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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
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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.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, (List Price: $28, Crown, 9780593798430, April 2025)

Reviewed by Karmen Somers, Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
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This was my first McConaghy title to read, and it did not disappoint. The intrigue and intensity built earlier as an unknown woman washed up on the shore of a remote island at the far end of the world. It becomes clear there are secrets to be unearthed and truths hidden. I found the first third a bit slow … it took more time than perhaps necessary to get to some real action, but the author does do a great job in the process of creating relationships and trust among the inhabitants of the island, given how little they truly know of each other. I felt all the feelings with this read: grief from the loss of loved ones, wonder at the fierceness of nature, and fear of a coming climate crisis. It will be a solid book for readers who enjoy suspense and complicated family dynamics, with a touch of climate crisis thrown in.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250827951, March 2025)

Reviewed by Christina Tabereaux, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
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Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl’s trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781534478206, August 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher

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What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
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It’s all the bests of the Sworn Soldier series — looming dread, compelling narration, and a touch of wry humor — now paired with the Appalachian Gothic. What Stalks the Deep follows Alex Easton deep into a West Virginian coal mine of twisting tunnels, disappearances, and eldritch creatures lurking in the depths.

What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher, (List Price: $19.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250354921, September 2025)

Reviewed by Flora Arnsberger, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik

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Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik
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“Art, my God, Joan, I’m embarrassed to mention it in front of you, you know, but you mentioned burning babies in locked cars, so I can mention Art.” Eve Babitz to Joan Didion, 1972. In this blazing memoir, one feels like they’re out for drinks discussing ’70s Hollywood sleaze, female chauvinist pigs, and Charles Manson with your wildly messy and entertaining friend. Anolik’s powerful storytelling and adept reporting remind one of Eve Babitz, the “secret genius of L.A.” Oscillating between moments of unbelievable grief, Didion-esque cold distance, and the hot it-girl urge to push it all away, this memoir is a testament to artists, their craft, and the lovers’ spat between two of the greatest Californian writers of our time.

Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik, (List Price: $20, Scribner, 9781668065495, November 2024)

Reviewed by Joshua Lambie, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia

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The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

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The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
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This is ultimately a book about friendship and how we come back from betrayal. I was intrigued by the political changes that happened during the revolution in Iran and it has sparked me to find out more. The characters were rich and developed. I loved the lion women concept!

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, (List Price: $18.99, Gallery Books, 9781668036594, August 2025-08-05)

Reviewed by Karmen Somers, Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama

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James by Percival Everett

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James by Percival Everett
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I will be sitting with this one for awhile. Really, really enjoyed it and appreciate the food for thought. I’ll dip back when I’ve had longer to process. Will definitely go on my staff picks.

James by Percival Everett, (List Price: $28, Doubleday, 9780385550369, March 2024)

Reviewed by Kat Leache, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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When Taylor Jenkins Reid writes a book, she crafts a work of art! Setting this story during the 1980s NASA integration of female astronauts, TJR has outdone herself with her world-building, her character development, and her ability to create a story both compelling and enriching. I come away from her books feeling like I’ve lived a life I’ve only ever dreamed of. And this book is exceptional. Evelyn Hugo walked so Joan Goodwin and Vanessa Ford could run… or soar.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, (List Price: $30, Ballantine Books, 9780593158715, June 2025)

Reviewed by Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee

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Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane

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Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
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Nature writer par excellence Robert Macfarlane’s latest work is a treat for all the senses. In it, he visits three rivers – one in Ecuador, one in India, one in Canada; one protected, one dying, and one under threat – in search of answers to his own question: is a river alive? The result is this beautifully written work that explores the rights of nature movement and the idea that rivers are more than mere matter for human use. Drawing upon both indigenous and Western knowledge, Is a River Alive? is erudite and eloquent, intelligent and passionate, and much needed.

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane, (List Price: $31.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393242133, May 2025)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Funny Story by Emily Henry

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Funny Story by Emily Henry
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Emily Henry just GETS IT. She has the perfect recipe for a book that has just the right amount of humor, romance, and the kind of real-life hurdles that hit close to home. What sets this book apart are the characters, who are grappling with life’s ups and downs in a way that feels incredibly real. It’s the “just one more chapter” book that you’ll actually stay awake until 1 AM to finish. And hey, maybe I’m speaking from personal experience.

Funny Story by Emily Henry, (List Price: $19, Berkley, 9780593441213, February 2025)

Reviewed by Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green

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Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
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Confession: Until less than a decade ago, I thought TB was an illness of the past, an affliction that no longer debilitated or killed in any significant way. Wrong. It took having a friend with deep expertise in TB for me to learn that millions are impacted and/or killed by TB (even if in the US, we’re sheltered from it). It took John Green‘s book for me to begin to grasp the magnitude and urgency of the situation. This is an exceptional book.

Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green, (List Price: $28, Crash Course Books, 9780525556572, March 2025)

Reviewed by Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

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Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
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I can’t believe how incredible this story is, and that is saying something because I had EXTREMELY high expectations. This is, dare I say, one of the best vampire novels of all time. It’s Carmilla, it’s Pride and Prejudice, it’s Jennifer’s body, it’s that scene from Twilight where Rosalie gets her revenge, it’s everything good that has ever been written, but with Schwabs incomparable magic touch. With phenomenal storylines and a host of characters that are so gorgeously romantic, viciously selfish, and utterly lonely, this was just a masterpiece to put my eyes to.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab, (List Price: $29.99, Tor Books, 9781250320520, June 2025)

Reviewed by Shelby Barnett, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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