An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton

Suspenseful and with a surprising ending, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY by Chanel Cleeton (The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes) is a work of historical fiction and set in the 1960s. The emphasis is on the nascent space program and the lives of test pilots, early astronauts and their families. Cleeton begins with the facts that divorces in the United States at that time were 2.9 for every 1,000 marriages; while “there were thirty-nine married astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Twenty of those marriages ultimately ended in divorce.” And, then she shifts to fiction and the news of a missing spaceship in 1968. Employing frequent flashbacks, she introduces readers to the main characters: Vivian, an aspiring journalist, and Joe, a fighter pilot who has dreams of travelling in space. The most memorable element of this book is the devotion which Viv and Joe have for each other. For the most part, that is beautifully written, but it becomes somewhat repetitive as Cleeton continually emphasizes the tension: “It must be an extraordinary thing to be loved by a man who felt things so deeply, so passionately, that he devoted his life to a vocation with such singularity. Or was his love for flying, for his dreams of space, so great that there was room for little else?” Still, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY not only conveys the love between two people, the historical events and details also invoke many memories of rocket launches and a country’s love affair with space travel in a more hopeful, inspiring time. Discussion questions are included as are references to relevant works like The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger, and Rocket Men by Robert Kurson. Publishers Weekly gave AN INFINITE LOVE STORY a starred review, saying, “Readers won’t want to miss this.”

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

WHISPER CREEK by Allison Brennan (North of Nowhere) is a thriller whose relentless pace will keep readers enthralled. Set in rural Texas during a dangerous rainstorm, this novel relates the story of Ellie McKenna and her four children (high schoolers Jake and Avery, plus tween Lyla and eight-year-old Bobby) who are trying to hold onto the family farm after the recent death of Ellie’s husband, John. It is a daunting task made much more difficult by threats and sabotage from a corporate entity intent on taking over the farm. Mother Nature’s hailstorms and rain add even more obstacles like washed out or flooded roadways, disrupted communications, and power outages. Adding to Ellie’s worries are a heavily pregnant neighbor, her elderly grandmother, and a series of local robberies, one of which resulted in the serious wounding of a neighbor. Danger increases hourly as the storm continues and those criminals threaten both Ellie’s ranch and her family. This stand-alone mystery is full of twists and highly recommended for its action-packed adventure.

A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon

A ZOOM WITH A VIEW by Jess Cannon is an entertaining debut mystery set in small town Blue Oak, Texas and features numerous residents including the local cops (steadfast Jake, a bumbling sheriff, and a couple of other deputies), plus Leonora “Leo” Holloway (who has returned after a long absence), her mother (ditzy hairdresser Karina), and Leo’s long ago boyfriend, Mack Garner. The cast of characters also includes some local influencers and wannabe real estate moguls, Chaz Nickolson and Kymber Owens. Chaz is found murdered, and a rival real estate professional (best friend of Leo’s Mom) is arrested. Suddenly, Leo and her friend Emily, who have been covertly mocking Chaz online for years are local experts and guiding the police towards potential clues. The clever, humorous text is sprinkled with text messages, police memos, blog posts, and Reddit or Facebook entries. Complicating matters are hints of a romantic triangle as well as some long-hidden family secrets. Library Journal sums up A ZOOM WITH A VIEW well: “Readers who enjoy epistolary novels and quirky characters may enjoy this mystery from first-time novelist Cannon.”

