On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in January, 2026.

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. Night Rider (Southern Classics), by Robert Penn Warren
2. The Earl of Louisiana, by A.J. Liebling
3. Other Voices, Other Rooms, by Truman Capote
4. Losing Battles, by Eudora Welty
5.
6.
Books originally published after 1990
1. Our Last Wild Days, by Anna Bailey
2. Bull Mountain, by Brian Panowich
3. King of Ashes, and S.A. Cosby
4. Never Name the Dead, by D.M. Rowell
5. Sleepovers: Stories, by Ashleigh Bryant Phillips
6. Familiar Heat, by Mary Hood

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey (published May 20, 2025) is an atmospheric suspense novel set in the swamps and bayous of rural Louisiana. 336 pages. I nominate this book.

pre-1990 Night Rider (Southern Classics) Robert Penn Warren
post 1990-King of Ashes: A Novel King of Ashes

Post-1990: Bull Mountain by Brian Panowicb. Will admit t that I didn’t try and find out if it’s been read previously by the group. Has been on my TBR list forever.

We did read it once before Carol, but it was September of 2015, so it's fine to renominate.

post Never Name the Dead by D.M. Rowell


pre- The Earl of Louisiana by A.J. Liebling

Sandi, sorry, but Never Name the Dead is not southern in theme, setting or author. It sounds like a good book, but just not for this group.

Never Name the Dead is set in Oklahoma. Haven’t we taken Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas as southern?

For after 1990, I nominate Ashleigh Bryant Phillips’ Sleepovers: Stories, mostly set in North Carolina.

I guess we have in the past Laura, so I'll withdraw my objection. I know we've had to spread out in the past.

post 1990 - Mary Hood's 'Familiar Heat'.

That was quick. The nominations list for Post-1990 is full, and therefore closed. We still have plenty of spaced left for the pre-1990 list.

I nominate Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote (1948) 232 pages. Truman Capote's first novel is a story of almost supernatural intensity and inventiveness, an audacious foray into the mind of a sensitive boy as he seeks out the grown-up enigmas of love and death in the ghostly landscape of the deep South.

Laura wrote: "Never Name the Dead is set in Oklahoma. Haven’t we taken Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas as southern?"

Thanks Laura for standing in for me. I just saw Diane's post.

Thanks Diane for including.

pre 1990 Losing Battles - Eudora Welty

Two more to go.

Terms of Endearment published 1975.

Diane, LOL!

Had to do it Terry!