Georgia Books

I absolutely LOVE this book. It's an adorable sing songy rhyming story written with childlike wild imagination and great pictures. It's a story they will never tire of hearing. It's perfect for a child expecting a new baby sibling but we are not and it's still one of our favorite books to read! Great baby shower gift.

This was my son's favorite story the months before I had my second son. A tired, rather pregnant mother doesn't have the energy to play with her son, so he imagines that having playmates like a moose, a chimp, birds or even a crocodile would be great. Lynne Fairbridge does a wonderful job of rhyming and repetition. Even after the 100th reading (I swear I'm not exaggerating), the story still brings a smile to my face. Not to ruin the surprise ending, but when God send a "brand new baby brother", my children shout out the ending. They even ran into the hospital room after the birth of their brother,shouting, "Where's my brand new baby brother?"

Enter, if you dare, the mind of a teenaged boy with all its conflicting tenderness, violence, sexuality and vulnerability. Author Larry Hand has not so much painted as etched in hard lines, a portrait of Buddy Barnes, one of four sons of a south Georgia tobacco farmer.
Hand takes a character that could have been easily stereotyped into a 1950’s James Dean rebel and gives him edges and angles to be explored and depths to be plumbed. His vivid images will both terrify and delight the reader. Buddy learns early to cope with the harsh realities of life among the laboring class by developing an imagination that channels his violent inclinations into fantasies. When singled out for derision by his first-grade teacher who labels him “backwards,” Buddy pictures her being eaten by a giant praying mantis. “The big green thing turned, reached out its long arms, grabbed Miss Pritchard by the head, and ripped it straight up off of her body. A shower of crimson liquid spewed all over her desk and splattered some of those snotty little rich kids sitting up there in the front row. Then it placed its gigantic jaws around her head and clamped down, the way a hog bites into a watermelon. Her brain splattered across the chalkboard and made little puddles all over the floor.”
Yet when Buddy later speaks of the girl who would break his heart, he reveals a poetic soul at odds with his violent imaginings. “When I first saw the girl I would love forever, she had jewels in her mouth.” He later explains as he sips water in a sweltering tobacco warehouse, “… She used to wear braces on her teeth. When I kissed her, she tasted just like metal. It used to remind me of drinking water like this. … out of a tin dipper. …always cool…and sweet.” However, when taunted by his cousin about losing the love of his life, Buddy turns again to his murderous fantasies. “I didn’t say anything, but in my mind I stuck a pitchfork into his belly and twisted, allowing his guts to spill out onto the patch of white sand next to his car.”
The year Buddy graduates from high school, he must decide what really makes a boy a man. When threatened with a gun by his cousin, Buddy considers making his illusory massacres real, which would certainly start a family war. “That’s the way it ought to be … the way it’s always been. Brothers taking up for brothers. Cousins taking up for cousins.”
Larry Hand writes from personal experience and a sensitivity that allows the reader to smell the pine trees, tar, and tobacco fields of south Georgia and to feel the angst of a young man in conflict with his own soul.

Enter, if you dare, the mind of a teenaged boy with all its conflicting tenderness, violence, sexuality and vulnerability. Author Larry Hand has not so much painted as etched in hard lines, a portrait of Buddy Barnes, one of four sons of a south Georgia tobacco farmer.
Hand takes a character that could have been easily stereotyped into a 1950's James Dean rebel and gives him edges and angles to be explored and depths to be plumbed. His vivid images will both terrify and delight the reader. Buddy learns early to cope with the harsh realities of life among the laboring class by developing an imagination that channels his violent inclinations into fantasies. When singled out for derision by his first-grade teacher who labels him "backwards," Buddy pictures her being eaten by a giant praying mantis. "The big green thing turned, reached out its long arms, grabbed Miss Pritchard by the head, and ripped it straight up off of her body. A shower of crimson liquid spewed all over her desk and splattered some of those snotty little rich kids sitting up there in the front row. Then it placed its gigantic jaws around her head and clamped down, the way a hog bites into a watermelon. Her brain splattered across the chalkboard and made little puddles all over the floor."
Yet when Buddy later speaks of the girl who would break his heart, he reveals a poetic soul at odds with his violent imaginings. "When I first saw the girl I would love forever, she had jewels in her mouth." He later explains as he sips water in a sweltering tobacco warehouse, "... She used to wear braces on her teeth. When I kissed her, she tasted just like metal. It used to remind me of drinking water like this. ... out of a tin dipper. ...always cool...and sweet." However, when taunted by his cousin about losing the love of his life, Buddy turns again to his murderous fantasies. "I didn't say anything, but in my mind I stuck a pitchfork into his belly and twisted, allowing his guts to spill out onto the patch of white sand next to his car."
The year Buddy graduates from high school, he must decide what really makes a boy a man. When threatened with a gun by his cousin, Buddy considers making his illusory massacres real, which would certainly start a family war. "That's the way it ought to be ... the way it's always been. Brothers taking up for brothers. Cousins taking up for cousins."
Larry Hand writes from personal experience and a sensitivity that allows the reader to smell the pine trees, tar, and tobacco fields of south Georgia and to feel the angst of a young man in conflict with his own soul.

This is a brilliant observation of rural Southern life from dark to side-splitting; always affectionate and often surprising. It is infused with the compassion of a skilled but humble healer. It is an unusual juxtaposition of broad literary and poetic references and the unique rural, Southern witticisms and dialect.

This was my first exposure to Ferroll Sams and a couple of the stories will stick with you forever. You will have to figure this out for yourself. I recently listened to a recording of these stories and was surprised all over again just how wonderful they are.

