Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Challenge - Regular
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37 - A western
Lonesome Dove and News of the World were both great. I wonder if The Lost Man would count as a western.
Whiskey When You’re Dry sounds good! Features a spunky heroine.
What about a sort of modern western, like the Longmire series?
I read Tea Obreht’s Inland this year and loved it. It’s not a traditional Western, but I think it fits.
Sarah wrote: "I read Tea Obreht’s Inland this year and loved it. It’s not a traditional Western, but I think it fits."Oooh, good suggestion! I was planning on reading this anyway, so I'm really glad it fits this prompt!
I liked News of the World by Paulette Jiles. The style of the book may not work for everyone. There is dialogue with no quotation marks.I'm going to read a book in the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson that starts with The Cold Dish. I loved the TV show. I've been meaning to read one of the books and see how it compares.
Lonesome Dove is my favorite book ever, but I just want to say that I didn't care for the sequel or prequels very much. The prequels are better than the sequel, though.
Upright Women Wanted is a futuristic western which is out next year. I had it pencilled in for a western in ATY (but now I might change my genre for that one, or double dip).
Rats, I just started The Sisters Brothers which would work for this prompt. I'm listening to it, and 1 disc in, I have to say, I'm hooked.A few years ago, I listened to The Son, which was OK. I'm not one for multi-generational stories, so it might just be me. Plus, I think it was turned into a show a couple years back, for people who like to read and watch.
Not jumping for joy for this one, honestly. I made it through The Sisters Brothers OK a couple of years ago and thought that was my good deed for the decade. Any suggestions of funny/short/quick ones are welcome. Wait are there graphic novels? There must be at least one. Middle grade? Honestly I might just read a picture book.Vengeance Road
Topaz
Jenn wrote: "Whiskey When You’re Dry sounds good! Features a spunky heroine."Sorry, it's actually Whiskey When We're Dry
Nicole wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I read Tea Obreht’s Inland this year and loved it. It’s not a traditional Western, but I think it fits."Oooh, good suggestion! I was planning on reading this anyway, so I'm really g..."
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It was one of my favorite books this year.
If anyone is looking for SciFi Fantasy suggestions (depending on how much you want to bend the rules):
Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
The Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher
Westworld by Michael Crichton
I read Lonesome Dove for the previous "a genre you don't normally read". And it was clear why I don't normally read Westerns. If I could scrub that book from my brain, I would. It was well-written and had vivid imagery though. I can understand what others saw in it. But I hear News of the World is different so maybe I'll go with that.
Depending on how you want to define western, Nicholas Evans writes books that take place out west, in the outdoors, usually with animals....
I loved News of the World. There are always the weird westerns like Silver on the Road (the Devil’s West series). I would hesitate on River of Teeth, as it takes place in Louisiana (If I remember right).
If you're more of a horror fan than a western fan, Unbury Carol would work, although its kind of horror-lite. It's by the author of bird Box.
I liked Six-Gun Snow White, and it is a different spin on Western for sure. Also, quite short. I also enjoyed News of the World. I'll be looking into some of the others recommended with women/girls in the POV role.
Reyna wrote: "I highly recommend News of the World."Yes, anything by Paulette Jiles is well written--I liked this one.
Linda Lael Miller writes a lot of romances with a Western setting.
WVrambler wrote: "What about a sort of modern western, like the Longmire series?"Absolutely!.
Also series by CJ Box, Michael McGarrity, Tony Hillerman, Bart Paul.
Brandon wrote: "Linda Lael Miller writes a lot of romances with a Western setting."There are tons of good romances and contemporary fiction with a touch of romance or romantic suspense that fit. Just search 'cowboy' in title.
More suggestions:
- if only for that cover!
Several Nevada Barr including the first in the Anna Pigeon series
And, of course, Zane Grey
poshpenny wrote: "Wait are there graphic novels? There must be at least one. ..."I've not read it but East of West, Vol. 1: The Promise is a SF western comic.
I thought I'd go with Lonesome Dove because it's so famous. Then saw it's almost 1000 pages long!!! That's a big nope from me
Also thought of Elmore Leonard as an author would be good for this prompt.
Chrissy wrote: "I liked Six-Gun Snow White, and it is a different spin on Western for sure. Also, quite short. I also enjoyed News of the World. I'll be looking into some of the oth..."I was grumbly about this prompt at first -- the last Western I read was really cringeworthy and I wasn't looking forward to reading another -- and then I remembered "Six-Gun Snow White." Whoo!
