On the Southern Literary Trail discussion
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General Bookishness
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Retired: What are you reading?
I cannot lie, I really think I deserve a medal after finally getting through
Shadow Country. But boy, oh boy, what a story he told!https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
The Fact of a Body – Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich – 5*****
Wow. I was completely mesmerized by this memoir / true crime work. Marzano-Lesnevich puts me right into the narrative and I feel invested in both her story and that of convicted murderer, and pedophile, Ricky Langley.
My full review HERE
Congrats, Catherine. Shadow Country is huge but also quite a great story. I even got myself a copy for my kindle should I decide to read it again. I think learning the background of the development of Florida explains a lot about how the state seems to present multiple faces to the world.
The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons – 4****
This work of Southern gothic / horror fiction is a little slow to start but once it gets going it's riveting! I stayed up way too late a couple of nights "waiting for that other shoe to drop." It left me on edge and vaguely anxious; spooked by noises in the night (or in the daytime). A perfect Halloween read!
My full review HERE
I finished: 
The Innocents Abroad: Or the New Pilgrim's Progress by Mark Twain
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Aahhh, but for inspiration! I’m right now reading The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. My wife, being from Charleston and John’s Island, SC, has read all (or most all) of the current or modern Southern literature, or at least that much of Southern literature as espoused and/or defined by The Big O. You know who I mean. The Big O. The billionaire with only a first name. Harpo . . . er, Oprah!My wife, Gale, seldom read a book after high school, purposely avoiding college English. Me, on the other hand, I read nightly before retiring to bed, reading a new book every 4-5 days, snatching 30-60 literary minutes each night, reading myself to sleep. Well, maybe not too literary, throw in a cowboy or swashbuckling story once in awhile. That’s been my habit now for over 60 years. Gale rediscovered reading, being a fan of Oprah’s television show, by participating in The Oprah Bookclub, specifically focusing on her literary roots buried in the mud and the swamps of the low-country south. The Color Purple, Beloved, Bastard Out of Carolina, etc.
I really kicked it off, however, when, in 1999; I found a “new Southern author” Dorothea Benton Frank, and her debut novel, Sullivan’s Island, on display at a Berkeley B&N bookstore. I recognized the locale from our trips to visit Gale’s family. Turns out: Dorothea was a classmate of my wife, many of the characters in the book were classmates, and the settings were familiar stomping grounds for her.
In my reading The Invention of Wings, Gale said she had already read it and suggested Kidd’s book, In Search of Bees is even better. So that’s my next read. I’ve read some of the classic Southern lit, e.g., Tennessee Williams, Salinger, Faulkner, Welty, McCullers, etc. Gale is not a fan of the classics. Too deep for her.
But I was inspired this afternoon by the Netflix announcement of their rerunning of the 1994 PBS series Tales of the City, “one of the best miniseries of all time (Entertainment Weekly).” I enjoyed it immensely in its first run and actually own a couple of the books by Armistead Maupin. In doing a little research, I found this documentary on the author who, by the way, was raised in Raleigh, NC. Another Southern writer . . . although he writes about the ribald misfits of dear ol’ San Francisco! There are nine novels in the series. I own three. I ordered the remaining six today. That’s my next challenge, after Bees. I hope the books live up to the t.v. series!
https://youtu.be/v0kGn5xK6OY
By way of preparing you, this is about a 50 minute film. Enjoy!
Here Today, Gone Tamale – Rebecca Adler – 2**
First in a series, starring former big-city reporter Josie Callahan, who’s helping her Aunt and Uncle in their TexMex restaurant while trying to figure out her own next move. As cozies go, this is okay, but the plot is weak. I did like a number of the supporting cast, including her pet long-haired Chihuahua, Lenny. But I was irritated beyond words that the publishers and/or author didn’t bother to use the proper spellings / alphabet for Spanish words that are used – e.g. Senora vs Señora. That’s just lazy. And it lost a full star because of that.
My full review HERE
I finished: 
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Flight Behavior – Barbara Kingsolver – 4****
Kingsolver has crafted a story of one woman’s awakening, and simultaneously a warning about climate change. I found the story compelling from both perspectives. I know many people criticize Kingsolver for being preachy, but I did not find her message overbearing. Dellarobia Turnbow is a fascinating character. And her personal journey was what really elevated the book for me.
My full review HERE
Not southern but well worth reading ...
The Story Hour – Thirty Umrigar – 5*****
Umrigar alternates viewpoints between these two women – an Indian immigrant and her African-American psychologist. I was completely engaged from page one through all the ups and downs of the story. I was anxious about how things would work out, sympathized with them when feelings were hurt, felt anger at some situations, and eagerly hoped for a resolution.
