Past Read this Next!

A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

, , ,
A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Amos McGee is back in this winter picture book! Amos is so excited about the first snow, so he knits all of his animal friends various accessories to prepare for the cold. A delightful and heartwarming read that I can’t wait to read to my kids for winters to come!

A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, (List Price: $19.99, Roaring Brook Press, 9781250324733, September 2025)

Reviewed by Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia

A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead Read More »

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

, ,
Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

A graphic novel that this former overachiever wished they had in high school. A gentle reminder that we all grieve in different ways, that burnout does not define us, and that we can build ourselves back up after burnout with community, friends, and compassion. When Angelica (or to her close friends and family, Jelly!) begins messaging local theatre mascot Per the Bear and then takes an internship with the theatre for their winter production featuring Per, she doesn’t know what to expect. But what she ends up with is kindness, and maybe a little bit of magic. A completely precious re-telling of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” that is sure to leave you feeling warm and cozy.

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen, (List Price: $24.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593125472, October 2025)

Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen Read More »

Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex Griffiths

, , ,
Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex Griffiths
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

I love the illustrations in this story, and getting to follow Fox as he tries to solve a puzzle with clues along the way was so fun! At its heart, this story is one about forgiveness. It is easy to get angry and have disagreements with friends and those we care about. Sometimes these things pull us apart, and it is a huge loss! This book shows us how to come back together and continue the journey.

Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex Griffiths, (List Price: $18.99, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 9781836001102, September 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex Griffiths Read More »

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

, , , , , , ,
All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

All the Way to the River is a love letter to those struggling and trying to be better. Gilbert’s openness about her addiction and pathway to healing sheds light on a type of addiction many women are ashamed to admit for themselves, even with its commonality. She tells the story of the highs and lows of falling in love with another addict, Rayya, and how her death was an awakening to finding peace in her life. Addiction isn’t beautiful, but there is always beauty to be found in those that love you, even in their worst moments.

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert, (List Price: $35, Riverhead Books, 9780593540985, September 2025)

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

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert Read More »

To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

, ,
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

It’s hard to believe that this multifaceted novel is a debut, given how skillfully Eliana Ramage weaves the different strands of the story. At its heart is Steph, a Queer Cherokee Nation citizen, who decides at the age of six to become an astronaut and is single-minded in her ambition, pushing away both family and girlfriends in pursuit of her goal. But To the Moon and Back is so much more than that: it’s also about Native American history, identity, and culture, about how the past – and the stories we tell ourselves about it – shapes our futures, and ultimately about family and the need for connection with others. I loved To the Moon and Back, well, to the moon and back.

To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage, (List Price: $30, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, 9781668065853, September 2025)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage Read More »

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey

, , ,
Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This may well be my favorite Big Shots book in the series. I loved seeing Robbie go from an unlikable guy to one who was so gone on Skylar, he realized he needed to be better, not for her, but for himself. This may be the slowest burn of all of Tessa’s books, but it’s so worth it getting to that point. Skylar and Robbie don’t hold back when following along with Skylar’s plans to “learn” how to be comfortable with a guy she’s interested in. I also loved how much Skylar and Robbie hyped each other up and took care of each other. I am hoping Elton and his best friend get a book. Maybe even Mailer too.

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey, (List Price: $18.99, Avon, 9780063380837, September 2025)

Reviewed by Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey Read More »

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

, ,
We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Awad, in this perfect follow-up to a masterful weird-girl gory cult favorite, has once again crafted the perfect campy bloody celebration of striking prose, gorgeous characters, and sardonic horror. Not only is this sequel the perfect addition to its sibling, but it, frankly, outshines it by cracking open the minds of our beloved quartet of intriguingly odd female villains and introducing the oh-so-f*cking lovable point of view of their very first creation. This book had me fully geeked out over a perfectly silly bunny-human hybrid and an inanimate toy horse. Like, seriously, I was in utter raptures while reading about the fate of a sensitive bunny man and his toy pony and his trusty axe. Like, work. Mona Awad, you are The Diva.

