Southern Review of Books
@southrevbooks.bsky.social
Exploring contemporary literature of the American South & beyond. Published by Queens University of Charlotte MFA. Editor-in-chief @crisley.bsky.social, founding editor Adam Morgan. linktr.ee/southrevbooks
New review: "IF YOU LEAVE by Margaret Hutton is the perfect book to read in the fall, as leaves begin drifting from the trees... Departures are not merely endings; they are moments that illuminate connection, resilience, and the cyclical rhythms of human relationships." @regalhouse.bsky.social
Mother-Daughter Relationships and the Delicate Balance of Distance in “If You Leave”
Through interwoven narratives, Hutton uncovers how leaving can be an act of love, growth, and self-discovery, especially between mothers and daughters.
southernreviewofbooks.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM
New review: "IF YOU LEAVE by Margaret Hutton is the perfect book to read in the fall, as leaves begin drifting from the trees... Departures are not merely endings; they are moments that illuminate connection, resilience, and the cyclical rhythms of human relationships." @regalhouse.bsky.social
"Wilderness isn’t pristine and doesn’t exist somewhere
‘out there’ away and distinct from humans; it is a force
that is perpetually integrating, adapting, and thriving."
Chaney Hill reviews A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY
LOTS by Christopher Brown. @timberpress.bsky.social
‘out there’ away and distinct from humans; it is a force
that is perpetually integrating, adapting, and thriving."
Chaney Hill reviews A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY
LOTS by Christopher Brown. @timberpress.bsky.social
Resilience and Redemption in Austin’s Edgelands
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.…
southernreviewofbooks.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
"Wilderness isn’t pristine and doesn’t exist somewhere
‘out there’ away and distinct from humans; it is a force
that is perpetually integrating, adapting, and thriving."
Chaney Hill reviews A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY
LOTS by Christopher Brown. @timberpress.bsky.social
‘out there’ away and distinct from humans; it is a force
that is perpetually integrating, adapting, and thriving."
Chaney Hill reviews A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY
LOTS by Christopher Brown. @timberpress.bsky.social
Looking for something new this month? Check out this list of fantastic Southern new releases!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/24/b...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/24/b...
October 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Looking for something new this month? Check out this list of fantastic Southern new releases!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/24/b...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/24/b...
"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.
New review of HAPPY BAD by Delaney Nolan.
Cults, Climate Crisis, and Community in Delaney Nolan’s “Happy Bad”
What would have felt, twenty years ago, like a fairly extreme climate apocalypse novel reads like tomorrow’s news, or even yesterday’s.
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
"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.
New review of HAPPY BAD by Delaney Nolan.
"Most of us don’t stay open to the world
and refuse to be knocked from our soapboxes, but
Harrigan does just that throughout the collection,
mixing memoir and journalism, questioning his own
memories and prior stances."
New review of Stephen Harrigan's latest.
@utexaspress.bsky.social
and refuse to be knocked from our soapboxes, but
Harrigan does just that throughout the collection,
mixing memoir and journalism, questioning his own
memories and prior stances."
New review of Stephen Harrigan's latest.
@utexaspress.bsky.social
‘Anchor in a Sea of Time’ Exemplifies the Fine Art of Changing One’s Mind
A review of author Stephen Harrigan’s first essay collection since 2013.
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"Most of us don’t stay open to the world
and refuse to be knocked from our soapboxes, but
Harrigan does just that throughout the collection,
mixing memoir and journalism, questioning his own
memories and prior stances."
New review of Stephen Harrigan's latest.
@utexaspress.bsky.social
and refuse to be knocked from our soapboxes, but
Harrigan does just that throughout the collection,
mixing memoir and journalism, questioning his own
memories and prior stances."
New review of Stephen Harrigan's latest.
@utexaspress.bsky.social
“Despite the heat of grief, the stories offer vignettes of respite in the catharsis that comes after loss, reminiscent of embers glittering like stars in ashen remains.”
New review of WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE by Kanza Javed. @wwnorton.com
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/20/w...
New review of WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE by Kanza Javed. @wwnorton.com
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/20/w...
The Heat of Grief and the Catharsis of Loss in “What Remains After a Fire”
Kanza Javed’s debut burns bright with grief, memory, and unflinching beauty.
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM
“Despite the heat of grief, the stories offer vignettes of respite in the catharsis that comes after loss, reminiscent of embers glittering like stars in ashen remains.”
New review of WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE by Kanza Javed. @wwnorton.com
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/20/w...
