Southern Review of Books

Circling and Expansive Storytelling in “Extinction Capital of the World”

By: Becca Stanek December 19, 2025December 17, 2025

ReviewsEcco, Extinction Capital of the World, Fiction, Mariah RiggLeave a Comment

Rather than a static snapshot, these ten interconnected stories share a portrait of Hawaii as a living, evolving organism.

Books to Celebrate in December 2025

By: Chelsea Risley December 18, 2025December 17, 2025

Featuresbest of the monthLeave a Comment

A non-exhaustive list of queer Southern books published in the second half of 2025.

Penance and Control in “Famished”

By: Amy R. Martin December 15, 2025December 14, 2025

ReviewsAnna Rollins, Famished, NonfictionLeave a Comment

A review of Anna Rollins’ memoir, “Famished.”

“The Dark and the Devil So Close”: Kristi DeMeester’s Historical Feminist Horror, “Dark Sisters”

By: Beth Ward December 11, 2025December 11, 2025

ReviewsDark Sisters, Fiction, Kristi DeMeesterLeave a Comment

A review of Kristi DeMeester’s eerie, propulsive novel, “Dark Sisters.”

Icarus’ Daughter: Reckoning with a Father’s Notorious Past

By: Rachael Greene December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

ReviewsArtis Henderson, Memoir, No Ordinary Bird, NonfictionLeave a Comment

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

Secrets, Sisters, and Grasping the Past: An Interview with Julie Hensley

By: Wes Blake December 5, 2025December 4, 2025

InterviewsFiction, Five Oaks, Julie HensleyLeave a Comment

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

Reclamation of Power in “I, Medusa”

By: Whitney Stevens December 2, 2025December 1, 2025

ReviewsAyana Gray, Fiction, I MedusaLeave a Comment

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

“Midnight in Memphis”: Noteworthy Southern Noir

By: Lael Flores November 21, 2025November 20, 2025

ReviewsFiction, Midnight in Memphis, Review, Thomas DannLeave a Comment

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

The Best Books of November 2025

By: Chelsea Risley November 19, 2025November 19, 2025

Featuresbest of the monthLeave a Comment

A roundup of the best Southern books of November 2025.

Mother-Daughter Relationships and the Delicate Balance of Distance in “If You Leave”

By: Nayoung Bishoff November 12, 2025November 9, 2025

ReviewsFiction, If You Leave, Margaret Hutton, Regal House PublishingLeave a Comment

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