Koncocoo

Best Westerns

Louis L'Amour Collection
The collection includes:Riding for the Brand, The Black Rock Coffin Makers, Dutchman's Flat, The Nester and the Piute, Mistakes Can Kill You, Trail to Pie Town, and Big Medicine. Some equally famous friends--Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson--perform cameos in a well-produced multicast adaptation of RIDING FOR THE BRAND, complete with jingling spurs, war whoops, and gunshots.
Reviews
"We listened on our vacation."
"Bought as a gift for a friend."
"Good audio of the stories."
"Terrific gift for my nephew that is traveling these days."
"Got it for my Mom."
"Received this audio collection as a gift and am enjoying listening to it on my computer while I perform other tasks."
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A Prairie Home Companion 20th Anniversary: Four Compact Discs
This retrospective collection of A Prairie Home Companion features complete monologues drawn from 20 years of radio broadcasts Filled with gentle humor, down-home truths, and amazing depths of tenderness and meaning, these tales of "the little town that time forgot and the decades could not improve" are classics of American storytelling.Contents:Hello Love; O Captain, My Captain; I Will; Tomato Butt; Barnyard Dance; Casey at the Bat; Rhubarb; Life Is a Ballgame; Revival Tent; Calling My Children Home; The Perfect Day; The Warm Welcome; Regina; Carl's Dog Story; Vincent; Pontoon Boat; Goin' Home; The Lake Superior Canyon Project; Cotton; Emily Dickinson's Birthday Pizza; Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam; Troublesome Ivories; The Little Match Girl; The Elegance of Winter; Answering Machine; A Kohler Thanksgiving; Not the Cheapest Kind; Homecoming; You Drive Me Crazy; Six Minute Hamlet; The Living Flag; Stars and Stripes; Pioneer Waltz; Buddy Holly and the Pharaohs of Rhythm; My Life; Cherry Picker; Graduation Day; Julia; Raccoons; Lover's Waltz. "...this one has to [rank] near the top [of Keillor collections] because of the sheer variety and number of bellylaughs..." -- Dick Richmond, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov 1994 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
"Very funny, folksy and familiar Keillor rendition of the lives and special events in Lake Wobegon."
"Very entertaining."
"I'm looking forward to listening to Keillor's stories in the kitchen with my family while we're making Thanksgiving dinner."
"Love Garrison Keillor's story-telling style."
"I bought it for my daughter-in-law for her birthday which she requested because her family had had it when she was growing up and took car trips."
"This book must have been a gift but I don't really remember purchasing it."
"Not many storytellers can come close to this."
"Brilliant."
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Last of the Breed
When his experimental aircraft is forced down in Russia and he escapes a Soviet prison camp, he must call upon the ancient skills of his Indian forebears to survive the vast Siberian wilderness. Louis L'Amour is the only American-born novelist in history to receive both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Reviews
"First, there were a lot of characters with Russian names that I had a hard time keeping up with. It is what it is, but I wish that L'Amour had spent just a little more time and developed the ending a little."
"I agree with many of the commentators that this book was too repetitious and that it has an abrupt ending."
"It remains a classic tale of a man coming to grips with himself in dangerous situations."
"Way too much left unresolved in this book."
"This story could have been a stem winder story, but the reader was left leaking enthusiasm across the wilderness of repetition."
"I got a good idea about life in Siberia during the Stalin period and the struggle of the cultured Russians to flee the oppressive regime and seek freedom away from Russia."
"This novel was gripping from beginning to end."
"This is a gripping story... such a great historical depiction of the Cold War that renders the reader riveted, looking forward to a classic Louis ending, only to be denied."
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Best McMurtry, Larry

Streets of Laredo: Sequel to Lonesome Dove
Riding with Call are an Eastern city slicker, a witless deputy, and one of the last members of the Hat Creek outfit, Pea Eye Parker, now married to Lorena -- once Gus McCrae's sweetheart. Accompanied by an inappropriate railroad accountant from Brooklyn, a reluctant Texas deputy and gangling, awkward Pea Eye Parker (who is trying to give up the Ranger life and settle down to farming and family with the lovely ex-whore Lorena), Call sets off, roaming the border country in his competent, unassuming fashion. As in some great 19th-century saga, the story has more than its share of improbable coincidences--people meeting fortuitously in thousands of square miles of empty territory, hearing vital news at appropriate and inappropriate moments--but these seem only mild contrivances to shape a story packed with action, terror, humor and pathos.
Reviews
"Next to Lonesome Dove, this one comes second. I felt the love that she and Pea shared in a way that Gus could never have had with her."
"I would have awarded five stars, but there was so much background given to each character that really wasn't necessary to the story."
"But, I must say, because of McMurtry's masterful style it was a satisfying read; and if one did not read LD this novel would be easily an excellent achievement."
"BUT it also makes you think to remember how each character was in book 2 and 3. some times it did not make sense but still worth the read."
"I loved Lonesome Dove - McMurtry is an excellent writer taking the reader inside of the action where emotions, pain, fury all can be felt."
"It just doesn't measure up to the other three."
"Of all McMurtys books on Lonesome Dove the original is the best as in most sequels later I wish I had not read but this one is the best of the bunch My recommendation read this and go no further His further writings are disgusting imagery and violent."
"My next read is Telegraph Days, and I'm sure I will get the same enjoyment out of it as all the other McMurtry books."
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Best Leonard, Elmore

