This month's selection comes from Amanda, who wrote to tell me that she was reading a great book that would be good for our book club.  Please join Amanda and me in reading The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller.


Described as "a story about the crushing realities facing blue-collar westerners, the once-proud pioneers who now find themselves the disposable commodities of industry and corporate greed.  Colton is trapped by his circumstances, above which he'll never rise by luck, higher education, or football scholarship. Colton is an oil rigger's son destined to follow in his father's greasy footprints, knowing he has little if any choice in the matter."

I started reading the book yesterday, and was drawn a story that felt both familiar and foreign.  The writing is terrific, filling my mind with imagery that paints a greater picture of the man and his life than the facts could do alone.  About a third of the way through the book, I'm already thinking about the characters even after I've set the book down.

For this month's pairing, I asked Amanda for her recommendation for any drink that related to the book.  "Mountain Dew," she said.  "It's about oil workers in Wyoming and they drink a lot of Mountain Dew."  I'm a little partial to Diet Mountain Dew myself, but maybe that's a little too girly for the cowboy crowd.

This month, we not only bring you a highly recommended book, but also some big news.  For the second time since we started our book club, we have the chance to interview the author.  Read the book and send me your questions.  I'll put them together and send them to Amanda, who has agreed to interview Alexandra Fuller when she's in Texas later this month.