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It’s the holiday season, and you’re going to the mall anyway, so how about stuffing a stocking with these new Christmas albums?

Diamond Rio, The Star Still Shines
These guys must love A Charlie Brown Christmas as much as we do, presenting both “Christmas Time Is Here” and an instrumental jam, “Christmas Is Coming.”

Toby Keith, A Classic Christmas
A generous helping of religious songs on one disc and secular singalongs on the other, this is Toby Keith’s second Christmas package, following a batch of originals in 1995.

Larry the Cable Guy, Christmastime in Larryland
Somebody has spiked the holiday punch lines. Listen to this one when the kids aren’t around. There’s a DVD version, as well.

Raul Malo, Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites
If your favorite thing to open at Christmas is another bottle of vodka, shake up your holiday party with this disc. “Feliz Navidad” is always a kick.

Martina McBride, White Christmas
A blend of solemn hymns and perky holiday favorites, this reissued disc adds four new songs to its wish list. It’s wrapped in a new album cover, too.

Mindy Smith, My Holiday
The sensitive, spiritual songwriter turns in a quiet, soothing Christmas disc with a few new songs. Alison Krauss harmonizes on “Away in a Manger.”

Taylor Swift, Sounds of the Season
Thanks to this teen star, a new generation of sensitive girls may discover the melancholy but oh-so-melodic “Last Christmas.” She also includes two original holiday songs.

Pam Tillis, Just in Time for Christmas
You don’t have to see her Christmas show at Opryland Hotel to buy this lovely CD, but if you can somehow get to Nashville, an irresistibly warm and fuzzy feeling awaits you.

Randy Travis, Songs of the Season
He wraps his rich baritone around “O Holy Night,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Joy to the World,” along with a new song he wrote, “Our King.”

Conway Twitty, A Twismas Story
The country legend loaded up the sleigh with squeaky Twitty Birds for a holiday album released in 1983. After growing up with the kid-friendly album, Twitty’s granddaughter is now featured on the CD reissue.

Various Artists, Hear Something Country - Christmas
Carrie Underwood asks, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” We sure do — Christmas songs from Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Kellie Pickler and many more.

Various Artists, Mary Did You Know?: 17 Inspirational Christmas Songs From Today’s Top Country Artists
Josh Turner, Joe Nichols and LeAnn Rimes are among the country stars inspired to share the true meaning of Christmas. Wynonna and Kenny Rogers sing the title track.

Editor’s note: Trace Adkins‘ new album, American Man, Greatest Hits Volume II, will be released Dec. 4, but he’s also getting national media attention for his first book, A Personal Stand

Roughneck. In this excerpt, the third chapter of the book, Adkins shares memories of his early days in Louisiana.

I Came Here to Live: Growing Up in Sarepta

I grew up in a town where tough was a cigarette and a souped-up car on a county road. — “I Came Here to Live” (from Dangerous Man)

I grew up in Sarepta, Louisiana. Population 924. Three years ago, they finally replaced the flashing red and yellow light with a brand-new traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 371 and Highway 2. Sarepta is located about forty miles northeast of Shreveport and ten miles south of the Arkansas line. The next-closest town is Springhill, population 5,000, seven miles north up Highway 371 (as a matter of fact, I was born in the hospital there). Sarepta is a “dry” town, so to this day, you still have to drive to Springhill to buy any alcohol.

Geographically and culturally, Louisiana can be cut up into three different slices. The northwest corner of the state is a North Texas-type environment where the economy is based on oil, timber and cattle. Northeast Louisiana is river bottom, a lot like Mississippi and southeastern Arkansas, with lots of farming and agriculture. Southern Louisiana is Cajun-influenced, with cities like New Orleans, New Iberia, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Baton Rouge. (Other Louisiana natives may disagree, but don’t pay any attention to them.)

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