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Taking its title from the Haitian Kreyòl word for mourning, Dèy is a life-affirming novel about not only the fragility of existence, but also the value of love and family. After escaping unscathed from a mass shooting at her local mall, Haitian American real estate agent Magnolia chooses not to tell anyone about her traumatic experience. Instead, she reflects on her relationships with those closest to her – her daughter, her estranged partner, and her aging and increasingly unwell parents – while becoming ever more fixated on news of the shooting and its victims. Understated and quietly powerful, Dèy is a profoundly moving reminder to cherish life, family and home.

Dèy by Edwidge Danticat, (List Price: $30, Knopf, 9780593803523, August 2026)

Reviewed by Jude, Square Books in Oxford, MS

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This spicy slow-burn historical romance between Ruby, a brilliant and eccentric heiress, and Archer, an accomplished privateer turned con man, is hilarious, heartwarming, hope-filled, and HOT (y’all, there are TWO special interest-based love scenes, and they are *INCREDIBLE*)!! I love this book and these characters with my whole heart, and I desperately need all of you to read it, because brilliant stories are meant to be shared, and this is one of the very best books I’ve ever read!

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250414250, June 2026)

Reviewed by Lucy, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, FL

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A coming home story with both tragic and redeeming qualities. Tyler Sinclair, rock star, is scheduled to return to his hometown of Stone Mountain for a charity concert. Tyler left 18 years earlier without a word to anyone, not even his best friend Curt. When the concert does not go as planned, we find that his apprehension in returning is warranted, but he cannot begin to comprehend how much devastation he has left in his wake.

Under the Falls by Richard Russo, (List Price: $30, Knopf, 9780593805107, August 2026)

Reviewed by Kathy, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, FL

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While reading How We Disappear, I saw a post that said, “You don’t need to wash your water bottle or your bed sheets or anything. Everything will eventually become clean because of a great big fire.” In a weird and funny way, it connects to one of the book’s main ideas: everything we make, use, and value will eventually disappear. The book blends technology, history, biology, photography, and archival science with personal reflections about the author’s late father. By “archiving” his father’s life through the objects left in his bedroom, the author explores how memories are preserved and how they are fragile pieces of (mis)information. It encouraged me to think about what people leave behind and whether our attempts to preserve ourselves actually work.

How We Disappear by Thomas S. Mullaney, (List Price: $26.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324020783, June 2026)

Reviewed by Chloe, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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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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Harmony is sure ghosts are real. When she travels with her musician dad, she always goes on ghost tours in each town. When they settle in Savannah for the summer, she’s sure she sees a ghost. Soon her new friends are helping her solve a mystery of the potential ghost, an unsolved murder, and a missing person. This is a great action-packed mystery.

Ghost in the Night by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $18.99, Scholastic Press, 9798225017477, August 2026)

Reviewed by Rae Ann, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN

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I LOVED this!! There were so many twists and turns that I absolutely wasn’t expecting. It was the perfect combination of These Violent Delights, Heartless Hunter, and Red Queen. I literally finished this book like five minutes ago, so I don’t have the words to describe exactly how I’m feeling, but just know there were multiple audible reactions from me while reading the last 30ish pages, and I need more people to read this immediately so I have someone to talk to about it.

To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson, (List Price: $20.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9798217004799, July 2026)

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

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This book celebrates big ideas: community, school, team projects. But it also celebrates the unique qualities of the individual. Love it! And of course the illustrations are beautiful.

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

Reviewed by Wilson, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee