Do you enjoy a character-driven Western? I appreciate an unflinching reflection of the atrocities visited upon the indigenous peoples of...

LaValle mixes a Western setting with strong feminist messages, magical realism, haunting elements, and the terrifying, freeing truth in...

The Madstone begins as an against-the-odds attempt to evade evil and develops into a beautiful heartbreaker of a story about duty,...

Isabella Bird's nonfiction account of her 1873 travels through the rugged, wondrous American West is full of her irresistible...

Claudia Cravens's story of a young brothel worker in late nineteenth-century Dodge City, Kansas, offers up a tough young heroine who...

I was hooked on the gritty details of mining camp life, particularly as contrasted with the excesses in the mine owners' mansion. The...

Hawker offers irresistible details of daily life and historical elements that add vivid layers to this story of Utah Territory,...

Heartbreaking and disturbing, this is a fascinating exploration of the motivations behind and the execution of white men's relentless...

Something Wilder is a playful adventure with a vivid Western setting, some steamy scenes, an unwavering best friendship between strong...

Brutality and Bravery in the American West These books explore the brutality of pioneer times, when indigenous peoples were killed and...

North provides intrigue, an exploration of gender and power roles, tales of unconventional friendship, and enough shoot-outs and danger...

What I'm Reading Now The books I've got on my nightstand and on my Kindle at the moment: a turn-of-the century story about outlaws,...

01 Inland by Téa Obreht Much of Téa Obreht's Inland is centered around Nora, an impulsive, hot-tempered, strong woman fighting for a...

A book that fascinated me, in case you missed it! This was often brutal to read, but it was beautifully written, in a style that felt...

Zhang's detail was wonderful, and her characters make noble sacrifices and face impossible choices. The book's frequent heartbreak was a...

01 To Sleep in a Sea of Stars I'd like to mention up front that To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is 878 pages, so if you never hear from me...

I'm fascinated by the optimistic explorer spirit--and I love reading about strong female characters in challenging terrain and situations.

Clavin's nonfiction book "Tombstone" traces the tensions and factors as they build to pivotal events that make Tombstone live on in infamy.

I loved the early twentieth century Arizona Territory setting and details, as well as Mary Pearl’s spirit, grit, and determination.

Harper's mysteries read like twisty character-driven Westerns set in Australia, and things aren’t always what they seem. I thought this was