western | The Bossy Bookworm

May 24

Six More Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West

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

Jan 17

Review of Lone Women by Victor LaValle

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

Dec 12, 2023

Review of The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook

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

Aug 31, 2023

Review of A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella L. Bird

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

Jun 29, 2023

Review of Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

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

Dec 29, 2022

Review of Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning

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

Oct 25, 2022

Review of The Fire and the Ore by Olivia Hawker

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

Sep 7, 2022

Review of Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne

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

Aug 31, 2022

Review of Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

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

Jun 10, 2022

Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West

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

Mar 11, 2021

Review of Outlawed by Anna North

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

Jan 27, 2021

Review of Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth

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...

Nov 4, 2020

Review of How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang

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

Oct 22, 2020

Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West

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

May 23, 2019

Review of The Lost Man by Jane Harper

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

Nov 1, 2017

Review of The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper

Harper's small-town Australia dark secrets and twists and turns have me totally hooked.

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