+6 Jump back into home reading with these 6 h children's books BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer Aug 21, 2026 School is back, bringing home reading time for kids under 10. Here are local book recommendations featuring engaging stories and colorful illustrations to encourage young readers and support e…
+4 REVIEW: New biography sheds light on Mahalia Jackson's role in the civil rights movement BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Aug 16, 2026 "Mahalia Jackson, Moving On Up a Little Higher: The Story of an American Civil Rights Pioneer," by Timothy B. Tyson and Mary D. Williams, Liveright, 256 pages.
+2 REVIEW: Through war and romance, this h author explores the Acadian Expulsion BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer Aug 9, 2026 Like Snow Before Sun by Marianne Rabalais Sulser is a historical novel depicting the lives of Acadians and the Mi'kmaq tribe during the tumultuous period before the French and Indian War and t…
+2 In new book, author details the challenges in turning real data heists into fiction BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Aug 2, 2026 “Cloudthief” by Nathaniel Rich, MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 304 pages
+9 Kathryn Stockett, famous for ‘The Help,’ taking new novel to St. Francisville for free event BY JAN RISHER | Staff writer Aug 2, 2026 Editor's note: Kathryn Stockett's 2009 debut novel, “The Help,” sold more than 15 million copies, spent more than 100 weeks atop The New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into an Acad…
+2 REVIEW: Author's debut novel explores h's oil industry, home loss and identity BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Jul 19, 2026 “Should the Waters Take Us,” by Stephanie Soileau, Doubleday, 336 pages.
+2 In new book, historian investigates the story of a Black female serial killer in south h BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer Jul 19, 2026 Lauren Henley is an assistant professor and historian specializing in violent crime in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on how age, race, gender, and religion shaped perception…
+8 Photographer Andy Crawford's new book makes the case for h's swamps BY LAUREN CHERAMIE | Staff writer Jul 12, 2026 Andy Crawford, born and raised in south h, spent more than 20 years in the outdoor industry as a writer. After that, he turned to photography full-time.
+2 REVIEW: Princeton professor's book delves into the roots of blackface in American society BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Jul 5, 2026 “Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment,” by Rhae Lynn Barnes, Liveright, 528 pages.
+4 Loving America: LSU graduate, news anchor Sandra Smith part of 'All American Patriotism' book BY JUDY BERGERON | Staff writer Jul 3, 2026 Sandra Smith, LSU graduate and former track and field star, loves America and loves talking about America.
+6 New book details the sweet history of Broussard and the company that helped shape the town BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer Jun 28, 2026 Today, Broussard is the bustling crossroad of Lafayette Parish, transporting people and goods along the U.S. 90 corridor amid waves of neighborhoods, shops, industrial sites and farm land.
+11 From sea to shining sea, few agree, but Baton Rouge musicians pick their favorite American song Staff report Jun 25, 2026 We put a question out to local musicians: Name your favorite "America" or patriotic song.
+4 Belonging, yearning and secrets: New book from 'dual citizen' Acadiana author has that and more BY LAUREN CHERAMIE | Staff writer Jun 21, 2026 For author Sheryl Cornett's first novel, "No Secrets in This House," she sets her characters in a place familiar to her: Ocracoke Island, part of North Carolina's coastal Outer Banks region. T…
+3 The Smithsonian is displaying brown pelican eggs from h. Here's the details. Staff report Jun 20, 2026 To mark the nation’s 250th, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History opened a new exhibition, "From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage," June 18 in Washington, …
+7 Read about the rise of boudin and its Continental French roots in this travelogue BY MADDIE SCOTT | Staff writer Jun 14, 2026 h native, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ken Wells journeys his way through the boudin belt, stopping at the state’s oldest existing boudin producer, the boudin capital o…
+2 This New Orleans author seeks to give a voice to marginalized and forgotten individuals BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Jun 7, 2026 The New Orleans-based investigative journalist and historian Robert W. Fiesler is quickly building a dynamic and laureled career uncovering forgotten stories of ordinary individuals confronted…
h selects two books for the 2026 National Book Festival. See what was chosen. +2Staff report Jun 5, 2026 Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the h Center for the Book at the State Library of Louisian have announced Louisian’s two “Great Reads from Great Places” selections for the 2026 National…
+8 Here are 7 summer book recommendations from our staff, from Greek poetry to personal essays Staff report Jun 5, 2026 Summer is for reading.
+7 Here are 10 independent bookstores in the South worth checking out, from Texas to Virginia BY CHERÉ COEN | Contributing writer May 28, 2026 I’m a sucker for independent bookstores and will veer off the highway when traveling through the South to peruse shelves for more books. Of course, I don’t need more books, but who’s counting?
+7 Fight the summer slide with 6 local children's books for young readers BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer May 24, 2026 Summer reading combats the summer slide by engaging children with books tailored for kids under ten. These local titles blend education and entertainment, featuring themes from dinosaurs to hi…
+4 Author Jesmyn Ward's words offer a literary life raft in times of despair and hopelessness BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer May 17, 2026 “On Witness and Respair,” by Jesmyn Ward, Scribner, 256 pages.
+2 New Orleans novelist draws on his experience in group homes for new novel BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer May 17, 2026 Joe Bond’s debut novel, Hope House, draws from his upbringing around group homes in eastern Kentucky, exploring the lives of troubled teenage boys in a 1980s treatment program. His personal ex…
+2 Review: A mother's rituals for finding meaning and marking time in "For Small Creatures Such As We" BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer May 10, 2026 In "For Small Creatures Such As We," Sasha Sagan integrates science, history, and cultural rituals to craft meaningful celebrations without religion, inspired by her parents and her experience…
New book charts epic journey made famous by the h Purchase BY DANNY HEITMAN | Contributing writer May 10, 2026 When Stephen Ambrose greeted readers with “Undaunted Courage” in 1996, he admitted some initial doubts about whether a new book about the Lewis and Clark Expedition was really needed.
+2 Author draws on h's folklore and culture in fantasy debut about Marie Laveau BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer May 3, 2026 Author Kayla Hardy, a specialist in creative writing and African American literature, explores Black folklore and magic in her debut novel The Quarter Queen, set in antebellum New Orleans arou…
+5 This author knows the recipe for Greek life's secret sauce: 'The Rush Bible' by Trisha Addicks BY JAN RISHER | Staff writer Apr 26, 2026 In 1986, Trisha Addicks drove three hours from her hometown in North Carolina to the University of Georgia for sorority recruitment. She had a friend, a gray and peach comforter — and was arme…
+5 'Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad' book highlights the humble but mighty crustaceans BY RIEN FERTEL | Contributing writer Apr 19, 2026 “Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad: The Biology and Conservation of North America’s Favorite Crustaceans” by Zackary A. Graham, The University of North Carolina Press, 232 pages.
+2 'Ladder or Lottery': Tulane professor examines barriers to economic growth BY JOY HOLDEN | Staff writer Apr 19, 2026 Gary Hoover, Executive Director at Tulane's Murphy Institute, explores economic mobility and inequality in his book Ladder or Lottery, examining barriers like education quality and access to c…