Today's Top Ten :
What are the top ten books you read before you became a blogger?
Oral History by: Lee Smith
This is the ultimate southern novel. I couldn't put it down, and everyone I've recommended it to says the same. Smith combines all of what makes Appalachia beautiful- part family saga, part supernatural- my all-time favorite book. Spanning over 100 years, it tells the story of how one Appalachian family's home place became haunted...
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
What can I say? This book is a classic. I think it would be hard to find anyone who hasn't read it. A must read for any woman.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by: Zora Neale Hurston
From the first time I read Zora Neale Hurston, I fell in love with her writing. This is a beautiful story which was made into an awesome movie starring Halle Berry. If you haven't read this one, you need to find yourself some Zora.
Fair and Tender Ladies by: Lee Smith
Ivy Rowe captures the reader's heart from the beginning. Set in Appalachia, Ivy's story is told through letters she writes, which capture her life as young girl, wife, mother and grandmother.
The Beulah Land Series by Lonnie Coleman
I was pretty young when I got hooked on this series. Set on a deep south plantation, these novels follow one family through several generations.
Jubilee by: Margaret Walker
This is the true story of Vyry, the child of a white plantation owner and his black mistress. Written by her great-great granddaughter, this is a haunting novel is one you won't ever forget.
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by: Fannie Flagg
No one writes a southern novel like Fannie Flagg. Daisy Fay Harper is the sassy heroine of this novel set on the Gulf Coast in the early 1950's.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
This is the first book I read by Sarah Addison Allen. I've since read them all. Josey Cirrini hides sweets in her closet....along with romance novels. Imagine her surprise when she also finds a local waitress Della Lee Baker hiding there. Allen always adds a hint of the supernatural to her stories....just like real life in the south. If you've never read Sarah Addison Allen, this is a great place to start.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by: Sarah Addison Allen
Emily Benedict comes to Mullaby , North Carolina hoping to find out more about her mysterious mother and the childhood she never discussed. When Emily moves into her mother's childhood home with her grandfather (a real-life giant) she discovers a home where wallpaper changes to suit your moods, where more mysteries about than she bargained for...
How High the Moon by: Sandra Kring
OK- I love everything by Sandra Kring. (Who doesn't?) This story, set in 1955 & told through the eyes of Sandra "Teaspoon" Marlene, a ten-year-old girl being raised by Teddy- the man her mother left her with she ran off to California. If you haven't read Sandra Kring yet, it's time to start.
