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June 22, 2021 Happy Juneteenth. 
A new national holiday is a rare thing, so when June 19th was commemorated as Juneteenth by Congress last week, it was cause for celebration. Juneteenth, also sometimes known as Jubilee Day, marks the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. Congress declared the holiday on the 15th, which didn't leave much time to make plans for the newly official holiday. But if there is one thing bookstores can do, quickly and with great enthusiasm, it is create a reading list. Here are some of the Juneteenth reading suggestions from Indie bookstores: Juneteenth Reading List from Charis Books & More Black-Owned Bookstores' Picks for Juneteenth via Libro.fm Juneteenth Reading List from One More Page Books The IndyReads Celebrate Juneteenth List A Juneteenth Celebration List from Books and Books Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory Coming up on the Reader Meet Writer Author Series:
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.
Cheryl Diamond is now a citizen of Luxembourg and lives between there and Rome. Her behind-the-scenes account of life as a teenage model, Model: A Memoir, was published in 2008. Diamond´s second book, Naked Rome, reveals the Eternal City through the eyes of its most fascinating people. |
My Mistress' Eyes Are Raven Black with Terry Roberts
Nowhere Girl with Cheryl Diamond|
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies... |
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The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Fiction, Historical Georgia in the days immediately following the Emancipation Proclamation, Harris’ characters display the best and the worst responses to the new order. Brutal yet hopeful, this one’s a slow burn until you realize you’re so caught up in the story you can’t possibly stop reading. Reviewed by Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond
Cheryl Diamond's life sounds like a movie. Born into a family on the run, she lived as a fugitive for most of her childhood, learning about things like how to forge documents, get through an interrogation, change identities, and disappear. She was nine. By the time she was a teenager she realized that her life of adventure was actually a life of terrible danger, from which she had to escape. Readers can meet the author at the Reader Meet Writer Author Series on Tuesday, June 29th at 7:00 PM. REGISTER HERE 
What booksellers are saying about Nowhere Girl
About Cheryl Diamond Cheryl Diamond is now a citizen of Luxembourg and lives between there and Rome. Her behind-the-scenes account of life as a teenage model, Model: A Memoir, was published in 2008. Diamond's second book, Naked Rome, reveals the Eternal City through the eyes of its most fascinating people. |
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The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir Fans of Fun Home and Are You My Mother will not be disappointed by The Secret to Superhuman Strength! While Alison Bechdel’s previous two books mix her own memories with her parents’ stories, her newest book is all her own, told through her relationship to exercise and the outdoors. It would not be a Bechdel book without bringing in philosophers; in this case, Bechdel touches on Jack Kerouac, the transcendentalists, Buddhist thinkers, and more. I was particularly drawn to the vibrancy of the coloring in this book. I tried to only read one section of this book at a time to make it last longer, but I couldn’t resist consuming it in two sittings! Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban I hadn’t read anything by Marjorie Liu prior to the Monstress series, but with how much I love that, combined with the stunning cover by Sana Takeda, how could I resist her short story collection? A sweet sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling, a runaway princess finds a new quirky family, an apprentice using dolls to seek revenge on her teacher, a villain’s shot at redemption. Liu’s stories gave me goosebumps, made me swoon, and at times cracked me up. This definitely a collection to have. Reviewed by Amber Brown, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina |
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Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury Contemporary, Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction In a near-futuristic Toronto, blood contains enough genetic material to determine people’s career, their success, and even love life–and for Voya and her family, it also contains an ancestral link to powerful magic. Until, possibly, Voya. As her bloodline hangs in the balance, Voya has to come to terms with who she is, where she comes from, and who she really loves to become the witch she’s always wanted to be. This futuristic fantasy is POWERFUL, to say the least. Reviewed by Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida |
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The Last Fallen Star (A Gifted Clans Novel) by Graci Kim
Korean American witches! Bulgogi tacos and boba tea portals! This RRP grabbed my attention with the clans of Korean witches and kept it with the strong sister bond and Riley choosing kindness as her strength. There was lots of betrayal and twists and action that made this a fast and exciting read–but it never got overwhelming. The whole cast is great, the world-building is awesome, complex-but-understandable, and the food sounds delicious (I’m REALLY wanting to try bulgogi tacos.) I totally guessed wrong on what the last fallen star was so it was fun that the ending wasn’t predictable. There is a sequel so it ends in a way that makes you want to read the next one, but for the most part, everything is resolved in a way you don’t want to throw the book across the room after the last page. Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies... |
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One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Adult Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy A Spring 2021 Read This Next! Title August has grown up believing that being alone is best. Then she moves to New York and gets caught up with her new wacky roommates, who drag her out of her comfort zone. And she meets Jane, a girl on the subway she has an instant connection with. The only problem is…Jane is literally stuck on the train, displaced somehow from her life in the 1970s. So August makes it her mission to solve the mystery of Jane and fix it so she can be where and when she belongs, even though August wants Jane to belong with her more than anything. If The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue were a rom-com, this would be it. McQuiston has written a big-hearted, laugh-out-loud funny, and tender novel that will speak to readers about love and connection and friendship and family. Reviewed by Melissa Oates from Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC |
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Southern Bestsellers What's popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “I guess a big part of serious fiction’s purpose is to give the reader, who like all of us is sort of marooned in her own skull, to give her imaginative access to other selves.” – David Foster Wallace |
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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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