M. Judson booksellers and storytellers

Mercy by Patricia Ward

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Mercy by Patricia Ward
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A twist on a family legacy, with a bit of a supernatural spin. The characters were young and didn’t pretend to be older, like some YA books tend to do these days. And the parents were active participants in the story, which is also a bit rare in a YA. Strong points: imagery, setting, and characterizations. All deeply developed and put the reader in the scenes, making them care about the overall themes and plot. I wanted more about the Sorrowing, I think. Not the mystery of its origin, but the creeping coverage of it. Overall, this was a story about the power of family, breaking the mold from generations before, and standing up for what’s right.

Mercy by Patricia Ward, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063235168, October 2025)

Reviewed by Tamara Browning, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia

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Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia
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This book is a love letter to those who get dogged on for liking romance! The mixing of fanfiction and the contemporary romance novel was so much fun and felt super unique. You get to see two storylines that played very well into one another to aid Joonie in her growth, both personally and romantically. I really appreciated how Joonie stood up for the romance genre and explained how anyone can learn a lot about self-discovery, strength, and resilience from romance novels. Hearing about Joonie’s upbringing and how she never felt she fit in—fair, as she was forced to assimilate into a white world when so many aspects of that world promoted the downfall of her culture and confidence—was eye-opening and made me root for her even more. Joonie was a champion of building her own confidence even when everyone else was laughing. That’s the kind of female stories I want. Strength, humor, fortitude, all the while remaining soft. The side characters (including the love interest and fanfiction characters) were so fun and flowed so well with Joonie. Leaving nothing to feel forced, this writing was fun, witty, and full of big emotions that drove the story in unique and unexpected ways. With laugh-out-loud moments, feeling like you need to hug Joonie, and swooning over the typical book boyfriend, Hariri-Kia delivers a unique take on the romance genre, giving hugs to all those who constantly have to justify their love for it.

Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia, (List Price: $18.99, Cosmo Reads, 9781728270647, October 2025)

Reviewed by Tayllor Johns, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Red City by Marie Lu

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Red City by Marie Lu
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The balance Lu crafted between Sam and Ari is pure perfection, you could even say it’s alchemical. I should have prepared myself for how entranced by this world that I would be, but I was taken off guard in the best way. A fresh addition to fantasy that I can’t and won’t stop thinking about.

Red City by Marie Lu, (List Price: $29.99, Tor Books, 9781250885678, October 2025)

Reviewed by Sarah Hudson, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby

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King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
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What can’t S.A. Cosby write? When it comes to crime fiction loaded with action, Cosby is the man! Once again, Cosby takes the reader on a journey that one is not fully prepared for. The underlying storyline of the missing mother, along with the main storyline of the “no good” son, played in such a parallel that is easily missed if not paying close attention. King of Ashes begs the question of how far are you willing to go for the family you love? One thing that is different about this Cosby novel from the others is that we actually get a female character’s perspective. Cosby handles this point of view very well. I am sad that I have already finished this book, but I cannot wait to start putting it into customers’ hands!

King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar, 9781250832061, June 2025)

Reviewed by Kayla Saxon, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Red Dog Farm by Nathaniel Ian Miller

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Red Dog Farm by Nathaniel Ian Miller
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All the feelings for Red Dog Farm! Mr. Miller tells a beautiful story of family, landscape, and the way you can never truly know either. It’s a tale of fierce love, harsh wind, and a really good dog. It’s one of those books I wish I could experience for the first time again and again. It’s oh so good!

Red Dog Farm by Nathaniel Ian Miller, (List Price: $28, Little, Brown and Company, 9780316575140, March 2025)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Candle Island by Lauren Wolk

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Candle Island by Lauren Wolk
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Candle Island is one of those stories that stays in your heart. A beautiful book about love, family, and grief that shows the healing power of creativity and nurturing wildness in wild spaces. I loved it!

Candle Island by Lauren Wolk, (List Price: $18.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9780593698549, April 2025)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Blob by Maggie Su

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Blob by Maggie Su
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So weird and wonderful! A funny, moving look at what it means to be real, to grow, and to truly connect with yourself and others

Blob by Maggie Su, (List Price: $26.99, Harper, 9780063358645, January 2025)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Rednecks by Taylor Brown

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Rednecks by Taylor Brown
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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. The themes of family, labor’s value, and economic freedom are as prescient today as during the novel’s time period. Rednecksis well-researched and engrossing. I felt like I was in the cold, muddy camps along with the families.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250329332, May 2024)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows
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Never want to say goodbye to Bye Forever I Guess! The perfect middle-grade novel about the changing nature of friendship, finding your fit while remaining true to yourself, and where to sit at lunch. Plus, a focus on Nerdy Girls rock!

Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows, (List Price: $18.99, Holiday House, 9780823456383, October 2024)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach
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A big-hearted, smart story about figuring out who you want to be when you grow up when you are already a grown-up! Phoebe, queen of the sad girls, arrives at a posh wedding by mistake to the irritation of the micromanaging bride, and things take off from there. A deep and charming story of family drama, wedding guest gossip, and how women can support each other in surprising ways.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach, (List Price: $28.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250899576, August 2024)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller

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The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B.
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You know how sometimes you read a book so astonishingly good you can’t stop thinking about it … The Curse of Pietro Houdini is one of those rare books.War, art, violence, beauty, survival and a heroic mule, this story is so good.

The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller, (List Price: $28.99, , 9781668020883, January 2024)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
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Fates and Furies offers a sharp portrait of a modern marriage, an eminently flexible partnership, still full of dark corners and locked rooms. We follow first Lotto’s perspective and then Mathilde’s through the full arc of this for-better-or-worse, and the result is a dynamic and quick-footed novel, Lauren Groff at the height of her powers. Lotto and Mathilde’s physical connection is hot and brutal and sometimes strange. The echoes of Shakespearean tragedy, of mythology, even allegory give their relationship resonant heft, while the storyline keeps the dirt of real life under their nails. I really, really loved Mathilde: her sheer darkness and fierce love for Lotto, her deep flaws and careful veneer. She was sympathetic and awful and familiar and pragmatic and true. This book is smart—about women and wives, marriage and art—and beautiful, and going to be talked about for a long, long time.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, (List Price: $18.00, Riverhead Books, 9781594634482, September 2015)

Reviewed by Ashley Warlick, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic casts a spell! Can’t get enough witchy reads? Me neither! It has all the good things, family, true love, magic, and mystery. Get ready for spooky season with a great read.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall, (List Price: $18.99, Alcove Press, 9781639105731, September 2023)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
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WOW! Everyone should read this book. No matter what you think you know, you probably don’t know enough. Clear and accessible non-history book with history in it. As a former teacher, I wish more content was available in this well-thought-out and clear package. There isn’t room to get bored or lost for readers. There are built-in moments to breathe, reflect, and even chuckle. a great strategy for tough material. No matter what lens you view America through, this book will have an impact on your focus. It’s not enough to not be racist, be actively anti-racist.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi, (List Price: 18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316453691, March 2020)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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First Position by Melanie Hamrick

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First Position by Melanie Hamrick
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The trope of the lovable anti-hero is beaten out only by that of the detestable anti-hero. Sylvie Carter is inherently unlikable, the hapless victim of every event of the story, including her own poor decisions, the least of which is becoming sexually involved with yet another member of her ballet company, even after the first affair launched her fall from grace. Possibly the most frustrating character since Scarlet O’Hara, her narration is filled with shocking scandal and incredibly loving description of a professional dancer’s lifestyle – and I adored every page.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick, (List Price: 17, Berkley, 9780593638149, June 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Graben, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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