The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry
is his first novel in five years. The saloon
of the title is owned by Virgil and Warren Earp. Their brother, Wyatt, and his buddy Doc
Holliday are on hand, having finished a brief stint in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
Show. Other historical notables drop by,
including Quannah Parker and Buffalo Bill, but the book reads more like a farce
than a western. Part of the plot
involves an English lord who turns up with his mistress and entourage and teams
up with Charlie Goodnight to start an enormous cattle ranch. Our reviewer said,
“It’s funny but it’s not Lonesome Dove. I could imagine it as a Broadway
musical.” It’s a quick read, and it is
recommended—just be aware this isn’t a book to judge by its cover.
Next up was a nonfiction book about
the Civil War. The River Was Dyed
with Blood: Nathan Bedford Forrest and Fort
Pillow was written by Brian Steel
Wills, a former professor at the University of Virginia at Wise, and is teaching
at Kennesaw State University. Forrest
was a self-made man, a self-taught commander, and a fascinating character. This book focuses on the events at Fort
Pillow, where Forrest’s troops killed most of the Union soldiers, including
those attempting to surrender. Our reader
says that Forrest could easily be described as both a saint and a devil,
depending on who was doing the describing.
The book is quite readable.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
was praised by our next reviewer who found it very interesting, especially if
you like science fiction. A young man named Joshua decides he wants to write
about the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He decides to interview one of the scientists
responsible, and his quest leads him to an island and a new religion which
boasts that it is based on lies. This is considered one of Vonnegut’s best, a satirical,
funny, and absurd look at religion, politics, and society.
The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince by Jane Ridley
is, as the title indicates, a life of Britain’s King Edward VII, who began his
rather short reign after the death of his mother Queen Victoria. Our reader said it could have been subtitled “How
NOT to Raise a Child.” Bertie, as he was
called, spent most of his adult life with very little to do, as his mother felt
he was not mature enough to handle anything of importance. That included anything to do with government duties.
He ascended the throne at the age of 59 and reigned for less than a decade, but
according to some he set the standard for the modern monarchy. Of course, to many he’s primarily known for
his womanizing, high living, gambling, and fashion. This biography is well
done, being both enlightening and entertaining.
Finally, a new member is reading the
Mistborn
series by Brandon Sanderson. Set in
a world covered in ash, a tyrant has ruled for a thousand years. He created a world with vast class divisions,
from the nobility to the lowly skaa who serve as slaves. As the series begins, a half-skaa Kelsior has
survived the Dark Lord’s most brutal prison and is now scheming for a way to
bring him down. Our reviewer described it
as an epic fantasy and a “keeper kind of a book.” He hasn’t finished it yet but is finding it
interesting so far. There are three books in the basic series but Sanderson has
recently written a book set in the same world, but three hundred years later.
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