Southern Review of Books

12/09/2025

“While thrilling, this is more than the sensational tale of a drug smuggler in the 80s – this is the story of a daughter making meaning out of what she once considered a senseless accident which left her fatherless and changed her and her family’s lives. Through vivid scenes recreated from first-hand accounts, news articles, and government reports, Henderson alchemizes the shame and confusion she’s carried since her father’s death while introducing him to us.”

New review is NO ORDINARY BIRD by Artis Henderson.

A review of Artis Henderson’s second nonfiction book, “No Ordinary Bird.”

12/05/2025

"I love braided and mosaic novels. I think it is the truest way to tell a story, the best way to illuminate conflicting perspectives and undisclosed secrets."

Wes Blake interviews Julie Hensley on FIVE OAKS.

An interview with author Julie Hensley on her recent novel, “Five Oaks.”

12/03/2025

"I, Medusa isn’t just an adventurous tale about the origin story of a classic Greek 'monster.' It’s a commentary about the many ways women are oppressed in their lives, the varied forms in which sexual harassment and assault take place, and ultimately the resilience of a survivor’s spirit."

New review of Ayana Gray's I, MEDUSA. Random House

Ayana Gray’s “I, Medusa” is full of complicated women with rich personalities who exist in a gray area.

11/21/2025

"In an era still grappling with political polarization and the weaponization of fear, Midnight in Memphis reminds us that justice is not merely about punishment, but about truth, accountability, and the courage to confront what divides us."

New review of MIDNIGHT IN MEMPHIS by Thomas Dann. Crooked Lane Books

Thomas Dann’s debut is much more than a typical whodunit.

11/19/2025

Our holiday plans definitely include knocking out a book or two from our (excessively long) TBR — but we've also added a few from this list of new Southern books out this month.

https://southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/11/19/best-books-of-november-2025/

11/12/2025

"Hutton’s narrative moves nonlinearly, shifting between the 1940s and 1970s, as well as geographically between Washington, D.C. and North Carolina. This temporal fluidity may initially disorient readers, but it becomes integral to the story’s emotional architecture, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and regret while tracing the characters’ dreams, unconscious desires, and recollections."

New review of IF YOU LEAVE by Margaret Hutton. Regal House Publishing

Through interwoven narratives, Hutton uncovers how leaving can be an act of love, growth, and self-discovery, especially between mothers and daughters.

11/07/2025

"Unsurprisingly, much of BEARD reads like really good gossip. I was hooked from the start, in part because I wanted to know how it all unraveled, but also because the unraveling is done in a way that is both like a confession and an intro to q***r theory."

New review of Kelly Foster Lundquist's BEARD. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

“Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage” by Kelly Foster Lundquist threads religion, sexuality, identity and acceptance.

11/05/2025

"In these places, Brown discovered that the land was teeming with life, ultimately coming to recognize this life as an indication of the remarkable resilience of wild nature thriving in the interstitial habitat humans had abandoned. This realization catalyzed his project, driven as he is by the belief that by working to heal the wounds we have made on the landscape, we might also begin to heal the conflicts within ourselves."

New review of A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY LOTS by Christopher Brown. Timber Press

A review of Christopher Brown’s “A Natural History of Empty Lots,” which records Brown’s exploration of the murky lines between “nature” and “civilization.…

10/28/2025

SRB Editor Victoria Ward talks about her favorite spooky (yet nightmare-free) shows to watch this Halloween.

SRB Editor Victoria Ward talks about her favorite spooky yet nightmare-free shows for Halloween.

10/25/2025

Looking for something new this month? Check out this list of fantastic October releases!

https://southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/24/best-southern-books-of-october-2025/

10/22/2025

"The novel’s 'soft apocalypse,' as the narrator might call it, is set in the near future and bears many of the markers of dystopian science fiction. ... the planet provides no stability or safety; neither do institutions or governments."

New review of HAPPY BAD by Delaney Nolan. Astra House Books

What would have felt, twenty years ago, like a fairly extreme climate apocalypse novel reads like tomorrow’s news, or even yesterday’s.

10/21/2025

"More than most books, an essay collection reveals the author’s character: we read him in different circumstances, confronted by new conflicts, and through this continual shift of setting and time we witness his true self which, in Harrigan’s case, is a self defined by humility and heart."

New review of AN ANCHOR IN THE SEA OF TIME by Stephen Harrigan. University of Texas Press

A review of author Stephen Harrigan’s first essay collection since 2013.