What do you think?
Rate this book
South Toward Home: Adventures and Misadventures in my Native Land
A wry andhumorous take on life and culture in the American South.
In thinking about her native land, Julia Reed quotes another Southern writer, Willie Morris, who said, “It’s the juxtapositions that get you down here.” These juxtapositions are, for Julia, the soul of the South and in her warmhearted and funny new book, South Toward Home, she chronicles her adventures through the highs and the lows of Southern life—the Delta hot tamale festival, a masked ball, a rollicking party in a boat on a sand bar, scary Christian billboards, and the southern affection for the lowly possum. She writes about the southern penchant for making their own fun in every venue from a high-toned New Orleans dinner party to cocktail crawls on the streets of the French Quarter where to-go cups are de rigeur.
And with as much hilarity as possible, Julia shines her light on the South’s more embarrassing tendencies like dry counties and the politics of lust. As she puts it, “My fellow Southerners have brought me the greatest joy—on the page, over the airwaves, around the dinner table, at the bar or, hell, in the checkout line.” South Towards Home, with a foreword by Jon Meacham, is Julia Reed’s valentine to the place she loves best.
In thinking about her native land, Julia Reed quotes another Southern writer, Willie Morris, who said, “It’s the juxtapositions that get you down here.” These juxtapositions are, for Julia, the soul of the South and in her warmhearted and funny new book, South Toward Home, she chronicles her adventures through the highs and the lows of Southern life—the Delta hot tamale festival, a masked ball, a rollicking party in a boat on a sand bar, scary Christian billboards, and the southern affection for the lowly possum. She writes about the southern penchant for making their own fun in every venue from a high-toned New Orleans dinner party to cocktail crawls on the streets of the French Quarter where to-go cups are de rigeur.
And with as much hilarity as possible, Julia shines her light on the South’s more embarrassing tendencies like dry counties and the politics of lust. As she puts it, “My fellow Southerners have brought me the greatest joy—on the page, over the airwaves, around the dinner table, at the bar or, hell, in the checkout line.” South Towards Home, with a foreword by Jon Meacham, is Julia Reed’s valentine to the place she loves best.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
106 people are currently reading
1906 people want to read
About the author
Julia Reed
78 books92 followersJulia Reed was born in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1960. She went to the Madeira School for Girls at age sixteen near McLean, Virginia. She began taking classes at Georgetown University but then transferred to and graduated from American University.
She started working at Newsweek magazine as an intern in 1977 and went on to become Contributing Editor and columnist. She was contributing editor and senior writer at Vogue for twenty years. She is a Contributing Editor at Elle Magazine and at Garden and Gun Magazine (for which she also writes a column). She also writes articles for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Wall Street Journal.
Well known as a humorist and a “master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry,” according to her publisher, her books include One Man’s Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (2014), But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria! Adventures in Eating, Drinking, and Making Merry (Apr 30, 2013), New Orleans, New Elegance (2012) with Kerri McCaffety, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) (Apr 28, 2009), The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story (2008) and Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena (2005)
She started working at Newsweek magazine as an intern in 1977 and went on to become Contributing Editor and columnist. She was contributing editor and senior writer at Vogue for twenty years. She is a Contributing Editor at Elle Magazine and at Garden and Gun Magazine (for which she also writes a column). She also writes articles for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Wall Street Journal.
Well known as a humorist and a “master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry,” according to her publisher, her books include One Man’s Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (2014), But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria! Adventures in Eating, Drinking, and Making Merry (Apr 30, 2013), New Orleans, New Elegance (2012) with Kerri McCaffety, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) (Apr 28, 2009), The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story (2008) and Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena (2005)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
September 2, 2018
A semi entertaining and humorous mismatch of essays portraying the many idiosyncracies to be found in the South. The authors love for the home of her birth, the Mississippi Delta does shine through. Essays touching on food, family, school, though her viewpoint is often viewed through her priviledged background. A church where guns are welcome but they are offended if one brings alcohol onto their grounds. Politness hiding much of a person's thoughts, generally thoughts not favorable.
Enjoyed some of these essays thst point out the lowest and highest points of being Southern. Had to laugh when she classified Honey Boo Boo as being one of the lowest. Never watched that show but knew who she was from reading the Enquirer when standing in line at the grocers. Can't understand the appeal, but then again can't understand the fascination many have for anything Kardashian.
So a mixed bag, but a nice diversion, easy to pick out an essay here and there, though this collection seems to lack cohesion. Just my opinion, some I probably just didn't get, not being Southern myself.
Enjoyed some of these essays thst point out the lowest and highest points of being Southern. Had to laugh when she classified Honey Boo Boo as being one of the lowest. Never watched that show but knew who she was from reading the Enquirer when standing in line at the grocers. Can't understand the appeal, but then again can't understand the fascination many have for anything Kardashian.
So a mixed bag, but a nice diversion, easy to pick out an essay here and there, though this collection seems to lack cohesion. Just my opinion, some I probably just didn't get, not being Southern myself.
July 22, 2018
Being a fifty-something Michigander who moved to central Florida, and then North Georgia nearly 30 years ago, I very much enjoyed reading this book of essays by Julia Reed. I found its humor finely tuned and more high brow than corn pone and I plan to read more by this author. If you subscribe to GARDEN and GUN you may have heard of her. I loved reading her stories about Mississippi and making their own fun, and all the Southern culture, food and the different people. There are even a few recipes included, which reminds me I planned to copy a couple. If you like this type of book, you may want to give this one a look for sure.
