Comment on The Book Club: “At the Edge of Empire” and more short reviews from readers

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?

If there is a genre for Denver author Peter Heller’s books, I would call it “literary wilderness mystery” or maybe “nature and men and danger.” His newest novel, “Burn,” released Aug. 13, is just that — a slow burn of a mysterious adventure for two friends, with Maine forests as a backdrop. Jess and Storey meet up every summer in the remote woods to hunt moose — a yearly ritual between lifelong friends.

“The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride,” by Joe Siple (Black Rose Writing, 2018) “The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride,” by Joe Siple (Black Rose Writing, 2018) This is the touching story of Murray McBride, recently widowed and 100 years old. He finds a new reason to live when he meets 10-year-old Jason Cashman, who has a heart condition requiring a heart transplant.

One of Denver’s beloved bookstores and community spaces is hightailing it out of the Mile High City. On Wednesday, Mutiny Information Cafe announced it would close its location at 2 S. Broadway after more than a decade and move about 4 miles south to 3483 S. Broadway in Englewood. Co-owner Jim Norris told The Denver Post his building is currently for sale and that he would need to pay double the rent to stay there, which isn’t feasible. “It’s a tough pill for everyone to swallow in Denver, but the choice came down to close it down or find somewhere new,” Norris said.

“At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China,” by Edward Wong (Viking, 2024) “At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China,” by Edward Wong (Viking, 2024) Wong, a New York Times correspondent, uses his father’s memories of his childhood in Guandong province and Hong Kong — through his university studies in Beijing and his military service in both northeast and far northwest China (the “edge of empire” of the title) — as the framework to explore Imperial Chinese history and even modern-day events there.