The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Science Fiction

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean

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Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean
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After seeing her parents’ marriage dissolve into sadness and divorce, Emma doubts that love can last. At the annual Tanabata Festival, her grandfather urges her to make a wish. Her wish is this: I wish for proof. Show me that love is real. That love can last. And then, she gets a note from the future. “To be honest, I loved you from the beginning,” and that is how it starts. Is this the proof she has hoped for? and will it change her life? I love this coming-of-age novel of life and love, and figuring it all out. Through laughter, loss, doubt and wonder- you will feel it all!

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean, (List Price: $19.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665974370, February 2026)

Reviewed by Amy Dance, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

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The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
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Jackson really gets better with every book! I was hooked from page one on this updated version of Carrie, and I think Stephen King would be proud to have inspired this. Maddy is biracial and outcast from her peers and miserable at home with her abusive father. Racial tensions dividing the town of Springville come to a head on prom night, and the results are…explosive. Do not miss this amazing YA thriller!

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $15.95, Quill Tree Books, 9780063029156, September 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

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Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
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If you are a fan of Margaret Atwood, and specifically The Handmaid’s Tale, this book is a must-read. Erdrich’s storytelling feels very intimate, which I prefer in a dystopian novel. A larger picture comes into focus through the perspective of Cedar’s individual experience. Quietly disturbing, this story will stick with you long after you’ve read the last page. Though this book is not a new release, I would put it in league with The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich, (List Price: $17.99, Harper Perennial, 9780062694065, November 2018)

Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle

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On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle
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Another perfect installment of this astonishing series! Tara Selter discovers that she’s not alone inside her eternal November 18th, and the implications are deeply moving and endlessly exciting. Balle has unlocked a level of narrative that I scarcely knew was possible. Translators Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell deserve a lot of credit, too, for how pleasurable the work is to read.

On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811238397, November 2025)

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

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What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

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What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
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I’m gonna need a minute after this one. This book has me questioning every motive of every person I’ve ever met. Even if I haven’t met you, you’re included in my scrutiny if I’ve read about you, seen a picture of you or been made aware of your existence. I have more questions than answers right now. WHAT ACTUALLY CAN WE KNOW?!?!

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, (List Price: $30, Knopf, 9780593804728, September 2025)

Reviewed by Amanda Kirkland, G. J. Ford Bookshop in St. Simons Island, Georgia

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Book Buzz: Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

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Yume Kitasei, photo credit Sylvie RosokoffI’ve always considered myself a pragmatic optimist, and part of that is my day job. My career has been in government. And I think you kind of have to be a bit of an optimist to sort of throw your entire life into that, because if you don’t believe that the world can be better, then what are you doing? What are you doing with your life? So I like to say that working in government is sort of trying to think about what the world should be, and science fiction is sort of like thinking about what the world could be. And so there’s sort of an interesting intersection between the two. So, yeah, no, I think I’m fundamentally an optimist, but obviously, it’s hard to be in this world and not see everything that’s going on and feel very concerned. And so I think that’s where the little bits of darkness come in.

― Yume Kitasei, Interview, Reader Tangents

Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

What booksellers are saying about Saltcrop

  • An odyssey of sisterhood and isolation in a near-dystopian world that seems to look back on our own as its logical predecessor. Nora and her research have gone missing. In their search to find her, her sisters Carmen and Skipper are pulled into the controversy and corruption surrounding the monopolistic agri-corp she worked for. Kitasei blends the literary and speculative in this environmentally-focused thriller, an urgent reflection on the corporate greed that precipitates ecological disaster.
      ― Flora Arnsberger, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina | BUY

  • Saltcrop is a beautiful story about the bonds of sisterhood, set against the backdrop of our world ravaged by climate change! The story was atmospheric and compelling with gorgeous writing. This was my first book by this author, and I am so excited to read their backlist!
      ― Sarah Blackwell, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina | BUY

  • A uniquely hopeful and relatable post climate apocalypse epic about two sisters who embark on a perilous journey by sea to rescue the third sister from the arctic company town where they believe her to be imprisoned. While its examination of the sisters’ relationships is the pulse of this dystopian adventure (eldest daughters will find much to identify with in the character of Nora), it’s also a tribute to stubborn human determination, and a fond, battleworn wish that we can find ways to thrive after the end of the world.
    ― Kat Leache, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee | BUY

  • Kitasei presents a future all too imaginable where people’s lives are impacted and controlled by climate change and big agriculture. Even in a broken world the audacious acts of love by Skipper, Carmen and Nora provide a gritty hope that change is still possible. Like a seed that can crack stone don’t underestimate how small acts can make huge impacts. Saltcrop and stories like it make me hopeful for how the average person is going to weather an increasingly changeable and hostile world. There is a spelling error on page 363. “Sounds like [t]he Bumblebee”
    ― Holly Wunsch, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina | BUY

