Southern Review of Books

“Maybe the Body” Explores Personal and Political Connections to Place

By: Chelsea Risley February 24, 2026February 23, 2026

InterviewsAsa Drake, Maybe the Body, Poetry, Tin HouseLeave a Comment

An interview with poet Asa Drake on her collection, “Maybe the Body.”

“Kin” Is a Study in Sisterhood, Motherhood, and Unconditional Love

By: Jenny Maattala February 20, 2026February 20, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Kin, Knopf, Tayari JonesLeave a Comment

“It is sad to not have a mother… But sadness is one thing. Grief is another.”

The Best Southern Books of February 2026

By: Chelsea Risley February 17, 2026February 16, 2026

Featuresbest of the monthLeave a Comment

A roundup of some of the best Southern books released in February 2026.

Tupac Shakur, By Those Who Knew Him

By: Carrie Teresa Sage February 13, 2026February 8, 2026

Reviewsbiography, Jeff Pearlman, Mariner Books, Nonfiction, Only God Can Judge Me, Review, Tupac ShakurLeave a Comment

A review of Jeff Pearlman’s “Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur.”

Mezghebe’s Debut: Just “What You’re Looking For”

By: Lael Flores February 10, 2026February 8, 2026

ReviewsBsrat Mezghebe, Fiction, I Hope You Find What You're Looking For, Liveright Publishing, Novel, ReviewLeave a Comment

For fans of Yaa Gyasi and Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, this novel’s fresh and poignant writing is storytelling at its finest.

Writing “the Necessary Poems”: An Interview with Lolita Stewart-White

By: Jae Nichelle February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

Interviewsblack frag/ments, Interview, Lolita Stewart-White, PoetryLeave a Comment

An interview with Lolita Stewart-White about her poetry collection, “black frag/ments.”

Looking through the Dual Lens: Michelle Peñaloza’s “All the Words I Can Remember Are Poems”

By: Asa Drake January 30, 2026January 29, 2026

ReviewsAll the Words I Can Remember Are Poems, Michelle Peñaloza, Persea Books, PoetryLeave a Comment

Michelle Peñaloza’s second full-length collection, “All the Words I Can Remember Are Poems,” reminds us of the function of poems: to record, to remember, to share.

Recklessness and Resilience Drive “Scavengers”

By: Nayoung Bishoff January 28, 2026January 26, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Kathleen Boland, Novel, Review, ScavengersLeave a Comment

An estranged mother and daughter reconnect while hunting treasure in the Utah desert in this complex debut from Kathleen Boland.

Clearance Book Haul as 2026 Reading Goals

By: Anna Harris-Parker January 27, 2026January 26, 2026

Featureseditor's choiceLeave a Comment

SRB editor Anna Harris-Parker talks about the books she found in the bargain bin that are now part of her 2026 year in books.

“Called by Distances” is Precise and Focused

By: Mandianne Berg January 22, 2026January 21, 2026

ReviewsBiljana D Obradović, Called by Distances, PoetryLeave a Comment

A review of Biljana D Obradović’s new poetry collection, “Called by Distances.”