Southern Review of Books

Southern Review of Books Exploring contemporary literature of the American South and beyond. Published by .

"The title seems to imply comedy or lightheartedness, but Đoàn’s work is heartfelt, touching on the humanity within ones...
12/23/2024

"The title seems to imply comedy or lightheartedness, but Đoàn’s work is heartfelt, touching on the humanity within oneself and the desires, wants, and fears that we all possess. The tone of the work strikes a chord between beauty and eeriness. Balancing on this line, we see the artfulness of linguistics and imagination at play."

New review of ZOMBIE VOMIT MAD LIBS by Duy Đoàn. Alice James Books

A review of Duy Đoàn’s collection of poetry, “Zombie Vomit Mad Libs.”

“The Art Thieves is a book that is both exciting to read and deeply thoughtful about our reality as well as the larger l...
12/20/2024

“The Art Thieves is a book that is both exciting to read and deeply thoughtful about our reality as well as the larger literary landscape of post-apocalyptic fiction.”

New review of THE ART THIEVES by Andrea L. Rogers.

Andrea L. Rogers’ new young adult novel, “The Art Thieves,” presents a post-apocalyptic landscape that, despite challenging characters and readers, still offers paths forward and hope f…

"Smart and vicious, snarky and wild, One in the Chamber is brave and frightening — a call for change in a unique and wit...
12/20/2024

"Smart and vicious, snarky and wild, One in the Chamber is brave and frightening — a call for change in a unique and witty format."

New review of ONE IN THE CHAMBER by Robin Peguero. Grand Central Publishing

A review of Robin Peguero’s dark political satire set in the hallowed halls of the Capitol: part thriller, part mystery, part social examination.

"A noirish thriller brimming with regional touchstones — Publix and palm trees, anyone? — a cast of sleazy and desperate...
12/16/2024

"A noirish thriller brimming with regional touchstones — Publix and palm trees, anyone? — a cast of sleazy and desperate characters, and all the best the ’90s has to offer, from hair metal to cassette players to the sense of fear and wonder that accompanied the rise of the internet."

New review of PENALTIES OF JUNE by John Brandon. McSweeney's

A review of John Brandon’s novel “Penalties of June.”

"That’s the heart of this book. How do you learn freedom when you’ve never seen freedom, because you come from a coloniz...
12/12/2024

"That’s the heart of this book. How do you learn freedom when you’ve never seen freedom, because you come from a colonized island? Colonization really has a big impact in your life and in your mind, because since you’re a kid, you’re just hearing this: 'the island – Puerto Rico – won’t make it by itself.'"

New interview with Patricia Coral on WOMEN SURROUNDED BY WATER.

Author Patricia Coral’s memoir recounts the complexity of navigating oppressive systems through the lens of growing up on Puerto Rico.

"I tend towards the short: I try to pare most stories down quite a bit, trying to uncover the shortest tenable version t...
12/10/2024

"I tend towards the short: I try to pare most stories down quite a bit, trying to uncover the shortest tenable version that still works. I’m really interested in this idea of a 'Minimum Viable Story' — what are the absolutely essential parts of a story without which it wouldn’t function?"

Bradley Sides interviews Marguerite Sheffer on THE MAN IN THE BANANA TREES.

An interview with Marguerite Sheffer about her new collection “The Man in the Banana Tree.”

"Half-Lives is often experimental and occasionally fairy-tale-like, but the dark woods in these stories may be women’s b...
12/06/2024

"Half-Lives is often experimental and occasionally fairy-tale-like, but the dark woods in these stories may be women’s bodies."

New review of HALF-LIVES by Lynn Schmeidler. Autumn House Press

A review of “Half-Lives” by Lynn Schmeidler.

"Song’s memoir is a raw and vulnerable exploration of the delicate, often fraught relationship between a first-generatio...
12/05/2024

"Song’s memoir is a raw and vulnerable exploration of the delicate, often fraught relationship between a first-generation Korean-American daughter and her immigrant mother. Her simple, but emotional writing style brings out the psyche of a child, caught in the struggles of assimilation and identity, as well as the generational trauma and expectations that come with the immigrant experience."

New review of DOCILE by Hyeseung Song. Simon & Schuster

Docile, a memoir by Hyeseung Song, perfectly encapsulates the generational trauma of the immigrant experience.