Hombre
[Read by Richard Poe]. Grand Master Elmore Leonard is justifiably acknowledged as ''the best writer of crime fiction alive'' ( Newsweek ) -- and, in fact, one of the very best ever, alongside other all-time greats like John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Robert Parker. ''Although known for his mysteries, Elmore Leonard has penned some of the best western fiction ever.''.
Reviews
"I haven't read anything by the author, nor viewed the movie adaption so can't compare the two however it's no secret that I enjoy a good "western"."
"An unusual western in that there are lots of taut situations where the waiting and stand-offs are filled with a terse suspense."
"If you've seen the movie with Paul Newman and Richard Boone, then you know the story."
"Few movies ever come close to being as good, or better, than the book they are based on, but some do just that (Jaws by Peter Benchley comes to mind as a great example of a book made far better by the movie)."
"By the end I could barely stand upright."
"Elmore Leonard is not nearly as well known for his Westerns as his hardboiled crime dramas, but in fact he is one of the finest writers in the genre of the past fifty years. Though treated with disdain by his fellow stage coach passengers (actually, they travel in a mud wagon), he becomes their only hope after bandits hold them up. Russell is striking for being treated as both heroic and extremely capable, but not impossibly skilled as many Western heroes are depicted. Written in 1961, Leonard anticipates the far more positive treatment of Indian characters in the seventies and beyond."
"This is one instance where the film is very true to the book, and I very much enjoyed the book even though I read it long after I'd first seen the film."
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Best General