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

THE BURNING SIDE by Sarah Damoff is a beautifully written, character-driven story set in Texas and a LibraryReads selection for May 2026. The focus is on April and Leo whose house burns down and whose marriage is falling apart. They have two young children, Sadie and Otto, and move in temporarily with April’s parents, Deb and Billy. The narrative jumps around in time and there are many sad moments and missed opportunities for clearer communication in this book, only intensifying the “feels” and affection for these characters. Deb and Billy have their own poignant story as they adjust to the impact of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, reflecting throughout on their long, not always happy marriage. April and her siblings, Josie (dramatic middle child involved in theater) and Cameron (with girlfriend Rachel) also need to cope with selling the family home (“We live in homes until we leave them, and then they live in us. … I miss it. But we can only return to a place, not a time.”) and decisions about their own Alzheimer testing. There are plenty of issues and shifts in the characters’ reality, but that contributes to the realistic feeling of family life: “It doesn’t go fast, but it will have gone fast.” Having myself just returned from a memorial service for a dear Aunt who loved to read, Deb’s musings resonated: “In a flash, I'll be gone, my own children recalling their favorite things about me in some new house at some new table with some new iteration of family. So I dance now as if time is the music. This, I know, is how you dream. This is how you live forever.”

You Can't Hurry Second Chances by Michelle Stimpson

YOU CAN'T HURRY SECOND CHANCES by Michelle Stimpson is about a new life in small town Texas. Joyce Hicks has finally decided to divorce her husband after thirty years of being unfulfilled in her marriage. She moves away from Austin and settles in her grandmother’s house, but finds that her funds cannot cover all of the needed renovations in a timely manner. Her tenant, Gabriella Santos, is a talented chef who also struggles to see her own self-worth. Together the two of them push and pull each other along until Joyce learns to make decisions (including saying No to her daughter and Yes to a date with an old friend) with more confidence and Gabriella becomes brave enough to showcase her talents in public, leading to a new opportunity. Aspects feel like a coming-of-age story involving adults – with a rather abrupt, but happy ending.

This Land is Your Land by Beverly Gage

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND by Beverly Gage presents “A Road Trip Through U.S. History.” Gage, an award-winning author who teaches American History at Yale, sets out to look at American history by visiting some key locations.  She begins her journey in the Philadelphia area where, of course, the Declaration of Independence was signed. From there, she pursues a rough chronology, visiting presidential homes in Virginia and later Nashville (Andrew Jackson’s adopted hometown).  Subsequent chapters inform readers about the Alamo and central Texas and then upstate New York (focusing on the early to mid 1800s when the Erie Canal and other events contributed to the “Silicon Valley of its day”).  Further stops include The Dakotas, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Alamos, Selma, and even Disneyland.  I found Gage’s writing to be relatively entertaining and even amusing at points. She has a talent for sharing many facts without overwhelming or boring her readers. Gage is right to comment upon negative aspects of American history (e.g., the ownership of enslaved people by many Founding Fathers, treatment of indigenous people, etc.) and I agree with her that “it’s possible to hold both sets of ideas—to know your history and still love your country. Americans can be patriots and critics, citizens and dissenters, all at once.” That openness makes our history more real and relevant, but she seemed to stress these aspects again and again which will be off-putting for some readers. The Wall Street Journal reviewer notes that “the book doesn’t quite deliver on its promise; this ‘warts-and-all’ look at the American past dwells, a bit predictably, on the warts.” Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, called it “a marvelous deep dive into the American psyche.” Hopefully, THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND does spark dialogue and reflection, while increasing interest in visiting many of these locales. By her own count, Gage visited “approximately three hundred historic sites, museums, battlefields, parks, monuments, and roadside attractions.” For added perspective, readers may also want to read or listen to titles such as The Great Contradiction by Joseph J. Ellis, The Agitators by Dorothy Wickenden, or The Last American Road Trip by Sarah Kendzior, but they should also look at the multi-page list of Recommended Reading that Gage has compiled.  In addition, her notes comprise approximately ten percent of the text.

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

To be available on Tuesday, THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave is the sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me and once again (it is five years later) Hannah and Bailey are forced to run to stay safe. This LibraryReads January 2026 Hall of Fame Selection is a very quick read … I had finished thirty percent in just one sitting … and the suspense and plot twists will keep readers engaged. Owen (Hannah’s husband and Bailey’s father) and Nicholas (Bailey’s grandfather) play prominent roles with multiple timelines and perspectives adding to the tension and feeling of trepidation. Another excellent thriller from Laura Dave which will appeal to those who enjoyed Alias Emma, Going Zero, and First Lie Wins.

The Last Man by Thomas Goodman

Selected this month for our local book group, THE LAST MAN by Thomas Goodman has won the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award and the 2024 Western Writers of America Spur Award. While fictional, this is based on real events surrounding the Santa Claus Bank Robbery of 1927 in Cisco, Texas. As the publisher says, “One bandit dies in the getaway. One is executed in the electric chair. One swings from a rope in a mob lynching. The last man finds a life he always hoped for … if only he can keep it.” This is a fascinating look at attitudes towards crime and prisoners in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. In fact, during the 1920s, “an average of four banks were hit each day in Texas.” That resulted in massive awards ($5000 which is $85,000 today) for dead bank robbers and “not a penny” for the capture of a live one. And when the attempted robbery goes violently wrong, with the death of lawmen and kidnapping, emotions run high. Library Journal says, "A captivating and creatively told true-crime novel, perfect for patrons who enjoy stories where truth is stranger than fiction." I especially liked Goodman’s reflection on the individuals and factors that impact our life and on second chances. He writes about the role of our fathers (or father figures) and about how we can each be there for someone else, concluding “All their joys and sorrows were precious scenes woven together in a tapestry far larger than any one solitary life.”

The Story of My Anger by Jasminne Mendez

The aptly titled THE STORY OF MY ANGER by Jasminne Mendez has been published just in time for Banned Book Week (Oct. 5 to 11, 2025). Mendez writes about Yuli, a Texas high school junior and young woman of color, who is struggling to be seen, to find her voice, and to use her anger in a constructive manner. She and her friends (Aleeyah, Ty, and Madison) have bonded over their love of theater and music despite not being cast for leading roles in the local school plays, like Our Town. (At one point, Yuli muses: … but if Black girls like me/are never given the chance/ to play the part of Emily/how are we ever expected to feel/like we're a part of this great/American story?) In addition to using poetry and verse, including haiku (It's not my skin that's/a problem, it's their lack of/imagination.), Mendez also employs stage directions and play structure to help set the scenes. In this way, readers learn that the friends value Mr. G and the way his Ethnic Studies class introduces them to a variety of authors (like Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, or Yuli’s favorite, Ntozake Shange) and viewpoints. The classmates are understandably upset and frustrated when the classroom library is removed by the administration, and they stage a protest and petition to get the books re-instated. Tensions escalate and emotions flare for Yuli, her activist brother, and supportive Mami. Based in part on events from 2012, THE STORY OF MY ANGER received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus (“A compelling drama with a firecracker protagonist that stuns with its strikingly beautiful writing”). Jasminne Mendez is Pura Belpré Honor Award recipient and a Dominican-American poet, playwright and author of several books for children and adults. The Spanish language edition of THE STORY OF MY ANGER will be available in mid-November. I read this very engaging story in a day. Highly recommended.

The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward

THE LIFEGUARDS by Amanda Eyre Ward is by a local Texas author and has an Austin (Barton Springs and Zilker Park) setting. The story revolves around the title characters - three fifteen-year-old boys - and their parents. Sadly, none of the adult characters are especially likeable and everyone makes poor choices again and again. A body is found, bringing suspicion onto the trio and soon both police and lawyers are involved. The sense of entitlement and false friendship is almost nauseating; unfortunately, it is not unique to Austin and this could have taken place in any affluent, privileged community. What are we modeling for our children when they seem wiser than the parents? The adult insecurities and immaturity are captured perfectly and Ward adds an extra twist before quickly resolving the plot. This is the second novel I read by her and they seem to have a dark, menacing aspect, although I found The Same Sky to be more issue-oriented.

