with ease. But even with a name like The Killing Hills and a body discovered in the first few pages, I still look back on the murder mystery as the book’s B-plot. Chris Offutt paints Appalachia so brilliantly, that, though pleasantly so, it’s distracting. The towns in which growth just means a larger hospital, diners exchanged for faster food, a new prison and improved state roads that aid travelers in quickly passing through without noticing much more than the aforementioned. Populated for generations by a handful of families who in turn depopulate via hard living and occasional vengeance. Driven by conflicting nostalgia, ill-defined chivalry and a hangover, Mick’s story is either one of a farewell visit or a return towards retirement. Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Southern Bestsellers What's popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought "It is really hard to be lonely very long in a world of words. Even if you don’t have friends somewhere, you still have language, and it will find you and wrap its little syllables around you and suddenly there will be a story to live in." |
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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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