There was a neat story about a woman who planned, arranged and even attended her own funeral soiree, before her passing so that she could enjoy it too, that was quite interesting. I’ve heard of that being done before, but never quite so tastefully, I must say. Or probably as enjoyably as this person who planned it. An advance electronic copy was provided by NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my fair review.
St. Martin’s Press
Publication: July 31, 2018
There was a neat story about a woman who planned, arranged and even attended her own funeral soiree, before her passing so that she could enjoy it too, that was quite interesting. I’ve heard of that being done before, but never quite so tastefully, I must say. Or probably as enjoyably as this person who planned it. An advance electronic copy was provided by NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my fair review.
St. Martin’s Press
Publication: July 31, 2018
August 4, 2024
It’s the first weekend of August. Summer is indeed moving toward those dog days when time seems to drag, and the gap between the end and start of a new school year seems smaller by the day. I am still of the camp that August belongs to summer, not to fall or academics, even if I belong to a profession that encroaches into summer more and more with each passing year. I admit, while I have enjoyed basking in my reading cocoon, that I would not complain that much if school started this week. Not for my kids but for myself. Coming from someone who loves summer and what it has to offer more than any other time of the year, this is a profound statement. I needed to spice up my reading and add more regional flavor to the last full month of the summer season. While I have sustained myself on books featuring baseball and the American west, I had yet to visit the south, a place where time moves slowly and sipping mint juleps on the porch with neighbors is a daily occurrence. A trip to the south would make my summer last longer, and I found such a first foray into the region in journalist Julia Reed’s essays on travel, food, and everything in between that make the Mississippi Delta colorful.
Julia Reed hails from Greenville, Mississippi, a town six miles from the river and home to a hot tamale festival and all types of critters. Her friends include newspaper publish W. Carter Hodding III and Jon Meachem (who wrote the introduction to this book), and her parents appeared to be well connected in politics. Born in 1961, Reed came of age in the 1970s where everyone was free to be you and me. In Mississippi the legal driving age is fifteen, and transversing the delta in cars with the sunroof up is a normal activity. Reed comes from a community where drinking anything from bourbon to scotch is allowed for underage imbibers provided they do so responsibly, and parties of all types take place on a regular basis. Reed’s parents appeared to throw epic parties, and the author herself has hosted many a fete, preferring those of the Bal Masque variety. Knowing that their daughter would not have much of a future joy riding and boozing, the Reeds sent Julia to the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia for her final two years of high school; her mother had also attended this school when Mrs. Madeira still made called the grounds home as a nonagenarian. Other than being a stuffy boarding school, Madeira gave their students an opportunity to intern in Washington, and Julia experienced working at Newsweek and enjoyed the writing life, continuing to intern and work for the magazine while at Georgetown. Although not as Deep South as she would have liked, the university and magazine gave Julia Reed a leg up in life, and she has not looked back while holding true to her southern roots.
South Toward Home is a collection of essays but it reads like a memoir, interspersing vignettes from the author’s southern travels with escapades from her own life. There is one section devoted to southern critters, another to food and alcohol, and others just on pure southern charm and flair. She attempts to outline the history of the delta region which is a triangle between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, that has been home to river silt and various species of critters for millennia before the first settlers arrived. In 1820, Americans made their way south and west and landed in southern Mississippi and Louisiana. As Reed poignantly notes, the snakes were there first and are not going anywhere soon. She also reflects that if the first pilgrims had entered the continent at the mouth of the Mississippi rather than Plymouth, then perhaps the Thanksgiving meal would consist of duck and gravy, oyster stew, and jambalaya rather than the traditional turkey and sweet potato. For starters, people would indulge in fried chicken and biscuits, and nothing is as southern as that. Sadly, she proclaims, the pilgrims landed at the wrong part of the country, so turkey it is. A northerner, I can’t say that I blame her; I’d rather eat fried chicken drumettes than turkey as well. Greenville is home to it’s own southern fusion restaurant Po Eats, a cross between Sicilian, Chinese, and food native to the region. I was not looking for a southern cooking travelogue, but any travel book that details a history of food in the region is going to win brownie points with me. Adding sarcastic humor, I was hooked.
Only in Greenville could one have a shindig on a private sandbar turned island complete with music, dancing, and booze. Reed details her favorite southern soundtracks for all occasions, including these parties. While river and swimming parties seem made with me in mind, the author also prefers masked balls and full out house parties that her parents still host into their eighties. Different drinks are appropriate for different occasions, and Reed’s drink of choice has always been scotch, although many of her friends will gladly mix vodka with orange and cranberry juice and call it a day. She does note that despite being the birthplace of Faulkner, Mississippi ranks last in literacy, or it did at the time of this publication, hence the reason why her parents sent her to boarding school out of state. She makes light of the situation by relating a time when she and a close friend cruised from Greenville to Seaside, Florida at ninety miles an hour and got stopped for speeding. Bartering the accusing cop with pecan pie from Sherman’s grocery in Greenville, the young ladies got off, and Reed continued to pry the police with pecan pies over the years. Yes, only in the south. Cities like New Orleans exude the same charm as the rest of the region, hosting the same costume balls and cuisine and not appearing too high and mighty for its rural neighbors. No wonder Reed calls this city home, as she has Nashville and Greenville and even Manhattan, although her heart has always been in the south. Sweet Home Alabama, she writes, just turn it up.
