The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Regional & Cultural

AMMAZZA! by Hillary Sterling

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AMMAZZA! by Hillary Sterling
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“From the live-fire kitchen of Ci Siamo comes Ammazza!, the definitive guide to the soulful, high-impact cooking that made Chef Hillary Sterling a New York icon. Blending her Brooklyn Jewish roots with elite Italian technique, Sterling delivers a masterclass in seasonal flavor. With over 100 recipes—from rustic pastas to surprising global feasts—this is more than a cookbook; it’s an invitation to cook with confidence, curiosity, and a healthy dose of smoke. In Rome, Ammazza! means ‘Wow.’ In your kitchen, it means ‘I’m definitely having a third bowl of pasta, and no, I don’t want to hear about your keto diet.'”

AMMAZZA! by Hillary Sterling, (List Price: $40, Scribner, 9781668068717, May 2026)

Reviewed by Mevelyn, Square Books in Oxford, MS

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Cooking the Borderlands by Claudette Zepeda

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Cooking the Borderlands by Claudette Zepeda
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This beautiful and mouthwatering cookbook is Top Chef star Claudette Zepeda’s culinary journey along the Mexican-American border, having grown up there herself! Vibrant, well-crafted recipes, Mexican-American food history, and personal narrative combine seamlessly! After foundational elements, the sections are organized geographically, with sweets sprinkled throughout. Highlights include: Chinese-Mexican fusion, a whole section dedicated to her family matriarchs’ recipes (including a family birria recipe), and salsas galore. I’m also hoping to achieve my lifelong dream of making the perfect chile relleno with Zepeda’s guidance. This book will make you hungry!!

Cooking the Borderlands by Claudette Zepeda, (List Price: $35, Clarkson Potter, 9780593796139, June 2026)

Reviewed by Julia, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

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Gateaux by Mori Yoshida

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Gateaux by Mori Yoshida
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There are different types of cookbooks. Some focus on the science…others on weeknight meals…but this one focuses on beauty, gorgeous pictures make this cookbook an adult picture book that you want to look at over and over. The recipes are not simple but works of art that will take your time and reward you with all things beautiful, beautiful to look at and pop in your mouth.

Gateaux by Mori Yoshida, (List Price: $40, Tra Publishing, 9781962098120, April 2025)

Reviewed by Ashby Rushing, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Boustany by Sami Tamimi

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Boustany by Sami Tamimi
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Boustany has been on my radar for a while now, and I am happy to report it is everything you could want and more! Filled with luscious recipes that are rich in tradition yet infused with new ideas that bring something fresh, the pantry section alone had me feeling like I had ascended into spice and pickled heaven. The history and culture that’s embedded in each dish add something so special and meaningful that it brings this book to a new level, truly something for everyone!

Boustany by Sami Tamimi, (List Price: $37.99, Ten Speed Press, 9781984863188, July 2025)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti
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A delicious and beautiful cookbook! I love the variety of ingredients that are rooted in the area, especially ones I never even thought about using. If you’re ever bored of the same old same old biscuits and gravy in your average Southern cookbooks, give this a shot! The flavor combinations are to die for.

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti, (List Price: $40, Union Square & Co., 9781454949121, October 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn
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A well-researched history of recipes tied to Southern towns and regions. Many of the recipes are not new. The value is in the breadth of communities represented in the biographies and histories. This is a broad and inclusive South with plenty of tempting recipes presented with clear instructions.

Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn, (List Price: $44.99, Harper Celebrate, 9780785291336, September 2024)

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

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