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Books & Talks

The City Syllabus

The Houston Summer Reading List, 2026

Need a summer read? Our favorite local indie bookstores have done the hard work for you.

06/12/2026 By Holly Beretto Illustrations by Curt Merlo

Whodunnit?

How Houston’s Murder by the Book Gets Away with a Life of Crime

For more than 40 years, this beloved institution has been the bookstore where the biggest names in crime writing insist on showing up.

06/09/2026 By Holly Beretto

Bookish Bayou

5 Houston Authors You Should Read This Summer

Anna Meriano, Bryan Washington, Helena Greer, Sim Kern, and John Merullo are writing Houston's most compelling stories right now.

05/15/2026 By Claire Sewell

Literary Houston

Inside the Mind of The New Yorker’s Most Houston Writer

Before he became the voice of Manhattan irony in The New Yorker, he was shaped by a city that few literary critics have given enough credit.

04/09/2026 By Travis Alexander

Bayougraphy

Exploring the Literary Life of Houston Poet Laureate Reyes Ramirez

Although he represents the city as its premier poet, Reyes Ramirez’s resume is loaded with short fiction, speculative fiction, art criticism, creative nonfiction, and even art curation.

02/25/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Where Black Stories Live

How One Houston Curator Built a Black Art Library of More than 800 Books

Inside Downtown’s Sanman Studios, Amarie Gipson has built The Reading Room, a culturally specific library dedicated to a stunning collection of Black art, history, and diasporic life.

02/11/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

The Must List

The Introverted Pleasures of Blue Willow’s Silent Reading Parties

Following their COVID-era boom, silent reading parties have finally made their way to Houston, giving bibliophiles time to read, be social, and receive recommendations over wine.

01/07/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Season’s Readings

Houston Bookstores’ Best Holiday Book Recommendations

Independent bookstores recommend their favorite holiday reads, including romance, thrillers, cookbooks, and books by local authors.

12/18/2025 By Holly Beretto

The Must List

Houston’s Jewish Book & Arts Festival Returns with Authors, Art, and Flavor

Now in its 53rd year, the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival brings global voices, food, film, and family programming to the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC.

10/30/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Eat, Drink, Hou

What to Eat, Drink, and Do in Houston This Weekend: September 5

Mind-blowing ramen, $7 smashburgers, live music, lit fests, and cocktails in a cinematic setting—your guide to the best weekend in Houston.

09/05/2025 By Brittany Britto Garley

Popular Content

    How Houston’s Murder by the Book Gets Away with a Life of Crime

    Houston Bookstores’ Best Holiday Book Recommendations

    5 Houston Authors You Should Read This Summer

    Inside the Mind of The New Yorker’s Most Houston Writer

    The Houston Summer Reading List, 2026

    Support Local: The Best Independent Bookstores in Houston

The Must List

Jaipur Literature Festival Returns to Houston for More Book-Filled Fun

Yes, it’s called the Jaipur Literature Festival. No, you don’t have to fly to India to enjoy all the many thought-provoking festivities. There will be a slew of events here at home.

09/03/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Bayougraphy

Katherine Center and the Lure of the Rom-Com

The Houston writer tried reading a romance novel, and it changed everything.

08/28/2025 By Holly Beretto

Take A Look

Support Local: The Best Independent Bookstores in Houston

With as many stellar indie bookstores as there are in Houston, you can find pretty much any read you could possibly want—and maybe a few you didn't even know you needed.

08/07/2025 By Meredith Nudo, Amarie Gipson, and Daniel Renfrow

The Must List

Inside Houston’s Long-Running Reading Series That Costs Only $5

Since the 1990s, Inprint has brought literary legends like Margaret Atwood and Ta-Nehisi Coates to Houston stages—without breaking readers’ budgets.

07/24/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Fundamental

These Houstonians Create Oases Among the City’s Literacy Deserts

In a county where one in three adults is functionally illiterate, Book Cycle, Class Bookstore, and Birthday Bash Box are all making books accessible to more people.

05/05/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Snub

Abundance Suffers from a Houston-Size Scarcity

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s new book lays out a compelling reason why it’s so hard to build in America, but treats existing Lone Star solutions like flyover country.

04/21/2025 By Evan Mintz

Bayougraphy

Beserat Debebe Tells Exciting Pan-African Stories Through Comics

The Houston-based Etan Comics publisher brings together comic book creators from across the African continent for fresh takes on sci-fi, superheroes, and fantasy.

03/17/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Bayougraphy

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Has Led an Extraordinary Literary Life

This University of Houston professor has won prestigious book awards while advocating for the rights of domestic violence survivors.

02/14/2025 By Holly Beretto

Bayougraphy

Abby Endler Introduces Us to the Criminal Types She Hangs With

From Houston to New York to Scandinavia, the podcaster is one of the most prominent voices bringing the crime fiction genre to new and seasoned readers alike.

01/10/2025 By Meredith Nudo

YA Angst

Houston Author Jennifer Mathieu’s New Book Is All About Eco-Anxiety

Down Came the Rain tells the story of two climate activist high schoolers struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

09/25/2023 By Daniel Renfrow

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Summer 2026

The Scoop on Houston Summer

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