A foray into the south most definitely whetted my appetite for more summer. The days appear to be endless and citizens indulge in hot tamales, fried chicken, and various types of alcoholic beverage. They cruise the road in cars with the sunroof off and the river in various boats while listening to southern music. No one will ever say no to alcohol or parties no matter the weather or time of the year. While Greenville, Mississippi is not the first place I have in mind when the words endless summer pop into my head, the delta region seems like a party that lasts the whole year. I could do without the hunting or the snakes or alligators; however, no place is perfect. Perhaps I will get to Delta Wedding by Welty this year. It wasn’t on my list, but in describing the delta and the people, food, and music that comprise the region, Julia Reed makes her home sound like a great place for a party. I surmised correctly that a few literary visits to the south would have me pining for more summer, and Reed’s South Toward Home proved to be a great jumping off point. I anticipate reading more of her collections oozing southern charm and flair.
4 stars
Julia Reed hails from Greenville, Mississippi, a town six miles from the river and home to a hot tamale festival and all types of critters. Her friends include newspaper publish W. Carter Hodding III and Jon Meachem (who wrote the introduction to this book), and her parents appeared to be well connected in politics. Born in 1961, Reed came of age in the 1970s where everyone was free to be you and me. In Mississippi the legal driving age is fifteen, and transversing the delta in cars with the sunroof up is a normal activity. Reed comes from a community where drinking anything from bourbon to scotch is allowed for underage imbibers provided they do so responsibly, and parties of all types take place on a regular basis. Reed’s parents appeared to throw epic parties, and the author herself has hosted many a fete, preferring those of the Bal Masque variety. Knowing that their daughter would not have much of a future joy riding and boozing, the Reeds sent Julia to the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia for her final two years of high school; her mother had also attended this school when Mrs. Madeira still made called the grounds home as a nonagenarian. Other than being a stuffy boarding school, Madeira gave their students an opportunity to intern in Washington, and Julia experienced working at Newsweek and enjoyed the writing life, continuing to intern and work for the magazine while at Georgetown. Although not as Deep South as she would have liked, the university and magazine gave Julia Reed a leg up in life, and she has not looked back while holding true to her southern roots.
South Toward Home is a collection of essays but it reads like a memoir, interspersing vignettes from the author’s southern travels with escapades from her own life. There is one section devoted to southern critters, another to food and alcohol, and others just on pure southern charm and flair. She attempts to outline the history of the delta region which is a triangle between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, that has been home to river silt and various species of critters for millennia before the first settlers arrived. In 1820, Americans made their way south and west and landed in southern Mississippi and Louisiana. As Reed poignantly notes, the snakes were there first and are not going anywhere soon. She also reflects that if the first pilgrims had entered the continent at the mouth of the Mississippi rather than Plymouth, then perhaps the Thanksgiving meal would consist of duck and gravy, oyster stew, and jambalaya rather than the traditional turkey and sweet potato. For starters, people would indulge in fried chicken and biscuits, and nothing is as southern as that. Sadly, she proclaims, the pilgrims landed at the wrong part of the country, so turkey it is. A northerner, I can’t say that I blame her; I’d rather eat fried chicken drumettes than turkey as well. Greenville is home to it’s own southern fusion restaurant Po Eats, a cross between Sicilian, Chinese, and food native to the region. I was not looking for a southern cooking travelogue, but any travel book that details a history of food in the region is going to win brownie points with me. Adding sarcastic humor, I was hooked.
Only in Greenville could one have a shindig on a private sandbar turned island complete with music, dancing, and booze. Reed details her favorite southern soundtracks for all occasions, including these parties. While river and swimming parties seem made with me in mind, the author also prefers masked balls and full out house parties that her parents still host into their eighties. Different drinks are appropriate for different occasions, and Reed’s drink of choice has always been scotch, although many of her friends will gladly mix vodka with orange and cranberry juice and call it a day. She does note that despite being the birthplace of Faulkner, Mississippi ranks last in literacy, or it did at the time of this publication, hence the reason why her parents sent her to boarding school out of state. She makes light of the situation by relating a time when she and a close friend cruised from Greenville to Seaside, Florida at ninety miles an hour and got stopped for speeding. Bartering the accusing cop with pecan pie from Sherman’s grocery in Greenville, the young ladies got off, and Reed continued to pry the police with pecan pies over the years. Yes, only in the south. Cities like New Orleans exude the same charm as the rest of the region, hosting the same costume balls and cuisine and not appearing too high and mighty for its rural neighbors. No wonder Reed calls this city home, as she has Nashville and Greenville and even Manhattan, although her heart has always been in the south. Sweet Home Alabama, she writes, just turn it up.
A foray into the south most definitely whetted my appetite for more summer. The days appear to be endless and citizens indulge in hot tamales, fried chicken, and various types of alcoholic beverage. They cruise the road in cars with the sunroof off and the river in various boats while listening to southern music. No one will ever say no to alcohol or parties no matter the weather or time of the year. While Greenville, Mississippi is not the first place I have in mind when the words endless summer pop into my head, the delta region seems like a party that lasts the whole year. I could do without the hunting or the snakes or alligators; however, no place is perfect. Perhaps I will get to Delta Wedding by Welty this year. It wasn’t on my list, but in describing the delta and the people, food, and music that comprise the region, Julia Reed makes her home sound like a great place for a party. I surmised correctly that a few literary visits to the south would have me pining for more summer, and Reed’s South Toward Home proved to be a great jumping off point. I anticipate reading more of her collections oozing southern charm and flair.
