A New World
We are kicking off the new year by taking a historic adventure with “Pelican Girls: A Novel” by Julia Malye. The novel, inspired by a true story, brings readers to some of the earliest days of the Louisiana territory. The French colony of New Orleans is teeming with male adventurers, sailors and settlers, but in order to sustain the new city, families are needed to foster its growth. Enter the Baleine Brides, a group of women of childbearing age (mainly orphans, prisoners and the mentally ill) to be shipped abroad. The story follows these women who form unlikely friendships as they encounter a new world, love, loss and survival, in a tale that Publishers Weekly called, “Epic and nuanced…a well-crafted story of women finding ways to survive against forbidding odds.”
Celebrating the Seasons
Celebrating 2025 with a full year of food and community gathering. From New Year’s Day through Carnival, summer festivals, and back around again to the autumn holidays, life in Louisiana is all about celebration. Chef, restaurateur, James Beard Award-recognized cookbook author Melissa Martin’s latest “Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life” guides readers and food lovers through a year of traditions, customs and foods that highlight the unique culture of south Louisiana. Whether its crawfish boils, boucheries, king cake, fried turkey, hearty stews and more, Martin includes the history and step by step instructions for incorporating these dishes into your own celebrations with family and friends. The book, featuring 100 recipes and beautiful full color photography, was named “one of the Best Books of 2024 by Publishers Weekly and one of the Best Cookbooks of Fall 2024 by Food & Wine, Eater, and The Week.”
Local Indie Bookshops We love
Blue Cypress Books
Located on Oak Street, Blue Cypress Books specializes in new and used books, an enthusiastic staff, gift items for book worms, a return buyer card, lots of author events and book club fun, and, of course, Kitty Meow, the shop’s official book cat. 8123 Oak St., 504-352-0096, bluecypressbooks.com.
The Garden District Book Shop
The Garden District Book Shop is tucked into the historic The Rink on Prytania Street and features a wide array of books, a large collection of local and regional finds, and hosts a full calendar of events, book signings, author appearances and much more. 2727 Prytania St., Suite 8, 504-895-2266, gardendistrictbookshop.com.
Octavia Books
Uptown book worms flock to Octavia Books for its cozy vibe, shelves filled with curated selections, reading groups, author events and more. Be sure to sign up for “The Octavian,” the shop’s newsletter for book lovers. 513 Octavia St., 504-899-READ, octaviabooks.com.
Baldwin & Co.
Baldwin & Co. coffee + bookstore embraces the power of the community through its carefully selected collection of empowering fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art and design, cookbooks and much more. Located in the historic Marigny, the shop hosts frequent events and acts as a hub for artists, readers, and local leaders and activists. 1030 Elysian Fields Avenue, 504-354-1741, baldwinandcobooks.com.
