It’s summer and we’re deep in “beach read” season. Whether that beach is real or imaginary, there are tons of new books for you to enjoy. Here’s the latest written by Nevadans or about Nevada.
NONFICTION
Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show by Richard Zoglin ($28). In this book, a New York City author and Time magazine contributor separates the myth from the man, and examines how both Elvis and Vegas evolved together.
Then One Day...: 40 Years of Bookmaking in Nevada by Chris Andrews ($20). Get the inside scoop on a Vegas gambling tradition with this memoir by a longtime legal bookmaker who’s now the director of the South Point sportsbook.
Blackjack Insiders: How Two Pit Bosses Beat the Casinos at Their Own Game by Andrew Uyal ($20). For a bit of action, follow this story of two pit bosses who decide to make their fortune counting cards.
Lost Restaurants of Henderson, Nevada by Sharon Ann Damon ($22). A Henderson-based author delves into the culinary history of the Southern Nevada city in this installment of the publisher’s “American Palate” series.
FICTION
The Gates of Eden by Nadene LeCheminant ($14). Even though it takes place in Southern Utah, this historical novel so encompasses the Western spirit, we just had to include it here. Inspired by the life of the author’s ancestor, The Gates of Eden explores Mormon polygamy in the 1850s as seen through the eyes of young pioneer Josephine Bell.
Life Is a Country Western Song by H. Lee Barnes ($17). Now based in Northern Arizona, Barnes touched countless lives as a creative writing instructor at CSN. Check out the prolific, award-winning author’s 12 latest short stories in this collection of contemporary Western tales.
Give It to the Grand Canyon by Noah Cicero ($13). In this new novel by the Las Vegas-based author, a young man takes a cashier job at the Grand Canyon, where he seeks healing from heartbreak.
POETRY & ESSAYS
Bougainvillea by Elizabeth Quiñones-Zaldaña ($12, out August 20). Don’t miss this debut poetry collection by a UNLV grad. She’ll be reading from it on August 30 at the Writer’s Block.
Along These Trails by Rodney Lee ($20, out August 16). The Vegas poet and educator presents a collection of poetry and photography chronicling the Native American and African American histories of Las Vegas.
Because the Light Will Not Forgive Me: Essays From a Poet by Shaun T. Griffin ($28). This poet, activist and member of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame turns his pen toward the essay in a book that Publisher’s Weekly says “reveal(s) the complexities and spirit of poets and poems.”