4 stars
July 19, 2018
Yay! I won a giveaway copy of this look! LOVE Julia Reed!!
UPDATE:
I was so disappointed with this book. I adored Reed’s first book Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena, but this one felt disjointed and filled with name-dropping. The essays felt too focused on very specific people, places, and events, and didn’t have the broad encompassing feel (to me) of the South as her previous work.
The disjointed feeling no doubt comes from the fact that the book simply is a collection of her essays for Garden & Gun magazine. There were a couple of essays early on that made me laugh (thus the second star), but the book dragged for me as it went on. I had to force myself to finish and only skimmed the last couple of chapters.
UPDATE:
I was so disappointed with this book. I adored Reed’s first book Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena, but this one felt disjointed and filled with name-dropping. The essays felt too focused on very specific people, places, and events, and didn’t have the broad encompassing feel (to me) of the South as her previous work.
The disjointed feeling no doubt comes from the fact that the book simply is a collection of her essays for Garden & Gun magazine. There were a couple of essays early on that made me laugh (thus the second star), but the book dragged for me as it went on. I had to force myself to finish and only skimmed the last couple of chapters.
April 17, 2018
I won an ARC of this book on Goodreads. Having lived for a few years in the south, and being a fan of southern culture, I had high hopes. However, it appears I am in the minority. I found the various essays to be scattered in train of thought. Each story seemed interspersed with yet other stories, that detracted (to me) from the original story the author was trying to convey. It felt very disjointed and distracting.
August 1, 2018
GNab South Toward Home, a memoir in the form of a collection of essays, is a laugh a minute, and for those of us no longer living in the deep south the occasional tear accompanied by a deep sense of loss. I could not pick a favorite story if my life depended on it, but this is a book I will keep handy for time's I need cheering up. This is a book I will treasure, and gift to others also living in exile. The southwestern desert is home but the south holds my heart. And if you are not familiar with the south or plan to visit there, you should read South Toward Home: Adventures and Misadventures in my Native Land, before you head down there. It will add tons of enjoyment to your visit.
Julia Reed is a contributor to the magazine Garden & Gun. You can't get any more southern than that. If you feel an affinity to things southern, or you love NOLA or Mississippi or you can't get enough southern rock music, you are missing out on a good thing if you don't have Julia Reed on your radar.
I received a free electronic copy of this collection of essays from Netgalley, Julia Reed and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date extended to July 31, 2018
St. Martin's Press
Julia Reed is a contributor to the magazine Garden & Gun. You can't get any more southern than that. If you feel an affinity to things southern, or you love NOLA or Mississippi or you can't get enough southern rock music, you are missing out on a good thing if you don't have Julia Reed on your radar.
I received a free electronic copy of this collection of essays from Netgalley, Julia Reed and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date extended to July 31, 2018
St. Martin's Press
Read
October 22, 20182.7
Held my breath during the dragon boating piece, almost scared she would offend the heck out of me when she mentioned that Chinese are presumed to be smart.
1870 was the first year that an immigrant from China showed up. Never knew that!! I appreciated that my paternal great Aunty’s grocery store, Bings, made it onto the page for an honorable mention by her!
Sorry—- little too crass for me. Didn’t find her terribly funny, either. Many mishmash tales all smashed together.
Her book reminded me of freethink dump. However, the most redeeming tales I did take note were the small towns of Benoit and Beulah, which I plan to happily drive through when I’m near Greenville next year.
I’ve watched her be interviewed on CNN by Bourdain on Parts Unknown * so like that she is a foodie and does offer some background on Delta foods, etc.
From tales of possums to salacious scandals from AR, to how life goes on the MS River, the author shares outlandish stories about the area, and her life.
I did learn about the pecan pie at Sherman’s too!
Held my breath during the dragon boating piece, almost scared she would offend the heck out of me when she mentioned that Chinese are presumed to be smart.
1870 was the first year that an immigrant from China showed up. Never knew that!! I appreciated that my paternal great Aunty’s grocery store, Bings, made it onto the page for an honorable mention by her!
Sorry—- little too crass for me. Didn’t find her terribly funny, either. Many mishmash tales all smashed together.
Her book reminded me of freethink dump. However, the most redeeming tales I did take note were the small towns of Benoit and Beulah, which I plan to happily drive through when I’m near Greenville next year.
I’ve watched her be interviewed on CNN by Bourdain on Parts Unknown * so like that she is a foodie and does offer some background on Delta foods, etc.
From tales of possums to salacious scandals from AR, to how life goes on the MS River, the author shares outlandish stories about the area, and her life.
I did learn about the pecan pie at Sherman’s too!
May 29, 2018
I loved reading SOUTH TOWARD HOME, and I caught myself laughing out loud too many times to count! Julia Reed is from Mississippi and now resides in New Orleans. She is a writer for Garden and Gun magazine. Anyone who loves the south and all of it's craziness should give this a read. I highly recommend!
July 20, 2018
I was really disappointed in this collection of stories. I expected them to be more amusing and entertaining. Especially from someone who writes for a living.
Julia Reed is a writer who lives in New Orleans and grew up very privileged in the South. These stories are comprised of the author's personal experiences and musings of what living in the South is like.