My full review HERE
I love to see what other people are reading and explore what new books others have discovered. One of my favorite bookstores in the world is Powell’s Books in Portland, OR. Actually, several book stores under that name. One of their unique features is to present the five favorites reads of their staff members from the past year. Book workers on book reading. Check it out. You just might find your next favorite read!https://www.powells.com/staff-top-fiv...
Mod
Powell's is a great store. I'f you are ever in Portland, don't miss it. These lists are great! Thanks for providing the link.
Interesting lists with some books that are totally new to me. I love that.
My review of Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War by S.C. Gwynnehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larsonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not southern but a genuine classic ...
Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra – 4****
I’d read snippets from this work over the years but never experienced the whole thing. I’m sorry I waited so long to do so. It is a marvelous piece of fiction and is widely acknowledged as the first modern-day novel.
My full review HERE
My next reading project. I really enjoyed the Tales of the City t.v. series, set in San Francisco, when it ran years ago. Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were charming and funny, the series quite quirky. I will start with author’s, Armistead Maupin, memoir Logical Family, then move on to the nine books that make up the Tales of the City series. I am missing Sure of You (book #6). Can’t find it in any of the local bookstores, nor online. Guess I’ll have to read books #1-5 slowly until I find a copy.https://youtu.be/R63GxIGAaZw
Another NON-Southern read that's worth a look ...
Patsy – Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn – 4****
This novel follows Patsy, a young Jamaican mother of a 5-year-old girl, Tru, as she makes her way to America and tries to find a better life for herself. This story is in turns heartbreaking and inspiring. I applaud Patsy’s determination, courage, inventiveness and work ethic, but have difficulty forgiving her for decisions I just cannot fathom. I loved these characters, even though I didn’t always like them. Despite all the hardship, all the bad decisions and failures to communicate, ultimately there is some triumph and some sense of hope.
My full review HERE
Shining ManThis novel is a hoot, a mystery, and a firm comment on the New South. The narrator travels to Chicago, having hear his father, who deserted him long ago, has died. Well, has he? The narrator, a philosophic short order cook, goes to his father's room and finds boxes and boxes of reflective safety suits from when his father worked for Chicago's transportation department. He works these into a complete suit and walks the streets, starting an "art" movement. Oh there's more! Mysterious notes--from his father?--appear periodically. He's directed to move to Birmingham and takes his suit there, where he walks the crazed malfunction junction of the interstate at night to be picked up by an infamous race car driver who needs a tire-changer. There to Tuscaloosa, to Charlotte, hub of race cars and--eeps!--banking. A fun and complex comment on one of the New South's leading cities.
My review of Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurstonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished:
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not reading much Southern lit these days. But here are two NONfiction books that I really enjoyed.
The Children’s Blizzard – David Laskin – 4****
On January 12, 1888 a massive cold front brought plummeting temperatures, gale-force winds, and blinding snow to the northern plains. The blizzard caught the people on the prairies totally unaware and unprepared. Children left for school on a bright, sunny, mild day and found themselves either trapped in their school houses or struggling to find their way home in the blinding snow and plummeting temperatures. Hundreds of them died. It’s a gripping tale and told masterfully.
My full review HERE
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Indianapolis – Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic – 5*****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man. The authors did extensive research, including interviews with survivors and their families. The result is a detailed, thorough and still intimately personal story.
My full review HERE
An American Marriage – Tayari Jones – 4****
This is a marvelous character-driven study of relationships, in the broader context of modern society’s inability to grant a Black man the basic premise of “innocent until proven guilty.” Despite this great injustice, the central focus is really the characters’ lack of communication and honesty with one another. My loyalties shifted back and forth between Celestial and Roy as they took turns narrating the story. I think it would be a great choice for a book-club discussion.
My full review HERE
Blue Asylum – Kathy Hepinstall – 2**
Iris Dunleavy is confined to a Florida island asylum for the obvious madness she exhibited in defying her husband. Perhaps Hepinstall was trying to give the reader a sense of the disorientation a truly sane person must feel in such a mandated confinement. If that was her intention, then she mostly succeeded. But, like Iris, I just wanted to escape.
My full review HERE
I finished: 
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Really enjoying "War and Peace" at the moment.
Mod
I've been trying to work up the courage to tackle that one myself. I figure if I can read Shelby Foote's three volume The Civil War: A Narrative, a little Leo Tolstoy shouldn't be too hard to handle.