A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel
The count’s refinement and genteel nature are exactly what we’re longing for.” — Ann Patchett “How delightful that in an era as crude as ours this finely composed novel stretches out with old-World elegance.” —The Washington Post He can’t leave his hotel. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. [ A Gentleman in Moscow ] is laced with sparkling threads (they will tie up) and tokens (they will matter): special keys, secret compartments, gold coins, vials of coveted liquid, old-fashioned pistols, duels and scars, hidden assignations (discreet and smoky), stolen passports, a ruby necklace, mysterious letters on elegant hotel stationery . “Marvelous.” — Chicago Tribune “The novel buzzes with the energy of numerous adventures, love affairs, twists of fate and silly antics.” — The Wall Street Journal “A winning, stylish novel.” —NPR.org “Enjoyable, elegant.” — Seattle Times. In the end, Towles’s greatest narrative effect is not the moments of wonder and synchronicity but the generous transformation of these peripheral workers, over the course of decades, into confidants, equals and, finally, friends. With them around, a life sentence in these gilded halls might make Rostov the luckiest man in Russia.” — The New York Times Book Review “This is an old fashioned sort of romance, filled with delicious detail. Towles’s tale, as lavishly filigreed as a Fabergé egg, gleams with nostalgia for the golden age of Tolstoy and Turgenev.” — O, The Oprah Magazine “‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘Eloise’ meets all the Bond villains.” —TheSkimm. an imaginative and unforgettable historical portrait.” — Booklist “House arrest has never been so charming as in Towles’s second novel, an engaging 30-year saga set almost entirely inside the Metropol, Moscow’s most luxurious hotel. “An irresistible and astonishingly assured debut about working class-women and world-weary WASPs in 1930s New York…in the crisp, noirish prose of the era, Towles portrays complex relationships in a city that is at once melting pot and elitist enclave – and a thoroughly modern heroine who fearlessly claims her place in it.” — O, the Oprah Magazine “With this snappy period piece, Towles resurrects the cinematic black-and-white Manhattan of the golden age…[his] characters are youthful Americans in tricky times, trying to create authentic lives.” — The New York Times Book Review “This very good first novel about striving and surviving in Depression-era Manhattan deserves attention…The great strength of Rules of Civility is in the sharp, sure-handed evocation of Manhattan in the late ‘30s.” — Wall Street Journal “Put on some Billie Holiday, pour a dry martini and immerse yourself in the eventful life of Katey Kontent…[Towles] clearly knows the privileged world he’s writing about, as well as the vivid, sometimes reckless characters who inhabit it.” — People “[A] wonderful debut novel…Towles [plays] with some of the great themes of love and class, luck and fated encounters that animated Wharton’s novels.” — The Chicago Tribune “Glittering…filled with snappy dialogue, sharp observations and an array of terrifically drawn characters…Towles writes with grace and verve about the mores and manners of a society on the cusp of radical change.” —NPR.org.
Reviews
"The relationships he forms with staff and guests, his handling of twists of fate, his moral rectitude and his perseverance to go on in the face of his lifelong imprisonment for being a Former Person make for a compelling tale, told beautifully by Towles. I literally sat and stared into space for an hour after I finished A Gentleman In Moscow, contemplating it and wishing it hadn’t ended."
"I had such an emotionally fulfilled feeling at the end of this novel that when I finished the last page, I closed the book, sat back, sighed deeply, and thought, "well, what now? It seems convoluted to start a review with the ending of a book, but this novel is actually a rather long tale, spanning 30+ years, so before I get into the journey, allow me this one break with decorum. But A Gentleman in Moscow, if not completely upsetting Sara Gruen's work, at least pulls level with it, because it is such a satisfying end to this novel, and I'll say no more than that for fear of ruining the experience for anyone else. It feels like such a universal fantasy that, despite the fact that we are not (probably) an aristocrat, a connoisseur of multiple tastes, exceedingly cultured, and currently exiled within our own country, we somehow connect with Count Rostov immediately. Towles writes with such sophistication and beauty in every carefully chosen word that it manages to feel effortless. At times it's witty and funny in that perfectly refined way, and in the next moment it's incredibly astute and insightful. I could ramble on about the the delightful and stunning setting of this book as well as the cast of characters that weave in and out and in again, but it might actually be overkill. I'll revisit often and always with a perfectly paired glass of wine in my hand, as Count Rostov would approve."
"This second novel is as enjoyable and engaging as his first, “Rules of Civility.”. In 1922, the Emergency Committee of the People’s Commissariat For Internal Affairs sentences Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov to spend the rest of his life inside the Hotel Metropol for writing the poem “Where Is It Now?”, which brashly asked the question, “where is our purpose now?” In imposing the sentence, the prosecutor pronounced that the Count “has succumbed irrevocably to the corruptions of his class – and now poses a threat to the very ideals he once espoused. In trying to adjust to his new circumstances, the Count tells himself that “if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them” and that “imagining what might happen if one’s circumstances were different was the only sure route to madness.” And so the Count adjusts to the 30 or more years that he ultimately spends in the Hotel. The Count befriends a nine-year-old girl, Nina Kulikova, who is temporarily living in the hotel with her father and who introduces the Count to all of the secrets the Hotel has to offer. While living at the Metropol, the Count meets people from all over the world, begins a love affair with a famous actress, spends many years tutoring a former red Army Colonel about the west, works as the head waiter at the Boyarsky and makes friends and enemies with the various people who lead their lives either in or through the Metropol. Asking for the restaurant manager, the Count is taken to the Hotel’s wine cellar, housing more than 100,000 bottles."
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Best Poetry

Solace: The Art of Asking the Beautiful Question
Poet, author and internationally acclaimed speaker David Whyte looks at the fruitful discipline of finding and asking ever keener and more beautiful questions throughout our lives. An Associate Fellow at Templeton College and Said Business School at the University of Oxford, he is one of the few poets to take his perspectives on creativity into the field of organizational development, where he works with many European, American and international companies.
Reviews
"as always...poignant, beautiful and thought provoking."
"Great reflections on life."
"No need to describe - it's David Whyte, and he is profound and touches the heart."
"This is one of my favorite recordings."
"All I need to say is that I listen over and over again to this presentation by David Whyte, along with reading his books."
"David Whyte lectures are always inspiring and comforting... as well, it's a pleasure to hear him read poetry."
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Best Classics

The Hiding Place (Radio Theatre)
Enter into The Hiding Place to relive Corrie ten Boom's heart-pounding account as a leader in the Dutch Underground during World War II.
Reviews
"This is the remarkable story of a remarkable family that literally laid their lives out to save Jews in Holland during WWII. I only wish that I could do something good for any person that would give respect for the wonderful people in this story."
"Inspiring to say the least."
"I read this book many, many years ago."
"What a story."
"I started this book with curiosity about how they hid people during this time and became quickly humbled by their faith and lives."
"This is a book that everyone should read."
"Spellbinding, heartbreaking, spiritual, heartwarming."
"I have known about this book for many years, but put off reading it - mistakenly thinking it would be too depressing."
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Best Drama

The Hiding Place (Radio Theatre)
Enter into The Hiding Place to relive Corrie ten Boom's heart-pounding account as a leader in the Dutch Underground during World War II.
Reviews
"This is the remarkable story of a remarkable family that literally laid their lives out to save Jews in Holland during WWII. I only wish that I could do something good for any person that would give respect for the wonderful people in this story."
"Inspiring to say the least."
"I read this book many, many years ago."
"What a story."
"I started this book with curiosity about how they hid people during this time and became quickly humbled by their faith and lives."
"This is a book that everyone should read."
"Spellbinding, heartbreaking, spiritual, heartwarming."
"I have known about this book for many years, but put off reading it - mistakenly thinking it would be too depressing."
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Best Religious

The Hiding Place (Radio Theatre)
Enter into The Hiding Place to relive Corrie ten Boom's heart-pounding account as a leader in the Dutch Underground during World War II.
Reviews
"This is the remarkable story of a remarkable family that literally laid their lives out to save Jews in Holland during WWII. I only wish that I could do something good for any person that would give respect for the wonderful people in this story."
"Inspiring to say the least."
"I read this book many, many years ago."
"What a story."
"I started this book with curiosity about how they hid people during this time and became quickly humbled by their faith and lives."
"This is a book that everyone should read."
"Spellbinding, heartbreaking, spiritual, heartwarming."
"I have known about this book for many years, but put off reading it - mistakenly thinking it would be too depressing."
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Best Short Stories

Beartown
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true. Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. “Lest readers think hockey is the star here, it’s Backman’s rich characters that steal the show, and his deft handling of tragedy and its effects on an insular town. While the story is dark at times, love, sacrifice, and the bonds of friendship and family shine through ultimately offering hope and even redemption.” ( Publishers Weekly ). “The sentimentally savvy Backman...takes a sobering and solemn look at the ways alienation and acceptance, ethics and emotions nearly destroy a small town and young people.” ( Booklist ). Backman cements his standing as a writer of astonishing depth and proves that he also has very broad range plus the remarkable ability to make you understand the feelings of each of a dozen different characters. The story is fully packed with wise insights into the human experience causing characters and readers to ponder life’s great question of who we are, what we hope to be and how we should lead our lives.” ( The Washington Times ).
Reviews
"The happenings and how the personalities bounce off each other in such human ways (hatefully and lovingly) makes this a fascinating and unforgettable book. This book is not at all like the Ove book except that it is written by a genius of human understanding."
"It begins with a cliffhanger: "Late one evening...a teenager picked up a shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead and pulled the trigger. Fiction is a way to enter into an age-old discussion framed so beautifully by one of the characters: "This town doesn't always know the difference between right and wrong...but we know the difference between good and evil." What is the right thing to do when things go very wrong?"
"Don't be sidelined about it either being set in Sweden, written by a Swedish author, (sometimes some translations don't play out too well) or is about hockey. Even though hockey appears the premise of the story, it is just the background noise that keeps the book and its characters moving forward."
"However, the emotional reading was like being in a rollercoaster, as a parent myself I was put through the whole scale of going from shock, to mad, to sad, to scared, to happy, to whatever... too many emotions to track. I found myself often reading parts out loud to my husband."
"Starts a little slow (a lot of hockey culture) but builds to conversations and settings in which questions are raised, some answered and some unanswered, similar to those many of us are asking ourselves in light of current Hollywood scandals."
"The author is showing how important hockey is to this town!"
"This book speaks of community, passion, and commitment all through the eyes of a hockey team and the town that loves them."
"Draining."
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Best Unabridged

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One
NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords . Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. Whenever he's allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Parris, a big white dog called Mischa, and two cats named Augustus and Caligula, who think they run the place.
Reviews
"This review is primarily to give a feedback on the sizes of leather bound and paperback printed books."
"Going into these books (I read them after the show began but before I'd seen the show...), I enjoyed my share of sci-fi/fantasy along the lines of Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer... fairly light-hearted stuff (in comparison, at least) that always felt grounded in the same world I live in. So when I first saw articles and clips from the HBO Game of Thrones series, I thought it looked like the one type of fantasy series that I would never enjoy. I held out for a looong time, until 3 different friends of mine with similar tastes in books/shows/films promised me that, while they too disliked this sub-genre of fantasty, this series was different, and I HAD to read the books or start the show."
"Extremely pleased with this leather edition."
"I was under the impression it would be the "size of a pocket bible" and the pages were so thin u could see through them like bible paper. All of my pages are here (from what I can tell) and although I doubt the quality of the "leather" it still feel great in hand and is just stunning to look at. I've included pictures to show its beauty and also compare the size to an actual pocket bible and its paper."
"I can't tell if this is the case for the rest of the books, but I'm certainly dissatisfied with the product."
"I'm really glad I've already read these books, because I had the book in my back seat while driving one day, and decided I should put the windows down."
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