Task #7: A western

[Amy]

I have no interest in Westerns, so I'm reading a non-fiction Western about Red Cloud: "The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend." It reads almost like fiction, because he was such a badass.

[Stephanie]

Amy wrote: "I have no interest in Westerns, so I'm reading a non-fiction Western about Red Cloud: "The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend." It reads almost like fict..."

Excellent recommendation! I'll have to look into that. I could certainly use more nonfiction in my life (as hard as it can be for me to read it sometimes)

[Megan]

I read Mercury's Rise by Ann Parker, which is #4 in the Silver Rush series. My book club had previously read and enjoyed the first one in the series (Silver Lies), which is set in the late 1800s in Colorado and has a female protagonist.

[Ashley]

If you haven't read One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd is an interesting choice. I honestly read it in the first place just because the title intrigued me!

[Brittany]

I've only ever read non-fiction westerns before, but my dad is super into westerns and he had Louis L'Amour books everywhere while I was growing up. Took this as an opportunity to read something he suggested and ended up reading Shalako and was honestly very surprised at how quick of a read it was and that I actually ended up enjoying it.

[Heather]

The First Fast Draw by Louis L'Armour. Westerns are not my cup of tea but this was an easy read.

[Brent]

Kasi wrote: "I am wondering how we are defining Western. I have the east of west comic series to read and I was thinking it would suit this task. Western isn't a genre that typically appeals to me but I have he..."
I believe this would suffice. I have heard a few others mention they are doing it and I think I might catch up on it for my task as well!

[Doy]

I don’t suppose I can count Cold Mountain. I know he’s only going slightly west, but this is the genre I struggle with and the thought of attempting another book like this... too much! I can usually knock out a book in 2-5 Days. Cold Mountain took me 13.

[Bonnie G.]

Doy wrote: "I don’t suppose I can count Cold Mountain. I know he’s only going slightly west, but this is the genre I struggle with and the thought of attempting another book like this... too much! I can usuall..."

Lord I hated that book... but it is definitely not a western. Why don't you use a novella like Brokeback Mountain or True Grit or something literary like All the Pretty Horses? I am going all in on this one I think. Its the last challenge I have and I have put it off for months. Despite its monster length I think I am going to go with Lonesome Dove, which many people who do not generally gravitate to westerns have told me they loved.

[Kerri]

Doy wrote: "I don’t suppose I can count Cold Mountain. I know he’s only going slightly west, but this is the genre I struggle with and the thought of attempting another book like this... too much! I can usuall..."
You should check out News of the World. I'm not a fan of westerns, but I really liked that one and it was a quick read.

[Diane]

Janet wrote: "I tried a Louis L’Amour, but just couldn’t do it. I’ve already read the Cormac McCarthy novels. Already read Lonesome Dove. What do y’all think about the Tony/Anne Hillerman Navajo Police Mystery S..."
You might try The Son by Philipp Meyer

[Mya]

Janet wrote: "I tried a Louis L’Amour, but just couldn’t do it. I’ve already read the Cormac McCarthy novels. Already read Lonesome Dove. What do y’all think about the Tony/Anne Hillerman Navajo Police Mystery S..."

The Leaphorn/Chee mysteries, by Hillerman, are set in an appropriately Western landscape, wide-open country that can get very lonesome, but as a group are missing some of the other components. There are individual titles that might work. If I get a chance I will poke at the descriptions to remind myself which ones.

The Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box may work. They are set in small town Wyoming, & the protagonist is a game warden (aka The Law). I read the first three books last year & one of the first two involved a backcountry trip on horses. (Horses are kinda crucial to westerns.) The first title in the series is Open Season.

[Mya]

Putting this here to help people find eras of the genre that may work for them - what defines a Western has shifted over time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western...

[Mya]

Doy wrote: "I don’t suppose I can count Cold Mountain. I know he’s only going slightly west, but this is the genre I struggle with and the thought of attempting another book like this... too much! I can usuall..."


Doy, what about something like River of Teeth. It's not a traditional Western, but it involves riding, revenge, a Gang with Personalities, & some over-the-top action scenes. It's also very short, novella length.

