This week’s Bookshelf is about two new books, a collection of eerie short stories and a novel about gentrification in Atlanta, plus a celebration of books for young readers.
Southern gothic. Julia Elliott writes delightfully disturbing short stories rendered in such lush detail and gorgeous prose, it’s easy to get lost in the wildly different worlds she creates, whether it’s a medieval convent, a magical forest or a tiny town in rural South Carolina. She’s like one of her characters, spinning a spell with her tales, making them feel lived instead of read, so that when they conclude, the ending really sticks.
Her latest collection “Hellions” (Tin House, $17.95) contains 11 short stories that are mostly rooted in reality, but something supernatural — be it visions or shape shifters or mythical creatures — lurk in the margins of her characters’ lives. By blending elements of fantasy, horror and folktales, Elliott explores our modern world in ways that surprise and resonate.
A central theme running through the stories is best articulated in the collection’s titular story about a worldly tomboy named Butter who befriends Alex, a “city boy from Aiken.” As she shows him around town, introducing him to her pet alligator and the mysterious creature who lives in the swamp, she wisely delivers this warning: “A person can be a real monster, too.”
Snake in the grass. The contentious gentrification of a historic Black neighborhood in Atlanta is the central conflict at the heart of the novel “Goodbye, Sweetberry Park” (The Sager Group, $19.99) by Josh Green. The author knows a bit about the topic, having reported on Atlanta real estate and commercial development for years.
But that’s not the only problem plaguing Sweetberry Park. There is the little matter of a rogue zookeeper who has unleashed 17 deadly snakes in the neighborhood.
There’s no shortage of drama in this fast-paced, comic thriller full of snappy dialogue and big, colorful characters. Among the most colorful is “God” Johnson, a veteran journalist who cuts a striking figure with his flowing silver mane and long white beard. In an attempt to put a painful past behind him, he’s trying to resurrect his career by freelancing for the Atlanta Beacon.
His editor is riding him hard on the “Snakeocalypse” story, but God believes the bigger threat to the city is Lawrence “Lotto” Livingston, the developer behind Pumpernickel Enterprises. Lotto wants to relocate a section of shotgun houses from the historic neighborhood of Sweetberry Park so he can build cheap new homes.
But it’s not just a news story to God. He lives in Sweetberry Park and knows the people who will be displaced by the development. Dirty shenanigans and mayhem ensue as God and his odd assortment of cronies set out to make things right.
Page turner. National Book Award winner Dave Eggers will deliver the keynote when Little Shop of Stories hosts its annual Children’s Book Festival in Decatur on May 3-4. Winner of the 2024 Newbery Medal for “The Eyes and the Impossible,” a novel for young readers, Eggers will speak Saturday evening at Holy Trinity Parish Church. He’s among 40 authors who will participate in the festival.
The festival starts each day with a children’s parade. Kids can dress like their favorite sea creature for the Saturday parade led by Newbery Medal winner Katherine Applegate, author of “Odder: An Otter’s Story.” The Sunday parade is “Star Wars”-themed and will be led by Leland Melvin, a former astronaut, NFL wide receiver and author of the graphic novel “Space Chasers!”
The children’s stage on the MARTA Plaza will host author events for younger children, while young adult readers have a variety of activities to choose from at different venues, including live games of Clue and Dungeons & Dragons, and a talent show by their favorite authors.
Admission is free, but the keynote event requires registration. For details, go to littleshopbookfest.com.
Suzanne Van Atten is a book critic and contributing editor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She may be reached at Suzanne.VanAtten@ajc.com.
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