The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall

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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall
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John Birdsall is the winner of two James Beard awards for food and culture writing and the author of The Many Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard (which I also devoured!!). Focused on the European and American food scenes starting in the late 19th century. Birdsall deftly combines food writing and cultural history in this book he was born to write. Swinging by the tables of Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Alice B. Toklas, and others, we are shown the intersections between fashion, music, art, and food. It’s deliciously dishy, but also deeply substantive. If I could give Michelin stars to a book, I would give this 3 stars! (That’s the most you can give, btw).

What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall, (List Price: $29.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324073796, June 2025)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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A Flower Traveled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland

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A Flower Traveled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland
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A Flower Traveled in My Blood is the masterful account of the Abuelas of Plaza de Mayo: women in Argentina whose children were “disappeared” by the brutal dictatorship in the mid-1970s, and whose grandchildren were stolen. The story is remarkable in many ways – not just for the tenacity of the grandmothers, who refused to give up on their missing families, but also for the way in which their struggle helped further international law and science, most notably in DNA identification. Blending painstaking research with a nuanced exploration of family ties, identity, and memory, A Flower Traveled in My Blood is heartbreaking, complex, and utterly enthralling.

A Flower Traveled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland, (List Price: $30, Gilliland, Haley Cohen, 9781668017142, July 2025)

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

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Murderland by Caroline Fraser

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Murderland by Caroline Fraser
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In this freewheeling braided memoir/true crime/environmental expose Pulitzer Prize winner Fraser builds a damning case, harsh detail by harsh detail, that the 70’s & 80’s serial killer zenith (think Ted Bundy, Green River Killer, Night Stalker) was, in part, caused by environmental pollution which poisoned millions but warped some young men into infamy. Not for the faint of heart, this book scares and infuriates in equal measure.

Murderland by Caroline Fraser, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9780593657225, June 2025)

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

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Spitfires by Becky Aikman

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Spitfires by Becky Aikman
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A welcome reminder of women’s roles in WWII and aviation. The impressive depth of research is matched with a keen ability to bring diverse personalities alive. I’ll be encouraging fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff to read this one.

Spitfires by Becky Aikman, (List Price: $31.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635576566, May 2025)

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

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The Friendship Train by Debbie Levy

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The Friendship Train by Debbie Levy
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Levy brings to light a true loaves and fishes story for the modern era. A train full of food donated by American children for hungry European children leaves California with 20 cars and swells to 500 cars of food by the time it reaches the Atlantic. This uplifting and timely story is a perfect example of “looking for the helpers” in a crisis, of Americans reaching out across borders to help people in need, even when those people speak a different language and live overseas. It serves as a reminder for our times of how we are all connected in a global community. Levy’s writing is vibrant and engaging, and energetic movement fills every page of Boris Kulikov’s illustrations. Children in the artwork stare straight into the eyes of the reader, as if inviting us to join in their generosity. A true story that will inspire children and adults alike, this book serves as a reminder that every one of us can make a difference, and no act of kindness is ever too small.

The Friendship Train by Debbie Levy, (List Price: $20.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547608027, June 2025)

Reviewed by Amanda Grell, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Ginseng Roots: A Memoir by Craig Thompson

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Ginseng Roots: A Memoir by Craig Thompson
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Craig Thompson bursts back onto the Comix scene with this exquisitely crafted hybrid memoir/socio-cultural essay that explores his youthful experience working Wisconsin’s Ginseng farms and the fascinating history of this prized root as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. A book as rich in information as it is beautifully adorned.

Ginseng Roots: A Memoir by Craig Thompson, (List Price: $35, Pantheon, 9780593700778, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Adventures in the Louvre by Elaine Sciolino

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Adventures in the Louvre by Elaine Sciolino
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“I had to learn how to visit the Louvre” goes an early line in this exceptional book, and I wish I’d had it with me when I visited the overwhelming museum-palace years ago. Simply and personally written, in short, punchy chapters, liberally sprinkled with excellent reproductions of some of the most important works, Sciolino blends access to everyone from curators, directors, guards, and fire fighters with history and (very) personal reflection. Brutally, amusingly blunt at times (“…the subsequent history of France in the nineteenth century is both incoherent and confusing….”!), Adventures in the Louvre is composed of bite-sized chapters on the history, architecture, pop culture, and even global significance, which makes it much more manageable than the museum itself, and will be in my luggage next time I travel to Paris. There’s even a chapter on ghosts, as well as a fascinating aside on things to do around the museum when it is closed on Tuesdays, a fact which would make this book worth its cover price alone!) It’s also filled with fascinating trivia: who knew the museum was once named the Museé Napoléon, or that the Mona Lisa is behind bulletproof glass, or that Beyoncé recently made it cool?) I’m already salivating at the thought of a fully illustrated version showing every piece mentioned – and there are a lot! A masterpiece worthy of its subject!

