Melody Groves writes about where she lives and what she loves—the West. She is the author of Hoist A Cold One: Historic Bars of the Southwest and, most recently, Black Range Revenge. Here are five books she recommends:
1 The Wicked West: Boozers, Cruisers, Gamblers and More (Sherry Monahan, Rio Nuevo Publishers): Sex, sin and saloons come together in this look at the wild days of the West. Taken through

True West July 2018
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
More In This Issue
Departments
- The Constable Butcher
- How come C.S. Fly didn’t take Photos of the Tombstone Street Fight?
- What History Has Taught Me: Roy Young
- What was the Fare for Railroads and Stagecoaches?
- Cold-Blooded Conman
- Did Old West Shooters have Problems with Overheated Gun Barrels?
- What were Old West Hotels like?
- A Cold Ride into Hell
- How Many People Died During the Indian Wars?
- A Texas Dance For Johnny Reb
- An Artist’s Artist
- Miss Yakama Nation’s Yakama War
- Big Horn Getaway: Buffalo, Wyoming
- Along with Tom Mix, who helped carry Wyatt Earp’s Casket?
- The Road to and from China