The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Family

The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Perfect for fans of The Wild Robot. Kelly created a wonderful story about the friendship between a girl, Zuzu, and her guardian robot, Snap. The book, in only 176 pages, covers a lot of important themes, like AI, climate change, and class. In a dystopian future where the wealthiest control the population with the help of machines, a group of kids tries to get by until an old guardian robot is added to the mix. The book also teaches the power of human connection. A great read. I would not be surprised if Kelly gets another award with this one!

The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly, (List Price: $19.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780063485952, May 2026)

Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, GA

The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly Read More »

Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi

, , , , ,
Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Somehow Larry Levis slipped under my reading radar all these years, but when I saw how cool he looked on the cover of this collection and its fantastic title, I pretty much knew I’d love his stuff. Turns out he studied with one of my favorites—Philip Levine—and suffuses their shared linguistic precision with the kind of probing creativity my heart just can’t get enough of.

Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi, (List Price: $35, Graywolf Press, 9781644453711, February 2026)

Reviewed by Mark, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, KY

Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi Read More »

A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh

, , , ,
A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

A stunning, heartbreaking, story that was well-performed by the voice actor on the audiobook. Every line seemed to tug my heartstrings, and yet this story felt grounded. Beautiful.

A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, (List Price: $19.99, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 9781250896704, November 2024)

Reviewed by Nyawira Nyota, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh Read More »

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.)

, , , , , , ,
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.)
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

So glad to see a new edition of this classic at such an important time for diverse stories to be told widely.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.), (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9780689878459, June 2005)

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

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.) Read More »

Book Buzz: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

, , , ,
ad

Katie Bernet, photo credit Justin Conway“I really enjoyed writing from Beth’s perspective. When I first read Little Women, I didn’t much like Beth. Honestly, she freaked me out. I couldn’t understand how she could accept her own untimely end with such ease. I wanted to shake her and say, “Aren’t you going to fight? Don’t you want to live?” Of course, she did. Writing Beth Is Dead helped me understand that Beth March never wanted to die, but she wasn’t given a choice, and she faced the unimaginable with bravery and strength..”
  ― Katie Bernet, Interview, Nerd Daily

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

What booksellers are saying about Beth is Dead

  • Fantastic update to the classic story of Little Women – with modern sisters searching for Beth’s killer (which definitely wasn’t natural causes this time around). Great debut, excited to see what Katie Bernet does next.
      ― Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina | BUY

  • This is one of the most creative classic-book retellings I’ve read in a long time! It proves that these characters stand the test of time, because Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy adapt perfectly to a contemporary setting that highlights the ups and downs of social media and sibling rivalries…But the real interest of this novel, and the topic I’m still thinking about, is the idea of storytelling, and who gets to tell a family’s story.  
      ― Lady, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama | BUY

  • Little Women is reimagined in a modern-day family and unfortunately, Beth is dead in chapter one. But who is responsible? Is it one of her famous sisters or someone else close to them? The answer unravels through twists and turns in this compelling novel.
      ― Rae Ann, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee | BUY

About Katie Bernet

Katie Bernet lives in Dallas, Texas. As one of three sisters, she’s a diehard fan of Little Women. Beth Is Dead is her debut novel.

ad

Book Buzz: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet Read More »

The Old Sleigh by Jarrett Pumphrey

, , , , , , , ,
The Old Sleigh by Jarrett Pumphrey
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

The Old Sleigh is a tale of family, a celebration of movement, a story of changing and staying the same. Beautiful illustrations highlight a delightfully cozy tale.

The Old Sleigh by Jarrett Pumphrey, (List Price: $18.99, Norton Young Readers, 9781324054122, November 2025)

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

The Old Sleigh by Jarrett Pumphrey Read More »

All These Ghosts by Silas House

, , , , , ,
All These Ghosts by Silas House
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

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

All These Ghosts by Silas House Read More »

All These Ghosts by Silas House

, , , , , ,
All These Ghosts by Silas House
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
\

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

All These Ghosts by Silas House Read More »

Tea Is Love by Adib Khorram

, , , ,
Tea Is Love by Adib Khorram
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Stunning. The cadence of only a few words, combined with brilliant illustrations, conveys so much and evokes so many memories and feelings.

Tea Is Love by Adib Khorram, (List Price: $18.99, Dial Books, 9780593618530, November 2025)

Reviewed by Jennifer Sauter-Price, Read Early and Daily (READ) in Arlington, Virginia

Tea Is Love by Adib Khorram Read More »

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb

, , , , , ,
Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This book’s organization and illustrations are a 10/10. Love it! And the message is precious! I honestly think this would be a great book to get to for a child who is about to become a big sibling!

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb, (List Price: $18.99, Random House Studio, 9780593810309, September 2025)

Reviewed by Samantha Steele, Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb Read More »

Broken by X. Fang

, , ,
Broken by X. Fang
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Broken is a gentle story of a little girl with big feelings rendered in soft layered colored pencil. This story is simple, but soothing, and a reminder that what’s broken can always be fixed (and to perhaps not trust cats, who are always up to something).

Broken by X. Fang, (List Price: $18.99, Tundra Books, 9781774882009, October 2025)

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

Broken by X. Fang Read More »

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall

, , ,
The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Gwen MacKinnon has spent much of the eleven short years of her life feeling unwanted, but it only takes two weeks in a small Massachusetts town–plus one unruly dog, an enthusiastic four-year-old, the coolest older cousin, the corniest uncle, some love and attention, and an entire clan of tiny, winged creatures convinced she is destined to be a hero–for Gwen to understand that home isn’t just a word. This new book by Jeanne Birdsall is absolutely worth the wait (tbh I needed the time, I’m still recovering from The Penderwicks in Spring), full of Birdsall’s signature heart and community love, with some very unique world building for the lore of the Lahdukan. Gwen is a delightful character to join on her journey of fate, discovery, and courage.

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall, (List Price: $17.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780525579045, August 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall Read More »

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall

, , ,
The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Gwen MacKinnon has spent much of the eleven short years of her life feeling unwanted, but it only takes two weeks in a small Massachusetts town–plus one unruly dog, an enthusiastic four-year-old, the coolest older cousin, the corniest uncle, some love and attention, and an entire clan of tiny, winged creatures convinced she is destined to be a hero–for Gwen to understand that home isn’t just a word. This new book by Jeanne Birdsall is absolutely worth the wait (tbh I needed the time, I’m still recovering from The Penderwicks in Spring), full of Birdsall’s signature heart and community love, with some very unique world-building for the lore of the Lahdukan. Gwen is a delightful character to join on her journey of fate, discovery, and courage.

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall, (List Price: $20.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780525579052, August 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall Read More »

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

, ,
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Brilliant work by the author. This one is dark and hard to read, but the shock at the end… It’s a doozy!

Identical by Ellen Hopkins, (List Price: $24.99, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 9781416950059, August 2008)

Reviewed by Courtney Niederer, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Identical by Ellen Hopkins Read More »

Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

, ,
Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Julia and the Shark has some of my favorite things: deep dives (pun intended) on Greenland sharks, conservation & environmentalism, and an awesome cat named Noodle who likes to ride on boat figureheads. It also has a beautiful message on mental illness and that its okay to not be okay. The heart-squish was real and my heart ached for Julia as she navigated her mom’s ups-and-downs as well as the local bullies. Courage, cold seas and starry skies, and whales more ancient than trees, this story had me by the heartstrings.

Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, (List Price: $18.99, Union Square Kids, 9781454948681, March 2023)

Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave Read More »

Scroll to Top