Page 88 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2026

LEISURE
Roundup
READING
story by Lynn Lofton photo by Lynn Hoyt
It’s time for a yearly book roundup to see what some South Mississippians chose as the favorite book they read in 2025. These 30-something Gulfport residents started reading in childhood and are happily continuing this hobby.
“I think I’d go with ‘The River Has Roots’ by Amal El-Mohtar. It’s actually
a novella, just 105 pages long, but it’s
a gorgeously written, and rather dark, original fairytale about sisters who have grown up knowing the power of the forest outside their home,” says Rachel Hoyt, “and what happens when one falls in
love with one of the Fae from within the woods. It tells of the strength of love and family.
“The world and story quickly drew me in and left me wishing it were double
or triple the length. It also has gorgeous linocut art throughout!”
For Lilyana Gandour, “The Maid and the Crocodile” by Jordan Ifueko is her favorite. “This beautiful young adult
fantasy is the perfect coming-of-age tale, with a strong protagonist who struggles to discover her own worth.
“Small Sade is a poor orphan in Oluwan City searching for work as a maid, hoping to be hired despite people’s discomfort with her vitiligo and disfigured foot,”
she said. “Before she can find work, she crosses paths with the notorious Crocodile, a god known for eating the girls sacrificed to him. But the crocodile god is a young man, condemned to lose his remaining humanity, who believes that she has the power to break his curse. Small Sade scoffs at the notion that she could be of any importance to the life of a god, but she is going to learn that she has more power than she realizes.”
While the book
is set in a richly realized fantasy world loosely inspired by West Africa, the issues Small Sade and the citizens of Oluwan City face are reminiscent of our own world, Gandour believes. “While
this book can be
enjoyed by teens and adults alike, I highly recommend it as a gift for the young adult in your life,” she adds.
“This is a tough choice, but I would
have to pick ‘A Study in Drowning,’” says Kelsey Sunderman-Foster. “It was actually recommended to me by Rachel and then I read it with my online book club. There’s a lot to love about this book, but what drew me in initially was how beautifully atmospheric the writing is.
“Additionally, it’s rare for a book that
is so deeply rooted in folklore to take on a social issue like institutional sexism in academia at the same time. Ava Reid walked the line between fiction and non- fiction extremely well.”
Lilyana Gandour, Kelsey Sunderman-Foster and Rachel Hoyt
88 | January 2026
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living