Above: Photograph by Clay Banks/Unsplash.
The Shadow Crosser
J.C. Cervantes (Rick Riordan Presents)
The final installment in the Las Cruces–based author’s Zane Obispo trilogy of Mayan myth, which has delighted YA readers.
Head Wounds
Michael McGarrity (Norton)
The 14th and final outing for fictional lawman Kevin Kerney bursts with nonstop action and a vicious drug cartel.
Scenic Driving New Mexico: Exploring the State’s Most Spectacular Back Roads
Laurent Parent (Globe Pequot)
This update of Parent’s popular book details 35 drives and adds glorious full-color photos from throughout the state.
Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico
Heather L. Moulton (Arcadia)
Features a starter set of 10 old cemeteries, from the Fort Sumner resting place of Billy the Kid to the graves of land barons, miners, soldiers, and politicians.
Send a Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk
Jim Kristofic and Edison Eskeets (UNM Press)
A lyrical account of Eskeets’ 2018 run from Canyon de Chelly to Santa Fe in commemoration of his Diné ancestors’ Long Walk, an 1860 atrocity.
Restoring Our Ancestors’ Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness
Devon A. Mihesuah (Choctaw) (University of Nebraska Press)
Mihesuah delves into how Native diets changed after contact and must change again to improve health outcomes.
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass
Leticia Chambers (Museum of New Mexico Press)
This gorgeous book accompanies an exhibit of the same name at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, which explores the finesse of Native glassworkers.
Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer
Jamie Figueroa (Afro-Taíno) (Catapult)
This celebrated debut novel tells a fable-like story set in a fictional version of Santa Fe.
The Gospel According to Billy the Kid
Dennis McCarthy (UNM Press)
This novel starts with an audacious premise: Pat Garrett killed someone else, and New Mexico’s favorite outlaw went on to further adventures throughout the state.
Overhaul: A Social History of the Albuquerque Locomotive Repair Shops
Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint (UNM Press)
A historical overview of the industrial sites that changed the demographics of Albuquerque—and now await a crucial redevelopment.
The Removed
Brandon Hobson (Cherokee) (Soho Press)
Hobson, a writing teacher at New Mexico State University and the Institute of American Indian Arts, mixes fantasy and reality while following a fictional family enduring a contemporary trauma, and weaves in the story of the Trail of Tears.
Stargazer
Anne Hillerman (Harper)
The latest Navajo Nation mystery in the beloved series begun by Tony Hillerman, Anne’s father, this tale blends murder, astronomy, and a magical sacred site.
Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies
George Oxford Miller (Adventure Publications)
A master class in everything from soil to plant choices for creating a natural landscape that helps pollinators.
New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian
Freddie J. Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli (Abrams)
Part cookbook, part anthropological journey through tribal traditions, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the intersection of people and cuisine.
Bosque: Poems
Michelle Otero (UNM Press)
The former poet laureate of Albuquerque sings about the Río Grande, goddesses, abuelas, heroes, and broken men.