The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Self-Help

Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum

This book is an absolute love letter to reading. It’s a perfect collection for anyone who has ever found comfort in a story, whether you’re a lifelong bibliophile or just looking to reconnect with the joy of reading. The author beautifully reminds us why the written word is so essential and opens your eyes to the universal power of books. I can’t wait to share this one with all my book-loving friends.

Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum, (List Price: $27.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639737796, December 2025)

Reviewed by Kimberly Todd, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum Read More »

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

A fascinating treatise on the art of communication, deeply researched but easy to read with its emphasis on the stories of real people. If you’ve ever wondered how to connect with others on a deeper level, or really understand your spouse or your friends, read this book!

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks, (List Price: $20, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 9780593230077, October 2025)

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

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks Read More »

Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann

Loved reading Sally Mann’s Art Work: On the Creative Life, specifically because she makes the creative life so accessible. She reminds us of the real jobs alongside the artist doing the passionate work of art making and the passionate pursuit of the artist. The practicality of being an artist- the scheduling of creativity- becomes a demystifying act of the creative process through this book. Peppered with typewritten excerpts and ephemera from her adulthood- life alongside her art, Sally Mann’s book Art Work is a joy to read.

Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann, (List Price: $35, ABRAMS, 9781419780714, September 2025)

Reviewed by Kimberley Daniels, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann Read More »

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

All the Way to the River is a love letter to those struggling and trying to be better. Gilbert’s openness about her addiction and pathway to healing sheds light on a type of addiction many women are ashamed to admit for themselves, even with its commonality. She tells the story of the highs and lows of falling in love with another addict, Rayya, and how her death was an awakening to finding peace in her life. Addiction isn’t beautiful, but there is always beauty to be found in those that love you, even in their worst moments.

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert, (List Price: $35, Riverhead Books, 9780593540985, September 2025)

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

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert Read More »

Loud by Drew Afualo

For readers looking to unlearn internalized misogyny whilst also laughing out loud. I enjoyed how Afualo explains where certain misogynistic paths of thinking come from, and how to unlearn them without making the reader feel guilty for needing to do the work in adjusting those lines of thinking. Her reflections on her own journey to unlearning her internalized misogyny made me feel so seen and I especially loved how she discussed the roots and effects of misogyny on an intersectional level.

Loud by Drew Afualo, (List Price: $19, Picador, 9781250390530, August 2025)

Reviewed by Sol Johnson, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

Loud by Drew Afualo Read More »

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith

So much more than a “how-to,” this book is a perfect primer for cultivating creativity within oneself. A cheerleader of a book in the best sense, it gives exercises to expand one’s artistic soul. This is a winner of a book and one to return to over and over and over.

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith, (List Price: $28.99, Washington Square Press, 9781982170844, April 2025)

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

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith Read More »

The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles

You may remember Emma Myles from her three-time Screen Actor’s Guild award-winning role as Leanne Taylor on Orange is the New Black. Turns out she’s not just a great actor but also an activist, fantastic food writer, and recipe developer. Inventive, easy-to-approach dishes with global influences fill these pages. What makes this cookbook pop for me is the sincere and sharp writing in the preface and introductions to each yummy offering. It’s food for the heart and the soul.

The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles, (List Price: $23.99, Page Street Publishing, 9798890031266, December 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles Read More »

Start, Stay, or Leave by Trey Gowdy

It’s always fun to get behind-the-scenes insight into famous people and Trey uses his great storytelling ability to not only captivate but to educate — to get the reader to think about the power of decisions and what makes a great life. This book is a great read for the new year or for anytime you are entering a new chapter of your life — whether as a grad, switching careers, becoming a parent, or once your kids leave the nest.

Start, Stay, or Leave by Trey Gowdy, (List Price: $28.99, Forum Books, 9780593240977, January 2023)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Start, Stay, or Leave by Trey Gowdy Read More »

Spotlight on: Drinking Games by Sarah Levy

ad

Sarah Levy, photo credit Sarah Levy

You know, I think that my lies were always designed to make everyone think that I was okay, and to make it seem like I had it all figured out, and that everything was perfect. The meat of the book — the story that I really set out to tell — was the truth. It was that I wasn’t okay, I was not perfect, and that I was struggling. I think that my friends and family, even now, if I say, “I’m fine. Everything is good,” that’s usually when I’m not telling the truth, because I’m a human being, and there’s usually something going on.” ―Sarah Levy, Interview, Shondaland