I actually found it too short. It felt like half a book to me, & I am wondering if it needs the 2nd book in the series for the characters to develop.

Some will argue that it's not A Proper Western, but what defines a western has evolved, & will continue to do so. And it's your challenge to do - you get to decide how that works for you.

[Bonnie G.]

Mya wrote: "Doy wrote: "I don’t suppose I can count Cold Mountain. I know he’s only going slightly west, but this is the genre I struggle with and the thought of attempting another book like this... too much! ..."

Well, generally it is expected that Westerns take place in the Western US, but I suppose Louisiana is west of a portion of the US land mass.

[Judith]

Once again I'm so grateful for the suggestions in the GoodReads discussion groups. I'd been trying to read "Riders of the Purple Sage" which I got free on Kindle, but 20% in, I really wasn't enjoying it and feared this task would be a fail.

But thanks to this thread, I abandoned, splashed out 49p on "O Pioneers!" by Willa Cather and have read it in practically one sitting :-)

[Bonnie G.]

Judith wrote: "Once again I'm so grateful for the suggestions in the GoodReads discussion groups. I'd been trying to read "Riders of the Purple Sage" which I got free on Kindle, but 20% in, I really wasn't enjoyi..."

I LOVE Willa Cather! If you loved it, I cannot recommend My Antonia enough.

[Amanda]

Do you think Kristin Hannah's "The Great Alone" would satisfy this challenge? It's set in Alaska, has a lot of sequences of people learning to survive in a punishing wilderness. I have other options for this challenge, but I was thinking this one might fit. Thoughts?

[Mya]

Amanda wrote: "Do you think Kristin Hannah's "The Great Alone" would satisfy this challenge? It's set in Alaska, has a lot of sequences of people learning to survive in a punishing wilderness. I have other option..."

Amanda, while this article is discussing westerns as films, it's a useful look at expectations for the genre. It may help you decide if The Great Alone works for you for this challenge.

http://cinemajam.com/mag/features/wha...

[Haley]

I'm almost halfway through Lonesome Dove and I can't recommend it enough! It's funny, the character work is excellent, and I'm really enjoying the narrator. Glad this challenge finally gave me a reason to get to it.

[Julia]

I don't think of myself as a reader of westerns. I haven't gotten around to Lonesome Dove, Shane, or True Grit, so I was thinking I would read one of these.

But I loved Doc and Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell.

[Deborah]

Would James MacBride's The Good Lord Bird count as a western

[Maureen]

Totally agree about Mary Doria Russell's westerns, Doc and Epitaph. Excellent!

[Kristina]

I finished Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, last night. I don't remember if I saw it reccomended for this category here or elsewhere. I actually enjoyed it. Added some of her other books to my TBR pile

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Bonnie G.]

Deborah wrote: "Would James MacBride's The Good Lord Bird count as a western"

Not as I understand "western." Its a great book though.

[Deborah]

Bonnie wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Would James MacBride's The Good Lord Bird count as a western"

Not as I understand "western." Its a great book though."

I know you are right, but i just finished it and it had such an unusual take on john brown. For my western i am starting The Sisters Brothers

[Bonnie G.]

i think i am going with Lonesome Dove, but I am considering Sisters Brothers as well.

[Pamela]

Cave of Bones by Anne Hellerman

[Christy]

For anyone considering Lonesome Dove, I'm currently 300 pages in and loving it! Don't let the length (or the kinda slow start) discourage you. I'm actually wondering whether 500 more pages is enough time to spend with these characters.

[Barbara]

Finished Days Without End by Sebastian Barry.

[Debbie]

This is one of the last tasks I have left to complete and I am at a loss. The only books I’ve read that might loosely be considered westerns are the Little House books and Hattie, Big Sky.

I am also trying to read only women this year, with a focus on women of color. I’ve got a copy of Oh, Pioneers by Willa Cather in case I don’t come up with anything that grabs me. Someone recommended Across the Great Barrier. That’s a possibility, but I’ll have to read the first book in the series first.

So, I’m looking for a western written by a woman of color. Can be a crossover with other genres. Other than not liking westerns, I’m not picky about genre. Any suggestions?

