Usually when we use the term beach book, were talking about a novel or other interesting book intended for reading at leisure while looking out at the beach or lounging by the pool.

Beaches of the Gulf Coast by Richard A. Davis Jr. (Texas A&M University Press, $35 flexbound) is not that kind of book. Rather, its a book about beaches in general, and Gulf of Mexico beaches in particular.

The first part of the book deals with general characteristics and dynamics of beaches, then segues into the specific beaches along the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Texas, as well as Mexico and Cuba. Texas beaches get 30 pages and more than 50 color photos.

Certainly an informative and interesting book, but one to read before going to the beach.

Local History: The Shackelford County Historical Commissioned has produced a pictorial history, Shackelford County (Arcadia Publishing, $21.99 paperback).

Arcadia specializes in local pictorials and has published books about Abilene, Sweetwater, Haskell, Stamford, Ranger and many other Texas towns through its Images of America Series.

Shackelford County is a little different from most of the other Arcadia books that Ive seen in that, in addition to dozens of archival photographs, it includes short introductory essays to the various sections by Sunday Tidwell, Jane Lenoir, John A. Matthews, A.V. Jones, Jon Rex Jones, Wilma Jo Tucker Mitchell, Duston Brooks, Melinda Lucas, and the late Lawrence Clayton.

Bottom line is: Readers in Albany and Moran will find plenty of good reading as well as wonderful old photographs in this 128-page collection.

Two new Texas books from The History Press:

Painting the Town Orange by Pete Gershon ($21.99 paperback) tells the stories behind Houstons eclectic visionary art environments, such as the Orange Show and the Beer Can House.

See the rest here:

Texas Reads: A beach book about beaches