At the Table of Greatness
Inspiration From the Coffee Tables of Amazing Women
Most books are ones we read in solitude and select with little regard to others’ opinions. The coffee table book, however, is of quite a different nature. These selections are inviting, intending to be perused (or at least skimmed) by guests and residents alike. Perhaps they are chosen as a way to say something about yourself. Or maybe their presence can help you discern something about others. Either way, the coffee table read is a statement.
This week, we will take a peek inside the homes of some amazing southern women who share their selections with us.
Delight in Detail with Winona
of Nashville, Tennessee
It's not quite accurate to call Ross Gay's The Book of Delights my coffee table book, because truthfully, wherever I am in my house or in the world, it tends to follow me and always be within arm's reach (can you see the fingerprints on the top of it?! Proof I've often carried it to the kitchen table!). Every day for a year, the poet Ross Gay wrote a short essay about something delightful -- his topics include everything from espresso cups to figs to the way two people sometimes carry a shopping bag between them, one handle in each hand. The result is a beautifully intimate little book, full of gratitude and detail and loving attention. I treat this book like an oracle deck, a compass, a bible study: I love opening it to a random page, reading a few lines or a few pages, and remembering that magic is everywhere. All we have to do is notice it.
Meet Winona
Winona Dimeo-Ediger is a writer who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the co-founder of RoleCall, a company that helps growing cities attract new residents through authentic storytelling and personal connection. The number of times she's seen Celine Dion in concert would probably shock you.
Level Up with Destiny
of savannah, Georgia
There are two sayings that I engraved in my head about reading. "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one" and "It is what you read when don't have to that determines what you will be". I find it hard to pick faves, but these five books have made the biggest impact on my life. I Am Restored fed my faith, Think and Grow Rich provided a paradigm shift. Will Smith encouraged my creativity. One Small Step Can Change Your Life told me every little step counts and Becoming reminds me to constantly learn from myself.
Meet Destiny
My name is Destiny, the Savannah native and nomadic southerner on a path to seeing the world and owning it! The Nomadic Southerner blog is still home to trips and travels around the country and world, but also captures the adventure that can be explored right here in the 912.
Check out Destiny’s Instagram and Facebook to stay in touch.
Get Creative with Liz
of gulfport, Mississippi
For me, books get the cobwebs of self doubt, intrusive thoughts, general distractions in life blown away, and refresh my mind. It's something I can focus on, and feel productive with.
On my table, I have Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson because I like to have a fictional book (usually fantasy) to wind down. A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent is a book that helps me grow spiritually, and is a great tool to redirect my focus and entire being toward gratitude and thanksgiving to God for His great gift of salvation. Labor with Hope by Gloria Furman helps me to see the themes of my spiritual journey in everyday life. It's a great read to help me look for the joy in sacrificial love that comes by way of serving my family.
I like to output as much as I input, resulting in a lot of journaling and sketching to solidify the information I'm absorbing. So using a creative outlet is more than just expression to me, it's partly how I process information. I also draw or paint just for fun, like I've done with the fore edge painting you see on The Way Of Kings!
Meet Liz
I'm a super introvert that loves books and painting. So I've played matchmaker and married the two, and now I'm a fore edge painter. Married to the best man I've ever met, and mother to 4 small children, I live among the MOST beautiful chaos and mayhem. But books are my quiet cove.
Reflect with Jennie
of Forsyth, Georgia
I’ve got several coffee table books on our entry table. We spend lots of time on our front porch so I love seeing them as we come and go. Life In the Studio by Frances Palmer is my favorite and sits on top. It’s a beautiful book full of stunning pictures of her pottery, flowers and even some recipes and beekeeping info. She’s such an inspiring creative so studying her art and process is amazing. Two other books were gifted by my mother - an architecture book on the houses of W. Elliott Dunwoody (given when I bought my first home in Savannah) and a book of Georgia’s rural churches (given when we lived in Denver as a reminder of our southern roots). And of course I have a book of photos from our wedding; a lovely reminder of an amazing day.
Meet Jennie
I was born and raised in middle Georgia but took a 20 year hiatus before returning in the summer of 2020 with my husband and two young children. I’ve always loved books and was excited for the opportunity to open a tiny bookshop at the Makers Mart of Old Mill Market in Forsyth. It’s been so fun to chat with other book lovers and get to meet so many folks.
Keep up with Jennie’s books by visiting her store’s Instagram page.
Count Your Blessings with Rachelle
of Macon, Georgia
Not only am I a mama’s girl, I am a grandmama’s girl. I love celebrating the strong women in my life whose resiliency, talent, and passion continue to be an inspiration. Though I tend to rotate my coffee table books depending on my reading mood, my newest addition of Extraordinary Mothers & Daughters by Emily Freidenrich is my current favorite. The stories of amazing mother-daughter duos bring me joy. I am blessed to have strong, present matriarchs in my life and this book reminds me to cherish it.
Meet Rachelle
I am the daughter of Tasha and granddaughter of Dessa. Hoping to make them proud, I strive to practice kindness and gratitude daily.
My passion is to tell the stories of amazing women, which includes my own story. As life has taken me through its inherent ups and downs, each experience has refined my understanding and empathy.
In 2019 I launched this website, The Southern Siren, to share my journey towards wholeness and to highlight the impressive women that surround me. I believe that for too long, women have allowed others to tell our stories and define our experiences for us. Own the narrative is the Southern Siren’s rallying cry, one I hope will become as natural for us as our heartbeat.
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