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Absolute devastation firmly grounded in the ordinary. Through the seasons, a reading primer, a family, a neighborhood, Morrison explores all that the ordinary can build by all it can destroy. Claudia’s fury and Pecola’s longing are presented as two responses to the same wound, a loneliness that never got to be innocence, not just for these girls but for a society that props itself up by allowing these cycles to repeat.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, (List Price: $19, Vintage, 9780307278449, May 2007)

Reviewed by Michelle, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, LA

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Kathryn Stockett’s books are beautifully written, and her plucky female heroines make you want to cheer out loud. But perhaps what makes her blockbuster The Help and her long-awaited return in The Calamity Club so special is the feeling that you’re witnessing ordinary women make history in quietly extraordinary ways. The Calamity Club is not to be missed for historical fiction fans.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, (List Price: $35, Spiegel & Grau, 9781954118812, May 2026)

Reviewed by Emily, Friendly City Books in Columbus, MS

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Longtime Aveyard readers will be please to see all of her trademarks in Tempest – epic storytelling, fierce characters, and a highly compelling plot. Tempest cements a place for the author in adult fantasy spaces with an explosive, thrilling, and emotional story that stays with you long after the last page.

Tempest by Victoria Aveyard, (List Price: $34, Harper Voyager, 9780063566224, August 2026)

Reviewed by Katie, A Novel Romance in Louisville, KY

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What a wonderful and succinct reminder that reading is an essential joy! And it all began with those children’s books we loved when we were young. Books are different things to different people certainly, but they are at their heart the gateway to imagination and new perspectives. This wonderful little book is a beautiful reminder of what a gift reading is and should be.

Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell, (List Price: $17.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9798217230747, September 2026)

Reviewed by Christina, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL

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A thorough and biting critique of Western media and its complicity in hiding a genocide. Assal Rad makes a compelling case!

Don’t Say Palestine by Assal Rad, (List Price: $20, Vintage, 9798217010349, September 2026)

Reviewed by Rowan, Books & Books in Coral Gables, FL

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If you think it would be fun to own a bookshop, this book is for you. If you also think books are good for your health and the right book can clear up a case of boredom, this book is for you. Katie Clapham has recorded a month by month view of the weather outside her bookshop and all the people who entered or didn’t enter her store. She owns the bookstore with her mother who stops by often as well as he grandmother, her husband and her daughter who she has called The Bookwormlet. Selling enough books is always a concern and the author is delighted when she can make the perfect recommendation and make a sale. She obviously loves reading and enjoys seeing and talking with the customers. Receipts from the Bookshop will call to all readers to visit and buy many beloved books and long to visit the one that Katie Clapham owns.

Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham, (List Price: $28, William Morrow, 9780063516625, September 2026)

Reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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A delightful story about Murphy the dog and how he spends his day waiting on his best human friend to come home from school. He gets up to some funny antics and has to wait, wait, wait. Would make a great story time book!

I Am Murphy and I Am Waiting by Dan Yaccarino, (List Price: $18.99, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 9781250424280, August 2026)

Reviewed by Claire, River & Hill Books in Rome, GA

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A timely novel reminding us all that the power in books, our imaginations, and our own unique stories should never be forgotten or taken for granted. Once again, Lois Lowry has delivered a masterful and meaningful work for a generation of readers.

Building 903 by Lois Lowry, (List Price: $19.99, Clarion Books, 9780063515109, September 2026)

Reviewed by Mallory, Square Books in Oxford, MS

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Uhm, so that ending was crazy!! What a fun time I had while reading this. Truly, I was entertained the whole time! The full cast audiobook was amazing!! Definitely felt more engulfing and immersive. I won’t lie, I was rooting for the one romantic male lead that is pushed on the reader the whole time and was confused as to why the other romantic lead was even there, but then it hits you, and it hits you good. I genuinely cannot wait to see how Gray explores that relationship in the next book! Also, I understand why Vanessa would have so much rage throughout the book because of what happened to her, but sometimes it just felt too damn annoying. Like, we get it, girl, you have rage. The one thing I will say is this should definitely not be considered YA. Very much so adult themes throughout the whole book, but I digress.

Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray, (List Price: $13.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316584555, August 2026)

Reviewed by Itzy, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina