The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Own Voices

The Body Riddle by Sam K. MacKinnon

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The Body Riddle by Sam K. MacKinnon
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The Body Riddle is a coming-of-age story that happens later in life. It captures the uncertainty of stepping into a new body and the panic of wondering if a decision can be right even after years of thinking it through. Lex’s experience is shaped by constant change and stagnant repose, learning how to navigate their worldview as they uncover new truths about themselves. At the center of the story is the importance of gay community. Even when Lex is unsure, withdrawn, or lashes out, the people around them continue to show up. As a transmasc autistic character, Lex is deeply unsure of their own importance, shaped by years of not being out or fully honest about who they are. This self-doubt makes them an unreliable narrator at times. The Body Riddle is less about having answers and more about allowing yourself the time and care to keep asking questions, even when you think you should already know who you are.

The Body Riddle by Sam K. MacKinnon, (List Price: $21.99, House of Anansi Press, 9781487013912, May 2026)

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

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The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

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The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
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If you are looking for a perfectly eerie and thrilling young adult mystery, then look no further. The Forest of Stolen Girls follows Hwani, a young woman in 15th-century Korea who has returned home to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her detective father. Her return coincides with the vanishing of 13 young women into the dense woods nearby, and Hwani’s search for her father soon becomes entangled with old grudges, festering secrets, and the sinister threat of a killer lurking in the forest. This book is spooky, suspenseful, and atmospheric, and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur, (List Price: $12.99, Square Fish, 9781250821157, May 2025)

Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia

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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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Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia

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Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia
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The Shop Around the Corner vibes around in Ali Brady’s newest novel about rival bookstore owners! Josie manages a literary bookstore just two doors down from the romance bookstore that Ryan manages. But now, the owner of both stores is planning to combine them, but there’s only room for one manager. The one who has the best sales during the next three months wins. They clash instantly after they first meet. But neither realizes that this isn’t the first time they’ve met. They’re actually really good friends on a booksellers’ forum online.

Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia, (List Price: $19.99, Zando Young Readers, 9781638931492, January 2025)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy

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The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy
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The Sapling Cage ushers in a strong transfeminine voice to the witch fantasy subgenre! As the reader follows the journey of Lorel, a trans girl who swaps places with her childhood best friend to join a witch coven, they are introduced to a rich fantasy world full of antagonistic knights, vicious monsters, and sinister magical rituals. The author, Killjoy, does a great job at balancing the immense conflict between the witches and their surroundings with Lorel’s personal conflict with her body and identity. This book is a rewarding read due to its captivating cast of characters, introspection on queerness, and exploration of themes such as the hoarding of wealth and power.

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy, (List Price: $17.95, The Feminist Press at CUNY, 9781558613317, September 2024)

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

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Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

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Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
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Hayley Kiyoko adds author to her list of accomplishments with Girls Like Girls, based on her hit song and video of the same name. Coley has had to move away from her home in California to live with the father she barely remembers after her mother’s death. But things feel bleak for her as she tries to make new friends and deal with her father. She doesn’t want to be there and she’s convinced he doesn’t want her there either.

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko, (List Price: 20, Wednesday Books, 9781250817631, May 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Dreaming Home by Lucian Childs

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Dreaming Home by Lucian Childs
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An absorbing tale that begins with a single, terrible act of violence a father unleashes upon his son before tracing the ripple of that act as it courses over many lives across decades. Structurally, the novel is quite unique; nearly every named character in the novel, all of them affected in some way by this act of violence, have their perspectives shared with us. Childs’s precise writing makes their anguish and their frustration feel so real despite the short time we spend viewing the story through each character’s eyes. A queer coming-of-age story for the ages.

Dreaming Home by Lucian Childs, (List Price: 16.95, Biblioasis, 9781771965491, June 2023)

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

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You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen

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You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen
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Filled with a neat balance of relatable humor and serious topics, You Truly Assumed is a memorable coming-of-age novel that touches on the struggles of three black, Muslim women and their fight to create a safe space and a voice to be heard for people just like them. You Truly Assumed is the perfect novel for teens or young adults who feel they don’t have a voice in the face of prejudice and fear, as it features funny, relatable characters and the raw effects of real events.

You Truly Assumed by Leila Sabreen, (List Price: $10.99, Inkyard Press, 9781335428646, February 2023)

Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

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