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The week of September 9, 2025 What to read this month: folktales and fairytales  The September/October Read This Next! list for younger readers has a definite "once upon a time" undercurrent. Fairytales and folktales retold and re-imagined are at the heart of many of these stories, proving that some stories will always stay with us. Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex G. Griffiths Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, Erin E. Stead (Illus.) Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron War Games by Alan Gratz Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer Current Read This Next! books and what Southern booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology The Maiden and Her Monster leads you through dark and dangerous forests in a richly woven tale of faith and family. Perfect for readers who crave lush, atmospheric fantasies, Martinez brings a new life to the Jewish legend of “The Golem of Prague” with her tender, unforgettable sapphic romance. Reviewed by Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas |
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Visions and Temptations by Harald Voetmann Adult Fiction, Dark Humor, Denmark, Fiction, Historical, Humorous, Literary, Medieval, World Literature It’s hard to describe what Harald Voetmann has captured in Visions and Temptations. It is a meditation on death, faith, sin, and human struggle. It is a hallucinatory travelogue of heavenly reward and divine punishment. It contains a striking monologue about onion-based farts. Fundamentally, though, Visions and Temptations depicts two fundamental and immutable elements of the human experience: mundanity and empathy. A compact, fascinating, and affecting read, unlike anything I’ve read before. Reviewed by Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei  I’ve always considered myself a pragmatic optimist, and part of that is my day job. My career has been in government. And I think you kind of have to be a bit of an optimist to sort of throw your entire life into that, because if you don’t believe that the world can be better, then what are you doing? What are you doing with your life? So I like to say that working in government is sort of trying to think about what the world should be, and science fiction is sort of like thinking about what the world could be. And so there’s sort of an interesting intersection between the two. So, yeah, no, I think I’m fundamentally an optimist, but obviously, it’s hard to be in this world and not see everything that’s going on and feel very concerned. And so I think that’s where the little bits of darkness come in. ― Yume Kitasei, Interview, Reader Tangents Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei 
Yume Kitasei is the author of Saltcrop , The Stardust Grail, and The Deep Sky. She is Japanese and American and grew up in a space between two cultures—the same space where her stories reside. She lives in Brooklyn with two cats, Boondoggle and Filibus |
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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Family Life, Fiction, India, World Literature I’m now on the last 100 pages, and I find myself slowing down because I do not want it to end and dog-earing nearly every other page because the writing is so astounding. The characters, the worlds they inhabit in Vermont, New York, and India, and the cultural and family dynamics are written with such depth and humanity. Kiran Desai has created another masterpiece! Reviewed by Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida |
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Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach Adult Nonfiction, Cosmetic & Reconstructive, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Life Sciences, Medical, Regenerative Medicine, Science, Surgery, Transplant Mary Roach delves into the world of regenerative medicine, discussing everything from 3D-printed organs to the potential of stem cells. Not only informative, this book raises important questions about identity, mortality, and the future of medicine. Roach’s ability to blend humor with serious topics keeps readers entertained while prompting them to think critically about the implications of these technologies. Reviewed by Mevelyn Romay Fernandez, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction This book reminded me so much of a story of when a friend told me she almost joined a cult at our illustrious HBCU. I was initially intrigued because the book is inspired by a true story. The re-framing of the actual event on the campus of a HBCU was clever and culturally pointed! Once it started going, I was unable to stop reading. Reviewed by Alexis Morris, Resist Booksellers in St. Petersburg, Virginia |
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A Spoonful of the Sea by Hyewon Yum Asian, Birthdays, Children, Cooking & Food, Fables, Girls & Women, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction, Legends, Myths A quiet, warm tale of seaweed soup, of haenyeo divers, of birthdays, of mothers and daughters. Hyewon Yum’s story and illustrations are a celebration of motherhood and the deep connection between women and nature, all through the tradition of birthday miyeokguk. A Spoonful of the Sea is perfect to share on birthdays, between mothers and daughters, and amongst families for whom mealtime is the most important part of the day. Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin Art, Biography & Autobiography, Comics & Graphic Novels, Judaism, Religion, Young Adult Nonfiction Strangely enough, I just watched this on Netflix, and it was definitely telling of the time we are going through now. A very talented painter is captured by the OSS and sent to an insane asylum, given meds to make him compliant, and eventually gets force-fed. Eventually, he is released and tries to marry as a way of getting out of his country. He finds his way through his traumatic enslavement and manages to regain some of his humanity. Fabulous story. Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue African American & Black, Banned Books, Family Life, Fiction, Literary What a good book! Beautifully written and so forcefully told, this story of the power of corporations over people and governments. And the setting! So alien from what we’re used to, but at the same time recognizable from our own small town battles with corporate malfeasance. A very thought-provoking book that will be great for book clubs and one that reminded me of how I reacted to Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar. Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Fine Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Bestsellers, Fiction, Women What a gem! If you like beautiful writing and memorable characters, this one is a must read! In this epistolary novel, we get a look into the life of Sybil Van Antwerp, a mother, grandmother, divorcée, sister, mentor, and distinguished attorney. Sybil is comfortable and maybe feels she is on the back end of life, only to find new connections, forgiveness, and that change is always possible. Sybil is a force to be reckoned with! I loved Sybil. I wish she was a real person I could meet. Her connections with the people she wrote, and how she came to terms with various parts of her life during the novel, drew me in. I adored her relationship with her friend’s child. I always appreciate a book that talks about other books. There are just so many things to love about this one. Reviewed by Karmen Somers, Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama |
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Parting Thought “Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
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