The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Fiction

John of John by Douglas Stuart

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John of John by Douglas Stuart
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In the weeks since I finished John of John, I keep thinking back to the experience as if I actually traveled to the Western Isles of Scotland, stayed in a croft on the water, gossiped and cried with all the inhabitants of this island–except I didn’t do any of those things, that’s just the power of Douglas Stuart. John of John isn’t a book you read inasmuch as you live it, achingly real and vulnerable. I loved it.

John of John by Douglas Stuart, (List Price: $28, Grove Press, 9780802167194, May 2026)

Reviewed by Lindsay, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN

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Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau

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Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau
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There are not many stories about the people and the place I am from, but Stephanie Soileau delivers a novel so close to home that I had to put it down multiple times to catch my breath. Should the Waters Take Us captures such a particular experience growing up in the forgotten places of rural South Louisiana. That is, until a disaster strikes–be it a devastating oil spill or a catastrophic hurricane. But in between these headlines, life moves on in these places. Families plant generational roots and are tied to the land and water for their livelihoods because it’s all they know. It’s hard to talk about this book without getting personal. Soileau has given me a book that is three o’clock coffee milk at my grandparents’ house; it’s trying to eavesdrop on their conversations but they keep slipping into French so that I can’t understand; it’s Zydeco and SwampPop on the radio in the backyard during a crawfish boil; it’s 14 on and 7 off of so many people I knew on oil rigs in the Gulf; it’s blue tarps and days of clean up after another hurricane; it’s gumbo and fishing camps and family and all the beautiful, messy bits of our culture. It is a brilliant novel!

Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau, (List Price: $30, Doubleday, 9780385551786, July 2026)

Reviewed by Kelsey, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, FL

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Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney

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Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney
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This is a book you can easily read in one sitting, and I did, because I needed to know what would happen to Kick and what had caused him to find himself floating in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Told as a stream of consciousness, we get to float alongside Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick for almost twenty-four hours as he reflects on his life, takes in the world around him, and has hallucinations in which he converses with sea creatures. You end up feeling very close to this man, and I found myself hoping for a happy ending because I genuinely liked him. But I won’t tell you what happens, because that would ruin the journey for you. A feel-good book, in my opinion. An easy read that glues you to the page from the very first sentence.

Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney, (List Price: $27, Gallery Books, 9781668212387, July 2026)

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

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In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto

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In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto
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A super swoony and sexy romance between two rival meteorologists, plus best friend’s brother? Say less! Quincy and Sebastian have antagonized each other for years, but when Sebastian is back in town for the summer and hurricane season, sparks really fly! If you love banter and rivals to lovers, In In Stormy Weather is the perfect summer romance for you!

In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto, (List Price: $19, Atria Books, 9781668217436, July 2026)

Reviewed by Claire, River & Hill Books in Rome, GA

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Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

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Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst
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MY HEARRRRRT!! Oh my stars, Sarah Beth Durst is a treasure, and her writing is always fresh and captivating. The Crescent Islands are a true retreat from the chaos of the world, and the world she’s made is one of my favorites of all time.

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst, (List Price: $29.99, Bramble, 9781250400673, July 2026)

Reviewed by Liz, Columbus Bound Book Shop in Columbus, Georgia

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The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager

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The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager
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Meandering and claustrophobic, you will be lost in more ways than one along with Professor Beck and his crew. Caro’s dark past hangs over her head as horribly as it hollows her out– and yet the others on the expedition allude to some less than savory backgrounds themselves. Do we deserve retribution for our sins? Or are the divine’s motives just as sordid as our own?

The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager, (List Price: $19.99, Run For It, 9780316588010, July 2026)

Reviewed by Lana, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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Cloudthief by Nathaniel Rich

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Cloudthief by Nathaniel Rich
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Rebecca Solnit argues that the climate crisis is, in part, a “storytelling crisis,” with a lack of compelling fiction to present paths for action in the face of the looming crisis. Rich, author of one of the best nonfiction books on the history of climate change and the political reaction to it (Losing Earth), has delivered the fictional follow-up we need – subtle yet moving, bizarre yet brilliant. Set in the near future, a rudderless journalist discovers Virginia, an off-grid idealist living in a storage facility. This meeting is the launchpad for an odd-couple heist that presents the evils of Big Data folded into a truly bizarre caper, which gets darker and darker as the tale unfolds.