New review of WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE by Kanza Javed. @wwnorton.com
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/20/w...
Reposted by Southern Review of Books
Cloud wrote about including pop culture in poetry for @southrevbooks.bsky.social (head over there to check out the list of Cloud's movie references): southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/14/t...
Who’s Afraid of Referencing Pop Culture in Poetry?
A reflection on making pop culture references in poetry by Cloud Delfina Cardona, author of “the past is a jean jacket.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Cloud wrote about including pop culture in poetry for @southrevbooks.bsky.social (head over there to check out the list of Cloud's movie references): southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/14/t...
"I’ve listened obsessively to the way people in Kentucky speak, especially in rural areas. It’s glorious. There’s a music to it."
Check out our new interview with Chris McGinley and Wes Browne on THEY ALL FALL THE SAME! @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/10/t...
Check out our new interview with Chris McGinley and Wes Browne on THEY ALL FALL THE SAME! @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/10/t...
“Witty, Nuanced, and Overall Entertaining”: A Conversation with Wes Browne
If you wanna take a hell-ride into central Kentucky, read Wes Browne’s newest novel, “They All Fall the Same.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:08 PM
"I’ve listened obsessively to the way people in Kentucky speak, especially in rural areas. It’s glorious. There’s a music to it."
Check out our new interview with Chris McGinley and Wes Browne on THEY ALL FALL THE SAME! @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/10/t...
Check out our new interview with Chris McGinley and Wes Browne on THEY ALL FALL THE SAME! @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/10/t...
"Marce Catlett is not interested in individual responses to how rural life and agriculture have changed during the last century but in the importance of communally remembering a history on the verge of being wiped out."
New review of Wendell Berry's latest, MARCE CATLETT: THE FORCE OF A STORY.
New review of Wendell Berry's latest, MARCE CATLETT: THE FORCE OF A STORY.
Tending to the Land: Wendell Berry’s “Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story”
A review of Wendell Berry’s newest novel, “Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
"Marce Catlett is not interested in individual responses to how rural life and agriculture have changed during the last century but in the importance of communally remembering a history on the verge of being wiped out."
New review of Wendell Berry's latest, MARCE CATLETT: THE FORCE OF A STORY.
New review of Wendell Berry's latest, MARCE CATLETT: THE FORCE OF A STORY.
"Harjo describes her experiences with a combination of poetic grace and disarming honesty."
New review of Joy Harjo's GIRL WARRIOR, out today!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/07/g...
New review of Joy Harjo's GIRL WARRIOR, out today!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/07/g...
Radical Emancipation in Joy Harjo’s New Collection
Advice for living abounds in the latest essay collection from poet and jazz musician Joy Harjo.
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM
"Harjo describes her experiences with a combination of poetic grace and disarming honesty."
New review of Joy Harjo's GIRL WARRIOR, out today!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/07/g...
New review of Joy Harjo's GIRL WARRIOR, out today!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/10/07/g...
"Ardery’s debut is both a memoir of survival and a meditation on what it means to carry weight — literal and metaphorical — and to keep walking anyway."
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews LEVEL WATCH by Mary Ardery. @juneroadpress.bsky.social
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews LEVEL WATCH by Mary Ardery. @juneroadpress.bsky.social
Debut Collection Captures the Struggle of Carrying Physical and Emotional Weight
Mary Ardery’s debut poetry collection draws from her experience as a wilderness guide for women recovering from addiction.
southernreviewofbooks.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:40 PM
"Ardery’s debut is both a memoir of survival and a meditation on what it means to carry weight — literal and metaphorical — and to keep walking anyway."
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews LEVEL WATCH by Mary Ardery. @juneroadpress.bsky.social
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews LEVEL WATCH by Mary Ardery. @juneroadpress.bsky.social
"Our longing can become a wraith living beside us... The truth of grief running through this writing appears stealthily like a haint moving through the North Carolina woods."
@tobyleblancauthor.bsky.social reviews THE DEVIL'S DONE COME BACK. @blairpub.bsky.social
@tobyleblancauthor.bsky.social reviews THE DEVIL'S DONE COME BACK. @blairpub.bsky.social
North Carolina Is Haunted by Its Own History in “The Devil’s Done Come Back”
Ghosts seem to know better about who we are and what is right in “The Devil’s Done Come Back”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:17 PM
"Our longing can become a wraith living beside us... The truth of grief running through this writing appears stealthily like a haint moving through the North Carolina woods."