Here are a few I'm looking at (I'm trying really hard to only pull from my TBR list, and Westerns are few and far between!):The Last Woman Standing: Historical fiction about the woman behind the famous gunfight at O.K. Corral
My Calamity Jane: Historical fiction about Calamity Jane
Giant: A classic that my parents recommended I read
This is the only prompt I was not looking forward to but I think I'm going to slot in My Calamity Jane here. This is more my speed than a traditional western.
This category does not fill me with joy, any recommendations for something short are gratefully received! Is there such a thing as a picture book western?I've been told Whiskey When We're Dry is good but honestly I'm not feeling it or this category at all.
Nicole wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I read Tea Obreht’s Inland this year and loved it. It’s not a traditional Western, but I think it fits."Oooh, good suggestion! I was planning on reading this anyway, so I'm really g..."
Yes, me too! I'm not interested in traditional westerns, and this one is on the ToB long list, so it would be perfect!
Shannen wrote: "Does Death Comes for the Archbishop qualify as a western?"I don't know if it's traditionally counted in the genre, but I would count Death Comes for the Archbishop as a Western. It takes place in New Mexico during the time of westward expansion.
Anyone have any Zane Grey recommendations? My family has a cabin near where his Arizona cabin was (until it burned down in a wildfire in the 90s) and it feels very un-Arizona of me to have never read him. But he has too many books so I have no idea what's good or where to begin. Help!
Frogli wrote: "This category does not fill me with joy, any recommendations for something short are gratefully received!"Faster Gun is a short story Western by Elizabeth Bear (also, fauna in the author's name).
link to story:
https://www.tor.com/2012/08/08/faster...
I’ll be using a book coming out in 2020 by Amy Harmon. Where the Lost Wonder will be releasing in April. It’s about The Oregon Trail and about as western as I can get.
Drakeryn wrote: "Frogli wrote: "This category does not fill me with joy, any recommendations for something short are gratefully received!"Faster Gun is a short story Western by Elizabeth Bear (als..."
Thank you! Also that actually sounds intriguing :)
Mod
Faster Gun is a short story Western by Elizabeth Bear (als..."
Hahaha!! I didn’t recognize the title, but I love Bear’s shorts, so i instantly clicked on it to add to my TBR, and ... I already read it and gave it five stars! Oops! I remembered it clearly, just forgot the Title!
What do we think about the Dark Tower series by Stephen King for this category?? It is about a gunslinger after all..
I can't believe I forgot about Brokeback Mountain. I would count The Dark Tower, Westworld, The Half-Made World, or anything else that uses the West as inspiration.
Tana wrote: "What do we think about the Dark Tower series by Stephen King for this category?? It is about a gunslinger after all.."For sure! (A caveat: I thought the first book was pretty mediocre, BUT it is short and the series gets way better starting with the second book.)
Also @Heather I totally forgot about The Half-Made World, good call! Maybe I'll finally get to reading the sequel.
Found this list on Book Riothttps://bookriot.com/2019/11/19/weste...
Featured Books: (by native authors #ownvoices)
Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Fools Crow by James Welch
(not by native authors)
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman
Topaz by Beverly Jenkins
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
I'm going to try to find a copy from one of the first 3 books
Amy J. wrote: "Found this list on Book Riothttps://bookriot.com/2019/11/19/weste...
Featured Books: (by native authors #ownvoices)
Almanac of the Dead by [author:..."
This is great! I have been dreading this category so much, since I really don't need to read about my ancestors being tortured and killed.
Leslie Marmon Silko is always worth reading, so that may be my choice.
I'm considering going a different direction with this prompt. The television series Firefly had some similarities to the western genre, but was set in outer space. I might read Firefly: Big Damn Hero or Firefly: The Magnificent Nine rather than a more traditional western.I think the Gunnie Rose series, by Charlaine Harris, would also be a good fit, even though it's set in an alternate version of the United States.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Simon the Fiddler (other topics)Upright Women Wanted (other topics)
Vengeance Road (other topics)
Cowboys and Aliens (other topics)
Tracks (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Louise Erdrich (other topics)Melissa Lenhardt (other topics)
Louise Erdrich (other topics)
Elizabeth Bear (other topics)
Paulette Jiles (other topics)
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Listopia link: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...