Look for popular publication, Southwest Books of the Year, in early January!

Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.

(TUCSON, Ariz.) – A favorite for readers who stay up late devouring the best of Southwest-themed books, the Library’s 42nd annual Southwest Books of the Year will be available in early January.

You can find your copy at libraries statewide and more than a dozen local and regional stores, including Antigone Books, Clues Unlimited, and all three Bookman’s.

This year’s selections range widely from fiction and mysteries to history, poetry, art, food, and nature writing. As always, it also features some great books for kids.

To whet your literary appetite, here are just a handful of great reads selected by our panelists of voracious consumers of Southwest literature:

  • John Woman, a convention defying novel by bestselling writer Walter Mosley
  • Francisco Cantu’s The Line Becomes a River, named a Top 10 Book of the 2018 by NPR
  • Encantado, a new poetry collection from Pat Mora, founder of the nationally celebrated El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children’s Day, Book Day.

John Woman

The Line Becomes A River

Encantado

The 2018 edition marks the end of era. This year, we bid a fond adieu to long-time panelist Bill Broyles, whose Southwest Books of the Year reviews have delighted readers since 2005. We welcome Gregory McNamee—author, essayists, journalist, and aficionado of all things Southwest—to the review team.

This will be the last edition coordinated by retired librarian, Helene Woodhams. She’ll pass the torch to Margie Trujillo-Farmer, a dedicated librarian who’s been helping customers find the right books—and much more—for more than four decades.

Southwest Books of the Year is made possible by a gift from the Friends of the Pima County Public Library and by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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About Pima County Public Library

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