Old Firehouse Books suggests tales around music, religion and sleep

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from book stores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins recommends NAMES OF BOOKS HERE.

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From the publisher: A story of class and coming-of-age as a group of best friends investigates the allegations against their teacher. It’s the mid-1990s, and in the small, coastal town of Vincent, Australia, four Nirvana-obsessed 14-year-old girls form a grunge band. The Bastards are “forgettable girls”—poor, not particularly clever, ridiculed by their better-off classmates, and desperate to escape the fates of their mothers, who seem locked into a life of minimum-wage jobs, surprise pregnancies, and drunk boyfriends. The Battle of the Bands is the girls’ one ticket out.

As small-town rumors swirl, however, The Bastards are abandoned by their lead singer Lily Lucid, who accuses their beloved music teacher of assault. The three remaining girls are left with nothing. Nothing, that is, except their amateur detective skills, a conviction that Mr. P is innocent, and a readiness to sacrifice everything to keep their dream alive.

From Teresa, co-owner: When the Bastards decide that joining the battle of the bands is the only way to get out of their nowhere town, they throw themselves into practice with their music teacher. But when one of the Bastards accuses the music teacher of sexual assault, the rest of the Bastards decide to prove the teacher’s innocence, because the only way out of this town is through their music. A gut wrenching story of friendship between girls that are thrown into precarious situations and how they find themselves when friendship has failed them.

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From the publisher: Written in vivid prose, “On Fire for God” is both an unflinching memoir of religious trauma and survival and a stirring examination of the emotional, political, and sociological effects of the Christian right. Returning to his hometown in search of answers about his upbringing and the political forces at work in the region, Hesse calls into question prevailing theories about the disappearing working class that point to opioids, automation, or globalism as the culprits. His story of awakening and escape exposes how conservative Christian con men have, over generations, trapped working-class believers in an isolated bubble of racism, xenophobia, and self-imposed martyrdom, while stripping communities like his of their wealth and self-esteem.

From Zane, bookseller: Well folks, here’s one to kick you right where it hurts. I loved this book immensely. Hesse’s vulnerability and honesty in giving a very personal, very sobering telling of his upbringing in an Iowa evangelical church is incredible, not to mention his talent as a writer and journalist, and I couldn’t put the book down even when I wanted to. If you’re unaware of just how deep the manipulation and abuse of extreme Christian sects can run in the U.S., I highly recommend giving this a read. Hesse’s courage to return to the town where he experienced so much darkness, to interview his own family and former neighbors and walk the paths of his pain to tell his story truly has me in awe. (Also, he’s coming to our store for an event, so please come see him in person!)

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From the publisher: Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but physicians dismiss her symptoms and blood tests don’t reveal any cause. When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same — have you tried eating better? Exercising more? Establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.

Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night. What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?

From Mia, bookseller: This short thriller by Hildur Knútsdóttir is such a fun and freaky quick read! The book follows a young woman who starts waking up more tired than when she went to bed, but can’t seem to figure out why until she wakes up with new bruises. It is perfectly paced so that as you read everything seems to happen faster and faster until all of a sudden you realize it is over and leaves your heart racing.

Type of Story: Review

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