AJC: Best Southern Books of 2018

Here are 11 of our favorite Southern books of the year.

Barracoon,’ ‘Heavy’ and ‘Florida’ among year’s best

Is it just me, or was 2018 a particularly outstanding year for Southern books? From Kiese Laymon’s incendiary memoir “Heavy” to the posthumous publishing sensation of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon” to Lauren Groff’s National Book Award finalist “Florida,” the books this year displayed a range of subjects and forms that were richly varied.

Here are 11 of our favorite Southern books of the year.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

The complicated love story between British author C.S. Lewis and American writer Joy Davidman has been told multiple times in books and movies, but always from the perspective of the more famous of the two, the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” But in Patti Callahan’s captivating historical novel, the story is told from Davidman’s point of view, which brings fresh insight to the story of their long-distance, slow-burning and socially frowned upon coupling. (HarperCollins)