There are plenty of horror novels that try to make you afraid of the dark. The Elementals does something much more interesting: it makes broad daylight feel dangerous. Michael McDowell’s 1981 Southern Gothic novel takes the things that should feel familiar and almost comforting about a summer on the Gulf Coast—the beach, the heat, old…
Tag: book
Southern Reads: The Line That Held Us
The Line That Held Us feels dragged out of the mud somewhere deep in the mountains of North Carolina and handed directly to the reader with dirt still on it. And this was an excellent addition to our Book Club—you can join us by heading over to Patreon (The Hidden Pine Lodge). It’s only $4…
Southern Reads: The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster
I know, I know… this book is not a true “Southern” book, but we wanted to mix it up for our Book Club, and Bigfoot, well…Bigfoot is sort of awesome! But, at some point while reading The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, it becomes clear that the book is…
Southern Reads: Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told
Some stories sound like whiskey-soaked tall tales told over a backroom poker table. This one just happens to be true. The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told by Mark Paul is not your typical memoir. It’s a red-blooded, high-octane, sun-bleached nail-biter. Part underdog sports story, part cartel thriller, and part ode to the gambler’s gut instinct,…