Guide Me Home by Attica Locke

GUIDE ME HOME by Attica Locke is the third book in the Highway 59 series which began with award-winning Bluebird, Bluebird. No doubt it would have been better to have read the entire series in order, but this one (a selection for one of my book groups) was an engaging, quick read and worked fairly well as a stand-alone. The main character is Darren Mathews, a Black man in East Texas who has just resigned his role as a Texas Ranger. Locke fills in some of the backstory regarding Darren’s dysfunctional relationship with his mother and estrangement with the uncle who raised him. When a young Black girl, Sera Fuller, goes missing from a local college campus, Darren tries to find answers, leading to his harassment by the police force at a company town called Thornhill. As readers try to piece together the events surrounding her disappearance, they are also drawn into the shifting relationship between Darren and his mother. Darren also provides frequent commentary on the current political situation, for example: “He wondered what those kids marching for civil rights, marching against Vietnam, would have made of the country today. Wondered which wounded the soul more, living in a country that had never kept any of its promises or seeing America's capacity for good catch wind and fly for a while, only to come crashing back down.” GUIDE ME HOME is a story full of principle, heartache, and forgiveness. It received a starred review from Booklist (“exceptional writing, pivotal character evolution, and a baffling mystery”). 

Where You're Planted by Melanie Sweeney

WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED by Melanie Sweeney was a fun read, but contained a bit too much physical description of some romantic trysts. I kept wondering about the reader to whom I would feel comfortable recommending this title. The story itself is poignant, especially given the recent events in the Texas Hill Country, with a public library branch and a local garden impacted by a hurricane. There is some initial friction, but the two organizations really learn to lean into each other’s strengths. Similarly, the characters challenge themselves to think and act differently. Library Head Tansy and new Garden Director Jack provide alternating viewpoints and move the story forward, with one remarking, “I wasted years believing my own lie. Years I'll never get back. And if that's how it had to happen for me to get here with you, then fine, but I didn't have to be so goddamned afraid.” Discussion questions are provided as well as a heartfelt note from the author about her own family’s experiences after a hurricane in the Houston area.

Far and Away by Amy Poeppel

FAR AND AWAY by Amy Poeppel is a very clever, fun read even though the situation seems quite implausible at first… who gets drunk (or almost drunk) and agrees to an international house swap without a pretty thorough vetting? Well, readers should let that go and just enjoy the antics of the many characters in this delightful commentary on family life, motherhood, and marriage as well as the cultural differences between the United States (especially Dallas) and Germany (Berlin). The house swap is agreed between Greta (art curator, wife to an underappreciated German scientist named Otto, and mother to Emmi, about to head off to an internship in New York and then to college) and Lucy, (interior designer, wife to Max, a NASA scientist temporarily incommunicado, and mother to high school senior Jack and 8-year old twins Alice and Zoe). The cast would not be complete, though, without the in-laws, neighbors, and co-workers, all of whom contribute to misunderstandings in this “comedy of errors” where “it means there can be more than one version of the same story.” FAR AND AWAY is a truly heart-warming tale that will have readers looking for more titles by Amy Poeppel. An amusing and charming summer read! 

One note: I am glad that I read the preview as an eBook and could easily translate German phrases (e.g., So schnell wie möglich, bitte or Du machst keinen Sinn) even though the author gives context clues. In a recent interview Poeppel explained her choice of locales: “This was a chance for me to write a little love letter to Dallas and to Berlin… to just express some of the things that I love the most about both places and what I miss the most ...” 