[Deborah]

Debbie wrote: "This is one of the last tasks I have left to complete and I am at a loss. The only books I’ve read that might loosely be considered westerns are the Little House books and Hattie, Big Sky.

I am a..."
Beverly Jenkin has about 8-10 westerns. All of her early books before the Blessing books. Try Night Song. They do cross over into romance. Beverly is a woman of color

[Jenny]

Debbie, I read Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee for this one, it was great, with POC main characters and author.

[Bonnie G.]

I had been reading away, 42 books in this year, forgetting entirely about finishing this challenge, but I am back for my last prompt. I am a bit into Lonesome Dove and really liking it. I am thinking I will also read The Son which has been sitting on my shelf for a while and which sounds really great. Reading these comments I find I pretty much always double or triple most categories because I hear about so many great books.

[Darlene]

This is a tough category for me. I found a 2018 release that is a horror/fantasy/western: Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman. I have no idea how it is yet, but that's the one I'm going with!

[Jane]

What about Stephen King's The Dark Tower series? Wouldn't it be considered Western?

[Caleb]

I struggled with finding anything that I was interested in for this challenge, for many of the reasons that others have mentioned.

So...it's a bit of a stretch, but I really enjoyed River of Teeth which is an alternate history western. With hippos!

[Nadine]

Next month "big library read" is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a western setting. That counts for this category right? Right? https://biglibraryread.com/current-ti...

[Nadine]

Stephen wrote: "I'm wondering if there are any good westerns written by Native American authors? Or really something that challenges the genres assumptions? Does anyone have suggestions?

(FWIW, for my challenge a..."

Interesting. I am not a big fan of the western genre. But I think I would really enjoy one made from this perspective. I have been reading some very good native american authors this year. No western so far, but I will look into the suggestions.

[Robin]

Louis L’Amour is not “genre challenging” at all, but I was surprised and pleased by how enjoyable his “Bendigo Shafter” was. And if you get the kindle edition it comes with really very interesting supplemental info about the author. I didn’t expect to like this challenge either, and looked for all kinds of alternatives. I ended up with this classic largely because my Dad had loved his books, and my Dad never gave me bad reading advice. It was a good and satisfying choice.

[Doy]

To Bonnie, who likes to be the geographical wizard on here, as is evident due to your snarky comments. There is more to a western than the location of a book. It’s about a change of life. Going out into the great unknown, pushing in a way never experienced before. If it were solely based on location, I suppose Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas would count. But yet...
And since you love to point out people’s “ignorance”, I feel I should let you know Cold Mountain is set in North Carolina, not Louisiana. But hey, I’m no geographical wizard.

[Doy]

North Carolina ^

[Bonnie G.]

Well dictionaries disagree with your definition, but you be you.

[Mya]

Doy wrote: "To Bonnie, who likes to be the geographical wizard on here, as is evident due to your snarky comments. There is more to a western than the location of a book. It’s about a change of life. Going out..."

Bonnie's comment about Louisiana was in response to my suggesting River of Teeth.

[Sherri]

I read Far Away Home by Susan Denning. that is it. I completed the challenge. I will list all the books on another thread.

[Karen]

I was very impressed with River of Teeth, which was not only a fun alternative history, but had some fantastic representation of POC and LGBTQA folks too. It was a quick read, so I recommend it even if you've already finished this category!

[Bonnie]

to DOY
I have never made a comment on here. I have nothing against western fiction. I do know Cold Mountain is in North Carolina, my sister lives in that area.
wrong Bonnie

[Bonnie G.]

Bonnie wrote: "to DOY
I have never made a comment on here. I have nothing against western fiction. I do know Cold Mountain is in North Carolina, my sister lives in that area.
wrong Bonnie"

Actually I never said it was anywhere but NC. I live in Georgia and I have been to the area many times. Doy misread what I wrote, and seems mad at me for some reason. The Louisiana reference was to another book.

[Denise]

I read The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook. I highly recommend it. I can also recommend News of the World by Paulette Giles. It's a very touching book.

[Aly]

Would Skinwalkers count as a western? It's western-ish...