Local Fiction for Book Clubs

As most of you know, the Beaufort District Collection concentrates on the facts of past events. In other words, we do not do any fiction based programs, though we do have a core collection of books that serve as a literary history of Beaufort District that includes fictional titles.

A customer called a few months ago to ask for suggestions for a Book Club. The parameters the customer provided were: no Pat Conroy titles (they had already covered those); no non-fiction; the title needed to be currently in print and available; and, preferably under 300 pages in length.

Here's the list I suggested: 

A Sea Island Lady by Francis Griswold (1939) This is arguably high on many of our locals's "best book eveh" list. One tends to either love it or hate it. It's a sweeping antebellum to 1920s historical novel based on some of the key people and events in Beaufort's past. However, it is quite a tome weighing in at almost 1000 pages.

Due East by Valerie Sayers

Famous All Over Town by Bernie Schein

Haint Blue by Carl Linke

Hilton Head by Josephine Pinckney

Little Glory by Roger Pinckney

Lowcountry Boil by Carl Smith

Minnow by James McTeer

Reefer Moon by Roger Pinckney

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill


Swift Currents by David Grimm

The Yemassee by William Gilmore Simms

Even though High Sheriff, Lowcountry Witch Doctor by Sheriff Ed McTeer and Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Witchdoctor Sheriff are non-fiction, the content reads like fanciful fiction. I added these to the list of recommendations as well. Both are quick and entertaining reads and give the dish on some unusual shenanigans.

You can hear local native author Valerie Sayers speak about another of her novels Who Do You Love? on Monday, March 12th at the 2018 Books Sandwiched In series sponsored by the Friends of the Beaufort Library. The group meets at the USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street at Noon.