Lost in Austin by Alex Hannaford

LOST IN AUSTIN by Alex Hannaford is all about “The Evolution of an American City” which has seen phenomenal growth since Hannaford first arrived around the turn of the century. Hannaford, an award-winning podcaster and journalist, outlines Austin’s distinctive history and shares impressions from longtime residents. Our “Texas My Texas” book group will be discussing this title and one member has already remarked, “I expected this book to be very dry, but instead found many interesting observations.” Hannaford does adopt a somewhat academic tone and includes many negative comments about growth, infrastructure, racism, gentrification, and climate change. However, his comments will prompt much discussion, including questions like:

• Is Austin [still] a frontier town? Was it ever?
• Is Austin still "the live music capital of the world"? Why or why not? 
• The city has seen dramatic growth in population (and property prices, taxes, and rents...); it is number 11 in terms of size of US cities, yet 181 in terms of density How has that contrast impacted its "culture"? 

I am curious as to whether readers feel that his observations about climate change ("we weren't getting a spring or fall any more, just stiflingly hot summers that lasted from April to November") are accurate.  He writes at length about issues of affordability, also addressed in this KVUE report. Hannaford opines “in the decades since the era of LBJ and Governor Ann Richards, Texas had succeeded in creating an ‘anti-California culture,’ which has alienated highly educated people working in innovative technology that Austin had fought so hard to encourage to the city.” It certainly makes one wonder whether "transplants" are welcome in Texas or in Austin currently. Hannaford clearly misses the Austin he once knew, but I do wonder to what extent he is mourning the changes in Austin versus mourning the changes in himself as he ages, or perhaps both. Kirkus summarizes LOST IN AUSTIN by saying, “the ultimate impression is that of a city steadily losing its distinctiveness and livability. A model of first-rate reportage.” For more on Hannaford’s observations, see the reviews in Texas Monthly, local station KXAN, and Los Angeles Review of Books.  Additional perspective on famous Texans and how Texas has changed over time is provided in Lone Stars Rising from Texas Monthly.

Some relevant resources include images of changes to the Austin Skyline and a series of before and after photos, both from The Austin Statesman. The newspaper also published a pictorial review of 38 years of SXSW.

The Texas Native Plant Primer by DeLong-Amaya

THE TEXAS NATIVE PLANT PRIMER by Andrea DeLong-Amaya provides valuable information about “225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.” DeLong-Amaya, the Director of Horticulture who oversees the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s gardens and nursery programs, has decades of experience and offers numerous suggestions. The first part of her text defines native plants and discusses growing or using them. One comment which struck me was: “I'm thrilled to have a platform to highlight standard reliable garden workhorses, and with luck, pique some excitement for the lesser knowns of the bunch. Some of these currently allude the trade and I invite you to share your interests and requests with your local growers and garden retailers.” I wish local gardens, as helpful as they try to be, had more reference materials like this one. The photographs of plants and wildlife (including birds, mammals, and hummingbirds) are beautiful.  DeLong-Amaya includes a helpful map showing ten “Vegetational Areas of Texas.” What follows is a series of Plant Profiles with a photo, plus names, size, flowers, duration, light/soil/moisture requirements, habitat/ranges, and wildlife attractions. Those are divided into the following sections: Groundcovers and Turf, Perennials and Annuals, Grasses, Cacti and Other Succulents, Shrubs and Small Trees, Large Trees, and Vines. However, I wish there were more charts and that all of these profiles could be searchable (like the Native Plant Database). Imagine asking for a colorful, flowering, low maintenance plant which grows well in full sun on the Edwards Plateau, attracts pollinators, and tolerates cold. I have planted for the last two years, and did find a page on Silver Ponyfoot (love the name and appearance, but it struggles to winter over), but had to browse through almost all of the entries trying to find lantanas since the index was not provided in the preview. DeLong-Amaya could definitely strengthen this text by providing a sampling of suggested combinations for each of the vegetational areas – her readers would gladly browse the book to learn more and to personalize choices according to their situation. A bibliography is included.  