Most of these incorporate Southern quirkiness. There is one very moving story in the form of a letter to the author from a young doctor who treats Sams. These are original and well-written stories and provide a sample of Dr. Sams' writing skill. His three autobiographical novels that followed these stories are worth looking for.

This book would make the perfect gift for anyone who lives in Georgia and loves flowers, or for someone who has just visited Georgia and would like to take home a beautiful visual memory. The photography is wonderful, with some flowers shown close up and others as fields or wide views. The photos are grouped according to the section of Georgia in which they were photographed, and there is a wonderful introduction about the areas of Georgia and some information about the camera and lenses used.

"Up close and beautiful"- Those words describe this botanical masterpiece. Wildflowers of Georgia is a feast for the intellect and the eyes. The book contains information relating to Georgia's wildflowers and their native habitats, as well as suggestions for hiking trails and other sites where one can view them. The common and scientific names of the plants, as well as location and season pictured, are meticulously documented. However, It's the high impact vivid photography that makes this work delightful. The authors spent eight years traveling the state searching out and capturing these flowers on film. They are as lavishly showcased as if in a floral show. For many of them the display may be a rarity. Human activity and development have placed their survival in danger. The eighty-six photographs presented in the book are divided into four physiographic regions. The authors introduce each region with explanations and anecdotal experiences. Their writing style gives the reader a feeling of comfortable companionship. One can sense community within these pages as we are invited to share in the comaraderie of viewing and enjoying Georgia's most colorful and dramatic resource.

I stumbled upon this title while reading an issue of The Oxford American and decided to give it a read. What a revelation! I am not familiar with any of Judith Ortiez Cofer's other works, but if this is any indication, I will be reading them all. A collection of essays, poems and folktales, this book blends the author's emergence as a writer with memories of growing up as a Puerto Rican in Patterson, New Jersey. The influences of the island her parents left behind, the Catholic Church as well as the emerging women's movement, combine with a Growing knowledge that the author wants to write. This is not only an autobiography, it is a compelling argument of why she has answered the call to write, and the struggles with self, that she, as a writer has faced. It examines the drive to create, the forces that pull one away from writing, and the quest to have a place of one's own. In clear, lyrical language, she encourages women to seek a life of truth, no matter the route or medium. She reveals some of the writers (a diverse group) that ignited her imagination and passion for writing. "Take what you can use and let the rest rot" is an expression used, and this book is invaluable to women, actually , to anyone who loves to read and who longs to use words to reach others. The best "writing" book I have read in years, and a treasure to keep.

I have only recently become acquainted with Ortiz-Cofer's splendid honesty and stretching creativity, yet I am overwhelmed with the power that she exudes in "Woman in Front of the Sun". Having read "The Latin Deli", I was ecstatic when I found another collection that calls her memory and lessons learned to dance for the curiosity of her readers. Aside from the traditional definition of the term, Ortiz-Cofer is powerful through the pure simplicity of her accounts of life. In "Woman in Front of the Sun", she places value on what is valuable, she learns through the grades of life, and she exposes her tender realities to those she hopes will appreciate her. She inspires readers to find the innocence in being "Macho", the same value others might call confidence. By opening the pages of this book, you'll find a comfort similar to that of your own thoughts.

This examination of Western languages provides an illustrated history which examines the evolving nature of language and world influences on vocabulary and idiom. Enjoy a revised, redesigned new edition which features newly drawn maps, photos, and insights on the latest linguistic issues.

Mr. Stevenson has put together a stimulating buffet of Western Language details. If you are a language, etymology or tree buff, this is exciting reading. It also makes a great intro to Western history through its languages. I kept flipping back and forth visualizing history's time line, and the fate it deals to its speakers. This makes as good a textbook as it does periodic reading or reference. But for me who loves language and its history.....aah!

this mini book was an informative and recent read. good to get if you are planning a vacation or relocating to atlanta area.

The 1850 Census Of Georgia Slave Owners compiled by Jack F. Cox is a straightforward genealogical reference listing an 1850 census compiled for each of the 93 counties of Georgia at the time. Alphabetized by the last name of each given slaveowner or overseer, The 1850 Census Of Georgia Slave Owners states nothing more than the owner's name, their county, and the number of slaves owned in each entry. A one-page introduction is the only other material in this no-frills primary source.

This book is EASILY the best hiking book for Georgia I've ever seen. In the past I've always mapped directions online before a hike so as not to get lost. I've finally found an author I trust to get things right. The directions in this book are always correct and easy to follow. Every hike is detailed to perfection, informative, and fun to read. On my first overnight backpacking trip years ago, I tore out the one page hike description from another hiking book and carried it with me. My friend and I had to guess where we were the entire trip as the hike description was so vague. There is nothing vague about this book!! The author takes you almost step by step through each hike and there is never a question as to where you are. This is PRICELESS for someone going on a solo hike - especially a woman hiking alone. I always get nervous and really appreciate knowing I'm not lost! Such a great book...

Estelle Ford-Williamson's excellent book portrays life in the early and middle 1800s in Georgia and South Carolina. The book reminds us that, contrary to popular media and even many history books, not all Southerners supported slavery and conflicts between Tories and Whigs survived the Revolution.

Abbeville Farewell describes the difficulties of frontier life for the Morgan family. With vivid images of untouched Georgia forests and the squalor of early Atlanta, Ford-Williamson places us in the center of the Morgan family's struggle to survive and retain their principles and integrity in the face of open hostility from some of their neighbors. Conflicts with slave owners and former Tories form the backdrop for this lovely novel, some of which is based on actual events and people.