Books with Oklahoma ties make great gifts

Still shopping for holiday gifts? Think about buying books by Oklahomans or set in Oklahoma.

Fair warning: This list is far from inclusive. Many of your neighbors have written and published books, either by conventional means or through online or so-called vanity presses. The number of books across a wide range of genres means we cannot inform you about every 2019 tome; we've only heard of a fraction of them.

Consider this, then, a basic guide. You're certain to find more great Oklahoma works at libraries and book stores.

THE BOOKS

If you have young children, you cannot go wrong with any title by Oklahoma author and illustrator Hannah E. Harrison. Her beautiful books charm children and adults alike. "Extraordinary Jane" is about a circus dog who is special not because of any exceptional ability, but because she is herself, which is a worthy thing. "My Friend Maggie" is the tale of two friends who are driven apart by peer pressure but brought back together by loyalty and true friendship. Another story about school-age relationships, "Friends Stick Together" is about an odd pairing that ends up best friends.

Harrison's newest book, "Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story," is about a girl who befriends a bear and the winter adventure they go on while working through the alphabet. Harrison says the illustrations for a single book can take up to a year to create, and the effort is clear in the delightful, warm drawings that convey so many emotions for younger readers to easily identify with.

Oklahoma City author Dan Short's new book, "The Santa Claus Chronicles: Heartwarming Tales from a Real-Life Santa," tells the true story of his transition from the corporate world to a more satisfying life portraying everyone's favorite red-suited holiday hero. He's been at it for 30 years.

Southern Nazarene University adjunct professor John J. Dwyer published his second novel, "Mustang," back in May. It continues the adventures of Dust Bowl farm boy Lance Roark, introduced in "Shortgrass," as he becomes an aviator, encounters historical figures and fights in air battles during World War II. Also check out his nonfiction book, "The Oklahomans," a critically acclaimed volume of Oklahoma history; a second volume is on the way.

Former Oklahoman reporter Ron J. Jackson Jr. had two history books published in 2019. The first is "Fight to the Finish: 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett, Joe Choynski, and the Fight that Launched Boxing's Modern Era." That book, which has a cover designed by The Oklahoman's Todd Pendleton, tells the story of "Corbett-Choynski's legendary 27-round, illegal 'finish fight' on a (California) barge in 1889," Jackson said. The second is "Bebes and the Bear: Gene Stallings, Coach Bryant, and Their 1968 Cotton Bowl Showdown," which "chronicles Bear Bryant's close relationship with Stallings, a devoted protégé who was one of Bryant's famed Junction Boys at Texas A&M and later his assistant at Alabama. Stallings eventually became head coach at A&M, and met his beloved mentor in a memorable Cotton Bowl showdown." Both books, along with Jackson's earlier work, "Joe, the Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend," are available at Amazon.com.

Another author interested in Oklahoma's past is Jonita Mullins, whose "Oklahoma Originals: Early Heroes, Heroines, Villains & Vixens" was released by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press in July. The book includes more than 80 stories about "doctors, lawyers and chiefs, with a few outlaws, cattlemen and beauty queens thrown in for good measure," according to a news release.

Clint Crowe, an assistant history and political science professor at Tulsa Community College, has just published "Caught in the Maelstrom: The Indian Nations in the Civil War, 1861-1865." The nonfiction, heavily researched book examines the "sad plight of the Five Civilized Tribes — the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee) and Seminole" who "fought their own bloody civil war on lands surrounded by the Kansas Territory, Arkansas and Texas," according to a news release.

Emma Love's debut, "The Chronicles: Dark Horizons," is a surprisingly accomplished work, considering Love is a college student. Fans of young adult dystopian novels, especially young women, will find much to like in this dark tale of amnesiac warrior women struggling to survive in a world in which nearly everyone seems to want them dead.

"Unnecessary Sorrow: A Journalist Investigates the Life and Death of His Older Brother, Ordained, Discarded, Slain by Police" is an intensely personal true story written by Edmond book store owner and former Oklahoman editor Joe Hight. Part biography, part call for change, the book focuses on Paul Hight, whose mental illness led to his ouster from the Catholic priesthood and eventual shooting death by police.

Another writer who worked for The Oklahoman, Tom Lindley, produced an over-sized, handsome book about Max Weitzenhoffer, a Oklahoman who became (and remains) a key player in the theater scenes in New York City and London. "To the Max" has a lengthy subtitle; the book is perfect is perfect for any Broadway fans.

C. Dale German's second book, "On Bricktown Canal," is about as hyper-local as it gets. German captained a Bricktown water taxi for a year, which allowed him to get to know the area intimately and be part of incidents filled "with laughter and tears, romance and tragedy." German includes passengers' stories and his descriptions of what downtown was like during Oklahoma City's massive urban renewal. It's a great gift for anyone who's ridden on one of the water taxis.

Football widows may enjoy Ernestine Sclafani Bayless' "Balls: How to Keep Your Relationship Alive When You Live with a Sports-Obsessed Guy." The author knows quote a bit about the subject: Her husband, "Skip" Bayless, originally from Oklahoma City, is an internationally known sports journalist and television host who could be described politely as opinionated. The book includes portions written by Skip Bayless, rapper Lil Wayne, actor Billy Bob Thornton, fellow sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and more.

"Where the Dead Sit Talking" came out in 2018, but it's so good that it's worth mentioning again. Brandon Hopson's novel about two Native American teenagers and their lives lives in the foster care system in rural Oklahoma during the 1980s was a finalist for 2018 National Book Award and was included on the best book of the year lists from NPR, Kirkus Reviews and Southern Living. Hobson is entwined with Oklahoma; he's a member of the Cherokee Nation who has degrees from Oklahoma City University, the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He teaches English at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. He's also the winner of the prestigious Pushcart Prize. Buy his books for yourself or to give as gifts.

— By Ken Raymond, book editor, and Moran Elwell, staff writer