Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and other readers, to share these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.”
The Librarian of Burned Books,” by Brianna Labuskes (William Morrow, 2023)
Set in Berlin and Paris in pre-World War II times and New York City after the war, this novel approaches the inflammatory topic of book banning (and, yes, burning) from a historical perspective and is inspired by the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime of that era. It portrays the brave and tireless work by many in the book industry and in libraries to protect the written word and the freedom to access it, with a little mystery thrown in to spice things up. – 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“The Dog Stars,” by Peter Heller (Vintage Contemporaries, 2013)
Protagonist Hig somehow survived a flu pandemic (sound familiar?) that killed everyone he knows. Wife gone, friends dead, he lives in a small abandoned airport on Colorado’s Front Range with his dog and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope. A random transmission through the radio of his old Cessna sends him on a journey to see who has survived. This debut novel by celebrated Denver writer Peter Heller is a compelling story, with insights into life on the Eastern Plains, Grand Junction and other hidden treasures in a dangerous, post-apocalyptic world. Learn what truly comprises civilization. — 4 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
“So Late in the Day,” by Claire Keegan (Grove Press, 2023)
Claire Keegan is a powerhouse of a writer on the strength of her international bestsellers “Foster” and “Small Things Like These.” Her gift for distilling the complex emotional lives of her characters is incredible. If you appreciate her writing as much as I do, add this book to your must-read list.
These three “stories of women and men” vary greatly in tone. “So Late in the Day,” the title story, is sad and subdued, as a man is compelled to address the consequences of his relational shortcomings. In the second, “A Long and Painful Death,” a writer is awarded a residency, but it is interrupted by a
disgruntled stranger; she pens her revenge with relish. “Antarctica” (previously published as a stand-alone) is my conception of a horror story for a contemporary woman — all the more terrifying for its matter-of-fact style. Together, these three comprise a condensed encyclopedia of the dark side of female-male relationships. In 118 pages, no less. Keegan’s writing should not be overlooked. — 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“The Invisible Hour” by Alice Hoffman (Atria Books, 2023)
This novel starts with one contemporary girl’s obsession with Nathaniel Hawthorne, inserts some startling time travel, and reimagines the origins of Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” Our protagonist Mia first finds the power of escape that literature can provide, making forbidden visits to a public library in defiance of the strictures of the cultish community in the Berkshires that her mother has brought them to. Mia later finds some wrinkle in time that transports her to the mid-19th century and Hawthorne. If you can suspend sufficient disbelief, then you can also wonder who actually came up with the idea for “The Scarlet Letter.” Or not. — 1 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“A Man Called Ove,” by Fredrick Backman (Atria, 2014)
I finally read this decade-old bestseller and I loved it. And Ove. How can you not love an “archetypal grumpy old sod” who unknowingly is deeply caring of his neighbors? This is an Everyman story, brimming with wry humor and poignant moments too, filling a swath of emotions.— 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