She constantly name drops all the famous (and not-so-famous) people she's "very close friends" with, and repeatedly mentions the same parties, encounters and anecdotes in story after story in this book. Perhaps the way the stories were curated is part of the downfall of this book - they're just the same set of talking points retold with different framing.
Because the author is so forthcoming about her wealth and privilege and boarding school background, I feel like she's almost bragging in every single story she tells. These are not circumstances I can relate to, and I don't find them nearly as amusing as she seems to. I've never been to a party where Joe Walsh is just one of the many famous performers.
I also felt like the writing was too scattered, trying to be too colloquial to show the author is "just one of us" readers, even though she never misses an opportunity to talk about hobnobbing with important people. Many of the stories didn't seem to really have much of a point.
The constant name dropping really detracted from the stories, especially because there really wasn't a necessity to name all the people - it didn't usually add anything to the story, and it seemed like the author was just stroking egos. It got to the point where I felt like she was getting paid to promote certain restaurants and their owners.
I won a copy of this book via First Reads.
Julia Reed is a writer who lives in New Orleans and grew up very privileged in the South. These stories are comprised of the author's personal experiences and musings of what living in the South is like.
She constantly name drops all the famous (and not-so-famous) people she's "very close friends" with, and repeatedly mentions the same parties, encounters and anecdotes in story after story in this book. Perhaps the way the stories were curated is part of the downfall of this book - they're just the same set of talking points retold with different framing.
Because the author is so forthcoming about her wealth and privilege and boarding school background, I feel like she's almost bragging in every single story she tells. These are not circumstances I can relate to, and I don't find them nearly as amusing as she seems to. I've never been to a party where Joe Walsh is just one of the many famous performers.
I also felt like the writing was too scattered, trying to be too colloquial to show the author is "just one of us" readers, even though she never misses an opportunity to talk about hobnobbing with important people. Many of the stories didn't seem to really have much of a point.
The constant name dropping really detracted from the stories, especially because there really wasn't a necessity to name all the people - it didn't usually add anything to the story, and it seemed like the author was just stroking egos. It got to the point where I felt like she was getting paid to promote certain restaurants and their owners.
I won a copy of this book via First Reads.
May 15, 2021
I don't know when I first became aware of Julia Reed. Perhaps through Vogue although I am not the typical Vogue reader. Also, it had to be through TV as her unique voice is imprinted on my mind. I was thrilled when she became a columnist for Garden & Gun, a once "local" magazine in my area of the world. Her columns were fascinating and witty and very Southern, like Julia. I was so shocked at her death last fall. Much too young and so many more stories to tell. South Toward Home, her final book, is a culmination of her columns. I listened to the Audible version because I wanted to hear Julia. Many of her stories are quite similar to my own: family, grandparents, cousins, being up to no good as we say. But Julia left the South for a number of years and made a big mark wherever she went. She was an absolute treasure. I would actually give this book 4.5 stars. Thank you Julia for being you and for lighting up our lives.
October 2, 2018
When you need to smile and take your mind off the news, Julia delivers.
I listened to her read these articles that I had read in Garden and Gun but nothing beats her voice.
I listened to her read these articles that I had read in Garden and Gun but nothing beats her voice.
July 26, 2019
I guess this is okay for being what it is...But I was truly hoping for funnier material than what was covered. Fairly short, so not a huge loss of time, but none the less disappointing in content.
February 19, 2022
I loved this book with its many stories of Southern culture - the bawdy, fun loving, socially proper and improper, the glorious food, crazy themed balls and events like parades, dragon boat races, sandbar parties, and the culture of drinking in the best possible way.
May 7, 2018
Having spent time in the South and ready many books (fiction and non-fiction) set there, I so wanted to enjoy reading this book. Every region of the U.S. has it quirks and “isms”. It is always fun to learn about them especially when the author pokes fun at him/herself. However, I found that the writing style was a bit sophomoric. If I had to read “I digress” one more time, I would have screamed. Unlike books that have recipes at the end of each chapter, the couple that were incorporated were haphazard and did not add to the book. Maybe they should have been grouped together at the end of the book. I can understand why others enjoyed this book and why I am probably in the minority. That is why there are so many options in the greater reading world. Thank you, NetGalley,
Read
August 27, 2018I am going to avoid commenting on or rating this one even though I have read it. "If you don't have anything nice to say; don't say anything at all"
December 27, 2020
For the humor book it is, it’s pretty funny, rife with name dropping and places to visit. She does seem to love the best life...
May 31, 2018
The funny and amusing essays in South Toward Home are all about life in the American South. Frankly, they were just what I needed for a good laugh. In the book, Ms. Reed alludes to the fact that Southerners are often called upon to make their own fun, and from many of the episodes and adventures in this book it is clear that Ms. Reed is quite adept in doing just that. Whether she was attending a food festival in Greenville Mississippi, her hometown or pointing out the tourists in a New Orleans bar and wondering about their behavior, there was always something to like about her observations.
I particularly enjoyed Hell on Wheels where the author explains the love of her first car a 1978 Toyota Celica and all the joy and adventure she had in it. I also enjoyed Going Deep in Dixie and her defense of the Florida panhandle as a summer destination. Most, if not all of these short essays were amusing or told me something I didn't know about the South and as I'm a resident of the region, I'm almost a bit ashamed to admit that I hadn't heard of the author before this book. Of course, I now count myself as a fan of Ms. Reed's style and humor.
