Southern Review of Books

“Daybreak” Confronts US Involvement in Russo-Ukrainian War

By: Nicole Yurcaba February 23, 2024February 23, 2024

ReviewsAtria Books, Daybreak, Fiction, Matt Gallagher, NovelLeave a Comment

Part love story, Army veteran Matthew Gallagher’s latest novel primarily explores the complexities of war.

Adult Malice and Childhood Savagery in Dizz Tate’s Debut “Brutes”

By: Stephen Meisel February 21, 2024February 21, 2024

ReviewsBrutes, Catapult, Dizz Tate, FictionLeave a Comment

An early scene in Dizz Tate’s debut novel Brutes depicts a birthday party of teenage girls stuffing water balloons inside their shirts: Leila told us that one girl had stuffed two balloons down the front of her bikini-top, and soon all the girls were running around with large, wobbling breasts. Then they started body-slamming each other to…

Trauma, Loss, and the Fantastical: An Author-on-Author Interview with Bradley Sides and Clifford Garstang

By: Clifford Garstang February 19, 2024February 18, 2024

InterviewsBlack Rose Writing, Brad, Bradley Sides, Clifford Garstang, Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood, Fiction, Interview, Montag Press, Short Stories, The Last Bird of ParadiseLeave a Comment

An author-on-author interview with Bradley Sides and Clifford Garstang.

“Slow Noodles” Shows One Small Act Can Establish a Cornerstone

By: Nicole Yurcaba February 16, 2024February 13, 2024

ReviewsAlgonquin Books, Chantha Nguon, Nonfiction, Slow NoodlesLeave a Comment

This Cambodian culinary memoir reminds readers that even for daily living, certain recipes are required for personal success and mindful living.

The Best Southern Books of February 2024

By: Chelsea Risley February 14, 2024February 13, 2024

Featuresbest of the monthLeave a Comment

Some of the best new books by Black authors coming out in February 2024.

“Believe me when I say I never think about being taken seriously”: Short-story master George Singleton talks about his change-of-pace essay collection

By: David Wesley Williams February 12, 2024February 9, 2024

InterviewsAsides, Collection, Eastover Press, Essays, George Singleton, NonfictionLeave a Comment

An interview with George Singleton about his new collection of essays, “Asides.”

Resilient Family Spreads Love, Goodwill in “Redwood Court”

By: BettyJoyce Nash February 9, 2024February 7, 2024

ReviewsDéLana R. A. Dameron, Dial Press, Fiction, Redwood Court, Review1 Comment

A review of “Redwood Court” by DéLana R.A. Dameron.

Digging into the Difficult: An Interview with Valerie Nieman

By: Marjorie Hudson February 8, 2024February 7, 2024

InterviewsFiction, In the Lonely Backwater, Interview, Valerie NiemanLeave a Comment

An interview with Valerie Nieman.

“Dear Sister” Explores Twin Darknesses of Private Violence and Carceral Violence

By: Moa Short February 5, 2024February 5, 2024

ReviewsDear Sister, Grand Central Publishing, Memoir, Michelle Horton, Nonfiction, ReviewLeave a Comment

Michelle Horton’s sister, Nikki Addimando, made national headlines in 2017 when she was convicted of killing her partner. In a new memoir, Horton sheds light on their story and the issue of domestic violence.