Cloudthief by Nathaniel Rich, (List Price: $28, MCD, 9780374619794, July 2026)

Reviewed by Doron, Octavia Books in New Orleans, LA

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The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie

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The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie
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I’ll tell you a secret: some of the best slasher films and stories are whodunits. Think Scream, The Prowler, Psycho , etc. Craig Dilouie understands it and works it from a new angle. “What,” he asks, “if the slasher story was told from the perspective of the skeptical cop who arrives too late to save the day?” And that’s how we get The Summer Fun Massacre. This is a fun one, a guaranteed darker beach read. I read it all in one sitting, and you’re sure to do it, too.

The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie, (List Price: $19.99, Run For It, 9780316578240, June 2026)

Reviewed by Rowan Rodriguez, Books & Books in Coral Gables, FL

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Air by Christian Kracht

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Air by Christian Kracht
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Christian Kracht’s Air unfolds through two storylines that gradually echo one another. The novel doesn’t rush to explain how Paul and Ilder connect. Instead, it lingers within the tension of their possible relationship. Air is a story and also a puzzle. It artfully combines sci-fi with a historical tale, in which Kracht creates a novel that is hard to pin down. I had very little idea what was actually going on, but that never felt like a problem. Part of the enjoyment of Air is its unpredictability while moving through the story alongside the characters, who often seem just as unsure of the world around them. That shared confusion turns the reading experience into a journey, where atmosphere and relationship matter more than explanations. I just wish I had the opportunity to read this book on a snow day.

Air by Christian Kracht, (List Price: $24.99, Liveright, 9781324094586, July 2026)

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

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At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich

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At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich
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I found this book to be fascinating. It’s told in three parts, and in all of them, our main character is a vastly different person. We get to see the world and everyone else through her eyes, and wow, do they change an alter, even on a minute-to-minute basis. She stays consistent in her love of nature, but that’s about it. Thrilling, chilling, confusing? And so so fun. I loved this book.

At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich, (List Price: $17.95, Two Dollar Radio, 9781953387615, June 2026)

Reviewed by Creed, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman

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We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman
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A new perspective into Harpman’s beautiful mind! If you loved I Who Have Never Known Men, this collection will give you deeper insight into that novel, as well as into Harpman’s thought processes and experiences as a young girl that clearly inspired her future work. Wouldn’t recommend as an intro to the author, however – more for those familiar with her work and wanting more.

We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman, (List Price: $18.95, Transit Books, 9798893380583, July 2026)

Reviewed by Mackenzie, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL

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Country People by Daniel Mason

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Country People by Daniel Mason
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Who would expect a novel with interludes from John Milton and scenes from Tolstoy to be such a good time? It’s a feat that it feels as if only Daniel Mason can pull off. I loved following the many misadventures of Miles Krzelewski, a disappointing husband, pretty good dad, and extremely distracted academic who would rather tag along with the “country people” of Vermont than sit down and finish his dissertation. This is an utterly entertaining read and also a meditation on nature, storytelling, the fine line between fact and fiction, and the human quest for paradise, which might just be deep in the forest of your own backyard.

Country People by Daniel Mason, (List Price: $30, Random House, 9798217197453, July 2026)

Reviewed by Lady, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL

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Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw

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Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw
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John Donne said “No man is an island,” and Clay Lockhart said, “Hold my beer.” This story is a feast for the imagination! Shea Earnshaw’s writing and description of setting are so remarkably visceral I always felt like I was there on the island watching Clay and Ellie live this extraordinary life. It’s one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read, and the atmosphere was so immersive and consuming, even when the story took darker turns, I couldn’t step away for long before I needed to pick this back up and spend time with these two characters surviving in such a wide array of circumstances. There’s such a realistic balance of both the light and dark aspects of life in Habits of the Sea. This story takes such an honest look at living and the world in which we do our living, and the ways we are hurting it and what it gives back to and takes away from us. It left me spellbound and confronted and grateful for the natural world and for humanity. I feel like I’ve really been told a story, down to its bones, in the best possible way.

Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw, (List Price: $28, Atria Books, 9781668097731, July 2026)

Reviewed by Savannah, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC

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Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw

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Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw
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Love, loss, magic, and connection. This is a moving story of who we think we are and who we can become.

Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw, (List Price: $28, Atria Books, 9781668097731, July 2026)

Reviewed by Susan, M Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC

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Country People by Daniel Mason

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Country People by Daniel Mason
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In Mason’s engaging and amusing story, Miles moves with his wife and children from California to rural Vermont, where his curiosity and willingness to suspend disbelief leads to unexpected community. This big-hearted novel offers a balm for our times and perhaps some good lessons for all of us.

Country People by Daniel Mason, (List Price: $30, Random House, 9798217197453, July 2026)

Reviewed by Lia, Wordsworth Books in Little Rock, AR

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