So for anyone who isn't familiar with the American South, South Toward Home is an excellent place to dip your toe. I think you will find the quirkiness and charm of southern culture and people spread throughout the pages of this book. And if you like what you read and want to try it out in person, remember (and this is my own observation) it's hot as hell, the mosquitoes are as big as elephants and the poison oak packs a mean punch but otherwise, as this book shows it's all good fun.
Thanks to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
I particularly enjoyed Hell on Wheels where the author explains the love of her first car a 1978 Toyota Celica and all the joy and adventure she had in it. I also enjoyed Going Deep in Dixie and her defense of the Florida panhandle as a summer destination. Most, if not all of these short essays were amusing or told me something I didn't know about the South and as I'm a resident of the region, I'm almost a bit ashamed to admit that I hadn't heard of the author before this book. Of course, I now count myself as a fan of Ms. Reed's style and humor.
So for anyone who isn't familiar with the American South, South Toward Home is an excellent place to dip your toe. I think you will find the quirkiness and charm of southern culture and people spread throughout the pages of this book. And if you like what you read and want to try it out in person, remember (and this is my own observation) it's hot as hell, the mosquitoes are as big as elephants and the poison oak packs a mean punch but otherwise, as this book shows it's all good fun.
Thanks to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
May 30, 2018
Being familiar with Julia Reed as a Garden & Gun subscriber, I am fully convinced that she is to us what Erma Bombeck was to our mothers & grandmothers. Fallible & funny, real and relatable, Reed is unerringly truthful about life in the South, such as the hoarding of all things be it email, magazines, old LPs, or what have you-and we love her for it. After all, we see ourselves in her cherished neuroticism. She bares her soul to the reader as easily as a best girlfriend would over a glass of wine admitting her faults, shortcomings, and hijinks. And there are plenty of hijinks with Reed, as she relates every one with characteristic nostalgia and humor.
Reading South Toward Home reminds me once more why I’ve no desire to live anywhere other than the South. Yes, you’ll find some crazy folk down here, but for the traveling I have done in my life, I have never known total strangers to be kinder than those chanced upon below the Mason Dixon. Besides, I much prefer the atmosphere and architecture.
Full disclosure, I received a digital copy of this book as an ARC and I am, as Reed, a born and bred Southerner. So to say I'm a tad biased here would be a little silly. I was thrilled to receive the book and several times laughed out loud at her shenanigans-if only because it sounded like something me and my girlfriends would do. Considering the upcoming summer months, this is a great pick for lazy seaside/lakeside days. Give it a spin! And Julia...hurry up with the next one please, that is, after you clean out all those old magazines laying around the house!!
Reading South Toward Home reminds me once more why I’ve no desire to live anywhere other than the South. Yes, you’ll find some crazy folk down here, but for the traveling I have done in my life, I have never known total strangers to be kinder than those chanced upon below the Mason Dixon. Besides, I much prefer the atmosphere and architecture.
Full disclosure, I received a digital copy of this book as an ARC and I am, as Reed, a born and bred Southerner. So to say I'm a tad biased here would be a little silly. I was thrilled to receive the book and several times laughed out loud at her shenanigans-if only because it sounded like something me and my girlfriends would do. Considering the upcoming summer months, this is a great pick for lazy seaside/lakeside days. Give it a spin! And Julia...hurry up with the next one please, that is, after you clean out all those old magazines laying around the house!!
February 9, 2024
TL;DR: a) get the playlist at the very end and b) heavens, you realize it's possible to gather without consuming animals, right??
These are Reed's collected essays from Garden & Gun. Essays are great for a) commutes, b) the time I feel like spending cleaning the bathroom, c) distracting me from buying things at Target, d) folding laundry, e) I could go on. They also have the advantage of being short enough that if you find you don't like it, it's almost over, and you can skip the whole thing and not get lost as you would skipping a chapter in a novel.
That said...I <3 JR. She's outdated as hell, and regardless of her politics it's the good ole boys she tolerates and befriends and their wives who have crippled some Southern states but proudly wear fur (?) stoles on rainy 60-degree nights because it's a black tie event and when else are you going to wear your fur (answer: when you are IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY CLOSE TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE cheezus ladies if you could even see yourselves). I digress. This was last weekend, when I dedicated three hours to my nails and 20 minutes to my dress, throwing away my umbrella when I walked in.
I just can't with the meat. Stop it. Don't wanna hear about eating barbecue, possum, crawdads, oysters (!!) (hint: geography) and whatever fried bologna you're rolling up as a bloody Mary garnish. Write me an article about the Garden part instead of the Gun part!
These are Reed's collected essays from Garden & Gun. Essays are great for a) commutes, b) the time I feel like spending cleaning the bathroom, c) distracting me from buying things at Target, d) folding laundry, e) I could go on. They also have the advantage of being short enough that if you find you don't like it, it's almost over, and you can skip the whole thing and not get lost as you would skipping a chapter in a novel.
That said...I <3 JR. She's outdated as hell, and regardless of her politics it's the good ole boys she tolerates and befriends and their wives who have crippled some Southern states but proudly wear fur (?) stoles on rainy 60-degree nights because it's a black tie event and when else are you going to wear your fur (answer: when you are IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY CLOSE TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE cheezus ladies if you could even see yourselves). I digress. This was last weekend, when I dedicated three hours to my nails and 20 minutes to my dress, throwing away my umbrella when I walked in.
