Nikki Dolson
Who: The author of the novel All Things Violent and the story collection Love and Other Criminal Behavior. Dolson’s stories have appeared in Vautrin, TriQuarterly, Tough and ThugLit, and her story “Neighbors” was selected to Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Follow her on Twitter @nikkidolson or at nikkidolson.com.
Current Read: Old Man Writer: A Bishop Rider Book by Beau Johnson
The conclusion to the Bishop Rider series. Each installment is a collection of vignettes that together tell the story of the titular character’s mission to end the lives of terrible people. But as the years pass, Rider begins to wonder if the work will ever truly be finished.
Dolson says: “It’s a super pulpy, gory crime stories. It’s bad people meeting bad ends. Jordan himself is a TV scriptwriter, so this is his ground. … The characters May and Chris are living and breathing, and Jordan gets you in there and you’re running alongside them.”
All-Time Fave: Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston
A collection of stories following smart, independent women looking for the love of a good man. The issue? Those men are hard to pin down.
Dolson says: “It’s a phenomenal book about being young and single and trying to figure out where you belong in the world—and where men belong in the world with you.”
S.G. Tasz
Who: A fiction writer working primarily in the genres of comedy-horror, paranormal fantasy and supernatural realism, and at the intersection of all three. Tasz authored the Dead Mall series, which follows a team of heroes battling creatures from hell inside a past-its-prime retail outlet in west central Nevada. Follow her at sgtasz.com.
Current Read: Desert Wives: A Lena Jones Mystery by Betty Webb
When private detective Lena Jones helps 13-year-old Rebecca escape from Purity, a polygamy compound hidden in a desolate area straddling the Utah/Arizona border, she uncovers more than she expected. Rebecca’s intended husband has been murdered, and Jones goes undercover to find the killer.
Tasz says: “I picked this up in Flagstaff at their local bookstore. She’s a local author. When I visit places, I try to find the local bookstore and grab something. It’s really good, and I’m enjoying it a lot.”
All-time Fave: Last Call by Tim Powers
A fantasy novel about Scott Crane, a former professional gambler, who hasn’t returned to Las Vegas in 10 years. Nightmares involving a strange poker game he once played draw him back to the city, because the game did not end that night in 1969.
Tasz says: “It’s magic in the real world, set in ’90s Las Vegas. There’s a lot to do with tarot being transposed on top of playing cards, Ben [Bugsy] Siegel and his fall from glory and a secret magic royalty. It just stuck with me.”
Brett Riley
Who: Riley, who teaches literature, creative writing and composition at CSN, is the author of The Subtle Dance of Impulse and Light, Comanche, Lord of Order and the YA fantasy series Freaks. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @brettwrites or at officialbrettriley.com.
Current Read: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Based on the life of Erdrich’s grandfather, this work of fiction follows Thomas Wazhashk, who works as the night watchman at a jewel bearing plant in rural North Dakota. He’s also a Chippewa Council member trying to understand the consequences of a proposed emancipation bill that threatens Native American rights.
Riley says: “I think Erdrich is one of the best writers working today, and her work has heartbreaking scenes with humorous touches. She works in mythology alongside what critics like to call gritty realism, and of course, the characters are really good.”
All-time Fave: Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Jason Fitger, a professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, has many misfortunes. His department is facing cuts and unpleasant quarters. His once-promising writing career is in the doldrums, as is his romantic life. And he’s endlessly called upon by his students and colleagues to produce letters of recommendation.
Riley says: “The whole novel is told through the written letters of recommendation that one college professor produces over an academic year. So it goes back to the epistolary form, although it’s one specific kind of letter. She manages to tell a compelling story in a hilarious way that winds up being poignant, but throughout, the book is also really funny.”
