I'm going to be gone for a few days vacationing in Central Texas visiting, among other things, Dinosaur Valley State Park and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. I suspect a lot of y'all are like me in that I actually plan which books I'll be taking on any vacations. I have this interesting (read: strange?) penchant to read books that are about/set in the places I visit. Thus, last year, when I went to California, I took Robert Bloch's Spiderweb/Shooting Star as it was set in California. This year, it's westerns (mostly).
- The Comanche Scalp - William Colt MacDonald
- Trail of the Apache - Elmore Leonard (I have the new complete set of short stories but don't want to lug around that huge brick of a book)
- The Lone Ranger (graphic novel) - I'm very interested to see a modern take on this most classic of western heroes.
- Night Over the Solomons - Louis L'amour (not a western but a western writer)
I haven't read the MacDonald or the Lone Ranger graphic novel, but those Western short stories by Leonard are great and I like L'Amour's adventure stories as much or more than his Westerns, so I think you're in good shape with those two.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great vacation planned. Have a safe trip.
ReplyDeleteI've got a L'Amour waiting the book pile.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your vacation.
James - Since it was in the other room when I was writing the post, I neglected to list one other book I'm taking: Texas Wind. On MacDonald, this one is slower than Mascarada Pass so I'm having a tough time getting through it. I've only read the title story, so far, on the L'amour and absolutely loved it.
ReplyDeleteDavid - Yup, time to get out in the Texas heat even more.
Leah - What L'amour book is on your TBR pile? My dad has all of my grandfather's LL westerns so I can pretty much have my pick whenever I want.
Scott, "To The Far Blue Mountains" is waiting for me. It says "The Sacketts" above L'Amour's name. Is it a series? I got it at a yard sale.
ReplyDeleteLeah - I know enough about L'amour to know that the Sacketts is one of those broad, generation-spanning histories L'amour wrote about. He took one family, I think, and showed their progression across the west. That's about all I know.
ReplyDeleteI want to see Dinosaur Valley State park. One of these days. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteCharles - Make sure you visit Dinosaur Valley and Fossil Rim's Wildlife Center. It's the only (?) safari in Texas where you can drive your car through and see the animals. Tres cool!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Dinosaur Valley once and really enjoyed it. Haven't made it to Fossil Rim yet. You know how it is about visiting things in your own back yard . . .
ReplyDeleteTHE DAYBREAKERS is the first Sackett novel L'Amour wrote, although it's not the first one chronologically in the series. It's also one of my favorite L'Amour novels.
Driving through a wildlife center? There's an African Safari near Cambridge, Ontario where the monkeys will rip the rubber off the windshield wipers.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip, and give us the run down when you get back.