We are always happy to host authors here at Cavalier House Books, but we were truly excited to host an author as fun, kind, and driven to a mission for kids’ literacy as Jo Watson Hackl! Before coming to our shop Jo partnered with Park Elementary in Baton Rouge and challenged her friends and family to donate copies of her book to the school. So far, they have donated over 80 copies!

Hot summer days, whether inside or on the beach, are the perfect opportunity to dig into some fresh reads. Lucky for you, southern independent booksellers have arranged and announced their Summer Okra Picks! The Okra Picks collect the best forthcoming fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books of the season. While each read carries its own flavor and perspective there are some things all these books share: they are Southern in nature, release sometime between July and September, and come highly recommended among Southern indie booksellers!

The most important and meaningful reading experience of my life so far has been Ulysses. It taught me to expand my understanding of what language can do and to consider carefully just what communication entails. More than that, Ulysses gave me a greater sympathy for those around me, exposing the many different levels of thought we all operate on at every moment. It made me appreciate both the high and low, the seedy and sacred. I truly believe Ulysses is the most human book that has ever been written.