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad, (List Price: $30, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, 9781668059869, September 2025)

Reviewed by Joshua Lambie, The Underground Bookshop LLC in Carrollton, Georgia

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad Read More »

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

, , , ,
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl’s trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781534478206, August 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe Read More »

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

, ,
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

The atmosphere of The Hounding is palpable—you can feel the scorching summer heat, hear the tense murmurings of Little Nettlebed’s villagers as they cast their wary eyes on the five Mansfield sisters. Shifting perspectives reveal villagers both suspicious of and sympathetic to sisters, but like witch hunts of earlier times, the suspicions of females who desire freedom run rampant until the real and imagined begin to blur. Purvis’s superb storytelling will have readers transfixed as she expertly navigates the unease of Little Nettlebed. A must-read for fans of Elspeth Barker, Sarah Perry, Rivka Galchen, and Lauren Groff.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis, (List Price: $26.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250366382, August 2025)

Reviewed by Taylor Brown, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Read More »

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews

, ,
A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Toews is an author unlike any other; the personal nature of her writing is global in its appeal. This autobiographical work uses a pastiche — a literary conceit that requires Toews to answer the question “Why do I write?” — to send Toews toward herself and the request her late sister asked of her. If my sister is gone, what does it mean to write to her still? asks the author. At its core — and this book is all core — this book entreats a reader to feel the most difficult emotions. It reminds us not to leave each other alone. Being together may not save us — it did not save Toews’s sister — but Miriam Toews argues that feeling together is still worth doing.

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews, (List Price: $26.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639734740, August 2025)

Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews Read More »

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

, ,
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Warning: this book WILL make you cry. But in a good way. When the Cranes Fly South follows the last few months in the life of Bo, an elderly man living in rural Sweden with just his pet dog, Sixten, for company. As his world becomes ever more circumscribed, Bo spends ever more time immersed in his memories — taking stock of his life, particularly his relationships with his family. Meanwhile, his days are interspersed with visits from caregivers, whose notes on Bo’s daily care form part of the novel, and visits from well-meaning family and friends. Profound, poignant, and achingly sad, When the Cranes Fly South is perfect reading for anyone who has ever loved and lost someone. In other words, all of us.

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén, (List Price: $18, Vintage, 9798217006731, August 2025)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén Read More »

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

, , , ,
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

The cozy small business success story of Legends & Lattes meets the progressive sci-fi of Becky Chambers, with a flavor entirely its own, in this fresh, heartwarming tale about a motley crew of robots launching a restaurant amid PTSD, prejudice, and review bombing in a future post-war San Francisco. I ATE this book UP and already miss the team at Automatic Noodle and all the friendship, pride, and love found at the bottom of a bowl of their famous biang biang noodles!

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, (List Price: $24.99, Tordotcom, 9781250357465, August 2025)

Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz Read More »

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane

, , ,
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Nature writer par excellence Robert Macfarlane’s latest work is a treat for all the senses. In it, he visits three rivers – one in Ecuador, one in India, one in Canada; one protected, one dying, and one under threat – in search of answers to his own question: is a river alive? The result is this beautifully written work that explores the rights of nature movement and the idea that rivers are more than mere matter for human use. Drawing upon both indigenous and Western knowledge, Is a River Alive? is erudite and eloquent, intelligent and passionate, and much needed.

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane, (List Price: $31.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393242133, May 2025)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane Read More »

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

, ,
Katabasis (Standard Edition) by R. F. Kuang
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Katabasis is the latest iteration of a long literary tradition of descents to Hell, taking its place along Dante’s Inferno, Orpheus and Eurydice, the Aeneid, and countless others. The list, although not exhaustive, lends itself a reverence to the act of descending. Kuang honors the classic motif while giving it a fresh spin, crafting a delightful addition to a proud legacy. Her expertly articulated worldbuilding melds with a command of language and logic that carefully treads the barrier between traditional fantasy and the academic novel. The novel’s protagonists, Alice and Peter, are PhD candidates at Cambridge studying analytical magic. When their advisor suddenly dies with no replacement forthcoming, there’s only one logical option: going into Hell to retrieve his immortal soul. As they traverse the depths, the core question of the novel slowly emerges, how much are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your darkest ambitions? Fervent readers of Kuang’s work will not be disappointed by her latest tour de force, and first-timers will be delighted by the care put in every word of the novel.

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang, (List Price: $32, Harper Voyager, 9780063446243, August 2025)

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

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang Read More »

Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin

, , , ,
Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

The dark might seem scary, but the dark is full of wonderful, magical, important things, from night-blooming plants to nocturnal creatures. Millie Fleur La Fae loves them all, but her town of Garden Glen isn’t as keen as she is on inviting the dark into town. But, what might happen if we turn off our lanterns and join Millie Fleur in the dark of her moon garden? Millie Fleur Saves the Night is a gorgeously written and illustrated tale of embracing the wonders of the dark, from the moon to the stars, from raccoons to bats. A perfect book to pair with a full moon hike at a local park or preserve!

Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin, (List Price: $18.99, Orchard Books, 9781339023373, July 2025)

Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin Read More »

Scroll to Top