The Last Romantics – Tara Conklin – 3***
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
My full review HERE
Upstairs At the White House – J B West & Mary Lynn Kotz – 4****
Subtitle: My Life With the First Ladies. J B West served as the chief usher in the White House from midway through the years of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s terms through the beginning of the Nixon administration. This is an interesting and engaging memoir of his experiences running the private residence for a variety of first ladies. Some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits, but no real juicy gossip. Discretion was – and is – a chief characteristic of JB West’s.`
My full review HERE
The Right Stuff – Tom Wolfe – 4****
This is the story of the Mercury Astronauts and how they came to be chosen – evaluated to ensure they had The Right Stuff to succeed in this vital mission. Wolfe does a great job of giving us the background of those first seven astronauts – warts and all. I was fascinated by the extensive testing they underwent to evaluate their fitness for this work. And I think Wolfe did a great job of explaining the differences in their personalities that resulted in success, or missteps.
My full review HERE
I finished a good one:
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix★★★★
I would like to thank Tom, one of the moderators of Goodreads' "On the Southern Literary Trail," for the opportunity to review this book. When I first saw the book cover and read the first pages, I thought this book was going to be a campy read. However, as I got into the book, it quickly transitioned to a true horror book. I haven't been this squeamish in reading a horror book since I read The Exorcist. Reading this book, I oscillated between telling myself "one more page" and putting my book down fearing nightmares. For my full review, please click here.
Because Of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo – 5***** and a ❤
DiCamillo has written a lovely book that deals with some serious issues. India and her father struggle to come to grips with their new reality now that her mother has left and they’ve moved to a new community. But with the help of a smiling dog, they begin to heal. No, everything doesn’t turn out perfect, but DiCamillo gives her readers a sense of hope that India (and her father) will come out of this period of their lives with full hearts.
My full review HERE
I've been really interested in reading this one. I'm heartened that you liked it so much. Thanks for your review.John wrote: "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
★★★★
I would like to thank Tom, one of the moderators of Goodreads' "On the Southern Literary Trail," for the opportunity to rev..."
RJ from the LBC wrote: "I finished a good one:
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
The Overstory – Richard Powers – 3***
I am having a very hard time pinpointing what it was about this book that I found so interesting. I tend to gravitate towards character-driven works, and this is certainly that. But nine “main” characters is a daunting task and I think it detracted from Powers’ message of environmental stewardship, and what a bad job humans are doing of that.
My full review HERE
It’s a Long Story – Willie Nelson – 4****
Oh, Willie! I’ve had a long-standing crush on the “red-headed stranger” and am glad to have learned more about him, because I like him even more now. Willie lays it all out there … from childhood to stardom, the good, the bad, the ugly and the shiningly beautiful.
My full review HERE
About as far from Southern as you can get in the continental US ... but a charming read nonetheless...
The Simplicity of Cider – Amy E Reichert – 3***
Yes, the plot has been done before and includes most of the rom-com tropes. Yes, the heroine’s hard shell will be cracked by the genuine goodness of the hero. Yes, she – a confirmed avoider of children – will come to love the hero’s precocious son. Yes, there will be major obstacles to their getting together. But has that ever stopped a couple in a rom-com? Well, Reichert is not about to break that mold. It’s a fast, fun, enjoyable read. And I loved the food references!
My full review HERE
I seldom recommend books, but I am sure anyone who enjoys Southern Grit is going to want to have read this one and it seems to be little known. A Cry of Angels by Jeff Fields
This is the only book he ever wrote and like Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell, he got it right the first time.
Mod
I had never heard of it until a friend in another group strongly recommended it to me for a challenge we are doing. I must say, it was a recommendation I am happy to have taken.
Mod
I nominated this one for the Trail a few months ago Sara, but still haven’t read it. As Diane mentioned, it didn’t win but thanks for weighing in on it. I trust your judgement and have bumped it up the TBR ladder.
It was absolutely a winner for me, Wyndy. I wish it had won when you nominated it, because it would make for a terrific discussion.
Mod
Mod
I second that "Yay" and will definitely join in!
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On the Southern Literary Trail
Books mentioned in this topic
Happy Land (other topics)Take My Hand (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bennett Parten (other topics)Wes Browne (other topics)
Hubert Skidmore (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
Delia Owens (other topics)
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In the Heat of the Night by John Dudley Ball
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ball wasn't a southern author (he was born in NY, went to college in WI and eventually settled out here in southern California) although the story takes place there. And now I wonder how the story would have been written differently if Ball had been a southern writer?