@tobyleblancauthor.bsky.social reviews THE DEVIL'S DONE COME BACK. @blairpub.bsky.social
@tobyleblancauthor.bsky.social reviews THE DEVIL'S DONE COME BACK. @blairpub.bsky.social
"The crime story itself is compelling, but it’s the backdrop that I found riveting — a peek into the hallowed halls of elite American fraternity life in the U.S. South, and let me tell you, it’s not pretty." @amyrmartin.bsky.social reviews Max Marshall's AMONG THE BROS. @harperperennial.bsky.social
Fraternity, Power, and Xanax in Max Marshall’s “Among the Bros”
A Review of Max Marshall’s “Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 29, 2025 at 10:43 AM
"The crime story itself is compelling, but it’s the backdrop that I found riveting — a peek into the hallowed halls of elite American fraternity life in the U.S. South, and let me tell you, it’s not pretty." @amyrmartin.bsky.social reviews Max Marshall's AMONG THE BROS. @harperperennial.bsky.social
There's a myth that "grief begins on a one-way track called 'Denial,' en route to its final destination of 'Acceptance,' and after that, you’ve completed the process and are forever free from it. That misunderstanding, in my view, is one of many ways that victims of loss are made to feel unseen."
Erin Slaughter Tries to Order the Disorder in “The Dead Dad Diaries”
An interview with Erin Slaughter on her memoir, “The Dead Dad Diaries.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
There's a myth that "grief begins on a one-way track called 'Denial,' en route to its final destination of 'Acceptance,' and after that, you’ve completed the process and are forever free from it. That misunderstanding, in my view, is one of many ways that victims of loss are made to feel unseen."
"In a celebration of the oral and written tradition of passing down stories from one generation to the next, The Eternal Forest preserves what might otherwise be forgotten."
New review of THE ETERNAL FOREST by Elena Sheppard. @stmartinspress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/23/t...
New review of THE ETERNAL FOREST by Elena Sheppard. @stmartinspress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/23/t...
Three Women in Exile Ache for Cuba in “The Eternal Forest”
A review of Elena Sheppard’s memoir, “The Eternal Forest.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:27 PM
"In a celebration of the oral and written tradition of passing down stories from one generation to the next, The Eternal Forest preserves what might otherwise be forgotten."
New review of THE ETERNAL FOREST by Elena Sheppard. @stmartinspress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/23/t...
New review of THE ETERNAL FOREST by Elena Sheppard. @stmartinspress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/23/t...
"Nick Medina’s latest novel is the perfect way to ring in spooky season. Its alternating narratives trace two timelines in the main character’s life and build intertwined mysteries that kept me turning pages."
New review of THE WHISTLER by Nick Medina. @berkleypub.bsky.social
New review of THE WHISTLER by Nick Medina. @berkleypub.bsky.social
Disability, Grief, and Haunted Indigenous Folklore in “The Whistler”
Nick Medina’s “The Whistler” is an Indigenous horror that pairs the loss of autonomy with paranormal folklore.
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:27 AM
"Nick Medina’s latest novel is the perfect way to ring in spooky season. Its alternating narratives trace two timelines in the main character’s life and build intertwined mysteries that kept me turning pages."
New review of THE WHISTLER by Nick Medina. @berkleypub.bsky.social
New review of THE WHISTLER by Nick Medina. @berkleypub.bsky.social
We don’t know about you, but we’ve been doing some porch reading lately, and this list is perfect for finding your next porch swing companion!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/15/t...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/15/t...
The Best Southern Books of September 2025
A collection of some of the best Southern poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of September 2025.
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
We don’t know about you, but we’ve been doing some porch reading lately, and this list is perfect for finding your next porch swing companion!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/15/t...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/15/t...
Reposted by Southern Review of Books
@southrevbooks.bsky.social reviewed LULLABY and said Ashley M. Jones is "working at her peak" and that "[s]uch optimism, tempered by realism and emboldened with inner strength, is not easy to come by." southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
Fierce Love in “Lullaby for the Grieving”
A review of Ashley M. Jones’ new poetry collection, “Lullaby for the Grieving.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:56 PM
@southrevbooks.bsky.social reviewed LULLABY and said Ashley M. Jones is "working at her peak" and that "[s]uch optimism, tempered by realism and emboldened with inner strength, is not easy to come by." southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
“This collection is filled with love, caution, correction, and ferocity.”
