Read & Spin

A STUNNING COLLECTION OF 50 TRADITIONAL (AND SOME NONTRADITIONAL) LOUISIANA RECIPES. AN ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE FOR YOUR KITCHEN, OR THE PERFECT GIFT FOR A LOUISIANA FOOD LOVER.

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NOW IN ITS SECOND PRINTING!

NON-FICTION FOR SAINTS FANS: What does it take to become a billionaire? How does financial and business success affect family relationships and public persona? When you live in New Orleans, it’s hard not become a Saints fan, and impossible not to know the Benson name. Veteran New Orleans journalist Kathy Finn’s biography of New Orleans-born billionaire Tom Benson reveals some of the mystery behind the legend. (Finn also contributes a monthly business column to this magazine.) Tom Benson’s Billion Dollar Journey is a great read for those following the Benson family lawsuit scandals, and the controversial public discussions about the New Orleans Saints NFL team. For a book that goes into detail about business dealings and political history of the city’s NFL and NBA teams, it is also filled with dramatic twists and turns. A great summer read, it’s the perfect kick-off to the Saints pre-season.

ALTERNATIVE ROCK: New on the music scene, Blonde Roses is a young band of two instrumentalists and a lead female vocalist. Blending gritty rock and blues with their Louisiana roots, their music is most often described as raw, honest and deeply resonating in the soul and the ears. Hell or Highwater is their first EP release, available now online.

FOR FANS OF DOGS AND DESIGN:

While I do love all snuggly house pets, I consider myself to be “a dog person.” When Dog Decor by Sara Essex Bradley landed on my desk this month, it felt like Christmas in July. This hardcover coffee tablestyle book is filled with adorable portraits of dogs, and the designer homes they live in. A sweet read for dog lovers especially, Bradley includes captions about the homes featured in the photos, written from the personified perspective of the dogs living there. While photographing some of the most high-end home interiors in the city and beyond, Bradley, a New Orleans native herself, noticed that nearly every place had a dog, all of whom were as elegant and glamorous as the décor around them. Some of my favorites include: Mimi, a hotel dog in California; Paisley and Mika located in a home in Uptown New Orleans; and Bella and Lola living in the Irish Channel.

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