HollyLovesBooks’s Comments (group member since May 29, 2024)

HollyLovesBooks’s comments from the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge 2024 group.

This is such a great challenge for the summer!

I have finished:
Lonesome Dove (858 pages) - see the main discussion for this fantastic book info
Matterhorn (663 pages) - telling of Vietnam War from soldiers on the ground perspective; difficult story but important
Some People Need Killing (428 pages) - told from the perspective of a Filipino woman journalist covering the extrajudicial killings of “criminals” under Duterte in the Philippines. This one is nonfiction and really explains the history of the country and its leaders and people.

Starting:
Pride and Prejudice (400 pages) - Jane Austen July read
1Q84 - reread (1157 pages) - Game of Tomes read for July/August

I’m doing mostly physical/ebooks but have also added audiobooks for some of these.

Thank you for the clarification Suzan! I knew that Call had told Clara about the notes and given them both to her. At that point he told her that Gus had left his half to Lorena, but I came away unsure if Clara had ever mentioned it to Lorena, especially since Lorena didn’t speak to anyone about her grief in the moment (and couldn’t read the note herself and wouldn’t let anyone else read it). I may have to go back and reread that section. I read it late at night and was pushing to the ending!
Great book and I am so glad to have read it.

Wow, what a wild ride that was. I was supposed to follow the reading plan that stretched from January until October, but at chapter 58, I had to plow through it. It completely took me by surprise when the scene describing the death of Roscoe, Janie, and Joe occurred. I did not see that coming at all. Heartbreaking! I loved those characters, especially Janie. She was such a unique character that I wasn’t ready to let her go.
I loved the perils along their journey and expected some highs and lows, but McMurtry twists the knife in with who he allows to get hurt or killed. I’m glad that there was closure on Blue Duck…we were approaching the final pages and the story had not yet come to that and I had expected Call and/or Gus to pursue justice against Blue Duck and it never happened. Glad he was finally caught.
I thought the dynamics between Gus and his longtime love for Clara and then his relationship with Lorie was interesting. I think there are unanswered questions there. Like Clara and July (I wouldn’t be surprised if she wound up with July but he already gets on her nerves so it would be similar to her relationship with Bob). And Lorie wouldn’t allow anyone to read her note from Gus so does she know that she suddenly has his money?
I thought there were a couple of foreshadowing moments hinting at Gus’s fate but I was hoping to be wrong. For such an amazing Ranger who took on so many bad guys in Blue Duck’s posse, and previously with the Rangers, it was a surprise at how careless he was when on the land in Montana. Call stating the he tried to warn him about coming up to the crest of a hill carelessly was foolish. Gus was too good a guy for his own good.
I loved this book and I’m glad that I read it faster than our book club has it set up. Now I may need to go right into the sequel. I completely agree with others’ opinions about that ending! WTH?? It did feel like the final sentence wasn’t even a complete sentence. Ugh. Too many lingering questions! I loved these characters and their interactions. I also loved the nature/environment writing. I felt like I could really picture the scenes. I also learned about “St Elmo’s Fire” and what it means in terms of cattle. I never knew that was what it referred to. All those details really brought the story to life.

I just hit Part 3…this story is incredible. It is late but I had to finish this section. I absolutely love the character development. I can’t wait to finish so that I can head into the spoiler group, but I also don’t want it to end! I never thought that this book, a western by most standards, would be something that I would love so much. I’m so glad to be reading it and thrilled at the group also reading it. 🩷

Suzan wrote: "I read Chapter 8 (in Part 1) yesterday, and I loved the story behind their sign and all the discussions they've had about it, and then the reaction of the 2 new guys riding up and reading it. So fu..."

That’s awesome! I did the same thing. I had to look up the phrase too.

I’m so glad you added this as a discussion thread. I’m on page 292 and loving it. McMurtry does such a good job describing the scenes, locations, and the characters are fantastic. I’m looking forward to having more fellow readers to discuss it with!

I’m in too!
I am already reading Lonesome Dove and loving it.
I’m debating on what other books to pick up. I love that your husband is reading The Grapes of Wrath. I love Steinbeck and recently reread East of Eden that I highly recommend. It is such an incredible novel.
What a fun challenge. Thanks for hosting and I’m glad that I stumbled onto your YouTube post.