@duffusmatthew.bsky.social reviews LULLABY FOR THE GRIEVING by Ashley M. Jones. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
@duffusmatthew.bsky.social reviews LULLABY FOR THE GRIEVING by Ashley M. Jones. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
Fierce Love in “Lullaby for the Grieving”
A review of Ashley M. Jones’ new poetry collection, “Lullaby for the Grieving.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 13, 2025 at 10:41 AM
“This collection is filled with love, caution, correction, and ferocity.”
@duffusmatthew.bsky.social reviews LULLABY FOR THE GRIEVING by Ashley M. Jones. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
@duffusmatthew.bsky.social reviews LULLABY FOR THE GRIEVING by Ashley M. Jones. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/l...
SRB editor Chaney Hill rounds up some of the books about the South that have captured her imagination over the years.
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/10/s...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/10/s...
Something About the South
SRB editor Chaney Hill rounds up some of the books about the South that have captured her imagination over the years.
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:09 PM
SRB editor Chaney Hill rounds up some of the books about the South that have captured her imagination over the years.
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/10/s...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/09/10/s...
"A feat of embodied poetry, which is to say, folklore, emotions, and trauma take on corporeal form."
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews SHEDDING SEASON by Jane Morton. @blacklawrence.bsky.social
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews SHEDDING SEASON by Jane Morton. @blacklawrence.bsky.social
“Shedding Season” Casts a Spell
In their poems, Jane Morton finds incredible strength and beauty in being cracked open, shedding what no longer serves in order to become something new.
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:41 PM
"A feat of embodied poetry, which is to say, folklore, emotions, and trauma take on corporeal form."
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews SHEDDING SEASON by Jane Morton. @blacklawrence.bsky.social
@sara-eastler.bsky.social reviews SHEDDING SEASON by Jane Morton. @blacklawrence.bsky.social
"A precise portrayal of the tension between utopian immersion in nature and the relentless encroachment of money-mindedness. The novel delves into the consequences of commodification—reflected in the natural world and the self."
Review of HOTHOUSE BLOOM by Austyn Wohlers. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
Review of HOTHOUSE BLOOM by Austyn Wohlers. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
Verdant Leaves and Apples Red as Blood: Austyn Wohlers’ “Hothouse Bloom”
In her debut novel Hothouse Bloom, Austyn Wohlers explores a millennial pastoral through the story of Anna, a former painter in her late twenties who flees home in search of paradise, only to witne…
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 7, 2025 at 1:56 AM
"A precise portrayal of the tension between utopian immersion in nature and the relentless encroachment of money-mindedness. The novel delves into the consequences of commodification—reflected in the natural world and the self."
Review of HOTHOUSE BLOOM by Austyn Wohlers. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
Review of HOTHOUSE BLOOM by Austyn Wohlers. @hubcitypress.bsky.social
"Through persona and personal recollection, Wright brings old life back into the firelight — sometimes with a nudge, sometimes at knifepoint."
YOU'RE CALLED BY THE SAME SOUND by Alicia Wright.
YOU'RE CALLED BY THE SAME SOUND by Alicia Wright.
Poetry Flowing from History in “You’re Called by the Same Sound”
A review of Alicia Wright’s August 2025 poetry collection “You’re Called by the Same Sound.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:47 PM
"Through persona and personal recollection, Wright brings old life back into the firelight — sometimes with a nudge, sometimes at knifepoint."
YOU'RE CALLED BY THE SAME SOUND by Alicia Wright.
YOU'RE CALLED BY THE SAME SOUND by Alicia Wright.
"Overall, this is not a tale for the faint-hearted — from snake bites to a sinister cult leader, Forget Me Not plunges straight into the thorns of Southern life, no gloves necessary."
New review of Stacy Willingham's FORGET ME NOT.
New review of Stacy Willingham's FORGET ME NOT.
“Forget Me Not” Is a Twisty and Turny Psychological Thriller
A review of Stacy Willingham’s “Forget Me Not.”
southernreviewofbooks.com
September 2, 2025 at 12:30 PM
"Overall, this is not a tale for the faint-hearted — from snake bites to a sinister cult leader, Forget Me Not plunges straight into the thorns of Southern life, no gloves necessary."
New review of Stacy Willingham's FORGET ME NOT.
New review of Stacy Willingham's FORGET ME NOT.
We couldn't let August end without celebrating all the great new books that came out this month!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/08/28/b...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/08/28/b...
The Best Southern Books of August 2025
A roundup of the best new Southern releases in August 2025.
southernreviewofbooks.com
August 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
We couldn't let August end without celebrating all the great new books that came out this month!
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/08/28/b...
southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/08/28/b...