• Between Midnight & Day. Mesmerizing images of blues legends plus the stories behind the photos in a book by the man who helped rediscover and manage many of the Delta greats... author/photographer/historian Dick Waterman of Oxford, Mississippi. A long time coming and well worth the wait. Essential. Published 2003. Soft cover, signed, $29.95.

• Delta Land. Amazing B&W Delta photographs by Maude Schuyler Clay with an introduction by Lewis Nordan. Great gift book. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1999. Hard cover, signed. $35.

• Juke Joint. Recently back in print! Classic juke joint photographs by Birney Imes with an introductory essay by Richard Ford. Extremely cool and popular book. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1990. $35 soft cover or $55 hard cover.

• Darker Blues. Very hip Fat Possum Records photo (with some text) book includes two CDs, comic book. Photographs of R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford and many other FP mainstays by David Raccuglia. 2002. Hard cover with artsy print job. $35

• Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of the Delta Blues. NEWLY UPDATED definitive tour guide to Mississippi blues sites by musician/historian Steve Cheseborough. Makes a good read, too. Buy it... then visit! Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Soft cover. $20.

• Touring Literary Mississippi. The homes of William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams are only a small example of what the state has to offer literary fans and serious readers. Buy it... then visit! By Patti Carr Black and Marion Barnwell. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2002. Soft cover. $20.

• My Mississippi . "Few writers have ever approached their native terrains with such an inclusive and compassionate understanding..." (Quote from jacket.) Great gift book. Text by Willie Morris, photos by David Rae Morris. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Hard cover. $40.

• Wilder Mississippi. Incredible – seemingly impossible – photos of Mississippi wildlife by Stephen Kirkpatrick. Text by Marlo Kirkpatrick. New, giftable book. Winner of National Outdoor Book Award. $38.

• A Place Called Mississippi – Collected Narratives. A thick, well-edited volume compiled by editor Marion Barnwell. Combines the writings of Big Bill Broonzy, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and many others to paint a colorful picture of Mississippi past and present. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Soft cover. $18.

• Holt Collier – His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts & the Origin of the Teddy Bear. A fascinating study of this famous African-American Mississippian by Minor Ferris Buchanan. During his life, Collier was at times a slave, a Confederate soldier, an accused murderer and a U.S. President's friend. Telling history of both the man and his home state. Centennial Press of Mississippi. Hard cover, signed. $30.

• Cotton – A 50-Year Pictorial History. The photographes of Harris Barnes. A one-of-a-kind document. A century of photos tells the modern history of King Cotton in Mississippi. Great photos of people, equipment and more show the progress of technology in the field. Nice gift. True Exposures Publishing, Inc. Hard cover, signed. $49.99.

• Music Makers – Portraits & Songs from the Roots of America. Music Maker Relief Foundation founder Tim Duffy's tribute to contemporary country blues performers in the Southern and Eastern United States. Touching photos and stories. Includes excellent compilation CD. Hill Street Press. Hard cover. $35.

• Robert Johnson – Lost & Found. Co-authors Barry Lee Pearson and Bill McCulloch update the much-discussed story of Robert Johnson while paying special attention to proven facts and unproven mythology (my emphasis). The most up-to-date book on the man and the myth. Nice read. University of Illinois Press, 2003. Hard cover. $26.

• The Amazing Secret History of Elmore James. The first and only full-length biography dedicated to the most influential electric slide guitarist of all time. Highly readable account of his life & music that mixes old and new sources/interviews. Includes rare photos of Elmore playing "live." Good size volume with excellent foot notes. By Steve Franz. BlueSource Publishing, 2003. Soft cover. $34.95.

• Mississippi Atlas & Gazetteer. Detailed topographical maps that are perfect for blues tourists, hunters and anyone else who wants to really explore the back roads of Mississippi. By DeLorme. Soft cover. $19.95.

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