Death of a Healing Woman by Allana Martin

DEATH OF A HEALING WOMAN by Allana Martin is a mystery story featuring Texana Jones which was originally published in the early 1990s. Martin, a native Texan and rancher, clearly loves the area and its people. Texana runs a trading post near the US-Mexico border in rural Presidio County. One day, while delivering supplies, she finds the body of a curandera, an older healing woman, named Rhea Fair. The novel continues as Texana attempts to find a murderer – she travels as far as San Antonio and back and forth across the border while also supporting her husband, the local vet, in combatting a rabies outbreak. I truly enjoyed the multifaceted mystery and its many references to culture, food, celebrations, and language. I would like to read more in this series, but they are hard to find since it's been about 30 years since they were published. That time difference is reflected also in the attitudes about border crossings and towards community members, perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the book from my point of view.

They Came for the Schools by Mike Hixenbaugh

It seems fitting to honor the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision Brown v Board of Education (May 17, 1954) with a review of THEY CAME FOR THE SCHOOLS by Mike Hixenbaugh in which he writes about “One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.” Hixenbaugh’s credentials are impressive: senior investigative reporter for NBC News, named a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and won a Peabody Award for his reporting on the battle over race, gender, and sexuality in American classrooms. His debut is extremely well-written, if disturbing, as he skillfully details a history of school composition and curriculum restrictions in the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, a Dallas suburb. By requiring large lots for housing, Southlake had essentially screened for wealth and race so that “three decades after Brown, America’s schools had effectively resegregated, perhaps not explicitly based on race, but according to wealth, geography, and social status.” Moving forward in time, Hixenbaugh recounts how a 2018 viral video with a racial slur prompted district officials to take action to establish a diversity program and the resulting backlash. Much of this has been presented in Hixenbaugh’s podcast: Southlake, critiqued here in Texas Monthly. His book also describes situations in Virginia, Florida and other states; plus, he chronicles the impact of national politics (and neighborhood PACs) on local school board elections and actions. There is a section on book bans: “without fail, parents leading this new phase of school board activism reported that they were merely fighting to shield their children from graphic sexual content that violated their family’s values. But many parents and activists were conflating references to gender identity and sexual orientation with sex and pornography.” Hixenbaugh is unflinching in presenting tough situations and the blow to quality teaching and to student well-being. His research is evident (roughly fifteen percent of the text is devoted to notes and bibliographic references) and this book deserves a wide readership.

Other commentary on THEY CAME FOR THE SCHOOLS:  The Washington Post review says, “This razor-sharp book is the masterful culmination of years of reportage.” And Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, remarking, “an extraordinarily detailed analysis of current conservative thought and political activity.” But the most succinct is from Booklist, “This is a frightening but all too real piece of reporting, and belongs in every library.”

Disillusioned by Benjamin Herold

Described as “a powerful account of the intersection of race, housing, education, and injustice in America,” DISILLUSIONED by Benjamin Herold is the product of four years of thoughtful research and writing. Herold is a prolific journalist with a master’s degree in urban education and he brings that expertise to a study of five families, the suburbs where they live, and their schools. They are geographically and, to some extent, culturally, diverse:  the Becker family from Lucas, Texas, Robinsons from Gwinnett, Georgia, Adesina family from Evanston, Illinois, Smiths from Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, and Hernandez family from Compton, California. However, Herold points to commonalities: the history of “white flight” and “red-lining” discrimination; the dreams and pursuit of a better life; and the more recent reality of high taxes and fragile infrastructures, with a special emphasis on school districts. He skillfully employs personal anecdotes as well as surprising statistics. For example, he notes that for suburbs “white people went from 79% of the population in 1990 to just 55% three decades later.” Those demographic shifts are also outlined in a 2022 report from The Brookings Institution. DISILLUSIONED received a starred review from Kirkus (“ambitious narrative about the simmering inequities in American suburbs”) and this title appeared on The Washington Post’s list of “10 noteworthy books for January.” Herold’s own essay in Kappan Online provides an overview. Interested readers may also wish to turn to Dream Town by Laura Meckler, The Injustice of Place, or even Our Hidden Conversations by Michele Norris.