The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

American

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

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Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
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Kiese Laymon writes a powerful memoir in which he immerses the reader in the individual experience of growing up Black in the Deep South. Laymon’s coming-of-age story, placed in the 80s and 90s, is layered with observations about body image and body awareness in the context of a geography intent on subjugating those who look like him. The entire book is written in second person, directed toward his mother, which has the effect of drawing the reader close to his story. He beautifully gives access to his own flaws, his family’s wisdom, and imperfections. A must-read for anyone interested in Black stories, Black people, and U.S.-American history.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon, (List Price: $18, Scribner, 9781501125669, March 2019)

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

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Blue Opening by Chet’la Sebree

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Blue Opening by Chet'la Sebree
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This stunning poetry collection centers around the author’s fascination with beginnings. She fearlessly delves into the mystery of bodies, particularly women’s bodies. My favorite section is the heroic sonnet crown, where each sonnet’s subject is one of the author’s female ancestors. I also love the use of footnotes here; they make these passages feel even more like verses in scripture.

Blue Opening by Chet’la Sebree, (List Price: $18, Tin House, 9781963108460, September 2025)

Reviewed by Becca, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith

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The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith
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This collection is so incredibly expansive, not only in the range of the time period Smith is writing but also in her topics, ranging from her experience being a black woman, police brutality, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and growing up with Motown as an ever-present current in her life. These poems are fire, are urgent, are playful, and will stick with you long after reading.

The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith, (List Price: $30, Scribner, 9781668055724, September 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Dog Show: Poems by Billy Collins

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Dog Show: Poems by Billy Collins
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The poetry of Billy Collins never disappoints! A must read this holiday season. Even though I’m a cat person, I couldn’t put this book down. Readers will savor each and every poem along with the dog illustrations by Pamela Sztybel. A joyful read about man’s best friend.

Dog Show: Poems by Billy Collins, (List Price: $20, Random House, 9780593979419, November 2025)

Reviewed by Sheri Bancroft, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

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Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
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If you are a fan of Margaret Atwood, and specifically The Handmaid’s Tale, this book is a must-read. Erdrich’s storytelling feels very intimate, which I prefer in a dystopian novel. A larger picture comes into focus through the perspective of Cedar’s individual experience. Quietly disturbing, this story will stick with you long after you’ve read the last page. Though this book is not a new release, I would put it in league with The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich, (List Price: $17.99, Harper Perennial, 9780062694065, November 2018)

Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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All These Ghosts by Silas House

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All These Ghosts by Silas House
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House’s collection of poetry is full of beauty, of perfect lines that punch one in the gut and evoke profound feelings. His imagery immerses readers in the South, capturing every day life experiences, yet his poems are also memories of family love and sacrifice, of loss and grief. This collection inspires reflection on how we relate to the past, on how we grieve the loss of people and place, on how nature soothes us in troubled times, on how deeply we love. All These Ghosts is a remarkable gift to the world.

All These Ghosts by Silas House, (List Price: $22.95, Blair, 9781958888698, September 2025)

Reviewed by Lera Shawver, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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All These Ghosts by Silas House

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All These Ghosts by Silas House
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So glad that the former Kentucky Poet Laureate has a poetry collection at last! As with his fiction, House’s work resonates most deeply the closer he stays to his Appalachian roots. With poems like “Double Creek Girl” and “Lunchlady” he transports the reader to a hardscrabble start that was tough but also suffused with the joy of family ties and the beauty of nature. Poems about queerness, protest, timesickness and soup beans all exist side by side in this collection, as in life.

