Reading Recommendations: Sorry, Gail Jones.

Sorry is set in the remote outback of Western Australia during World War II, where an English anthropologist and his wife raise a lonely child, Perdita. Her upbringing is far from ordinary in a shack in the wilderness, with a self-absorbed father burying himself in books and an unstable mother whose obsession with Shakespeare forms the backbone of the girls limited education.

Emotionally adrift, Perdita becomes friends with a deaf mute boy, Billy, and a forsaken aboriginal girl, Mary. Perdita and Mary come to call one another sister and to share a profound bond. The three misfit children are content with each other and their life in this distant corner of the world, until a terrible event pays waste to their lives.

Through this compelling story of Perdita's childhood, Gail Jones explores the values of friendship, loyalty and sacrifice with a brilliance that has earned her numerous accolades.

And, Ham Bisquits, Hostess Gowns and other Southern Specialties, An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) Julia Reed.

Julia Reed spends a lot of time thinking about ham bisquits. And cornbread and casseroles and the surprisingly modern case of donning a hostess gown for one's own party. In Ham Bisquits, Hostess Gowns and other Southern Specialities, Reed collects her thoughts on good cooking and the lessons of gracious entertaining that pass from one woman to another, and takes the reader on a lively and very personal tour of the culinary, and social South.

In essays on everything from pork chops to the perfect picnic, Reed revels in the simple, good qualities that make the southern table the best possible place to pull up a chair. She expounds on the Southerners relentless penchant for using gelatin; why most things taste better with homemade mayonaisse; possibly a Santa hat; and how best to "cook for compliments" (at least one squash casserole and Lee Bailey's barbecued veal). There are many other best loved recipes such as cheese straws, red velvet cake, deviled eggs, and pimento cheese.

A great book about the South from Julia Reed, a writer who makes her experiences in and out of the kitchen a joy to read.

Also wonderful recipes to use during the holidays.

Two beautiful coffee table books featuring Christmas decorations and wonderful recipes-Holiday Homes, compiled by Nancy J. Fitzpatrick, written by Vicki L. Ingham.

A wreath on the door, a swag on the stair, a towering tree in the family room, decorations do more than anything to fill your home with a holiday mood of anticipation and excitement. And while some decorations are beloved traditions that you repeat every year, others may call for a fresh approach. From Annapolis to Houston, Southerners welcome the season with holiday house tours and that's where this book is so helpful for ideas. Homeowners decorate ever nook and cranny and throw open their doors to welcome neighbors, visitors, and touring groups benefitting local organizations.

This book is a treat, not only to view the gorgeous homes but it's a treasure trove of ideas.

The other book is American Country Christmas 1989, compiled and edited by Patricia Dreame Wilson, Susan Ramey Wright.

This book features crafts, needlework, table decorations, and wonderful cookies, sweets, and menus for the holidays. Again, another beautiful book to simply thumb through.

See you at Rylander!