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The week of July 15, 2025 What to read for Shark Week!  “Books are sharks… because sharks have been around for a very long time. There were sharks before there were dinosaurs, and the reason sharks are still in the ocean is that nothing is better at being a shark than a shark.”― Douglas Adams The best thing about July besides the BBQ and the parades? Shark Week! In honor of our fascinating and finny friends, here are some books to sink your teeth into! Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck Shark Girl by Kate Beaton Sharks Don’t Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham The Shark Club: A Novel by Ann Kidd Taylor Shark Summer by Ira Marcks Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Tom de Freston (Illus.) Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez, Devin Elle Kurtz (Illus.) Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, American, Biography & Autobiography, Cooking, Regional & Cultural, Southern States A delicious and beautiful cookbook! I love the variety of ingredients that are rooted in the area, especially ones I never even thought about using. If you’re ever bored of the same old same old biscuits and gravy in your average southern cookbooks, give this a shot! The flavor combinations are to die for. Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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The Payback by Kashana Cauley Adult Fiction, Literary 
A July Read This Next! Title Cue the lit match and the cool walk-away. This heist novel centers on Jada Williams, a Black woman whose student loans are literally following her–and a bunch of other Black folks–in the form of LA’s debt police, a new unit of cops decked out in turquoise who keep running their mouths about crystals. Author and unparalleled wit Kashana Cauley zeroes in on what it feels like to be stalked by debt in a capitalist system in this knock-out novel. This book made me mad in all the right ways. Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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The Secret Market of the Dead by Feo Giovanni De Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Prime example of a debut author who came fully prepared to steal your heart, open your mind, and waltz right into your very dreams! I am still processing the numerous levels this book expertly navigated! I feel compelled to name a few parts of this story that will linger in your mind for days on end after reading: the folklore, the southern Italian historical setting, the mystical creatures, deals struck under cover of night, complex family relationships, faith, self worth, and what it means to call out what you want in life. All of this and more are woven into a fantastical world that has left me astonished! I cannot wait to see what he writes next! Reviewed by Mandy Martin, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Witches in Central Mexico are a bit different from the traditional European image of the witch. They are evil. They’re intent on causing harm to their neighbors, to the community. They often can shape-shift. I wanted to go towards those [versions] as opposed to having something like the modern archetype. ― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Interview, People The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of Silver Nitrate, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Mexican Gothic, and many other books. She has won the Locus and British Fantasy awards for her work as a novelist, and the World Fantasy Award as an editor. |
If you talk about witches nowadays and you ask somebody to picture a witch, they’d probably say a pointy hat, a broom, a black cat. They are no longer considered malevolent. |
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Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyen Adult Fiction, LGBTQ+, Transgender Nguyen’s mix of satire, social commentary, and the story’s central relationship are impossible to deny. Hot Girls with Balls captures perfectly what it is like to be in the public eye, the myriad of positives and pitfalls that come with social media, and the pressure trans people face just daring to exist in our world. "Hot Girls" Six and Green are amazing characters that I won’t soon forget. Bold, unapologetically queer, and sharp – what a debut! Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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No Straight Road Takes You There: Essays for Uneven Terrain by Rebecca Solnit Activism & Social Justice, Adult Nonfiction, Environmental Policy, Essays, Feminism & Feminist Theory, Literary Collections, Political Science, Public Policy "The rage, to my surprise, seemed to come mainly from middle-class white people. They seemed to see despair as a form of solidarity, and hope as a betrayal…" As a middle-class white guy who feels a decent amount of despair these days, Solnit’s latest (and brilliant as ever) collection doesn’t do much different from previous works, (especially 2016’s Hope In The Dark,) but is a vital reminder that things can change, they do change, and only we can make them change. The message is crucial, but the storytelling that conveys it is equally so, and it is the snippets of fact which catch you by surprise sometimes, and help the moral (never give up, never despair) stick – how did I never know, for instance, that MLK’s "I have a dream" speech was off script, unplanned? Solnit is one of the most important living writers, and any new book by her is cause for celebration, introspection, and ultimately, action. Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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Let Them Stare by Jonathan Van Ness, Julie Murphy Dating & Sex, Young Adult Fiction This is the power writing couple we didn’t know we needed! Murphy and JVN have crafted the most adorable rom-com with a ghosty twist! It’s sweet, spicy (but appropriate for YA spice!), and timely. Sully has just graduated high school, and they’re ready to take NYC by storm with their dream internship – until it gets canceled at the last minute. Sully finds a gorgeous vintage bag in their local thrift store and gets more than they bargained for when Rufus, a queer ghost from the 50s, appears. Sully and their crush hunt to find out what happened to Rufus and find some town secrets and a little romance along the way. I say this about every Juile Murphy collab, but I will read as many books as this pair creates. Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Forts by Katie Venit Children, Imagination & Play, Juvenile Fiction I love this celebration of forts, the ones found in nature to the ones you can build for yourself. Forts are for gathering with friends or being alone in this delightful picture book. Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones Comics & Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Young Adult Fiction A hidden society of witches? An orphan with a strong lineage to a long-gone family? Cute queer romances and yearning? Tarot card foreshadowing? What more could one want? This is a world where witches work to keep the balance between natural and unnatural forces, and the Arcana is one of the specific societies that does this. But when four students’ lives are thrown together, they realize there is something connecting their blood, and it smells like murder, it smells like power, it smells like secrets. You won’t be able to put this one down! Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag Banned Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction This adorable graphic novel about a shape-shifting selkie and a teen lesbian who hasn’t fully accepted her queerness is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is a great book for young queer people with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely sapphic romance that you can easily devour in one sitting. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of young readers! Reviewed by Candice Huber, Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won’t have as much censorship because we won’t have as much fear.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
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