The American South is an intriguing place with a complex past and since moving here I’ve learned a bit about this slice of America and the Southern way of life. Below are some books I’ve enjoyed (anything by Julia Reed!) or are on my reading list about the place we now call home. Most are light-hearted and focus on Southern interiors, cooking, and entertaining, but many touch on the region’s complicated history as well. Are there any non-fiction Southern classics I’m missing in my library? Do tell!
Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) by Julia Reed
Order your copy here.
Southern Lady Code: Essays by Helen Ellis
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Deep South by Paul Theroux
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Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a “Perfect” Mother by Charlotte Hays and Gayden Metcalfe
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Southern Women: More Than 100 Stories of Innovators, Artists, and Icons by the Editors of Garden & Gun
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Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena by Julia Reed
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South Toward Home: Adventures and Misadventures in My Native Land by Julia Reed
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The Southerner’s Handbook: A Guide to Living the Good Life by the Editors of Garden & Gun
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S Is for Southern: A Guide to the South, from Absinthe to Zydeco by the Editors of Garden & Gun
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The Art of Southern Charm by Patricia Altschul
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Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz
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Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horwitz
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What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should): Timeless Secrets to Get Everything you Want in Love, Life, and Work by Ronda Rich
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A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma by Marilyn Schwartz
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Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon
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Talk Southern to Me: Stories & Sayings to Accent Your Life by Julia Fowler
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Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment by Phaedra Parks
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Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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Suck Your Stomach in and Put Some Color On! by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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I hope you’ve found this list helpful (or at least entertaining—some of the titles alone gave me a good laugh!).
For those interested there’s a new Daily Hunt full of finds for your home and wardrobe available here!
