On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in June 2025.

We will consider books with a southern literary theme that have not been read by the group in the last 24 months. The two categories are books originally published in or before 1990 or those published after 1990. In the latter case, we will no longer consider nominations for new books unless they have been available for at least four months prior to the date we begin reading the book. You may make one nomination in each category. Authors may not nominate their own works. Please post your nominations below and specify which category you are nominating them for.

Nominations will stay open for one week or until we receive six nominations in each category. Voting will take place in the first ten days of next month.

The eligible nominations received will be listed below:

Books originally published in or before 1990
1. Bloodline: Five Stories, by Ernest J. Gaines
2. The Reivers, by William Faulkner
3. In This Our Life, by Ellen Glasgow
4. Lamb in his Bosom, by Caroline Miller
5. Tourist Season, by Carl Hiaasen
6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Books originally published after 1990
1. A Land More Kind Than Home, by Wiley Cash
2. Serena, by Ron Rash
3. Blackwood, by Michael Farris Smith
4. A Southern Tragedy, In Crimson And Yellow, by Lawrence Naumoff
5. The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, by Erik Larson
6. Night Watch, by Jayne Anne Phillips

I'll start the ball rolling - Bloodline: Five Stories by Ernest J. Gaines PRE 1990

How about A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash in the Post 1990

Pre 1990

The Reivers by Faulkner

Post 1990: Serena by Ron Rash

Post 1990 Blackwood by Michael Farris Smith

Pre 1990 In This Our Life Ellen Glasgow

Post 1990. A Southern Tragedy, In Crimson And Yellow Lawrence Naumoff

PRE 1990 - Lamb in His Bosom by Caroline Miller

Pre-1990: Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen

Post-1990: The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

A quick glance leads me to believe that we have five nominations in each category. If I'm correct, the nominations are now closed.

Oops. I may be correct in that we have five nominations for each category but it slipped my mind that we actually allow six nominations per category. That means we have room for one more nomination in each category.

Pre-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Post-Night Watch, Jayne Anne Phillips

Thanks Lexy, looks like that wraps it up!

Some fantastic selections. Thanks folks.

Four Pulitzer winners, three competing with one another. interesting. I guess we think it is still too early for beach reads.

Now the nominations really are closed. I'll be posting the polls a bit early this month as I will be out of the country for a few weeks.

Safe travels, Tom.