Books with Southern flair make great gifts
By Sharon White
After the bottle of wine is finished and that tie goes out of style, what gift lasts the true test of time? A brilliant book — to inspire, inform and enlighten.
Weird Homes: The People and Places that Keep Austin Strangely Wonderful
By David J. Neff and Chelle Neff | Skyhorse Publishing, 2018 | ISBN: 978-1510723603
In 2014, David and Chelle Neff co-founded Austin’s “Weird Homes Tour.” Every year since they have showcased Austin’s most whimsical and wonderful homes in “all their eccentricity.” Here they invite readers to take a visual tour of the soul-filled dwellings they have highlighted, in hopes that it might inspire others to transform their own spaces in imaginative and distinctive ways.
Breakfast in Texas: Recipes for Elegant Brunches, Down-Home Classics & Local Favorites
By Terry Thompson-Anderson | University of Texas Press, 2017 | ISBN: 978-1477310441
Terry Thompson-Anderson is the author of nine previous cookbooks. She has gathered a collection of her own best brunch creations along with recipes from legendary restaurants such as The Driskill Hotel’s 1886 Café & Bakery, Brenan’s of Houston, and Austin’s Fonda San Miguel. Find original recipes for cocktails, egg concoctions, pancakes, waffles and French toast, and delights for vegans and meat lovers.
Talk Southern to Me: Stories and Sayings to Accent Your Life
By Julia Fowler | Gibbs Smith, 2018 | ISBN: 978-1423648963
Julia Fowler is the creator of YouTube’s Southern Women Channel. Talk Southern to Me is her love letter to the South. In the book — which Dolly Parton describes as “fun, informative, and oh-so-Southern” — Fowler includes essays and quotes on charm, beauty, style, love, marriage and parenting — all with a heaping helping of Southern wit and wisdom.
QUESO!: Regional Recipes for the World’s Favorite Chile-Cheese Dip
By Lisa Fain | Ten Speed Press (Penguin/Random House, LLC), 2017 | ISBN: 978-0399579516
Lisa Fain is a seventh generation Texan and creator of the popular food blog “The Homesick Texan.” In this, her third cookbook, she delves into the allure of the cult favorite, QUESO — which may be considered the perfect party food. She includes 50 recipes with history, tips and fun facts about everyone’s beloved cheese dip.
Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits
By Reese Witherspoon | Atria Books, 2018 | ISBN: 978-1501166273
This 300-page charmer explores the influences in Reese Witherspoon’s life growing up in the South. It is also a tender tribute to her grandmother, Dorthea — an ambitious, poised, educated southern woman — as impeccably mannered as she was tough. The book contains stunning photographs and notes on everything from etiquette, to entertaining, to decorating, to “fixing your hair.”
