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The week of August 26, 2025 A Back to School Book List!  “Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.” ―Ben Okri The month of September means many things in the South, but one thing it means to all people is the beginning of the school season. No matter what your age, first time kindergartner or rising college sophomore, it is a time full of both promise and trepidation for what is ahead. This week’s reading list, appropriately filled with both new and older books, is dedicated to going, and going back to, school. The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes Recess by Lane Smith The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer The Yellow Bus by Loren Long A Smart, Smart School by Sharon Creech, Anait Semirdzhyan (Illus.) Battle of the Bands by Lauren Gibaldi (Editor) This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph 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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Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava Adult Fiction, Fiction, Indigenous, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Western I spent the last 30 minutes of reading Love Is a War Song in tears. They were very emotional tears- sad, and then happy, but I found the story so moving, I didn’t even realize I was actively crying. Avery Fox’s journey to finding herself, what mattered to her, and happiness really touched me. I loved how intricate Love Is a War Song is. The story isn’t just about Avery, but it’s also about Lucas Iron Eyes, Lottie (Avery’s grandmother), and those who also live on the ranch. Danica Nava’s sophomore novel is incredible. I couldn’t put it down and I really resonated with the themes of identity and family, among others. I’m so impressed Danica actually wrote a song to go in the book and I can’t wait to hear it be played. I loved every minute of reading Love Is a War Song. I need more cowboy romances like this one, ones that showcase the myriad experiences and peoples who live this life daily. Love Is a War Song is real, in ways you wouldn’t expect from a celebrity-cowboy romance, and I love it all the more for it. Reviewed by Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia |
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Dominion by Addie E. Citchens Adult Fiction, African American & Black, Fiction The story of the downfall of a prominent Mississippi Delta preacher and his family as told through the eyes of two unforgettable female narrators. I read this in about 24 hours. Citchens brings this world fully to life. Reviewed by Kat Leache, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee |
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You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White Fiction, Horror You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White is a roller coaster of raw, unsettling, and yet, beautiful human emotions. This is White’s first adult horror novel and please be warned, this book is scary as hell. Crane is a mute, autistic, trans man, who has been assisting in the invasion of an alien infestation known as “the Hive”. When Crane suddenly finds out he is pregnant and the Hive demands the birth of the child at all costs, Crane’s resistance and desperation to end the pregnancy sets off a series of events that cause a whirlwind of panic, anger, and violence that no one could have anticipated. Andrew Joseph White has literally taken the rough and gritty underbelly of small town gas station, added literal piles of “worms and flies” or “the Hive” and created one of the scariest settings I’ve read in a long time. White has a natural way of writing body horror that pushes every boundary and deliberately disturbs the reader with stomach-twisting imagery. The book will have readers truly gasping and screaming all the way toward the very last page. (No joke, I had a truly visceral feeling of horror upon finishing the book.) If you are a fan of anxiety-inducing films like Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) and also love a good gory Alien (1979) movie, you have to check out “You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White when it releases on September 9, 2025. Reviewed by Baldwin Bookseller, Baldwin & Co. in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
Buckeye explores the repercussions of deceit and betrayal, and the winding, sometimes impossible paths we have to travel on our way to making amends. Forgiveness, the novel suggests, isn’t just one decision; it’s a million decisions, made over and over. ― Patrick Ryan, Letter to booksellers Buckeye by Patrick Ryan 
Patrick Ryan is the author of the novel Buckeye. He is also the author of the story collections The Dream Life of Astronauts (named one of the Best Books of the Year by the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, LitHub, Refinery 29, and Electric Literature, and longlisted for The Story Prize) and Send Me. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, the anthology Tales of Two Cities, and elsewhere. The former associate editor of Granta, he is the editor of the literary magazine One Story and lives in New York City. |
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Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz Adult Fiction, Androids, Fiction, Robots & Artificial Intelligences, Science Fiction  An August Read This Next! Title 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! Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia |
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Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Literary Figures When I moved to the US, I brought only two boxes of books with me, forcing me to choose only the most essential from the many that lined my shelves: my well-thumbed copy Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things was one of the precious few that made the cut. So it’s fair to say that I was predisposed to love Mother Mary Comes to Me. This extraordinary memoir is a portrait not only of Arundhati Roy’s life – from childhood in Kerala, to architecture school in Delhi, and from there to becoming an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction – but also of her formidable mother, who defied convention but whose cruelty shaped her daughter’s life. Vivid, intimate and revelatory, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an absolute masterpiece, one that will stay on my shelves for years to come. Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, Young Adult Fiction Absolutely fantastic – and nothing less than we’ve come to expect from Angeline Boulley. This one takes place in the time between Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl, Unearthed – and while Daunis isn’t the main character, the story does answer some big questions we’ve all been harboring about what her character has been doing in the intervening years! Bonus! But the real story centers on Lucy, the sister of Daunis’ beloved friend Lily from Firekeeper’s Daughter. Each of Boulley’s stories manages to weave together compelling mysteries with fascinating and important details about aspects of Indigenous culture. This one introduces us to the world of ICWA – the Indian Child Welfare Act – and the ramifications of foster care placements for native children. The story moves quickly – bouncing between timelines which reveal Lucy’s painful history and also paint a picture of an ongoing mystery that threatens to derail her future. Couldn’t put it down! Reviewed by Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky |
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Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina Children, Juvenile Fiction, Occult & Supernatural, Paranormal Gorgeous cover and super intriguing premise. Sea ghosts? Absolutely yes. But Graciela is unlikeable in a very unlikable way. From the very beginning (it’s not a spoiler because, hello, sea ghost), she dies because she’s trying to spite her older sister. Her sister nicely cautions her away from the cliff. Graciela is like, “Stop bossing me around,” and she falls off the cliff and dies. Then when she reawakens as a sea ghost, she’s still jealous, disagreeable, and spiteful. Kinda like a Mary Lennox. But then there’s Jorge, who you immediately wrap your heartstrings around because he has the unfortunate fate to have horrible parents (and ancestors, which plays a big part in the plot of the dangerous enchanted harpoon) when all he wants to do is make toys instead of weapons at his family’s forge. He’s kind, thoughtful, resourceful, and brave, and is the perfect foil to Graciela. The underwater ghost-characters and world-building were super cool and inventive. I thoroughly enjoyed this upper-middle-grade novel! Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain by Juan E. Zambrano Comics & Graphic Novels, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Juvenile Fiction, Legends & Mythology I loved this story so much! A young boy, Pacheco, is enamored by magic and the witches who have the gift for it on the mountain. But he’s a fisherman’s son, and he’s also a boy – both of which keep him from magic. This all changes when he meets Doris, a rogue witch who does things differently. At its heart, this is all a story about making space for what’s different, of questioning our traditions and way of doing things. I loved it! 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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11/22/63 by Stephen King Adult Fiction, Banned Books, Thrillers, A high school English teacher discovers a portal to the past – specifically to September 9, 1958 – and decides that he’s going to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But here’s the thing – the past is stubborn. It’s obdurate. It doesn’t want to be changed and will fight back any effort to rewrite history. In typical King fashion, 11/22/63 is a brilliant and affecting novel full of heart and terror in near-equal parts. Reviewed by Colin Sneed, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe Children, Juvenile Fiction, New Experience, Social Themes
A July/August Read This Next! Kids Title Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl’s trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina |
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Parting Thought “The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. This truth applies both to individuals and institutions.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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