I just can't with the meat. Stop it. Don't wanna hear about eating barbecue, possum, crawdads, oysters (!!) (hint: geography) and whatever fried bologna you're rolling up as a bloody Mary garnish. Write me an article about the Garden part instead of the Gun part!
October 25, 2021
I found this book an absolute delight. Full disclosure: I am a sucker for a southern writer with a good sense of humor ; give me Bailey White, Rick Bragg, Lewis Grizzard and the like. I also love the things that Julia loves about the south; the people, the food, the stories, the ability to have a really good time in all kinds of circumstances. This book was on a list of great audio books from Garden and Gun where Julia was a columnist. I hadn't paid attention to the part where she was referred to as "the late Julia Reed" so imagine my disappointment when I googled her to see her other books. I continued to listen and laugh and soldier on but my heart was slightly heavy. I was not prepared for the last few lines. Her 60th bday playlist. The party she never would have (and by the way - her taste was excellent- I bet that would have been one hell of a party). I admit I cried a few tears over the loss of this charming, funny and talented writer- I only hope Greg Allman met her at the pearly gates to sing her Sweet Melissa.
May 17, 2018
I discovered Julia Reed several years ago in Fetch, an on-line magazine produced by an upscale shopping site. I chuckled at her wit. As a true Southern belle, she regaled me with her classic style and her penchant for food and drink. When I saw that she had a new book, I was quick to get my hands on a copy.
I enjoyed South Toward Home. I read it as a group of short stories rather than from cover to cover—a few chapters at a time made it a nice little appetizer. She covers all manner of Southern life from critters to humidity, from hunting to debutante balls. Since I share the same regional background, and about the same time frame, many of her recollections were poignant to me. And I loved her Play List! Any Southern songfest without Poke Salad Annie is just not right!
I’d recommend this book for any true Southerner, or someone who wants to be.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an honest review. Thanks to both.
I enjoyed South Toward Home. I read it as a group of short stories rather than from cover to cover—a few chapters at a time made it a nice little appetizer. She covers all manner of Southern life from critters to humidity, from hunting to debutante balls. Since I share the same regional background, and about the same time frame, many of her recollections were poignant to me. And I loved her Play List! Any Southern songfest without Poke Salad Annie is just not right!
I’d recommend this book for any true Southerner, or someone who wants to be.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an honest review. Thanks to both.
July 27, 2018
I was not familiar with this author, who evidently is a frequent writer for Garden and Gun, but I certainly enjoyed this introduction. It probably helped that I grew up just across the Mississippi River from her home town of Greenville, in the Arkansas delta, so I could relate to a lot of the people, places, and events. She was like the best friend I haven’t met yet. The book, actually a series of essays which were probably originally columns, was full of humor and self-deprecation, familiar to all southerners. It was a great traveling companion in my e-reader, because it was easy to pick up when I had a few minutes to read. Some stories were laugh-out-loud worthy, others just a little smile. I was intrigued to discover that she splits time between New Orleans and Seaside, two of my favorite places as well. I will definitely be looking for her other books.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2021
HOARDER CHALLENGE #4-MAP
---South in the title--
2.5 stars
I've never read or heard of this writer previously. She's known for her humorous columns in the magazine "Garden & Gun" about Southern culture, food, lifestyles and several books w/the same theme.
This book is a compilation of some of her columns from the magazine.
I did get a sense of her intelligence & wit but for me, the book was just ok.
She was a good writer (she died in 2020) and I can understand why she became so well known & popular.
as a vegetarian, the chapter on southern food dishes was just EWWWW....
man, i get it, but...the things some people eat...
the chapter on her car road trips w/friends in her youth were amusing. I could relate & helped me to recall some of my own similar adventures.
and on a side note-my father has probably explained "changing the car oil" to me a bazillion times but yeah.. i still couldn't do it either.
So i laughed out loud at her "car oil change" story.
---South in the title--
2.5 stars
I've never read or heard of this writer previously. She's known for her humorous columns in the magazine "Garden & Gun" about Southern culture, food, lifestyles and several books w/the same theme.
This book is a compilation of some of her columns from the magazine.
I did get a sense of her intelligence & wit but for me, the book was just ok.
She was a good writer (she died in 2020) and I can understand why she became so well known & popular.
as a vegetarian, the chapter on southern food dishes was just EWWWW....
man, i get it, but...the things some people eat...
the chapter on her car road trips w/friends in her youth were amusing. I could relate & helped me to recall some of my own similar adventures.
and on a side note-my father has probably explained "changing the car oil" to me a bazillion times but yeah.. i still couldn't do it either.
So i laughed out loud at her "car oil change" story.
January 14, 2019
Being a lover of Southern Women writers, I knew I wanted to read this.
Julia is a columnist for a magazine called Guns & Gardens. Only in the South could a magazine like that ever exist.
The book is a series of her writing for the magazine. It shows a finer side of the south, with her talking about attending prep school in Virginia, run by the infamous Jean Harris, yes, that Jean Harris that killed the Scarsdale Diet Dr. The food from fine renowned Southern Chefs , the morning rituals before quail hunting and elaborate balls and party's out on sandbars, complete with oriental rugs, portable love seats and live singers. Now that's a party anyone would love to attend.
I have a feeling I'll be looking up to see if she's written other books so I can have a another go of living vicariously in a South that is so different from my own.
