Welcome to December, and the twelfth and last month of the Read with MLC 2025 Reading Challenge! This month’s goal is to read a book set in Mississippi or by a Mississippi author. We enjoy a wealth of historical and natural delights in our state that lend themselves readily to the written word. Our writing residents are among the most celebrated and lauded across the nation. It’s likely that one or two book possibilities have already popped into your head, but follow us down below for some suggestions on what to read and where to find these Mississippi-laden books.
Mississippi, the twentieth state to join the union, celebrates her 208th birthday December 10, 2025. Other cool December milestones in Mississippi history? Our state legislature met for the first time on December 23, 1822, or Christmas Eve Eve, if you will. The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened December 9, 2017. You can check out these Mississippi nonfiction authors to learn even more fun facts about the ins and outs of the Hospitality State.
If you’d like to celebrate a December birthday, you could “present” Mississippi authors John Alfred Williams, L.C. Dorsey, Donna Tartt, or Jimmy Buffett with a birthday gift by reading one of their books. All four are Sagittarius and Capricorn babies. You could also try one of the Mississippi authors who topped our statewide book request list on Beehive over the past two years; Jesmyn Ward, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Harrison Scott Key, and Angie Thomas all made the popularity cut. You could also choose one of the authors featured on our Mississippi Literary Map; scroll to the bottom of this page to download a small version, or email us at mlcref@mlc.lib.ms.us to have us mail you a poster-sized version. Last but not least, the Mississippi Encyclopedia lists even more Mississippians who share their love of the written word in fiction and in poetry.
Where should you look for these books filled with Southern ideas? Check out your local public library’s card catalog to see what they have to offer, but don’t forget to look into interlibrary loan if they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for. (FYI: our catalog is here.)
If you can’t find what you want in the catalog, you have another option. MLC’s BookMatch service is an incredible way to find new books custom chosen just for you. Your answers on our short form give us an idea of your likes and dislikes; we’ll send you a short list of suggested titles tailored to your specific tastes. Now, dust off your Christmas ornaments and snuggle up in a cozy nook with a Mississippi book and a hot beverage… and until next time, happy reading! We’ll see you next year with #ReadWithMLC2026 and a whole new list of reading possibilities.
