Absalom's Daughters

A quirky and heartfelt journey that will intrigue readers from the beginning. From an early age Cassie and Judith knew they were sisters. Even though Cassie was black and living with her mother and grandmother above a laundry shop and Judith was a white girl living with her redneck family, they knew they were sisters, and so did the whole town. Grandmother was obsessed with getting the family lighter and lighter because living in the Jim Crow south during the 50s was no cake walk for colored folks. In order to whiten the family line, grandmother would push her offspring to get knocked up by white men, hoping that in a few generations, no one would be none the wiser. When their father ran off (although he was certainly no father to poor Cassie and ignored her very existence) and left Judith's mom and siblings up shit creek, Judith has decided that she's had enough and she's going to make her own way in the world. She convinces Cassie to join her and together they dig an old car out of the woods and start a road trip across the south that they'll never forget. A wonderful read that has elements of folklore, mysticism, family, friendship, and heartbreak.

Southern Spirits

Hands down the most educational and readable book on alcohol I've ever read. Fascinating and filled with history this book reads like fiction and makes you desperate to start mixing some cocktails yourself! I've never thirsted for a mint julep so bad! Robert F. Moss does a great job outlining the history of drinking in the south and how it affected slavery, the prohibition, distilleries and more. It was a treasure trove of information. Each of the 20 chapters contained one or two drink recipes that corresponded to that decade or two worth of alcohol history. Also contained were images that help the reader get a sense of what is going on. Personally, I never realized how influential the south was on our drinking habits. From the creation of bourbon, moonshine, to my beloved mint juleps and gin fizzes, the south has had a HUGE influence on the drinking culture of America. A must read for any lover of booze and American history.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I haven't read this since high school, but I'll be damned if it hasn't aged remarkably well. It was even better than I remembered it. It's down to earth and Scout is the perfect protagonist, as her childhood views and observations help cast the story in a new innocent light. Full of southern injustice and white privilege, this classic tale has much to offer American society. It's still as poignant as it was when it was first written and has just as much to offer us now. Brilliantly written, I'm far too scared to try and the sequel, "Go Set a Watchmen." I'm plenty content with this little masterpiece. Required reading, there is soo much to talk about!