Confident Men
I can't decide whether Jeff Sharlet's "C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy" (Little Brown, 2010, $27) is pulp nonfiction about a scholarly topic, or scholarly nonfiction about a …
Alabama, Apes and Adam Perry
I recently had a chance to sit down with Adam Perry, account and distribution manager for the Jackson Free Press, to talk about his first novel, "Boxing Gorillas." The story …
Hometown Heroes
Like a proud parent showing off a scrapbook of your child's accolades, "Mississippians" (Nautilus Printing, 2010, $45) is a collection of photographs and vignettes of notable individuals from the state …
Spiritual Exploration
Check out these titles to learn how different people worship (or don't) and how to co-exist harmoniously with your newfound knowledge. All books available at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 …
Country's Queen
Tammy Wynette once said, "I believe you have to live your songs," but too often the life of this country-music superstar takes a backseat to her hit, "Stand By Your …
Back to the Source
About this time 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln was elected president, an event so fraught with peril for southerners that within months, 11 states had seceded from the Union. While …
Fabulous Beats Reality
Americans prefer myth to history, asserts Jacksonian and Hinds Community College history professor Benjamin Cloyd. In a new book examining the realities of prisoner-of-war camps during the Civil War, Cloyd …
Playing it Straight
Anyone who enjoys zombie movies and fiction with more than a passing interest should recognize John Russo's name and won't be disappointed to read "Undead" (Kensington Publishing, 2010, $14.95). He …
Horror Hit List
If you choose to stay in on All Hallow's Eve, here are some suggestions for frightful listening, creepy reading and horrific viewing.
Rich Enough
I've heard it all my life: America is the best country in the world. Within that framework, it's nearly impossible to understand why conditions for many Americans are so bad.
How to Make Enemies
When award-winning journalist Curtis Wilkie sets out to cover the downfall of Mississippi's foremost trial attorney, he goes at it like a neurotic terrier digging in a graveyard--with a macabre …
One Less Knight
When I brought "Glubbery Gray" (Pelican Publishing, 2010, $16.99) home, my 8-year-old son, Mateo, couldn't wait to take a look. If it's a story about space, superheroes or knights, he's …
Gateway City Classic
Sometimes I read fiction that I can't accurately describe without sounding like I'm shilling for it. Jabari Asim's "A Taste of Honey" (Broadway Books, 2010, $13) falls into that category.
The Summer of ‘64
The 1960's remains pivotal in Mississippi's bloody road to ethnic equality. Had it not been for a group of college students and a handful of volunteer organizations, though, Mississippi's leap …
Things we don't know
The Civil War can be a tumultuous topic. Perhaps because it's the source of anguish for some and shame for others, southerners often avoid talking about it at all. The …
