The Bookies Bookstore titles feature cataclysm, cash offers and crime

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 The Bookies Bookstore in Denver recommends tales propelled by a volcano, the real estate market and crime.

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From the publisher: A couple of hundred years ago, on a quiet Indonesian island, a volcano called Tambora erupted with a force and violence that changed history. It tore apart the island, and in the months and years that followed, its fallout tore apart the world. The sun refused to shine; the rain refused to stop. Everything that everyone assumed would always be there — a world that made sense, a climate that made sense — was suddenly gone.

From this riot of thunder and lightning, a young woman named Mary Shelley conceived of a scientist and his cursed creature. From the nightmare of Tambora, she wrote a nightmare of a book: “Frankenstein” — a terrifying reminder of how much damage we humans might do, without even realizing it.

From Anne, children’s buyer: I loved this book because it felt like I was having a conversation with the author. He sits you down, and guides you through the interconnected history of this one event. Day narratively weaves together literature, history, politics, economics, the environment and discusses how one volcano eruption could affect all of these things. Move through this moment in time, following one thread into another connecting Mary Shelley, slavery, aristocracy, and food shortages. Any adult, teen, or tween can enjoy this book, I certainly did!

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From the publisher: Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, D.C., suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged — but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief. Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

From Becky, sideline buyer: Following Margo down the rabbit hole of increasingly bonkers behavior is tense in an almost uncomfortable way — waiting for the other shoe to drop as she loses all sense of reason! I listened to this one on audio via Libro.fm and narrator Cia Court does a truly amazing job!

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From the publisher: Acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne has created an epic saga that weaves together four interconnected narratives, each representing a different perspective on crime: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim.

The narrative follows a mother on the run from her past, a young soccer star facing a trial, a successful surgeon grappling with childhood trauma, and a father on a transformative journey with his son. Each is somehow connected to the next, and as the story unfolds, their lives intersect in unimaginable ways.

Boyne’s most ambitious work yet, The Elements is both an engrossing drama and a moving investigation of why and how we allow crime to occur. With masterful, spellbinding prose, he navigates this complex subject with extraordinary empathy and unflinching honesty.

From Missy, bookseller: I highly recommend this title by a master storyteller. I am overwhelmed by the wisdom and social realities of Boyne’s book. I read this several months ago and I am still thinking about the power of the troubling underlying message. The connections are astounding. The characters show how healing, fortitude, and truth telling provide new understanding.

Type of Story: Review

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