Comment on “So Much Stuff” and more Colorado Book Awards winners

“The Explorers,” by Amanda Blows (William Morrow) “The Explorers,” by Amanda Blows (William Morrow) The subtitle of “The Explorers” is “A New History of America in Ten Expeditions.”  It’s an odd description, because several of the 10 aren’t really explorers, and others aren’t exploring America.  That aside, the book is a list of people who’ve made a mark as pioneers. The book starts with two who actually are explorers, and well-known: Sacagawea and Jim Beckwourth.

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 all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer?

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 all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer?

Great literature is deeply rooted in place, and Colorado towns have been inspiring authors for decades. Ready to try a fiction-fueled vacay? Here’s how it works: Pick a title from the list below, read it solo or with your book club, then follow our travel notes to immerse yourself in a real-life literary setting. Sink a line in Crested Butte KnopfThe Guide by Peter Heller Thrillers aren’t exactly known for their literary prowess, and yet Denver-based writer Peter Heller – a poet and former journalist – manages to weave high-quality nature writing into his page-turners.

An anthology of Colorado writers and a study of the stuff created by man, by a former Denver Museum of Nature and Science archaeologist, are among the winners of the 2024 Colorado Book Awards. “So Much Stuff” is by Chip Colwell, whose bio on X declares him to be “owner of too much stuff,”  is now editor-in-chief of SAPIENS, a digital magazine about anthropological thinking and discoveries. “Reading Colorado,” by Peter Andersen, “underscores the diversity and richness of the state and its writers,” wrote our local book reviewer, Sandra Dallas soon after the book was published in 2023. Related Articles Books | A new National Park mystery and more books of regional interest Books | The Book Club: “Salt Houses,” “James” and more reader reviews Books | The Book Club: “Demon of Unrest” and more short reviews from readers Books | Step inside your next good book with a Colorado literary trip   Books | The Book Club: “Up Home” and more short reviews from readers The awards were presented by the Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book on June 21.

“Up Home: One Girl’s Journey,” by Ruth J. Simmons (Random House, 2023) 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 all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you.