Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Reader w/ Southern Suggestions!

Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot posted a list of her suggestions for other Southern Reading Challengers ~ Enjoy!

~Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
For the aforementioned reasons. I know the setting is not exclusively Southern, but Ashton is in Alabama, and Daniel Wallace is from Alabama himself, so I think this qualifies.

~The Grass Harp by Truman Capote
Capote is one of my all-time favourite writers, and this is probably my favourite of his books. It's a very tender and moving tale of both childhood and old age.

~A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
This book, which takes place in New Orleans, is most likely one of the funniest things you'll ever read in your life, but it can also be extremely sad at times, especially if you keep in mind the tragic circumstances of Toole's own life. This is one of those books everyone should read at least once in their lives.

~The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
I first read this book because of A Confederacy of Dunces - it was Percy who finally got it published after Toole's suicide. This is a wonderful southern tale of awkwardness, loneliness, estrangement and loss.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for putting up so many suggestions because I'm having a hard time narrowing down my list. I think I might throw Capote on there. I didn't even think of him.

maggie moran said...

I wasn't even considering Capote, until I read Nymeth's post. :)

Debi said...

Oh no...now I want to add a bunch more to my list! They all sound like wonderful suggestions!

SuziQoregon said...

Maggie: thanks for stopping by and for adding me to your link list. I need to add you to mine.

Some more suggestions - I read these last year so won't read them for the challenge, but I will highly recommend them:

Tom Franklin - Hell at the Breech (it's a brutal, but wonderfully written story)

Ron Rash - One Foot in Eden - just a beautifully told story.

Bookfool said...

Oh, good, I've got Big Fish right here. I need to go back and read to see when this challenge officially begins and ends. I'm feeling a little challenge-buried but . . . you know. I have some things I need to get to.

I've read A Confederacy of Dunces and I kind of got sick of his voice but I still enjoyed it.

Thanks for checking in with me on the Chunkster Challenge! I'll be watching for your review of Lonesome Dove in June. That's another one I need to get to, some day.

Anonymous said...

Walker Percy and Truman Capote are two fine Southern authors !!

Ana S. said...

I'm glad people liked my suggestions! Thanks for passing them along!

Anonymous said...

Just stumbled on your site and have enjoyed your "Southern flair". I recommend Ron Rash's Saints at the River and Rick Bragg's All Over But the Shoutin. Thanks. KD