Add these works by Louisiana authors to your summer reading list
Enjoy these books by the pool, on the plane or in a cozy chair 📚☀️
The Bayou State’s colorful, creative energy is well documented, so finding an interesting summer read by a Louisiana author is a no-brainer.
Prolific phenoms like New Iberia native James Lee Burke and best-selling mystery writer and Shreveport resident Ashley Elston both have new works out this spring, along with scores of other fiction and nonfiction writers whose recent releases are worth a look.
We’ve chosen 12 recent picks that cover a range of styles and interests, but there are countless titles—both old and new—to discover. Stop by one of the Capital Region’s local booksellers or public library branches for more juicy reads to enjoy by the pool, on the plane or in a cozy chair.
The Hadacol Boogie: A Dave Robicheaux Novel
James Lee Burke
Burke’s 25th Dave Robicheaux novel finds the weathered New Iberia detective investigating the death of a woman left in a garbage bag on his property. At his side are longtime partner Clete Purcell and a new detective Valerie Benoit. Fun fact: The book’s title is a reference to a popular Louisiana-born “miracle tonic” developed in the 1940s by Vermilion Parish State Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc, famous for its radio jingles—and its 12% alcohol content. The Hadacol Boogie features all the trappings of Robichaux’s noir world, including a sultry bayou setting and seedy criminals.
A Sleepy Town Awakens
By Phil Canova
Former Iberville Parish attorney Phil Canova had three goals when he retired shortly after the pandemic: playing golf, traveling with his wife and recording the history of his native Plaquemine in the second half of the 20th century, a period that Canova says has been woefully undocumented. After plowing through old newspapers, he decided to zero in on the Civil Rights Movement in Plaquemine 1963. His book, A Sleepy Town Awakens, mines court records, newspapers, FBI files and other sources to bring to life the intrepid efforts of local and national civil rights organizers in Iberville Parish the year before the landmark federal Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.
Home of the Happy: A Murder on the Cajun Prairie
By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
Local writer Jordan LaHaye Fontenot’s Home of the Happy is a true crime memoir that explores the kidnapping and murder of her grandfather, Aubrey LaHaye, in Evangeline Parish in 1983, and the incident’s lasting impact on the family. Along with the plot twists and turns you expect from this genre, including doubts about the main suspect, Fontenot writes descriptively about the setting, culture and heritage of Louisiana’s rich Cajun country.
Anatomy of an Alibi
By Ashley Elston
Many readers know Elston, a Monroe native who lives in Shreveport, from her New York Times bestselling debut adult novel, First Lie Wins. The thriller was also a Reese’s Book Club pick and is a soon-to-be Hulu series. Elston’s second adult novel, Anatomy of an Alibi, was released in January and is a fast-paced thriller set in St. Francisville and Baton Rouge. It centers on a wealthy woman named Camille who enlists the help of a stranger and lookalike named Aubrey. Camille asks Aubrey to swap identities with her to uncover the truth about Camille’s husband, Ben. Things get interesting when Ben turns up dead.
Painting Grace
By Mary Hester
Set in Baton Rouge and written by a former local attorney-turned-fiction writer, Painting Grace is a quiet literary novel that explores the bond that develops between a dying art history professor and a young Cajun caregiver. Hester, now living in North Carolina, says she drew inspiration from her past work as an LSU English instructor and from her time in the Hundred Oaks area, where she frequently walked her dog. Hester told 225 earlier this year that one particular dog walk planted the seed for the novel.
Boudin
By Ken Wells
Part of LSU Press’s Louisiana True series, Boudin explores the history and diversity of south Louisiana’s favorite road trip sausage, its cultural relevance and its relationship to old world food traditions. Wells traverses south Louisiana’s boudin trail, digs deep into culinary history and samples links along the way. Get the root beer ready.
Like Snow Before Sun
By Marianne Rabalais Sulser
This novel by an Alexandria native and LSU alumna takes readers back to the 1750s and the expulsion of the French-speaking Acadian people from Nova Scotia. Sulser draws on intensive research into the period and her own ancestors, who were among those driven from their homes and eventually settled in Louisiana.
Get It While It’s Hot
Edited by Shelley Ingram, Casey Kayser and Constance Bailey
This ode to Southern “gas station, roadside and convenience cuisine” arrived just in time for summer road trip season, bringing with it tales of some of the most savory dishes served up in the most unlikely locations. Positioning themselves as “gas station food connoisseurs,” the three editors have assembled an eclectic array of essays that do triple duty as whimsical stories, Southern foodways documentation and guides to good eats. Hot tip: try the Indian buffet at Punjabi Dhaba in Hammond.
Listed
By Dr. Keith E. Leger
Keith Leger’s career in education means he is always thinking about children, but the Baton Rougean’s debut novel takes that thought in an intriguing direction. Set in the near future, Listed paints a picture of a world in which parents sell shares of their unborn children’s future earnings on a financial market in exchange for funds to help provide for those children’s wellbeing. Leger weaves threads of the Capital City throughout the story, from hashbrowns at Louie’s Café to study groups in the LSU library basement.
Brave Hearts, Big Feelings
By Willie Williams IV and Willow Grace Williams
After being diagnosed with anxiety, 10-year-old Willie Williams IV turned his personal struggles into a book aimed at helping other children better understand and express their own emotions. The journey also inspired his parents to launch a nonprofit focused on children’s emotional wellness and literacy.
Death or Victory
By A.J. Cade
Lean into this summer’s celebration of America’s 250th with this in-depth accounting of the Louisiana Native Guards, whose role in the course of the Civil War has largely been overlooked. What started as a unit made up of free men of color on the Confederate side evolved into a Union regiment that was expanded to include newly escaped enslaved people. One of the regiment’s most noteworthy battles was at Port Hudson, now open
to visitors in East Feliciana Parish.
Louisiana Healing Garden
By Corinne Martin
The crape myrtle that’s now blooming in your backyard is more than just pretty—it has medicinal properties. So do your fragrant sweet olive tree and gardenia bushes. Herbalist and Louisiana Herb Journal author Corinne Martin highlights 50 such medicinal plants, along with planting advice, preparation methods and potential risks.
