Our Favorite Books for Giving

If our 12 Days of Giveaways didn’t inspire you to give someone a great book this year, then this list should do it. Affordable, easy to wrap and with an endless amount of subjects for just about anyone, books are an easy gift. You can go coffee table, fiction, nonfiction, children’s or just opt for a gift card to your nearest independent bookstore. Here are our favorite titles for giving this year:

1. *Ghosts of Grandeur by Michael W. Kitchens
Garnering the most entries in our giveaway, this history of Georgia’s lost antebellum homes and plantations filled with never-before-seen photos seems to be a hit with any Southerner. Find out where to get it here.

2. Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana’s Extraordinary Link by Robert Carriker
The second-most popular book in our giveaway, this new guide to boudin should of course be packaged with a link or two. Get it for 30 percent off here or order from Amazon.

3. Pecans by Kathleen Purvis
Part of a new series on Southern cooking by UNC Press, “Pecans” pays homage to the South’s favorite nut with recipes for everything from Bourbon-Orange Pecans to Buttermilk-Pecan Chicken and Pecan Pralines. Find out where to order here.

4. *Arkansas Pie: A Delicious Slice of the Natural State by Kat Robinson
Join food writer Kat Robinson on an Arkansas culinary tradition as she tastes pies on restaurant menus from the Delta to the Ozarks. Click here to read an excerpt and get a recipe for Company’s Comin’ Pie, and find out where to purchase here.

5. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver hasn’t lost her way with words, and her latest book is set in her native Appalachia, as a restless farm wife hikes up a mountain road to discover a forested valley filled with what appears to be a lake of fire. Get it from Amazon or your local bookstore.

6. Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck
Fans of Hemingway and those who just love a good story will thank you for Erika Robuck’s lovely tale of a maid working for the Hemingway family in Depression-era Key West. Get it from Amazon or your local bookstore.

7. The Alabama Adventures of Walter & Wimbly by Jennifer Kornegay
This new children’s book by Montgomery, Alabama, writer Jennifer Kornegay follows best friend and former next-door neighbor cats on a mission to find each other after one moves away. Find out where to get it or order from walterandwimbly.com.

8. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
Oprah’s latest book club pick by debut author Ayana Mathis is about one family’s journey from the segregated South through five-and-a-half turbulent decades. Get it from Amazon or your local bookstore.

9. The Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair
The classic story of jolly old St. Nick placed in the Louisiana bayou, with eight friendly alligators pulling the sleigh. Get it from Pelican Publishing or at your local bookstore.

10. Dixie Bohemia by John Shelton Reed
Fans of New Orleans will be thrilled to discover the city’s early bohemian side, as the French Quarter developed into the artistic and literary hub it is today. Get it from LSU Press or on Amazon, and read our review here.

11. The Old Weird South edited by Tim Westover
This collection of 24 new stories explores the supernatural side of the American South, stretching from the Civil War to the present day. Find out where to buy here.

12. To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene
With dozens of original recipes, history and folklore, colorful anecdotes, and the drinks themselves, “To Have and Have Another” provides an engaging and unique perspective on Papa’s world. Get it from Amazon or your local bookstore.

*Deep South Holiday Gift Guide featured gifts