September 7, 2026
Books for the End of Summer
Summer may be drawing to a close, but the desire to sink into a great new book is year-round.
New in September
Fall is the busiest season in the book business, with more new books published between September and December than in any other part of the year — here’s what Southern indie booksellers are excited about this month.
Exit Party
“Mandel is a master of gorgeous prose and plots that weave together in unexpected ways.”
Carrie, Dog-Eared Books · Raleigh, NC
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman
“Sinfully good gossip with layered drama, tenderness, sexiness, and ferocity as you follow Scharisse biting the apple and letting the truth set her free.”
Ashley, Underbrush Books · Rogers, AR
The Pirate Queen
“What a fascinating story! Ariel Lawhon does not disappoint.”
Carrie, The Snail on the Wall · Huntsville, AL
Under Story
“A beautiful and mind-boggling (in a very good way) book about grief and moving backward and forward through time.”
Kate, Main Street Books · Davidson, NC
Scion
“Deeper questions of justice, equality, surveillance, autonomy, mob rule, and democracy in general are constantly lurking just under the surface of this fast-paced thriller.”
Doron, Octavia Books · New Orleans, LA
The Birthing Tree
“Another great read by Amanda Peters! The Birthing Tree is a wonderful story of love, family, friends, and traditions.”
Barbara, Page 158 Books · Wake Forest, NC
Free Falling
“Free Falling truly has it all: small-town romance, childhood frenemies, oh, and ghosts!”
Jennifer, Bookmarks · Winston-Salem, NC
Read This Now!
How Can My Manager Be So Stupid?
One of this week’s Read This Now picks from Southern indie booksellers.
Victoria, Bookmarks · Winston-Salem, NC
The Bitch
One of this week’s Read This Now picks from Southern indie booksellers.
Joshua, The Underground Bookshop · Carrollton, GA
The Wind Beneath the Stone
One of this week’s Read This Now picks from Southern indie booksellers.
Jan, Main Street Books · Davidson, NC
Decide for Yourself
A banned or challenged book, reviewed by a Southern indie bookseller.
Decide for Yourself: The Weight of Blood
A YA thriller that confronts racism in a small Southern town after a school prom goes horribly wrong — frequently challenged, and just as frequently recommended by the booksellers who’ve read it.
Southern Bestsellers
Hardcover Fiction
- The Calamity Club — Kathryn Stockett
- The Knave and the Moon (The Stonewater Kingdom #2) — Rachel Gillig
- Whistler — Ann Patchett
- The Disappearers — Marlon James
- Yesteryear (Indies Introduce) — Caro Claire Burke
Hardcover Nonfiction
- Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump — Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan
- Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage — Belle Burden
- The Land and Its People: Essays — David Sedaris
- American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump — Kai Bird & Susan Goldmark
- Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About — Isabel Klee
Children’s Illustrated
- Dragon Dog — Suzanne Lang & Max Lang
- Room on the Broom — Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
- The Skeleton and the Cat — Brandon James Scott
- Little Blue Truck — Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry
- Wonderful Halloween — Emily Winfield Martin