I'm participating in the Try Something New Mini-Challenge that Nymeth is hosting as part of Dewey's Books Challenge.
I've decided to read a western. Truthfully, I'm a little nervous about this and I need some recommendations. Please recommend a western that is captivating with maybe a little romance???
Preferably, I'll be able to get this book through Amazon so I can use Prime and get it quickly and it won't be too long...so please! If you have read some good Westerns and have one you can recommend that you think will either A) Convert me to the genre or B) be perfect for me, please let me know! :) I'm depending on you!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Recommendations Needed!!
Posted by Amy at 1:00 AM
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16 comments:
Here is an absolutely wonderful Western (though a bit long): Lonesome Dove. I couldn't believe how much I loved this book, though it was a Western.
I don't know what the definition of a western is, but I loved A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher. Lonesome Dove is one my all-time favorite books.
I haven't read it yet, it sits near the top of my wishlist, but my father in law just loved Lonesome Dove also. He always said I'd like it too, we had sort of the same taste in books.
A couple of literary fiction novels I enjoyed that take place in the west are The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf and Heyday by Kurt Anderson.
I'm impressed that you're trying something new. I have no suggestions, though - western's not my genre either.
I haven't read very many (any?) westerns either, but I've heard tons of good things about Lonesome Dove. I also recently read Etta, by Gerald Kolpan, which is kind of a Western/literary historical fiction hybrid, and was quite good.
Oh! Oh! Read Etta by Gerald Kolpan! Here is a link to my review:
http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/02/etta-by-gerald-kolpan.html
It's sort of historical fiction AND a western, with a little romance thrown in there too!
I can't help with suggestions because I know nothing about westerns, but I'm impressed that you picked that genre! I hope you find a great one.
I've always heard good things about Louis L'Amour, My mom read them when I was growing up. And same with James Michener.
You guys rock!! But Lonesome Dove is 960 pages. I don't think I could finish it in time! I will definitely try it in the future, though!
I'm giving Westerns a try for the first time this year, too. My husband's a big Louis L'Amour fan. He's starting me on quasi-westerns: "The Haunted Mesa" (southwestern science fiction) and "The Walking Drum" (set in the 12th Century, but background for one of his western series).
He says a good place to start that's officially a Western is "Sackett's Land", the first of the Sackett family series.
I don't have a suggestion, but I just wanted to say you are brave to step out or your comfort zone. Very brave my friend, considering it's a western :)
My son ,pved to Denver a couple of years ago, and I try to read books with a western theme whenever I visit. Here are a couple you might enjoy (they have some romance):
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Lonesome Dove, absolutely!!
Also, I wouldn't think of My Antonia or Angle of Repose as fitting the western genre, but they are FABULOUS!!!
Etta was a good book, but there is nothing like Lonesome Dove...there's a good reason it won the Pulitzer!
I second the Louis L'Amour recommendation - but I'd go for one of his stand-alones, like The Lonesome Gods or Comstock Lode.
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