"The heart of this story lies in its dazzling interrogation of art making and the power or disempowerment story can give...
12/02/2024

"The heart of this story lies in its dazzling interrogation of art making and the power or disempowerment story can give us."

New review of FINAL CUT by Charles Burns. Pantheon Books

A review of “Final Cut,” a graphic novel by Charles Burns.

"While this is a serious collection, it isn’t somber; there’s hope and strength that arises out of the natural cycle of ...
11/29/2024

"While this is a serious collection, it isn’t somber; there’s hope and strength that arises out of the natural cycle of growing up, taking flight, and finally finding one’s voice."

New review of MAGICICADA by Claire Millikin. Unicorn Press

Claire Millikin maps trauma to the cicadas’ cyclical lives of “burial and ascension.”

"In a society that often struggles to look at serious mental illness head on, LaBrie unflinchingly illuminates the effec...
11/27/2024

"In a society that often struggles to look at serious mental illness head on, LaBrie unflinchingly illuminates the effects that such an illness can have on family members and also considers how the trauma of family members — both those passed on and still alive — can influence the course of mental illness."

New review of NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART by Sarah LaBrie. HarperCollins

This review of Sarah LaBrie’s debut memoir, “No One Gets to Fall Apart,” explores the themes of generational trauma and belonging that shape the book.

Reece's "poetry describes a life lived in Kentucky, also spanning other landscapes, such as driving through Montana. The...
11/25/2024

Reece's "poetry describes a life lived in Kentucky, also spanning other landscapes, such as driving through Montana. The locations are desolate and show the complexity, the loneliness, of addiction and recovery, and sometimes of life in general. Reece stays grounded in these locations, allowing them to become part of the character of the poetry."

New review of KINGFISHER BLUES by Erik Reece. University Press of Kentucky

Vivid, raw, and hopeful, Erik Reece’s “Kingfisher Blues” is a powerful poetry collection about addiction, recovery, and the search for stillness.

"Despite the crises and changes the world has faced since its original publication, Crapalachia still holds an uncanny a...
11/22/2024

"Despite the crises and changes the world has faced since its original publication, Crapalachia still holds an uncanny ability to draw in readers, pulling us toward a distinctive place and time, to live among and alongside McClanahan’s young troublemakers and mischievous elders."

Review of the rereleased CRAPALACHIA by Scott McClanahan. Two Dollar Radio

A review of Crapalachia: A Biography of a Place.

"Disappointment and fulfillment commingle; it’s odd how, when we’re young, we think it will be one or the other... We me...
11/21/2024

"Disappointment and fulfillment commingle; it’s odd how, when we’re young, we think it will be one or the other... We metabolize longing constantly in the space our days if we come bare-faced to the day with all we are, not only with our longing but also with our failures, regrets, contradictions: we make use of all of it, we do not simply seek, or wait for, amelioration."

Check out this review with M. Randall O'Wain and Jessie van Eerden on her brand new essay collection, YOKE & FEATHER! Dzanc Books

Van Eerden discusses her latest essay collection, which concerns itself with self-discovery, with touch and human connection.

"More than its daring premise and bold themes of love and death, society and class, politics and religion, TWO-STEP DEVI...
11/15/2024

"More than its daring premise and bold themes of love and death, society and class, politics and religion, TWO-STEP DEVIL is an experiment in the process of writing and storytelling."

New review of TWO-STEP DEVIL by Jamie Quatro. Grove Press

A review of Jamie Quatro’s genre-bending novel, “Two-Step Devil.”

Add some of November's new releases to your list!
11/13/2024

Add some of November's new releases to your list!

A roundup of books with Southern connections released in November 2024.

Honoring and amplifying Indigenous and other marginalized voices is more important than ever. Books are political, and r...
11/08/2024

Honoring and amplifying Indigenous and other marginalized voices is more important than ever. Books are political, and reading can be a component of activism.

If you're looking for additions to your reading list, check out SRB Editor Chaney Hill's recommendations for Indigenous literature.

SRB Editor Chaney Hill rounds up a few recent books that explore what Indigeneity looks like in the South.

Mesha Maren interviews Michael Parker on addiction, stories, and the re-release of HELLO DOWN THERE. Blair
11/08/2024

Mesha Maren interviews Michael Parker on addiction, stories, and the re-release of HELLO DOWN THERE. Blair

An interview with author Michael Parker on the reprint of his first novel, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Prize in 1993.

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