Adventures in the Louvre by Elaine Sciolino, (List Price: $29.99, W. W. Norton, 9781324021407, April 2025)

Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak

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Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak
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Once again, another fascinating piece of women’s history details a hidden history of spycraft in World War II. This time, it is the tale of four women who were central to the OSS’s propaganda machine. Women who risked their lives and used their talents to undermine enemy countries. A bonus is seeing more of the history of disinformation. A must for WWII buffs.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250275592, March 2025)

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

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Black in Blues by Imani Perry

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Black in Blues by Imani Perry
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A stunning, kaleidoscopic work of intense research and imagination, spanning centuries, disciplines, and profoundly moving possibilities, from one of our most innovative thinkers. Perry’s writing deserves its own rich shade of blue. I was totally transported by this book, and the depth of love and feeling that created it.

Black in Blues by Imani Perry, (List Price: $28.99, Ecco, 9780062977397, January 2025)

Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

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Explorers by Matthew Lockwood

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Explorers by Matthew Lockwood
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Whole worlds are contained in a few short chapters that recover the names and stories of explorers usually left out of larger histories. Indigenous peoples and non-Western men and women are given credit for their curiosity, bravery, and contributions to exploration and cultural exchanges. Engaging prose and thoughtful reflections make this a must-read.

Explorers by Matthew Lockwood, (List Price: $22, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324073871, October 2024)

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

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Realm of Ice and Sky by Buddy Levy

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Realm of Ice and Sky by Buddy Levy
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In a day of alpha, beta, and hundreds of testing protocols, would you take off across the Arctic Ocean in a cloth balloon that had never been flown? What seems crazy now was standard procedure for the heroes in Realm of Ice and Sky. Much like his previous book, Labyrinth of Ice, Buddy Levy’s new history/adventure/science offering will have you on the edge of your seat as explorers such as Walter Wellman, Roald Amundsen, and Umberto Nobile plunge full-hearted into the frozen north in hopes of being the first to the top of the world. Who actually got there first – and there is still some debate – pales next to what these explorers accomplished with little more than wood, steel, and cloth.

Realm of Ice and Sky by Buddy Levy, (List Price: $32, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250289186, January 2025)

Reviewed by Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

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Lefty by Mo Willems

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Lefty by Mo Willems
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As a lefty in a world that wasn’t made for me, I love this. It’s so cute, fun, and perfect for kids trying to embrace their “left-handedness.” (Luckily, I’ve never had to put up with much other than the smudging of words on paper and fitting in desks weird.)

Lefty by Mo Willems, (List Price: $24.99, Union Square Kids, 9781454951483, December 2024)

Reviewed by Niamh Kenny, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Every Valley by Charles King

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Every Valley by Charles King
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As told by Charles King, the story of the Messiah’s creation has everything: war, a royal succession crisis, forbidden love, disgrace, and reinvention, all of it funded by the horrors of slavery. It’s thrilling stuff, regardless of your religious beliefs or familiarity with classical music, and supported by rigorous research. Can’t wait to get this into people’s hands for the holidays.

Every Valley by Charles King, (List Price: $32, Doubleday, 9780385548267, October 2024)

Reviewed by Amy Woolsey, Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia

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The Black Utopians by Aaron Robertson

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The Black Utopians by Aaron Robertson
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A book that feels groundbreaking: ambitious in scope and deeply felt. The Black Utopians is a necessary book, redefining the very Euro-centric image many of us hold of intentional communities that are rooted in the American experience. This is my favorite kind of history book- a re-visioning of not just of place and ideas but also a reframing of how we look forward. Robertson offers an elegant book of hope and expansiveness.

The Black Utopians by Aaron Robertson, (List Price: $30, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 9780374604981, October 2024)

Reviewed by Johanna Hynes, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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