About Yume Kitasei

Yume Kitasei is the author of Saltcrop , The Stardust Grail, and The Deep Sky. She is Japanese and American and grew up in a space between two cultures—the same space where her stories reside. She lives in Brooklyn with two cats, Boondoggle and Filibus

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Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

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Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
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The cozy small business success story of Legends & Lattes meets the progressive sci-fi of Becky Chambers, with a flavor entirely its own, in this fresh, heartwarming tale about a motley crew of robots launching a restaurant amid PTSD, prejudice, and review bombing in a future post-war San Francisco. I ATE this book UP and already miss the team at Automatic Noodle and all the friendship, pride, and love found at the bottom of a bowl of their famous biang biang noodles!

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, (List Price: $24.99, Tordotcom, 9781250357465, August 2025)

Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia

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The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown

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The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown
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The Wild Robot on the Island is colorfully illustrated, depicting the earth‘s seasons along with the gentle message of “helping others.” It’s an early stepping stone to the original Wild Robot Series.

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown, (List Price: $19.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316669467, June 2025)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Aliens Do NOT Want to Go Home by Adam Gustavson

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The Aliens Do NOT Want to Go Home by Adam Gustavson
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There’s something so fun about playing with your friends, I wouldn’t want to go home either! These silly aliens do such a good job at illustrating a kid’s big feelings about going home. So if you have a squirmy, crabby, playtime-loving alien, try reading this book with them.

The Aliens Do NOT Want to Go Home by Adam Gustavson, (List Price: $17.99, Charlesbridge, 9781623544942, June 2025)

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Ocean’s Godori by Elaine U. Cho

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Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho
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This book was a perfect change of pace for me! Ocean’s Godori is a space opera set in future post-unification Korea. To me, the world-building was both totally unique and also super inviting. Each character perspective starts independent from the others and then eventually entwines as the plot thickens. I’m excited for more after this excellent debut from Elaine U. Cho!

Ocean’s Godori by Elaine U. Cho, (List Price: $18, Zando – Hillman Grad Books, 9781638932840, June 2025)

Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

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Silver Elite by Dani Francis

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Silver Elite by Dani Francis
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I’m not usually a fan of dystopian books, but I really enjoyed this one! I think in part because this world doesn’t feel overtly dystopian. The dystopian elements felt subtle but clearly defined. The writing is very good and was done in a way that allowed the plot to shine. The characters felt consistent in their behaviour, which I really appreciated. I read it in one day, and the cliffhanger left me intrigued and wanting to know what happens next.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis, (List Price: $32.99, Del Rey, 9780593875469, May 2025)

Reviewed by Savannah Laughlin, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Soma by Fernando Llor

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Soma by Fernando Llor
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Soma escalates before you know it as you’re thrown into the action! It’s gorgeous from its character design to its use of color. Can this comic book artist, who can’t be bothered, be persuaded to save the world from an alien invasion?

Soma by Fernando Llor, (List Price: $19.99, Oni Press, 9781637156124, February 2025)

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

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Luminous by Silvia Park

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Luminous by Silvia Park
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An absolutely stunning debut that will enthrall literary and sci-fi readers alike. Luminous is set in a future unified Korea filled with robots, but at its heart it is a novel about three fractured siblings: robot personality programmer Morgan, who struggles to make meaningful human connections; robot crimes detective Jun, haunted by his past in the war, and their robot brother Yoyo, forever twelve, who lives in a scrapyard and makes friends with nearby schoolchildren. This novel is a rush to the senses, gorgeous, glorious, luminous.

Luminous by Silvia Park, (List Price: $29.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668021668, March 2025)

Reviewed by Fisher Nash, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

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Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
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This book was great. I loved the Hunger Games-inspired plot it took me back to reading dystopian YA from when I was a teenager. I loved the characters Reid created and how real they felt. I could not put this book down as I followed Inesa and Mel during the gauntlet. The commentary on climate change and big corporations was equal parts intriguing and terrifying. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast-paced story with great characters.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063211551, March 2025)

Reviewed by Ruth Heckendorf, Pretty Good Books in LaGrange, Georgia

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Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin

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Hunger's Bite by Taylor Robin
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What should be another routine crossing of the Atlantic for Emery, Neeta, and their ship/home, the S.S. Lark, turns deadly when new management steps in, their intentions…less than good. Perhaps even a little demonic. Robin’s debut graphic novel is enthralling; the artwork in this book alone should catch your eye, every panel crafted with great color sense, expression, emotion, and such dynamic textures.

Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin, (List Price: $24.99, Union Square & Co., 9781454950240, February 2025)

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

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