Table of Contents
What’s better than a good book? A good book written by your neighbor (or former neighbor). Brew up a batch of your favorite local tea or coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally written books in Chattanooga.
Fiction
- “The Spare Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal | Release date: Oct. 11, 2022 | This “stylish science fiction mystery” is written by a local Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award-winning author.
- “Fire & Ice” by B.T. Polcari | Release date: Aug. 15, 2022 | Looking for a new mystery? This novel is filled with ciphers, coded messages, and more to solve alongside the protagonist.
- “Animal Heart” by Paul Luikart | Release date: May 17, 2016 | This collection of stories addresses “lives in transition, focusing on raggedy characters in need of redemption — whether they realize it or not.”
- “Last Boyfriends” by Matthew Hubbard | Release date: TBA, summer 2024 | This YA coming of age novel is about three queer teenage boys setting out to get revenge on their exes, but end up fighting their school’s anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives.
For the family
- “A Snicker of Magic” by Natalie Lloyd | Release date: Feb. 25, 2014 | Lloyd’s debut novel about returning the magic back to a town made the New York Times Bestseller list in 2015. Her other pieces such as “The Key to Extraordinary” are filled with magical and adventurous tales for younger readers and those young at heart.
- “The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read” by Rita Lorraine Hubbard | Release date: Jan. 7, 2020 | Learn the story of the nation’s oldest student who learned to read at the age of 116.
- “Jeremiah’s New Beginning” by Greg Funderburg | Release date: Feb. 6, 2022 | Greg’s book aims to teach a lesson that creates stronger, happier, and healthier families.
- “Storm Bugs” by Andrea Zoppo | Release date: Oct. 20, 2022 | Local artist, educator, and author Andrea Zoppo recently published this children’s book all about our pollinator friends and what bugs do when it storms. The book is locally printed and will be available for purchase at Joli Jardi this month.
- “Allyson Megan’s Rainbow Land Adventure” by Judith E. Gallagher + Allyson Urban | Release date: Oct. 3, 2022 | This story was originally written with Judy’s then 3-year-old daughter ~34 years ago, and is now published with illustrations by a Georgia-based artist.
Learn something new
- “The Hassle with the Tassel: How to Succeed When Returning to School” by Lanise Featherstone | Release date: July 19, 2021 | This book is a resource guide for anyone interested in returning to school or enrolling for the first time.
- “Conjure: Selected Poems” by Ishmael Reed | Release date: Jan. 1, 1972 | Reed is a prominent African American literary figure, having published over 30 books of poetry. “Conjure” was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and nominated for the National Book Award. “Chattanooga” is a collection of poems about the city. You can read more about his legacy here.
- “Fraud of the Century” by Roy Morris Jr. | Release date: Feb. 4, 2003 | Embark on a historical journey about stolen elections and the Civil War.
- “Find Your Where” by Rose Opengart | Release date: Oct. 15, 2019 | This book is all about helping people find work they love to avoid feeling unhappy in their job.
- “Marble and Sculptor: A Personality Type Manifesto” by Joe Arrigo | Release date: June 15, 2022 | This is a Personality Type Manifesto from Joe Arrigo, a local MBTI practitioner and YouTube creator.
Part of a series
- “Murder at Hotel 1911” by Audrey Keown | Release date: Sept. 8, 2020 | The first installment of the Ivy Nichols Mysteries explores puzzling murder mysteries set in historic hotels based in Chattanooga. The sequel, “Dust to Dust,” is also available now.
- “Double Wide” by Gretchen Archer | Release date: June 28, 2021 | This is the 10th novel in the David Way Crime Caper series by the USA Today Bestselling author.
- “The Witchfinder” by J. Todd Kingrea | Release date: Sept. 21, 2021 | The first installment of the Deiparian Saga Triology has been nominated for the PushCart Prize. The second installment, “The Crimson Fathers,” was recently released.
- “Faded” by Greg Wilkey and K.L. Bone | Release date: April 28, 2022 | This is the second book in the Starbound series. Greg has also written several other supernatural adult and young adult fiction books.
Personal stories
- “How Y’all Doing?” by Leslie Jordan | Release date: April 27, 2021 | Read the “misadventures and mischief from a life well lived” by one of Chattanooga’s most beloved celebrities.
- “Bespoke” by Meredith Jade | Release date: Oct. 24, 2022 | This collection of poems from Chattanooga’s River City Street Poet represents their “real interactions, revelations, and mutual discoveries made alongside strangers.”
- “Almost Everything, Almost Nothing” by KB Ballantine | Release date: Sept. 6, 2017 | This collection of poems discusses “our connections with the past, with each other and our surroundings, and how current events sculpt our attitudes and actions.”
Need more recommendations? Stop by The Book & Cover, Winder Binder, or Allgood’s to get expert advice from Chattanooga’s local booksellers. 📚
