Five Texas Writers You Should Discover

Five Texas Writers You Should Discover
by Carolynn Waites
May 21, 2014

Seek Out Books by Authors You May Not Know

Whether you are from Texas or elsewhere, who comes to mind when you think of novelists from Texas? Cormac McCarthy? Larry McMurtry? Both are great writers and very well known. Texas is also home to many writers that may not be on best-seller lists or household names. As an avid reader, I enjoy discovering authors that are new to me. Here are five Texas writers that I recommend you add to your reading list.

Tom Abrahams
Tom Abrahams has written only written two books so far, but I highly recommend both books. Allegiance and Sedition are both political thrillers. They are fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat novels with original stories. It is obvious that a lot of research went into the novels. Tom is a news reporter in Houston, and his knowledge of politics and government registers in his books. His first book Allegiance rates over four stars on Goodreads and Sedition rates close to four stars.

Sarah Bird
Sarah Bird is the author of nine novels, with her latest novel Above the East China Sea having been released in May 2014. According to her bio, the readers of the Austin Chronicle voted Sarah as Best Austin Author for the fourth time in 2012. She was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame also in 2012. I have loved every book of hers that I have read, but my recommendations are The Flamenco Academy, The Yokota Officers Club, and The Boyfriend School. All three of these books have earned close to four stars on Goodreads.

Bill Crider
Bill Crider has written more than 50 novels. His novels include several genres, including westerns and horror, but his mysteries are the most popular. Bill’s most popular series with readers is the Sheriff Dan Rhodes Series, which includes 20 novels. I recommend that you start at the beginning with the first in the series Too Late to Die. This book won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Every book in this series has garnered almost four stars on Goodreads. One of his other mystery series is the Carl Burns Series. I recommend One Dead Dean, which was the first book of his I read and it is still one of my favorites.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni currently lives in Houston because she teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. That is why I am familiar with her books, and why I am including her in my list of Texas writers. Chitra has written more than 20 books, most of which average just below four stars on Goodreads. I find her books to be thought provoking and informative. Her three novels that I recommend are One Amazing Thing, The Palace of Illusions, and her most recent book Oleander Girl.

Owen Egerton
Owen Egerton has written three novels and a collection of short stories. All four of these books rate just below or above four stars on Goodreads. His writing is funny, clever, and often filled with dark humor. I recommend his latest book from 2013, Everyone Says That at the End of the World. It was selected as a semi-finalist for the 2014 Thurber Prize for American Humor. I also recommend his novel The Book of Harold: The Illegitimate Son of God and his book of short stories How Best to Avoid Dying: Stories.