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In the weeks since I finished John of John, I keep thinking back to the experience as if I actually traveled to the Western Isles of Scotland, stayed in a croft on the water, gossiped and cried with all the inhabitants of this island–except I didn’t do any of those things, that’s just the power of Douglas Stuart. John of John isn’t a book you read inasmuch as you live it, achingly real and vulnerable. I loved it.

John of John by Douglas Stuart, (List Price: $28, Grove Press, 9780802167194, May 2026)

Reviewed by Lindsay, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN

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There are not many stories about the people and the place I am from, but Stephanie Soileau delivers a novel so close to home that I had to put it down multiple times to catch my breath. Should the Waters Take Us captures such a particular experience growing up in the forgotten places of rural South Louisiana. That is, until a disaster strikes–be it a devastating oil spill or a catastrophic hurricane. But in between these headlines, life moves on in these places. Families plant generational roots and are tied to the land and water for their livelihoods because it’s all they know. It’s hard to talk about this book without getting personal. Soileau has given me a book that is three o’clock coffee milk at my grandparents’ house; it’s trying to eavesdrop on their conversations but they keep slipping into French so that I can’t understand; it’s Zydeco and SwampPop on the radio in the backyard during a crawfish boil; it’s 14 on and 7 off of so many people I knew on oil rigs in the Gulf; it’s blue tarps and days of clean up after another hurricane; it’s gumbo and fishing camps and family and all the beautiful, messy bits of our culture. It is a brilliant novel!

Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau, (List Price: $30, Doubleday, 9780385551786, July 2026)

Reviewed by Kelsey, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, FL

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This is a book you can easily read in one sitting, and I did, because I needed to know what would happen to Kick and what had caused him to find himself floating in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Told as a stream of consciousness, we get to float alongside Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick for almost twenty-four hours as he reflects on his life, takes in the world around him, and has hallucinations in which he converses with sea creatures. You end up feeling very close to this man, and I found myself hoping for a happy ending because I genuinely liked him. But I won’t tell you what happens, because that would ruin the journey for you. A feel-good book, in my opinion. An easy read that glues you to the page from the very first sentence.

Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney, (List Price: $27, Gallery Books, 9781668212387, July 2026)

Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, GA

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The Lost Voices of Pompeii is time travel at its finest. Expertly researched and artfully written, Dr. Venner places you directly inside a living, breathing Pompeii. It’s intimately human yet wholeheartedly driven by fact. Honestly, the way I’ve been describing this book to my friends (none of whom were spared) isn’t nearly as eloquent…. “It’s like you’re an invisible hitchhiker, piggy-back riding around Pompeii in 79 CE.” Still, I stand by this evaluation. Knowing Dr. Venner’s particular expertise in ancient gardening, I expected her to include vibrantly detailed descriptions of the gardens and the city layout. However, I was not expecting the mouth-watering culinary moments. (I had to put this book down at one point, because I was stuck on a plane and growing far too hungry). In all seriousness, I am so thrilled to have picked up The Lost Voices of Pompeii. It is fun, informative, and an incredibly special read.

The Lost Voices of Pompeii by Dr. Jess Venner, (List Price: $30, William Morrow, 9780063460614, May 2026)

Reviewed by Caroline, Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

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I absolutely loved this memoir. Hackney digs into the real grit of her upbringing with a loving thoughtfulness no outsider could ever hope to capture. As someone with a similar background, I think this kind of honest reckoning is necessary for us to ever move forward.

All That’s Unseen by Emilee Hackney, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9780593831403, July 2026)

Reviewed by Brooke, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC

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Emilee Hackney’s Appalachian memoir begins as a primer on the Pentecostal religion she is raised within in Tazewell, VA, a small mining town in the heart of coal country USA. Soon though, she begins to question everything she knows when her (older) fiancé Sam, a self-proclaimed man of god, turns out to be a groomer and pedophile. Emilee looks for answers from church and community, but her search turns into something bigger when she applies and is accepted to Harvard after two years of community college. Once ensconced in its Ivy League halls, she realizes just how isolating an upbringing she had and how current politics have used her beloved Appalachia to their advantage. Very well written, timely, and compelling, All That’s Unseen helps explain why America’s most rural areas have been hurt again and again by a government they support unceasingly.

All That’s Unseen by Emilee Hackney, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9780593831403, July 2026)

Reviewed by Jamie, Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books in Duck, NC

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A little bit Holes, a little bit Hunger Games, a little bit Minecraft. Sofia’s parents send her to a dystopian camp straight out of her favorite video game, Sandbox. At first, this seems like a great thing, especially the 1 million in-game credits that she has the chance to win at the end of camp! But things quickly turn dark as mechanical vultures begin snatching up campers and a terrifying game master pits the campers against one another. Sofia is a complex character, and things are not at all what they seem. This series opener will definitely leave you wondering what the next volume of the series has in store!

Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero by Erin Entrada Kelly, (List Price: $14.99, Stonefruit Studio, 9781464241048, July 2026)

Reviewed by Amanda, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, AR

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I absolutely adored reading this book. The art style is cartoony and so expressive that it fits the story’s tone perfectly. There are so many relatable moments in this story as an LGBTQ person that touched my heart and made me feel seen, even as an adult. This book will help so many people feel understood in so many different ways. I cannot wait for the second book to come out as this story has captured my heart with these characters and themes of family, friends, acceptance, and Philippine culture.

Coming Out Perfect #1: A Graphic Novel by Richard Mercado, (List Price: $16.99, Graphix, 9781339001593, July 2026)

Reviewed by Chloe, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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The braid craze has not only taken over the students in Story Rug, but also me! A story that blends community, culture, and fabric scraps, the art of craft and storytelling that is shown in this is just remarkable. Blackall’s gentle voice with humor looped in, paired with Wahl’s daydreamy, folky illustrations, makes this an unbeatable children’s book. New top contender for a picture book I wish I could live in, and I can’t wait to show this to anyone who has ever questioned my rag collection.

Story Rug by Sophie Blackall, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316535380, July 2026)

Reviewed by Grace, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA