Top Western Books {Five Fall Favorites}

There's just something about old-fashioned barns that seems to spell 'fall'.  Let's grab some books and climb to settle in and read in the haymow.  Bring some coffee, tea, or hot chocolate if you like (or any warm drink that suits your fancy).

I'm a western lover.  Watching western shows for my whole life probably had something to do with it.  Anyway, here's some of my favorites!

Beneath a Dakota Cross by Stephen Bly

"Boys, somewhere up there is a place the Lord has for me.  I'm goin' north to find it.  Might be Wyoming.  Might be Montana.  Might be the Black Hills.  I'll know it when I see it."

With these simple words, Brazos Fortune sets out on his journey in the first of Stephen Bly's 'Fortunes of the Black Hills' series.  When locals threaten the lives and property of his family, Brazos abandons his Texas homestead for a new ranch in the West he has seen in a dream.  It's a war against corrupt lawmen, wild outlaws, and bitter winter weather as Brazos wrestles with his newfound hunger for gold and the burning desire to be reunited with his family.  He must test himself against the untamed frontier, confront the greedy miners who try his Christian convictions, and find the new home God showed him Beneath a Dakota Cross.

One of my all-time favorite authors, Stephen Bly pulled this entires series off with flying colors!  The characters are all amazing and they're all fabulous and I'll stop flailing now before I start looking like a windmill.

Thick as Thieves by Susan K. Marlow

Fourteen-year-old Andrea Carter would rather ride her beloved palomino, Taffy, than do anything else.  But life on the Circle C ranch in 1882 is busy.  Between school and chores, Andi is left with little time to prepare for Taffy's first foaling.  Then when the event finally arrives, it nearly ends in disaster.

Returning to school keeps Andi hard-pressed to find time for foal training.  And she now has a new problem on her hands—Macy Walker, who has been assigned as Andi's seat mate.  The new girl's crude manners and cruel behavior bring storm clouds into Andi's life, as does the news that cattle rustlers have moved into the valley.

When the cattle rustlers turn to stealing horses and strike the Carter ranch, Andi's only hope for recovering her precious colts lies with Macy.  Can Andi trust this wild girl?  Does she have a choice?

Another of my very favorite authors.  This beginning book to yet another Circle C series is incredibly read-worthy.  And... yeah, um I'm not sure what else to say without using caps.  So I'll just shove you to the beautiful thing.

The Unexpected Request by Rebekah A. Morris

Ty Elliot returns to his home after an absence of two years, knowing full well the danger which threatens him each hour he lingers in the old cabin in the mountains. But with his father on his death bed and his younger sister exhausted, Ty knows he must remain for a time at least. When his father makes a strange request and begs his returned son to "find her," Ty promises but is bewildered. Who is he to find? How can he set about the task of honoring his word? The only clues the dying man can give his son are a broken locket, a small photograph of a woman and a few last whispered instructions; "Take care of your sisters." In confusion, Ty turns to his father's childhood friend, Carson, for advice. Would the older man be able to help Ty and his sister, Sally? How much time did Ty have at the cabin before 'they' found out? Join Ty, Sally and Carson on their journey in search of the missing sister. The dangers they encounter, the hardships they face, as well as the friendly homes they visit, will keep you turning the pages. Set in the untamed west of the mid-1800s, this is a story the whole family will enjoy.

Awww!  Ty's devotion to Sally is so sweet, and though it was just a little hard to get into at first, the rest of the book definitely made up for the beginning in adventure.  A real page turner to be sure!

My Father's World by Michael Phillips & Judith Pella

As the wagon train made its descent from the mountains, the warm colors of autumn tried in vain to cheer the weary young travelers. Their mother had perished in the desert, and they had heard that their father was dead some years before. With the help of the wagon master, fifteen-year-old Corrie Belle Hollister is the only one left to bring her two brothers and two sisters into a raucous mining camp during the California Gold Rush to find their Uncle Nick.

Her mother's dying words to Corrie: "A woman's got to be strong. She's got to be able to make her way alone if she has to." When the little troop arrives in Miracle Springs and discovers that Uncle Nick has skipped town and the sheriff is after him, the "land of promise" turns into one of fear and unknown danger. Shouts of "gold" and "new strike" fade away as Corrie stands in the middle of a strange town with everyone turning them away.

When my mom found the first five books in this series at a thrift store and brought them home for me, I was a little skeptical.  Why, I don't know; I should know by now that pretty much every book Mom finds for me will be good (I've got another one coming in a couple days).  But have I yet learned?  Noooo, Kaitlyn doesn't learn easily.  Because this book was excellent.

Never by J. Grace Pennington

Travis Hamilton never expected to be a killer. One day he was studying to become a schoolteacher in the little western town of Spencervale, and the next he was sentenced to ten years hard labor in the Dead Mines outside town -- from which few return alive.

Ross Hamilton is no detective. But when his brother is convicted of murder, he has no choice but to abandon his ranch and do all in his power to find out just what happened the night of the killing, and who is really responsible.

Neither brother is prepared to be stretched and tested to his limits and beyond by an adventure that is much bigger than either of them ever imagined.But in the next few days, they will be. The only way to survive is to never compromise. 

*melts into a puddle* OKAY UM READ THIS BOOK.  Seriously, it's intense, and Travis is so sweet, and Ross's diligence and loyalty during the whole ordeal... just so much yes.  You can actually read my incoherent review here.

And thus sums up my western recs!  Today was actually supposed to be humorous books, but I couldn't think of five legit comedies, so I decided to replace it with one of my very favorite genres.  Do you like westerns? Or do you prefer comedies?  Either way, check out Rebekah's blog for some books that made her laugh, as well as the links to the other blogs in the party!