The Observer Recommends 10 Texas Books of 2021
From correcting the record on racism and Texas history, to queer love on the border, to the #MeToo movement in federal courts, we rounded up some of our favorite books this year.
Reviews
‘On the Porch’ Celebrates Terlingua and Its Residents
Deep in a mountainous landscape, West Texas-born musician W. Chase Peeler stumbles upon a gold mine of music makers who prefer life off the grid.
One Hundred Years Ago, A Flood Reshaped San Antonio. A New Book Shows How Little Has Changed.
Char Miller’s 'West Side Rising’ delves into the man-made side of the 1921 flood.
Dallas’ Hidden History of Terror
A 34-year-old old book set for re-release unearths a painful past with poignant provocation.
A New Book About a Little-Known West Texas Power Plant is Important but Dense
“The West Texas Power Plant that Saved the World” makes a thoughtful but tedious case that we can harness capitalism to stem climate change.
New Book of Poems and Essays Is a Posthumous Love Letter to the Texas Hill Country
At its best, “The Shimmering Is All There Is” invites readers to partake in a deep communion with the natural world.
‘Inflamed’ Shows How An Unjust World Is Making Us Sick
A new book from UT Austin research professor Raj Patel and UC San Francisco physician Rupa Marya argues that our bodies, our society, and our planet are inflamed.
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A Moving Debut Chronicles a Queer Coming-of-Age in Midland
Logen Cure’s poetry collection is an ode to the West Texas town.
In ‘Al Norte,’ a Through Line of Transience That Is Still True Today
Juan Palomo offers thoughtful, compelling language to tell the story of his migrant family in his debut book of poetry.
‘Forget the Alamo’ Unravels a Texas History Made of Myths, or Rather, Lies
Three Texan authors build on a long tradition of dissent from patriotic accounts of Texas history in a new book on the racism baked into our story of the Alamo.