Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Good Old-Fashioned Murder

Michael Sims’ new anthology of short fiction presents antique whodunit gems

In his latest anthology of Victorian-era fiction, The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries, Michael Sims presents the evolution of the short-form murder mystery. Sims will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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Ghosting with Gertrude

Lawrence Wells recalls a tempestuous literary collaboration in Ghostwriter

In Ghostwriter, author and publisher Lawrence Wells embarks on an improbable journey: serving as ghostwriter to a University of Mississippi benefactor determined to prove that Edward de Vere wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Wells will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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Jesus Gets Us, But Do We Get Him?

Amy-Jill Levine makes a case for understanding the historical Jesus

In Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians, Vanderbilt professor Amy-Jill Levine helps readers understand Jesus as the Jewish man he was, the traditions he knew, and the messages he truly cared about.

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Everyone a Spy, Everything a Threat

Lauren Thoman’s novel uncovers grisly secrets long buried in a Pennsylvania town

Fans of Lauren Thoman’s debut novel, I’ll Stop the World, will likely enjoy You Shouldn’t Be Here, an eerie new offering that is equal parts ghost story and crime thriller. Thoman will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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A Venomous Presence

Erica Wright’s latest novel features real and metaphorical serpents

Hollow Bones, a new novel by Erica Wright, explores religious trauma, small-town life, and how fear can manipulate us. Wright will appear at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on August 8, The Arts Building in Chattanooga on August 17, and the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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Calamity Island

A vacation is spoiled by the apocalypse in Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend

Memphis writer MJ Wassmer takes readers on the worst island getaway ever in Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend. Wassmer will appear at Novel in Memphis on August 6 and at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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