Hey, y’all! Thanks for coming to check out my books. In recent years, the majority of my books have been published by It’s a Southern Thing and can be purchased here.
For books by other publishers, I’ve provided descriptions and links below on where to purchase them. If you’d like a signed copy, feel free to email me at kellykazek@kellykazek.com and see if I have any on hand and I’ll be happy to sell, sign and ship!
If you are a retailer interested in selling my books, It’s a Southern Thing does offer wholesale pricing. Please email me at kkazek@southernthing.com for information.
Thanks again! I hope you enjoy my books for children and adults!
It’s a Southern Thing: Life’s Different Here, Y’all (Humor/Essays)
Some people wonder, what makes the South the South? Is it the borders of a group of states? The food? The mindset? Why do we Southerners think of ourselves as having an “otherness,” a sense of togetherness, that no other region in the nation can match?
We don’t all think the same, or look the same, or have the same genes. But, in some indefinable way, we are a family. In this book of columns written for It’s a Southern Thing, award-winning humorist Kelly Kazek evokes the beauty and quirky character of the South that raised her. 190 pages, 6-by-9-inch hardcover. $19.99. Buy it here.
These two beautifully illustrated, hardcover books are your Guides to Southern Life. They make the perfect gifts for any Southerners or wanna-be Southerners in your life. This bundle includes:
Southern Handbook: How to Quit Being Ugly and Act Like Somebody
Sometimes people don’t get the South. The accents, the quirkiness, the need to own deviled egg platters, and our judicious use of the phrase “bless your heart.” This book helps distill the essence of Southern life, speech, and customs while dispelling a few myths. 148 pages, 10-by-7 inches, hardcover, illustrated. For ages 9-90. $19.99. Purchase here.
Southern Thesaurus: For When You’re Plumb Out of Things to Say
In the South, language is a fluid thing. Sometimes, when we find ourselves in need of just the right word, Southerners will just make one up. And why not? It’s one of our best-known talents. This book explains the origins of some of our favorite Southern words. 156 pages, 10-by7 inches, hardcover, illustrated. For ages 9-90. $19.99. Purchase here.
100 Southern Ways to Say I Love You
What can we say? Southerners are in love with love.
We Southerners have special ways of saying “I love you.” We practically invented phrases like “I want to hug your neck” and “Gimme some sugar.” So we gathered lots of fun sayings about love and then, just because we can, we made up a few more. Like, “As long as I’ve got a biscuit, you’ve got half,” and “I love you from can to cain’t.” The best way to tell someone you love them in 100 different ways! This petite 4-by-6-inch hardcover gift book has 115 pages. $9.99. Purchase here.
Y is for Y’all: A Book of Southern ABCs and other children’s titles are available for purchase at the It’s a Southern Thing Store for $14.99 and up. Browse titles here.
About Y is for Y’all: A Book of Southern ABCs
This picture book has sold more than 50,000 copies! Click here to order books for $14.99 each. The books are also available at Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble and a variety of other stores.
A Guide to the South’s Quirkiest Roadside Attractions
For years, whenever I have given presentations about quirky places in the South, people have asked me if I had a list of places to share, or if one of my books provided one. I always had to say no.
FINALLY! My 12th book lists fun and unusual sights to see in 11 Southern states. It’s called “A Guide to the South’s Quirkiest Roadside Attractions,” published by Arcadia.
If you like taking road trips to see World’s Largest Things or Stonehenge replicas, you need to keep this book handy. Each entry in the 350-page guide gives a description and an address or directions to the attraction. Many entries are accompanied by photos. (I think there are about 500 entries and 200 photos). $24.99. Purchase here.
“Not Quite Right: Mostly True Tales of a Weird News Reporter”
My memoir/humorous essay book “Not Quite Right: Mostly True Tales of a Weird News Reporter” is now available online and in bookstores (Solomon & George Publishers, soft cover, $15). To order a signed copy from me, email kellykazek@kellykazek.com.
When you email I will send an invoice by PayPal or you can send a check. Shipping is $4 for one book.
About this book:
“Fans of Fannie Flagg should be overjoyed to discover the rustic, lighthearted musings of this Southern writer, who enchants with keen, droll observations and needlepoint wisdom.” – Kirkus Reviews
To purchase copies of my other books below, visit local bookstores, Amazon.com or other online booksellers, or email kellykazek@kellykazek.com for signed copies.
“Fairly Odd Mother: Musings of a Slightly Off Southern Mom”
About this book:
“Fairly Odd Mother: Musings of a Slightly Off Southern Mom” is award-winning journalist Kelly Kazek’s skewed and hilarious view of various aspects of life, from raising a daughter as a single mom to life in a small town to popular culture. (Soft cover, $15.95)
From an Amazon customer review: “This book is by far the funniest I’ve read in a long time. It is a compilation of the perils of everyday living such as the sock-stealing dryer, the horrors of entering a teenager’s closet, and trying (emphasis on TRYING) to age gracefully. My favorite story is about teaching her daughter to drive. What makes this a beyond-5-star book is how cleverly it is written. The author uses a perfect mix of well written prose of a serious journalist with witty repartee Designing Women’s Suzanne Sugarbaker would be proud of. This book is guaranteed to make you smile.”
