This week, we feature a year-round cookbook with a Southern twist on seasonal dishes and a colorful portrayal of a family gathered for the holidays.
Nonfiction
‘Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals’
By Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George
If you’re looking to add a taste of the South to your culinary repertoire, you’ve come to the right place. Here, the country music legend and her sister step into the kitchen and whip up treats like “Mama’s Banana Pudding,” “Slaw of Many Colors,” and “Corn Fritters.” You’ll also find standard fare like “Family Favorite Meatloaf” and “Mac and Cheese.” Lots of enticing photos and helpful tips add spice to these recipes. A multi-course banquet for all major holidays is the aim of this cookbook.
Ten Speed Press, 2024, 272 pages
Memoir
‘Fate Is the Hunter: A Pilot’s Memoir’
By Ernest K. Gann
A classic memoir of life as an airline pilot in the 1930s and 1940s, this tells the story of Gann’s career as a commercial pilot before, during, and after World War II. It captures the romance of flight during this period, as Gann takes readers into the cockpit with him, flying airliners throughout the world. It tells of his adventures as a 1930s domestic airline pilot and as a wartime transport pilot. Readers can witness the experiences which became the plots behind many of his aviation novels.
Simon & Schuster, 1986, 416 pages
Maps
By Frank H. Holcomb
Twenty-first century computers make printed atlases and paper maps nearly obsolete. Yet printed atlases or well-printed paper maps still offer tactile and visual pleasure. This book has maps of Texas and the United States from 1513 to 1904. It offers the enjoyment a well-printed map collection yields with over 100 full-page, full-color maps created by a who’s who of cartography, history, and science. Each has a page of explanation. For those into cartography and its art, this is a must-read.
State House Press, 2024, 256 pages
Essays
‘The Glorious American Essay: One Hundred Essays From Colonial Times to the Present’
By Phillip Lopate
Virginia Woolf once proclaimed the decay of the essay, but Phillip Lopate proves that the essay, and specifically the American essay, still thrives. Lopate gives the reader a view of America and its history through 100 essays. Much like how poetry is not as prevalent in American culture as it once was, the essay is another literary form that the 21st century seems to overlook. Lopate’s dedication to the revival of the American essay makes this an anthology worth having on the bookshelf.
Pantheon, 2020, 928 pages
Classics
‘The Memoirs of Colonel John S. Mosby’
By John S. Mosby
Dubbed the “Gray Ghost” by Union forces for his ability to strike hard and fast out of nowhere, Mosby and his Confederate cavalry fought until the end of the Civil War. Here, he recreates his daring exploits in places like Northern Virginia, Gettysburg, and the Shenandoah Valley. There’s also a chapter on his early life, along with recollections of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, whom he befriended after the war. Published posthumously in 1917, this reminiscence is a Civil War classic.
Lume Books, 2015, 225 pages
For Kids
By Diane Goode
Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house starts bright and early—full of jovial house guests, abundant feastings, family togetherness, and, of course, dessert. This celebratory picture book walks through one family’s familiar traditions of Thanksgiving Day, complete with expressive illustrations and makes the perfect read in advance of the holiday.
HarperCollins, 2005, 32 pages
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to features@epochtimes.nyc
