View Full Version : Books set in New Orleans
NoPoYo
04-16-2011, 09:29 AM
I just finished my last book (The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis, one of my all time favs.) And I'm ready for a new one. Since Fest is coming up soon, I thought I'd read something with NOLA as the setting. Any suggestions? I read all kinds of stuff so, throw out whatever, thanks.
charlotte
04-16-2011, 10:17 AM
I just finished my last book (The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis, one of my all time favs.) And I'm ready for a new one. Since Fest is coming up soon, I thought I'd read something with NOLA as the setting. Any suggestions? I read all kinds of stuff so, throw out whatever, thanks.
I'm just now reading "Burn" by Nevada Barr, set in the FQ. So far so good, she's a great author, and lives in NOLA now. I met her back in the day when I worked on the "Wenonah", a passenger ferry to Isle Royale Nat'l Park, and she was a park Ranger out there (it's and Island Nat'l Park out in Lake Superior). She's written a lot of great books, but I was just waiting for her to do the NOLA setting. Also, I love the Julie Smith N.O. novels - there are quite a few, and they are very good, highly recommended. I'll have to check out Wade Davis.
If you haven't read it yet, "A Confederacy of Dunces" is required reading.
There's a long list in this thread:
http://www.nojazzfest.com/chat/showthread.php?t=14432
petegumbo
04-16-2011, 11:06 AM
"Tin Roof Blowdown" by James Lee Burke
rikid
04-16-2011, 06:00 PM
Don't forget Nightmare in New Orleans; A Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys Mystery :) . If that's not your cup of tea, John Grisham's The Client, and The Pelican Brief are mostly set in NOLA.
festbabe
04-16-2011, 07:00 PM
Dan Baum Nine Lives, of course! :)
Dan Baum Nine Lives, of course! :)
Just read it recently, Patti is reading it now. Really great! Everyone going to see the musical should definitely read it first!
marignygreg
04-16-2011, 10:45 PM
The 'Last Madame' is a good one. The true story of Norma Wallace and her many years of running houses of ill repute in the old Tango Belt. The last house she ran in the Quarter still stands on Conti, just riverside of Rampart.
willem s
04-17-2011, 01:03 AM
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w130/sofa_web/gumbo-1.jpg
Gumbo Ya-Ya, a beautifull collection of old Louisiana Folk Tales. Many tales from NOLA. Compiled by Lyle Saxen, Edward Dreyer and Robert Tallant. It's from MCMXLV (is that 1945?) so probably hard to get.
funkkjunkie
04-17-2011, 01:18 PM
This thread will help you out.
http://www.nojazzfest.com/chat/showthread.php?t=14432&highlight=reading
canadianjohn
04-17-2011, 05:38 PM
The 'Last Madame' is a good one. The true story of Norma Wallace and her many years of running houses of ill repute in the old Tango Belt. The last house she ran in the Quarter still stands on Conti, just riverside of Rampart.
Read this book in the last year & I recommend it as well. Very interesting stuff.
charlotte
05-08-2011, 11:51 AM
[QUOTE=charlotte;396820]I'm just now reading "Burn" by Nevada Barr, set in the FQ.
I read the whole book, but was disappointed with it. It was a sad subject (child prostitution). Wish it had been more New Orleans and less of the sordid subject matter.