Reading Wrap-up 4/26

[vamp_ress]

Another really good month. Definitely more hits than misses!

McMurtry, Larry: Lonesome Dove. Simon & Schuster Audio. 2025
What an epic undertatking! I (and I'm not a native speaker) decided on the audiobook and doubted my sanity during the first two hours. I always need a bit of time to get used to a certain dialect - and this one comes in a nice Texan drawl. Or at least I suppose that this is what I was hearing, LOL. But even through I struggled through some of the language I enjoyed this so very much. I've rarely read something so out of my comfort zone that turns out to be so very addictive. If you like a tale with a lot of characters that are all fleshed out into the tiniest detail, then try this book. And don't let yourself dissuaded by the fact that this is a western!

Dunmore, Helen: The Siege. Penguin. 2001.
I picked this out of a little library without knowing anything about the author or the plot. Turns out this was actually nominated for the Women's Prize back when it was still called the Orange Prize.I liked this and will definitely look for more by the author. This is a convincing piece of historical fiction set during WWII (not my favourite setting) and the siege of Leningrad. If you're interested in a story that's not political or military but that deals with the experience of the normal, everyday people during war, this is one that won't disappoint.

Swarthout, Glendon: The Shootist. Books in Motion. 2010.
Another western but this one isn't nearly as excellent as Lonesome Dove. The premise is pretty cool: An aging gunslinger learns that he only has weeks to live. So he decides to go out with a bang. This tries to come with a surprise twist, but it's neither surprising nor much of a twist. The author didn't do much with his great idea.

Shafak, Elif. Honour. Penguin. 2013.
I read The Island of Missing Trees a while ago and always planned on trying more of Shafak's writing. So this was my next pick and again it was very good. A tough subject matter, but it's told so interestingly and with so much compassion that it swept me away. If you like early Isabel Allende, Shafak could be something for you!

Hari, Johann. Stolen Focus. Crown. 2023.
This guy proves his point (which is that we can't pay attention) by going on every possible tangeant in his book. Wouldn't recommend.