Editor's note: Each month we see lots of books. Some of the curiouser arrivals are featured in this space.

Dixie Before Disney:
100 Years of Roadside Fun
By Tim Hollis
University Press of Mississippi, $20
ISBN 1578061180

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We will never (even after years of therapy) forget our first trip to Dog Patch, U.S.A. -- that idyllic southern theme park in the Ozarks. We were frightened by the "hillbillies" even though we knew that they were really just aspiring actors in tattered costumes. But still, something drew us to that place -- and it wasn't just the candy.

With Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Fun, Tim Hollis offers a wonderful, nostalgic look at Southern tourist spots. Part history and part scrapbook, Hollis's exploration of southern travel will transport you to a simpler time -- a time when you could stop at a Stuckey's and get a back scratcher, full tank of gas, pecans, and fireworks for around $10.

This is one trip you won't want to miss.