1. Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty
By Maurice Chammah
Recounts the history of the death penalty in America through court cases and state laws from the Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia in 1972 to the present, with a special focus on Texas. Uses personal stories of lawyers, victims, corrections workers, and the convicted to illustrate the complexities of death penalty cases and highlight larger trends within criminal justice in Texas and the United States.
Crown, 2021, 354 pages
364.6609764 C448L 2021

 

2. Making Government Work: A Conservative Agenda for the States
By Tan Parker, ed.
Presents a collection of essays from a conservative policy perspective on federalism, pro-growth tax reform for the states, health care innovation, religious liberty, the Electoral College, labor unions, energy policy, crime, public universities, veterans, infrastructure, abortion, and the Second Amendment. Includes a chapter on the Texas Model by former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Regnery Publishing, 2020, 466 pages
353.9 P228M 2020

 

3. Reading, Writing, and Revolution: Escuelitas and the Emergence of a Mexican American Identity in Texas
By Phillis M. Barragan Goetz
Traces the origins and eventual decline of grassroots escuelitas, or "little schools," community-based Spanish-speaking schools that helped shape the early Mexican Texan experience. Merges U.S. and Mexican history by analyzing oral histories, archives, and genealogical materials of individuals who were involved in creating escuelitas and those who attended them. Details the ways in which escuelitas founders and teachers addressed key needs in their communities and how they ultimately challenged the hegemonic U.S. public school curriculum by empowering children through language and identity.
University of Texas Press, 2020, 236 pages
371.829 G555R 2020

 

4. Sutherland Springs: God, Guns, and Hope in a Texas Town
By Joe Holley
Explores how the people of the Sutherland Springs community are rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in a church setting in U.S. history, an event in which 26 people died. Features interviews with survivors and with victims' families while examining the topic of guns and gun violence.
Hatchette Books, 2020, 294 pages
364.152 H724S 2020

 

5. Texas Place Names
By Edward Callary
Recounts colorful stories about the people, places, and events that contributed to the naming of more than ten thousand Texas counties, cities, and towns – from Abbott (Hill County) to Zunkerville (Karnes County). Clarifies local pronunciation and includes the dates of creation and organization for each county. Mentions a number of places named for Texas legislators and their families, including Akin Grove, Cleveland, DeBerry, Emory, Hartley County, Hubbard, Kittrell, Maverick County, Millican, Rains County, and Rowlett.
University of Texas Press, 2020, 411 pages
976.4 C131T 2020

 

6. Texas Water Law: A Legal Research Guide
By Tobe Liebert
Provides guidance on researching Texas water law. Offers a short introduction on classifying surface water and groundwater and water use rights in Texas. Cites the statutory basis, duties, and regulations related to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). Includes sections on relevant secondary sources and major state legislation and a glossary.
William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2020, 47 pages
346.04691 L716W 2020