Covered Bridges of Alabama (Co-authored with Wil Elrick)
About this book:
“Alabama’s covered bridges are reminiscent of a more romantic time, when people rode in horse-drawn buggies and couples stole kisses beneath their roofs. But they are also keepers of history–structures built by former slaves and Civil War soldiers. Such places are steeped in legend, including tales of ghostly children and the hanging of a sheriff turned outlaw. Just eleven historic covered bridges survive in Alabama–the oldest dating to the 1850s–but dozens of more recently constructed spans dot the landscape. Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek provide photos and detailed information on more than fifty Alabama bridges, reveal the fate of the state’s lost bridges and delve into the haunting legends surrounding these nostalgic structures.” (Soft cover with color photo section, $24)
Forgotten Tales of Alabama
About this book:
“From Muscle Shoals to Montgomery to Mobile, there’s just no place quite like Alabama. Take a journey off the beaten path through the Cotton State with author Kelly Kazek as she uncovers the stories that make Alabama one of a kind. Kazek, a longtime Alabama resident, unearths tales that have existed only in rumor, anecdote, legend and lore. This collection is packed with little-known stories of strange sites, like the world’s largest Nehi bottle; curious critters, like the first monkey in space; and colorful characters, such as the outlaw Tom Clark. Whether funny, far-fetched, gripping or grisly, Forgotten Tales of Alabama is filled with stories you won’t soon forget.” (Gift-sized, soft cover, $12.99)
Forgotten Tales of Tennessee
About this book:
“Tennessee has never been a stranger to strangeness. Stories of the weird, wild and wonderful abound in the Volunteer state. Join author and seasoned journalist Kelly Kazek as she tracks down the extraordinary stories that other history books overlook. Each section covers a different outlandish theme of Tennessee history colorful characters, strange sites, intriguing incidents, tombstone tales, odd occurrences and curious creatures. Readers will discover the brilliant phenomenon of synchronized firefly flashes in the Smoky Mountain town of Elmont, take on the world’s largest Moon Pie in Chattanooga and learn Tennessee’s history of damaging earthquakes. From the humorous to the haunting, the madcap to the macabre, Forgotten Tales of Tennessee offers a collection as remarkable as the state itself.” (Gift-sized, soft cover, $12.99)
Christmas Tales of Alabama
About this book:
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially in Alabama. Celebrate the spirit of the season with these tales of Christmases past from the heart of Dixie. There is the story of Helen Keller’s first Christmas memories in Tuscumbia, the tale of how Birmingham native Hugh Martin penned the classic tune “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” visions of all the impressive Christmas light displays throughout the state and much more. In a collection of tales that range from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking, Alabama author Kelly Kazek culls from over two hundred years of Christmas celebrations in the state and offers up a gift that no one will want to be without come Christmas morning.” (Gift-sized, soft cover, $12.99)
Alabama Scoundrels: Outlaws, Pirates, Bandits and Bushwhackers (co-authored by Wil Elrick)
About this book:
“While legislators were writing the first laws in Alabama, some miscreant citizens were already breaking them, causing disorder and fleeing the hands of justice. Among these were cult-leader-turned-murderer “Bloody” Bob Sims, social-activist-turned-anarchist Albert Parsons, the mysterious hobo bandit Railroad Bill and the nefarious outlaw sheriff Steve Renfroe, who was credited with countless prison escapes, thefts and arson. Legendary Wild West figures Frank and Jesse James also appeared in Alabama, along with numerous other well-known gunslingers, pirates, crooks and desperados. Bushwhackers caused widespread chaos during the Civil War and were considered outlaws depending on which side you supported. Join real-life partners in crime Kelly Kazek and Wil Elrick as they recount the atrocities of some of Alabama’s most infamous lawbreakers.” (Soft cover, $19.99)
Hidden History of Auburn
About this book:
Auburn is not just the home to a world-class university; it is also the home of a storied community with deep roots in Alabama history. Join author and Auburn University alumna Kelly Kazek as she tracks the lesser-known history of both the city and the school. In this diverse collection of lost, forgotten or just plain strange history, Kazek uses her decades of experience as a journalist to dig deep and cast a wide net, revealing stories sure to surprise even the most seasoned Auburn experts. From the mysterious origins of some of AU’s most hallowed traditions to tales that stretch back to the very founding of the city, Hidden History of Auburn is an unprecedented collection that unearths the long-buried stories of this Alabama treasure. (Soft cover, $19.99)
A History of Alabama’s Deadliest Tornadoes: Disaster in Dixie
About this book:
Journey just west of America’s infamous Tornado Alley to Alabama, home to some of the deadliest tornadoes of the past century. These twisters remain etched in the collective memory of the people, from the 1908 Dixie Tornado, regarded as one of the most brutal tornadoes in U.S. history, to the 1998 Birmingham Tornado, the most expensive twister in Alabama’s history. Discover how the 1932 Deep South Tornadoes resulted in 268 fatalities and millions of dollars in damage, and read the terrifying account of the 1977 Smithfield Tornadoes, which rocked this Birmingham suburb with as many as six twisters in a one-hour span. Join local journalist Kelly Kazek as she shares the tales of these natural disasters and the hardy Alabamians who endured them. (Soft cover, $19.99)
A Pictorial History of Athens and Limestone County, Alabama
KellyKazek.com 