The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Comics & Graphic Novels

Buff Soul by Moa Romanova

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Buff Soul by Moa Romanova
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A super fun sisters-in-arms rock tour misadventure, as three pals from Europe rock their way from California to Austin, with guest stars, sex, drugs, and friend conflict galore as the past, tensions, and secrets fester. With eye-popping and completely original art, this makes for a wild, enjoyable, and surprisingly touching graphic novel.

Buff Soul by Moa Romanova, (List Price: $29.99, Fantagraphics, 9798875000683, August 2025)

Reviewed by Seth Tucker, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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The Knives: A Criminal Book by Ed Brubaker

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The Knives: A Criminal Book by Ed Brubaker
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Brubaker and Phillips, the best crime/noir team in comics, return with another stellar graphic novel in their acclaimed Criminal series. Do you need to read the previous 11 (all great) books in this series first? No! Interweaving tales of crime, regret, and failure collide, pulp fiction-style, in gritty, personal, and shocking tales unfold, the most interesting of which parallels a bit of the Hollywood runaround Brubaker himself experienced as a creator pushing against the system. As always, The Best!

The Knives: A Criminal Book by Ed Brubaker, (List Price: $29.99, Image Comics, 9781534355590, September 2025)

Reviewed by Seth Tucker, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan

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The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan
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This story had me hooked! I loved following Eugenia Wang after a bonk to the head gives her dreams/visions of impending doom leading up to her birthday, which is on the 4th (a bad omen in Chinese culture). Not to mention, she loves drawing and wants to go to an art camp that her mother deeply disapproves of. And she has a pesky younger brother who seems set on getting her in trouble. In short, this one hits on it all things: secret crushes, brilliant best friends, comics, and also important themes of the immigrant experience and how our family’s attempts to protect us might also hurt us. Oh, and Peanut the pug is pretty cute.

The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan, (List Price: $14.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665943321, September 2025)

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

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Cabin Head and Tree Head (Cabin Head and Tree Head, Book #1) by Scott Campbell

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Cabin Head and Tree Head (Cabin Head and Tree Head, Book #1) by Scott Campbell
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Ready for adventure? Pack your bags and join Cabin Head and Tree Head as they save the world without losing their heads. The playful comic book-style illustrations paired with hilarious stories will have you falling head over heels with laughter! A truly unique picture book about once-in-a-lifetime friends.

Cabin Head and Tree Head (Cabin Head and Tree Head, Book #1) by Scott Campbell, (List Price: $13.99, Tundra Books, 9781774885055, September 2025)

Reviewed by Laura Hoefener, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Ghost Circus by Adrienne Kress, Jade Zhang (Illus.)

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Ghost Circus by Adrienne Kress, Jade Zhang (Illus.)
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Ghost Circus has beautiful illustrations! I loved the characters in the Circus and I hope we see more of the creepy girl and find out more about her and her memories! I am also super excited her friend Casey gets to come back and see her more and they can uncover more of the mystery of the creepy girl!

Ghost Circus by Adrienne Kress, Jade Zhang (Illus.), (List Price: $24.99, Union Square Kids, 9781454948285, August 2025)

Reviewed by sarah dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin

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I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin
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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.

I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin, (List Price: $22.99, Candlewick, 9781536215533, September 2025)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
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A graphic novel that this former overachiever wished they had in high school. A gentle reminder that we all grieve in different ways, that burnout does not define us, and that we can build ourselves back up after burnout with community, friends, and compassion. When Angelica (or to her close friends and family, Jelly!) begins messaging local theatre mascot Per the Bear and then takes an internship with the theatre for their winter production featuring Per, she doesn’t know what to expect. But what she ends up with is kindness, and maybe a little bit of magic. A completely precious re-telling of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” that is sure to leave you feeling warm and cozy.

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen, (List Price: $24.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593125472, October 2025)

Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Cannon by Lee Lai

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Cannon by Lee Lai
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Cannon by Lee Lai is a blow to the nervous system with cathartic aftershocks. Through gorgeous linework, paneling, and speech bubble placement, Cannon portrays a pressure cooker of circumstances for “stoic” protagonist Cannon/Lucy, in her relationships (platonic, romantic, and familial), stressful restaurant job, and attempts to keep everything under control (even as she’s seeing birds) in the form of going on runs while listening to breathing meditation podcasts. I sweated. I felt too seen. I devoured it.

Cannon by Lee Lai, (List Price: $29.95, Drawn and Quarterly, 9781770468023, September 2025)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain by Juan E. Zambrano

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Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain by Juan E. Zambrano
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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!

Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain by Juan E. Zambrano, (List Price: $12.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524892180, June 2025)

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

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This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki

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This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki
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What a pair! Thrilled to see Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux team up for This Place Kills Me, bringing together their signature skills in creating wonderful misfit weird girls to this beautifully drawn, dark, theatrical mystery. Set at an all-girls boarding school in the ’80s/’90s, I couldn’t put this book down as the secrets of the Wilberton Theatrical Society spilled out in devastating and compelling ways.

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, (List Price: $26.99, Abrams Fanfare, 9781419768460, August 2025)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Miss Camper: A Graphic Novel by Kat Fajardo

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Miss Camper: A Graphic Novel by Kat Fajardo
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It’s Sue’s first time at summer camp, and she is so excited! She knows exactly what she wants to do and can’t wait to do it all with her best friend. She soon finds that things don’t always pan out the way we plan, but sometimes that can lead to something better. Miss Camper is a fun, enjoyable read full of adorable illustrations. It is an all-around fun-filled adventure you won’t want to miss!

Miss Camper: A Graphic Novel by Kat Fajardo, (List Price: $24.99, Graphix, 9781338535600, July 2025)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
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A burnt-out teen joins a local theater program in this delightful story for fans of Eliza, From Scratch. Finding solace in messaging with Peri, the bear in their production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Angelica works to uncover his true identity, finding community and new love along the way.

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen, (List Price: $27.99, Random House Graphic, 9781984892676, October 2025)

Reviewed by Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia

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Talking to My Father’s Ghost by Alex Krokus

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Talking to My Father's Ghost by Alex Krokus
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This creative graphic memoir tells the story of two brothers and their mother navigating the grief process after losing their dad (and husband) to cancer. Grief isn’t linear, and the characters (and extended family) all process the death differently. The titular ghost is only visible to Alex, and their relationship is beautiful, showing that death doesn’t have to be the end.

Talking to My Father’s Ghost by Alex Krokus, (List Price: $22.95, Chronicle Books, 9781797228181, August 2025)

Reviewed by Daniel Jordan, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Raging Clouds by Yudori

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Raging Clouds by Yudori
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A BRILLIANT DEBUT set in 16th-century Netherlands that will stick with you. Honestly, this one really made me rage. It’s a reminder of the injustice women have encountered in time (and to this day). What resonated the most is how the author captures the way in which women are pitted against one another. But, when we come together — like this unlikely pair — we soar. We experience a kind of freedom. Heartbreaking and hopeful.

Raging Clouds by Yudori, (List Price: $34.99, Fantagraphics, 9798875001062, July 2025)

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

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Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones

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Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones
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A hidden society of witches? An orphan with a strong lineage to a long-gone family? Cute queer romances and yearning? Tarot card foreshadowing? What more could one want? This is a world where witches work to keep the balance between natural and unnatural forces, and the Arcana is one of the specific societies that does this. But when four students’ lives are thrown together, they realize there is something connecting their blood, and it smells like murder, it smells like power, it smells like secrets. You won’t be able to put this one down!

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones, (List Price: $19.99, 8. Feiwel & Friends, 9781250290229, June 2025)

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

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