Books
A New Book on the Sutherland Springs Shooting Explores Resilience, Forgiveness, and Grace
‘Trust Me’ Tackles Politics, Power, and Perception
Austin author Richard Z. Santos’ debut thriller takes readers behind the scenes of corruption and scandal.
Never become the story. This is the cardinal rule for political campaign staffers, at least according to Charles O’Connell, the protagonist in Richard Z. Sant...Read More
In a New West Texas Novel, Women Kick Ass and Take Names
Set in the 1970s Odessa oil boom, Elizabeth Wetmore’s debut novel, Valentine, is a revelation not for what it explores but for how.
Even though Friday Night Lights has been off the air for years, I’m still needled by one particular scene in an otherwise enjoyable show. In it, ice cream spr...Read More
13 Small Texas Presses to Read Right Now
These 13 Texas-based independent presses and publishers have offered diverse, boundary-pushing literature for years, even decades.
There’s no better time for reading than when you’re curled up in your home. Books offer a retreat from the chaos of the world—something we could all use a...Read More
How Christian Nationalism Moved from the Fringe to the White House
Katherine Stewart’s The Power Worshippers exposes the Christian right’s attempts to revise history and create an American theocracy.
After Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast in 2017, three affected churches sued FEMA, claiming the agency’s policy against providing relief funds ...Read More
In ‘Barn 8,’ an Unsparing Look at the Industrial Chicken Industry
Deb Olin Unferth’s darkly comic novel imagines a chicken heist gone wrong—and takes on the factory farming industry.
The average American eats about 279 eggs each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and that’s no surprise. Eggs are cheap and available ever...Read More
Gabriel García Márquez and the (Comforting) Case for Embracing Failure
A new Austin exhibit reveals how much the acclaimed Colombian writer struggled to make a living and find success.
If you’re a writer on Twitter, there’s a fair chance this letter has popped up on your timeline in the past few days. It’s a rejection from the Ne...Read More
An Incendiary New Book Reveals How Politics in El Paso Are Rigged
Who Rules El Paso? shows how a coterie of rich, primarily white Republicans control local government.
Written by El Paso social justice activists including an attorney, two emeritus professors, and a former county employee, Who Rules El Paso? is the most oblique...Read More
How George Foreman Went From Champion Boxer to Evangelical Grillmaster
No Way but to Fight follows the boxer from a rough childhood in Houston to international sports stardom, peddling grills, and preaching.
In the moments after he lost to Jimmy Young in 1977, George Foreman vomited. His sweating body shook uncontrollably. In the dressing room, Foreman climbed a tab...Read More
17 Great Books on the Border to Read Instead of ‘American Dirt’
There’s no shortage of talented Latinx writers with all kinds of stories to tell. Let’s make space for them.
If you’ve been online in the past few months, you’ve probably seen ads for American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins’ heavily promoted new novel about Mexican-Americ...Read More
