Books

17 Great Books on the Border to Read Instead of ‘American Dirt’

by Rose Cahalan | Thu, Jan 23, 2020 at 11:22 CST

There’s no shortage of talented Latinx writers with all kinds of stories to tell. Let’s make space for them.

by Robyn Ross

A Bold New Memoir Struggles to Reconcile Faith and Feminism

Cameron Dezen Hammon’s memoir asks how many ways there are to be a Christian woman—and explores the sexism deeply embedded in evangelical churches.

Mon, Oct 21, 2019 |

When Cameron Dezen Hammon first becomes a Christian at age 26, she tries to make sense of historical conflicts like the Crusades. How can God be good when his h...Read More

Janis Joplin, pictured here in New York City in 1969, embraced a bohemian appearance and style.

by Karl Richter

Janis Joplin’s Inimitable Voice

An authoritative new biography explores what drove the iconic Texan singer.

Thu, Oct 17, 2019 |

Texas-born rock icon Janis Joplin has been one of American culture’s most compelling figures for more than 50 years, in large part because of the intrigue she...Read More

The bell tower of the historic Ysleta mission.

by Daniel Peña

Sergio Troncoso’s New Book Is a Beautiful Meditation on the Borderlands

A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant’s Son reminds readers that the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, so frequently flattened and stereotyped, are as personal as they are political.

Wed, Oct 16, 2019 |

In the opening lines of Sergio Troncoso’s new collection of linked short stories, A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant’s Son, our narrator, David, stands in front o...Read More

by Adam Soto

Short Story Contest Finalist: ‘The Prize’

In this dreamlike tale, a struggling poet sabotages the contest he’s judging.

Thu, Oct 10, 2019 |

Fernando A. Flores, guest judge for our 2019 short story contest, says his favorite stories are those that “take some kind of risk, strive for something great...Read More

by Glorie Martinez

‘How the Gringos Stole Tequila’ Tells the Complex Story of Mexico’s Favorite Spirit

Amid corporate buyouts, environmental threats, and cultural appropriation, can tequila keep its ties to the land?

Tue, Oct 8, 2019 |

How the Gringos Stole Tequila is the sort of book title that speaks for itself. “It was kind of tongue-in-cheek,” author and culinary travel writer Chantal ...Read More

Description of events & information that accompany the Red Bedroom diorama: Reported to Nutshell Laboratories, Thursday, June 29, 1944. Marie Jones, a prostitute, was discovered dead by her landlady, Mrs. Shirley Flanagan. Mrs. Shirley Flanagan was questioned and gave the following statement: On the morning of Thursday, June 29, 1944, she passed the open door of Marie’s room and called out “hello”. When she did not receive a response, she looked in and found the conditions as shown in the model. Jim Green, a boyfriend and client of Marie’s, had come in with Marie the afternoon before. Mrs. Flanagan didn’t know when he had left. As soon as she found Marie’s body she telephoned the police who later found Mr. Green and brought him in for questioning. Mr. Green gave the following statement to police: He met Marie on the sidewalk the afternoon of June 28, and walked with her to a nearby package store where he bought two bottles of whiskey. They then went to her room where they sat smoking and drinking for some time. Marie, sitting in the big chair, got very drunk. Suddenly, without any warning, she grabbed his open jackknife which he had used to cut the string around the package containing the bottles. She ran into the closet and shut the door. When he opened the door he found her lying as represented by the model. He left the house immediately after that.

by Taylor Prewitt

What Does Our Fascination with True Crime Say About Us?

Rachel Monroe’s Savage Appetites asks why true-crime stories are so popular, even while they risk exploitation.

Mon, Oct 7, 2019 |

True crime has never been more popular. The 2014 hit podcast Serial ignited a burgeoning genre whose recent entries include Netflix shows (Making a Murderer, Un...Read More

by Jess Smith

Short Story Finalist: ‘The After Party’

In Jess Smith’s tense and troubling story, a wedding party turns dark.

Thu, Oct 3, 2019 |

Fernando A. Flores, guest judge for our 2019 short story contest, says his favorite stories are those that “take some kind of risk, strive for something great...Read More

by Steven G. Kellman

‘Big Wonderful Thing’ Valianty Fits Much of Texas History Into a Single Book

Stephen Harrigan forgoes a sweeping narrative and instead opts for finely etched anecdotes to explain the state’s epic history.

Mon, Sep 30, 2019 |

Alaska leads in area, California in population, but Texas surpasses all other states in swagger, strut, and self-regard. This (partly) explains why the catalo...Read More

by Michael Schaub

In This Twisted Coming-of-Age Tale, the Monsters in the Closet Are Real

Set in a creepier version of North Texas, Shaun Hamill's debut novel is equal parts beautiful and terrifying.

Tue, Sep 17, 2019 |

“My family is spectacularly bad at endings,” admits Noah Turner, the narrator of Shaun Hamill’s A Cosmology of Monsters. “We never handle them with grac...Read More