Julia is a columnist for a magazine called Guns & Gardens. Only in the South could a magazine like that ever exist.
The book is a series of her writing for the magazine. It shows a finer side of the south, with her talking about attending prep school in Virginia, run by the infamous Jean Harris, yes, that Jean Harris that killed the Scarsdale Diet Dr. The food from fine renowned Southern Chefs , the morning rituals before quail hunting and elaborate balls and party's out on sandbars, complete with oriental rugs, portable love seats and live singers. Now that's a party anyone would love to attend.
I have a feeling I'll be looking up to see if she's written other books so I can have a another go of living vicariously in a South that is so different from my own.
July 18, 2018
I've been reading Julia Reed for years in various publications so this compilation of her essays was a treat. She can be a polarizing writer, as she does tend to wander off track- meander-in pretty much every one bit that's part of her charm. Think of this as a book to dip in and out of and don't take it too seriously. Yes, she's privileged and not reflective of the whole South but this is her reality and it is what it is. Enjoy her for that. I liked her writing, I liked the subject matter (she's a fan of food, drink, and animals) and while I might not always agree with her, she's always good for a chuckle. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. If you have not read her before, this is a good place to start.
September 21, 2018
This was an entertaining read. I stumbled upon this book at our local public library and had not heard of Julia Reed before, but apparently she has written other books and regularly contributes to a number of magazines. Her wit is subtle and her descriptions of things you only find in the southern part of the U.S. is spot on. Having grown up in the Midwest and then moving to a southern state for a number of years in adulthood was an eye-opening and (while sometimes puzzling) enjoyable experience for me. Now that I'm back living in the Midwest again, it was a run ride down "memory lane" reading her book. Also, this book included a few recipes which sound delicious! I look forward to trying some of the recipes and checking out her other books.
September 3, 2019
There were some fun and entertaining moments in this book. But then there were chapters that I couldn't wait to get through to see if the next one would be better.
This book is made up of a a variety of essays that are linked together by some random headings. I do admit that there were moments when I chuckled and when I wanted to remember some of the statements to share with others.
As a girl from the South, I could appreciate some of the idiosyncracies that were buried among the pages. The people in the South are different and the viewpoint of family, food, relationships, nature, etc. was something that appealed to me a little more than I think it would people from other areas of the country.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book is made up of a a variety of essays that are linked together by some random headings. I do admit that there were moments when I chuckled and when I wanted to remember some of the statements to share with others.
As a girl from the South, I could appreciate some of the idiosyncracies that were buried among the pages. The people in the South are different and the viewpoint of family, food, relationships, nature, etc. was something that appealed to me a little more than I think it would people from other areas of the country.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 24, 2018
Let me start by saying that my three star rating is purely personal. Here are so many books where I so argue that they deserve only the rating I give them, but this one is completely dependent on the person reading it.
I guess that’s my way of apologizing to the author for the “so-so” review. Julia Reed is an amazing writer, and I can certainly learn a lot from her. In terms of writing, this is definitely a five star book. It’s the subject matter that didn’t grab me. Reed has a few anecdotes that had me laughing out loud. I feel like I’m too young for the material.
I recommend this to women about 40 - 60 years old.
I guess that’s my way of apologizing to the author for the “so-so” review. Julia Reed is an amazing writer, and I can certainly learn a lot from her. In terms of writing, this is definitely a five star book. It’s the subject matter that didn’t grab me. Reed has a few anecdotes that had me laughing out loud. I feel like I’m too young for the material.
I recommend this to women about 40 - 60 years old.
February 8, 2019
I felt obligated to finish the book because I had won it in a Goodreads giveaway. Otherwise, I would have given up after a few essays. There were funny moments throughout the book which I enjoyed. So, I did like it a little. But as a whole, the essays didn't work for me. The author was referencing too many names that didn't mean anything to me. She often got sidetracked while relating a story by another story which seemed disjointed. There just wasn't a continuous flow.
On a positive note - one essay that made the whole book worth reading was The Politics of Lust. The billboard "10 out 10 die" - pretty macabre, but hilarious.
On a positive note - one essay that made the whole book worth reading was The Politics of Lust. The billboard "10 out 10 die" - pretty macabre, but hilarious.
September 11, 2020
This was an utterly bittersweet essay collection.
Author Julia Reed died a few weeks ago and to hear her raspy, Lauren Bacall-like voice narrate this memoir was joyful and heartbreaking.
It's all in Southern from start to finish - Southern food, the Delta, swamps, gators, snakes, possums, grits, family.
She lived such a fun life! Mine is horribly boring by comparison.
The hardest part was listening to her describe her plans for her 60th birthday (which, in fact, is today, 9/11/1960), or the longevity of her grandparents (they lived well into their 90s and 100s).
Just crushing.
But oh how the woman could write and tell a story!
Author Julia Reed died a few weeks ago and to hear her raspy, Lauren Bacall-like voice narrate this memoir was joyful and heartbreaking.
It's all in Southern from start to finish - Southern food, the Delta, swamps, gators, snakes, possums, grits, family.
She lived such a fun life! Mine is horribly boring by comparison.
The hardest part was listening to her describe her plans for her 60th birthday (which, in fact, is today, 9/11/1960), or the longevity of her grandparents (they lived well into their 90s and 100s).
Just crushing.
But oh how the woman could write and tell a story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews