Titles Down South

Everyone has been admonished not to judge a book by its cover, but what about its title? A good title can grab the attention of an otherwise uninterested reader--but it better have the goods to back up the promise. And how may good books have gone unread because the title was dull, uninspired, or just plain weird?

The latest to catch my eye is an upcoming release--Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Rob Dalby. How can anyone pass up that book? It's not even just "Dancing" but "Waltzing". Right there, you're intrigued. And then you're not just waltzing, you're doing it at a grocery store. But not any grocery store, but at a "Piggly Wiggly"! Now honestly, can you really stand not reading that book? "Dancing at Dillon's" just ain't the same! And if you read the synopsis (since I was so kind as to provide the link), you'll see that the premise sounds like the book should live up to its name.

It seems to me that Southern authors have the monopoly on quirky, be it titles, characters, or plots. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe gave Fannie Flagg new fame as a writer--but what if it had been titled something else, say "Idgie's Life and Times" (it goes without saying that I have no Southern in me whatsoever, hence the poor excuse for creativity, though I am trying to make a point in being bland). No one would have looked twice at that book on the shelf. And then she went with Standing in the Rainbow (a truly heartwarming book) and her follow-up to it, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven (run, do not walk, to get your hands on this book!). A Yankee just plain couldn't have written those books.

But the true Queen of great book titles is Jill Conner Browne. Her Sweet Potato Queens books are not for the faint of heart and/or those who are easily offended but for the rest of us, they provide us with some of the best humor this side of the Mason-Dixon line (not to mention some mighty tasty recipes!)

So look for those titles that scream at you to pick them up. Betcha' they're written by a Southerner.