 

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy

What booksellers are saying about Drinking Games

  • Drinking Games is an unflinchingly honest look at how alcohol influenced almost every part of Sarah Levy’s life as a twenty-something living big in New York City. Levy shares her experiences like sharing with a friend, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, always with insight and grace. A must read for anyone who’s questioned not only choices about alcohol but about anything that makes their life feel out of control.
      ―Beth Seufer Buss from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

  • I loved Sarah’s very frank and honest recount of her relationship with alcohol. Her self aware and candid writing will be a much needed voice for many who are re-considering the way we look at drinking as a culture. It is also a fantastic memoir about making hard changes for a better life.
      ―Laura Taylor from Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL | Buy from Oxford Exchange

  • Sarah Levy brings you on her journey of why she got sober, how she found help, and celebrating her new sober life. It felt like chatting with a close friend as she shared her fears about dating while sober and how is she going to celebrate life milestones without a glass of champagne. It was relatable and honest! I would recommend this memoir to anyone that was sober curious and wanted to discuss drinking culture in your 20s.
      ―Juliana Reyes from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC | Buy from Bookmarks

About Sarah Levy

Sarah Levy is a writer based in Los Angeles by way of New York. Her work examines the intersection of sobriety, relationships, and identity and has been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine/The Cut, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue, Elle, and other publications. She holds a B.A. in Literary Arts from Brown University and pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from The New School. Drinking Games is her first book.

ad

Spotlight on: Drinking Games by Sarah Levy Read More »

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act: A Way of Being is a thoughtful exploration of life, how we live, how we think, how we are influence and obviously, how we create. Organized in very readable small chunks- this book is something to appeal to people wanting to shop in the religious section, personal growth as well as arts and music. Profound insights into how we exist are revealed throughout the book wordsmith into attractively consumable bites. By the end of the book, the reader will be inspired and possibly changed forever. This is a book for all ages but also is a book that will be the absolute best graduation gift of 2023.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9780593652886, January 2023)

Reviewed by Kimberly Daniels, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Read More »

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy

A January 2023 Read This Next! Title

I loved Sarah’s very frank and honest recounting of her relationship with alcohol. Her self-aware and candid writing will be a much-needed voice for many who are re-considering the way we look at drinking as a culture. It is also a fantastic memoir about making hard changes for a better life.

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy (List Price: $28.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250280589, January 2023)

Reviewed by Laura Taylor, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy Read More »

Yes, You Can Wear That by Abby Hoy

I am forever in search of great body-positive reads and Abby Hoy nails it. This book is a perfect combination of pictures and her memoir. It is inspiring and confidence-building and I immediately followed her on social media to get more gorgeous outfit ideas and self love. Every body is a good body and yes, you CAN wear that!

Yes, You Can Wear That by Abby Hoy, (List Price: $24.99, Tiller Press, 9781982155582, November 2021)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Yes, You Can Wear That by Abby Hoy Read More »

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

An absolutely incredible, insightful, and clear-eyed look at our limited time on this earth and the ways we use it. I’m not much one for self-help books but Burkeman weaves seamlessly weaves together wisdom from philosophy, spirituality, and science to make the argument that you’ll never have time to do “everything you want or need to” and life is more about choosing what to spend your four thousand weeks on Funny and brilliantly wise, Burkeman has fundamentally shifted the way I think about my to-do list, my aspirations, my “busyness”, my guilt for not doing the things I should have done, and my brief, brief time on this planet. I cannot recommend Four Thousand Weeks highly enough.

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, (List Price: 27, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 9780374159122, August 2021)

Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Read More »

How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books by Jolenta Greenberg, Kristen Meinzer

How to Be Fine is self-help book guide to reading self-help books. But also just a self-help book for the modern world. Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer have done the heavy lifting of reading and living by popular self-help books and then distilled them down into what worked, what didn’t, and what they wished would be addressed more. Readers can use this as a stand alone self-help or a guide to finding more, but anyone with a desire to better themselves will be served by giving this a read. The authors frequently emphasize that “Only you are an expert in you,” and that is a message we can all stand to hear more often.

How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books by Jolenta Greenberg, Kristen Meinzer (List price: $25.99, William Morrow), recommended by Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC.

How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books by Jolenta Greenberg, Kristen Meinzer Read More »

Scroll to Top