All These Ghosts by Silas House, (List Price: $22.95, Blair, 9781958888698, September 2025)

Reviewed by Sam Miller, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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The New Book by Nikki Giovanni

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The New Book by Nikki Giovanni
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I loved this collection, which runs the gamut of thoughts on politics, justice, early family life and upbringing, personal history, everyday small moments to her life as a professor at and pride for Virginia Tech. I marveled over many of the pieces here, as Giovanni’s emotional and philosophical depth shone through the words and images. I’ve loved her poetry for a long time, but the offerings in this book revealed more of her inner world as an older woman who had seen and experienced so much. She found joy and beauty in small pleasures, relationships, honest work, and words. I love how she signs many of her letters “Poetically, Nikki.” What a force of passion and wisdom she was. A great gift for the poetry collector!

The New Book by Nikki Giovanni, (List Price: $26, William Morrow, 9780063447523, September 2025)

Reviewed by Sarah Goldstein, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia

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Racebook by Tochi Onyebuchi

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Racebook by Tochi Onyebuchi
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I’m SMASHING that “like” button on Racebook, Onyebuchi’s foray into essay collection, all centered around the hot button topic of the internet. Onyebuchi talks about Xbox live chats, the edgy-older-siblingness of Sonic the Hedgehog (sorry y’all; my allegiance lies with Shadow), and Facebook content moderation, all to the end of deciphering just what role the internet plays in the last thirty years of cultural history. Most striking about this collection is the refreshing way that Onyebuchi does not unilaterally dismiss the internet, instead acknowledging the good that the web has offered us. I love essay collections that don’t have easy answers, and this one sure doesn’t have one, but it left me thinking deeply about my own interfacing between my “self” and my “internet self” in a way that has shaped my fall already. If you, too, have distinct memories of choosing the perfect MCR lyric for your AIM away message, or teaching yourself HTML to code a glittery monstrosity of a Geocities, Neopets, or Myspace page, this collection will speak to your soul. And even if you don’t have those nostalgia glasses, still take a dip – I promise you’ll find something new here anyway.

Racebook by Tochi Onyebuchi, (List Price: $27, Roxane Gay Books, 9780802166258, October 2025)

Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange
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Ntozake Shange both beautifully and tragically tells stories of Black girlhood that are all too familiar. Shange reminds me to be selfish, that I know my truth and what is true, and to remove white girls from my hopscotch games. “i found god in myself and i loved heri loved her fiercely”

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, (List Price: $13.99, Scribner, 9780684843261, September 1997)

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

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Ecstasy: Poems by Alex Dimitrov

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Ecstasy: Poems by Alex Dimitrov
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Ecstasy reads like a film, shot on an iPhone, bone-crushing and mesmerizing. Dimitrov is THE contemporary poet, and his work is unforgettably original.

Ecstasy: Poems by Alex Dimitrov, (List Price: $29, Knopf, 9780593802922, April 2025)

Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

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Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark

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Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark
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Tiana Clark’s words met me where I was — equal parts heartache, nostalgia, and ultimately healing. Accessible and lyrical, even when I couldn’t relate to the scope of Clark’s experiences, I still felt like I was offered a chair to sit and witness. The other relevant themes of sexuality and Black joy in this collection had me underlining and dog-earring almost every page.

Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark, (List Price: $17.99, Washington Square Press, 9781668052075, March 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti
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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.

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti, (List Price: $40, Union Square & Co., 9781454949121, October 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni

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Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni
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I would not call myself a poetry reader, but there is something about Nikki Giovanni’s poetry that speaks to me so deeply. Sentimental and comforting, Make Me Rain covers a wide range of topics from quilts and rising bread to the social change we so desperately need in our world. Giovanni’s wisdom and understanding once again prove why she is such a poetic powerhouse – and leave the reader wanting to explore her past work again, too.

Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni, (List Price: $18.99, William Morrow, 9780062995292, September 2021)

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn
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A well-researched history of recipes tied to Southern towns and regions. Many of the recipes are not new. The value is in the breadth of communities represented in the biographies and histories. This is a broad and inclusive South with plenty of tempting recipes presented with clear instructions.

Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn, (List Price: $44.99, Harper Celebrate, 9780785291336, September 2024)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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