I heard about Shepherd.com from a friend in my writers group, so I took a look. After reading what the founder, Ben Fox, had to say, I thought I’d give it a try.
Fox said, “I always wanted to create something around books but could never find a unique approach. One day I walked into my local indie bookstore and saw little notes from the staff about which books are their favorites and why. I loved that idea because it exposed the passion behind the picks. Shepherd reveals that same passion by asking authors, experts, and interesting people for their favorite books around topics, themes, and moods.”
Shepherd.com asks authors to recommend five books that fit a theme, preferably one that ties in with a book the author has written. The themes throughout the site are broad, and as varied as “The best character-driven cozy mysteries,” to “The best books about food that won’t make you hungry.”
.
The reason I picked “The best southern novels that aren’t To Kill a Mockingbird,” is not only because my book The Clock Of Life, falls in that category, but also because I’ve always been drawn to the south’s exotic beauty—the magnolias and moss. It’s deep porches and melodic accents. There is a degree of tranquility that hangs over it, veiling the repulsive scars of years of master-slave culture. The South is the perfect backdrop for the themes that appeal to me—coming-of-age, political unrest, and social activism.
Here are the five terrific books I recommended.
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy – Pat Conroy once said, “Great words arranged with cunning and artistry could change the perceived world of some readers.” This book did that for me. Throughout the read, I felt wrapped in a velvet cloak of beauty and struggle woven by a master.
Throughout the book, Conroy sets me in the narrator’s struggle with how much someone can love their family despite the pain and anger they’ve caused. Especially with his mother, Lila, because he loves her as much as he hates her. It’s a family epic of the highest order. I found it beautiful, brilliant, and brutal.
Loving the Dead and Gone by Judith Turner Yamamoto – A beautifully written debut novel. When I read the first paragraph, I knew I was in capable hands. “The day Donald Ray Spencer was killed, he caught four catfish. I found them, right there beside him on the floorboard, wrapped in yesterday’s paper. They looked as surprised to be dead as the boy did.”
I love a book of secrets, bad choices, and, like all good stories, loss and love. The writing was so lyrical I didn’t care that it teased me along and made me wait before I was invited to discover the secrets. I also appreciated that not all the characters are likable because, in the end, I understood why.
Arkansas Summer by Anne Moose – I know the words poignant and Shakespearean are almost cliché when describing stories, but I say, “If the cliché fits, use it.”
I love good vs. evil stories, especially if they’re set in the South. This one delivers. Forbidden love in the 1950’s Jim Crow South is fertile soil for missteps and trouble. During a summer visit to her grandmother’s, Catherine’s naiveté about the way things were in the South back then made me anxious for her and Jimmy. Their mixed-race attraction for each other was doomed from the start. Part romance, part thriller, I found the suspense in this book powerful.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd – I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories. And stories that take place during the civil rights era. This book is a twofer. The writing is incredible, with a strong narrative voice. The word choices are perfect. My copy is tattered and dog-eared.
Lily Owens’ life wasn’t going well, and I worried about her until she and Rosaleen fled to South Carolina. My heart relaxed a bit when they were taken in by three sisters with big hearts. Along with Lily, I found answers to the mysteries of her life. Love, resilience, grief, and unity carry the day with a sprinkle of flamboyant hats, gospel singing, and dancing in a conga line.
A Painted House by John Grisham – Give me good writing and a sense of place, and I could read forever. This one’s called Grisham’s best work, and I agree. He transports us to the cotton fields of the Arkansas Delta through the eyes of the seven-year-old narrator.
I think this book has everything a great story needs: a narrator who never loses focus, a great cast of characters, and a way of life that has mostly vanished. It’s about families and faith and justice and coming-of-age. And, if that’s not enough, it has baseball—Stan Musial and the Cardinals, to be exact.
Shepherd.com is a book review site that wants to make the search for a new book part of the fun. Check out their website.
