‘Deep South’ Curates the Latest Beach Reads, New Fiction, and Even a Rogue Shark Memoir
Our pals at ‘Deep South’ are known for reliably covering the Southern book beat. A few times each year, the online magazine publishes great reading recos, not to mention some terrific reviews. A solid half of this particular list of 28 tomes features settings in, or authors from, Gulf states. The entire list offers titles that reflect the dark drama, the charm, and the emotional humidity of the American South. While the list first appeared in May, many of the titles are still due for release late into summer. – Editor
SHARKS DON’T SINK: ADVENTURES OF A ROGUE SHARK SCIENTIST by Jasmin Graham
Sharks have been on this planet for over 400 million years, so there is a lot they can teach us about survival and adaptability. For example: How do sharks, which unlike other fish are denser than water, stay afloat? They keep moving. When Jasmin Graham, an award-winning young shark scientist, started to feel that the traditional path to becoming a marine biologist was pulling her under, she remembered this important lesson: Keep moving forward.
ATCHAFALAYA DARLING by Shome Dasgupta
The dream-like world of South Louisiana shimmers through one of its most original voices, author and Lafayette high school English teacher, Shome Dasgupta. This homage to Cajun culture contains local music scenes, crumbling homes, and creature comforts amid the convergence of wild hopes and rural spaces. Each story navigates the nature of memory, lost or found, sprinkled like spice into the red of the crawfish. While this collection often portrays immense grief – whether from hurricane winds or splintered dreams – each character clings to a love for place and the people who make it home.
THE DISSONANCE by Shaun Hamill
Terrifying signs and portents have summoned Hal, Athena, and Erin back to Texas, where their paths collide with Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen. As Owen tries to outwit his new master, his new acquaintances reckon with how the choices they made as teens might connect to the apocalyptic event unfurling over the Lone Star State.
Time to catch up on your summer reading! Click through for the full list.