Fiction
Rednecks by Taylor Brown
[St. Martin's Press]
Rednecks is the dark and moving story of big coal, broken lives, love, and loyalty. The book chronicles the demands for dignity, fair wages and workplace safety in the coal mines of West Virginia that lead to a bloody, infuriating war you were probably never before aware of. ― Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
[Berkley]
If you've ever found yourself longing for a spooky beach read, this is it! Set in a quiet beach town, Haunted Ever After brings all of the deliciously warm ambiance that comes from a seaside setting while also balancing the paranormal element of meddling ghosts. ― Tara Leimkuehler, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
James by Percival Everett
[Doubleday]
A necessary look into the life of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn's Jim, or James, told with Percival Everett's unflinching, poetic, and entertaining prose. ― James Harron, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina
When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart
[Kensington]
Historical fiction at its absolute best! Everhart's carefully crafted female protagonist shows strength, courage and resolve in the face of the many cruelties of the Civil War. Joetta McBride is not your usual demure Southern Belle. ― Sharon Davis, Book Bound Bookstore in Blairsville, Georgia
Shae by Mesha Maren
[Algonquin Books]
Gorgeous and honest and heartrending. In compassionate, clear-eyed prose, Shae falls in love, gives birth, and descends into a tunnel of opioid addiction in rural Appalachia. Maren masterfully balances hope and despair on both community and personal levels. ― Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramírez
[S&S/Marysue Rucci Books]
A family drama that centers on a mother's secret, this novel is honeyed with warmth, truth, and the secrets that--once revealed--eventually bring us closer together. Ramirez weaves back and forth between a mother's and daughter's voices, illustrating each of the characters' deep hunger for a meaningful life. ― Julia Paganelli Marin Pearl's Books Fayetteville, Arkansas
Nonfiction
The Witch's Daughter by Orenda Fink
[Gallery Books]
Filled with fascinating information on borderline personality disorder and anecdotes to satisfy any indie music fan, I would recommend The Witch's Daughter to almost everyone I know. While I wouldn't call it a happy story, it is an inspiring story of choosing your family, overcoming impossible situations, and protecting your peace. ― Tori, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama
Sharks Don't Sink by Jasmin Graham
[Pantheon]
A cautionary tale with a sense of hope, Graham's memoir details her struggles with academia and her successes as a mentor to a new generation of scientists. Her stories of the pressures of being black and female in a male dominated field. ― Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings
[St. Martin's Press]
This book shows the hidden world of fundamentalist so well and how easy it is to get involved in it and how hard it is to get out. As someone who grew up in the Baptist culture and had to reframe their mind as they got older this book hit home in a lot of spots. ― Kelli Dynia Copperfish Books Punta Gorda, Florida
A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell
[Hachette Books]
Oh man, did this bring back memories! Having grown up in Chapel Hill I pretty recognize everyone mentioned, especially in the first half which I overlapped (my heyday was REM, The Replacements, The B-52's and the rest of that first wave of Indie bands) ― Pete Mock McIntyre's Books Pittsboro, North Carolina
The Barn by Wright Thompson
[Penguin Press]
This incredible book connects hundreds of dots, centering the murder of Emmett Till in a stream of events, characters and circumstances going all the way back into prehistory. I’m in awe of this book. Vivid storytelling, thorough research and interviews, beautiful prose, insights and turns of phrase that I wanted to share with whoever was nearby. ― Amanda Grell, Pearl's Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
The Mango Tree by Annabelle Tometich
[Little, Brown and Company]
Parts of Tometich's story of growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, the daughter of a Filipino mom and white dad, are so unbelievable they must be true. Written by a veteran journalist and food critic and writer, The Mango Tree is incredibly entertaining and compellingly readable. ― Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
Young Readers
Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
[Bloomsbury YA]
I loved the twists laced through this thrilling story. A mystery full of heart and at times deeply unsettling. Teenagers are messy, but they are wholly human with all the pain that often includes. This story takes them seriously in an important way giving voice to true loss and the devastation it can leave behind. ― Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
[Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)]
The world building is intricate and vivid, the White Roaring is a perfectly dark, glittering gothic city with so much personality, and the characters are wonderful. I'm already ready for the sequel. ― Winter Goldsmith, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, Peter Sís (illus.)
[Norton Young Readers]
One of the most impactful children's books I've read all year.In Praise of Mystery started as a poem from Limón that will be inscribed onto NASA's newest spacecraft planning to orbit Jupiter and its moons in the Fall of 2024. Translated onto the page, the poem becomes a story of hope and guidance, teaching the reader to accept and invite the unknown rather than fear it. ― Grace Sullivan, Fountain Books in Richmond, Virginia
Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin
[Orchard Books]
Every neighborhood needs a girl like Millie in Christy Mandin's Millie Fleur's Poison Garden. This adorable book has a fun storyline, an important message to be yourself no matter what they say, as well as, great illustrations. Check out Millie's unique, and yes, somewhat creepy garden and you just might find yourself starting a trend in your own community! ― Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong
[Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers]
This is a lovely story about friendship, grief, and starting over. I appreciated the level of diversity in this book, as well as the portrayal of what a modern family can look like. The paranormal aspects were a bit intense at times, but I think it's perfect for readers who are interested in ghost stories. ― Becca Naylor, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
[Peachtree Treen]
Andrew Joseph White delivers an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep readers hooked until the final page. At the same time, White utilizes his characters to address the lasting impacts of trauma, poverty, and economic exploitation on both individuals and communities. Compound Fracture is equal parts blood-soaked and beautiful, a testament to the resiliency and power of community organization. ― Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
RSS
(Asheville, NC) Southern independent booksellers have
selected the finalists for the 2025 Southern Book Prize (SBP), representing bookseller favorites from 2024 that are Southern in nature—either about the South or by a Southern writer (or
both).
Dear booksellers, 
The Best Southern Books of the Year!
The 2022 Southern Book Prize finalists were announced this week.
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