Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Tony Hillerman novels seem to spark my interest a lot
Because his novels are written more of less serially, with the same characters showing up over time and aging as the novels progress, it might be best to try and begin with his earliest and read through to his last. Not necessary, but suggested for someone reading him for the first time.
After his death, his wife published a biography on him that is a good read.
One of the best books I've read recently on Southwestern and New Mexico history is Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides, a writer who lives in Santa Fe. It contains some really interesting accounts of such notables there as Kit Carson, Charles Bent and Chief Narbona. Some excellent older historical works on Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado were written by Morris F. Taylor, a professor at Trinidad State College back in the mid 20th century. Hard to find but worth tracking down as they're loaded with some great but now obscure true stories from the region. Abe books seems to be a good source for used copies.
This is a good early one written by the wife of a trader in Santa Fe:
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-1847
I stayed at this guy's place in Truchas who wrote a book about his re-riding the Santa Fe Trail. Not sure where you can get hold of one but the excerpt on here is a pretty good read:
Another good local author is Robert Mayer. He is having a book signing in Santa Fe at Book Mountain on October 1st. His latest book, "The Origin of Sorrow" is an amazing story of the Rothschilds and the Jewish ghetto of 18th century Frankfurt. I had only read on of his books before, "The Dreams of Ada", a true crime story about a murder in Ada, OK in the 1980's. And the only reason I read that book is I had read "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham, which was also a true crime story about another murder in Ada around the same time. It had many of the same characters (AD, police officers, even the jailhouse snitch was the same in both stories!). It was interesting to read both books.
But about TOOS. It is an amazing book. I don't know where it is available yet. Mayer had to buy bad the rights to the book from an self-publishing house that was screwing him over. I know you can get it on Amazon or at the book signing, but I don't know where else it is available. I didn't know how much I'd like it since I'm not Jewish, but is an engrossing story.
Not a New Mexico-themed book per se, but "They Called Me King Tiger" by Reies Tijerina was quite the interesting read. It gives you an idea how much of Northern New Mexico in the 60s and 70s (one would still argue today even) was so incredibly isolated, societally.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
