Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral
by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays

Price: $19.95

Folks in the Delta have a strong sense of community, and being dead is no impediment to belonging to it. Down south, they don't forget you when you've up and died -- in fact, they visit you more often. But there are quintessential rules and rituals for kicking the bucket tastefully, and having a flawless funeral is one of them.

In this deliciously entertaining slice of Southern life (and death), inveterate hostess Gayden Metcalfe explains everything you need to know to host an authentic Southern funeral, such as: Can you be properly buried without tomato aspic? And who prepares tastier funeral fare, the Episcopal ladies or the Methodist ladies?

Each chapter includes a delicious, tried-and-true Southern recipe you'll need if you plan to die tastefully, including Pickled Shrimp, Aunt Hebe's Coconut Cake, and the ubiquitous Bing Cherry Salad with Coca-Cola.

Even if you've never been south of Rochester, this book will charm, it will entertain, and it will give you all the ingredients for the perfect southern send-off. 243 pages, hardback.