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Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell

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Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell
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Katherine Rundell explains in a non-judgemental tone how important it is for us all to read children’s literature. This long essay in book form can be read in one sitting, and is well worth your time.

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 Daniel, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, AR

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Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell

, ,
Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

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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The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

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The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
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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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The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

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The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
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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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Tempest by Victoria Aveyard

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Tempest by Victoria Aveyard
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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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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
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It will surprise no one familiar with my taste in books that while I enjoyed the romance subplot (read: didn’t actively annoy me like most romance plots do!) and genuinely liked the characters and their development, what I loved most about this novel was the questions it posed about the nature of criticism and artists: who is owed what, what should or shouldn’t be out of bounds, and the dramatic expansion of the court of public opinion in the internet age. Wonderful read that will appeal to readers of all kinds!

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

Reviewed by Kat, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Heroes’ Feast Legends of the Table (Dungeons & Dragons) by Kyle Newman

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Heroes' Feast Legends of the Table (Dungeons & Dragons) by Kyle Newman
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Tell me why the best recipe for tomato soup EVER is in a D&D cookbook?? Heroes’ Feast is my roommate and I’s go-to cookbook, so I’m super pumped for this second edition! All the recipes are themed around D&D classes, blending together lore, whimsy, and darn-good flavors. In the spirit of the game, these dishes are exciting to share with friends and family. I can’t recommend these cookbooks enough, whether you’re a nerd, a foodie, or both.

Heroes’ Feast Legends of the Table (Dungeons & Dragons) by Kyle Newman, (List Price: $40, Ten Speed Press, 9780593838273, September 2026)

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

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I Am Murphy and I Am Waiting by Dan Yaccarino

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I Am Murphy and I Am Waiting by Dan Yaccarino
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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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Don’t Say Palestine by Assal Rad

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Don't Say Palestine by Assal Rad
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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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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
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Smart. Well-written. Couldn’t put it down. Well-developed characters who are multi-dimensional. This is a fantastic take on a romance. For readers of romance, books about books, anyone who loves a look inside the publishing industry. Poses so many interesting questions about the book industry and what readers want from it, what writers want too.

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

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

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
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To reduce this novel to any one aspect would do it a disservice. It’s about the book world, online discourse, and the relationship between art and criticism. It’s a romance between two industry rivals whose journey mimics the greatest rom-coms from the 90s. It’s clever, full of nuance, and boasts impeccable banter. What resonated with me the most was watching these two characters find common ground over a shared love for specific stories, which ultimately helps them view each other in a more empathetic light. By the end I was left with the hopeful reminder that books can help us see others, and ourselves, more clearly and compassionately.

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

Reviewed by Becca, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

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Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
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A touching look at Black life between the 1930’s and the 1960’s. This book is Morrison’s take on Homer’s Odyssey, with the protagonist Milk Man traveling back to his family’s roots and a supernatural feeling throughout. This one is my favorite!

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, (List Price: $17, Vintage, 9781400033423, June 2004)

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

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Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham

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Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham
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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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The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters

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The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters
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Another great read by Amanda Peters! The Birthing Tree is a wonderful story of love, family, friends, and traditions. Aliet Paul was raised by her grandmother, Kiju, a Mi’kmaw women, after her own mother died in childbirth. She never knew who her father was, and no one would tell her. The “Birthing Tree,” where Kiju helped bring many children into the world, is its own character. A dual timeline book where the world has evolved and most women are choosing more traditional hospital births, both Kiju and Aliet fight to hold onto traditions and protect “the birthing tree.

The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters, (List Price: $28, Catapult, 9781646223695, September 2026)

Reviewed by Barbara, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC

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Switzy by Emma Cline

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Switzy by Emma Cline
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I’m in awe of how Cline captures the texture and cadence of a brain in decline, or maybe more accurately, a mind en route to elsewhere. Much has been written about dementia and Alzheimer’s from the outsider’s or caregiver’s perspective. But to write the experience from the inside, from practically the point of view of memory itself, is truly remarkable. This is a book of overwhelming insight, compassion, and ingenuity.

Switzy by Emma Cline, (List Price: $32, Random House, 9780593595244, September 2026)

Reviewed by Kristen, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL

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