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 phone tips for tweens, a British murder mystery and a coming of age story.
The Phone Book
By Jessica Speer
Henry N. Abrams
$14.99 (paperback)
August 2023
Purchase
From the publisher: So . . . you got a phone! You can text your friends, play games, and take cool pictures! You have the whole world in your pocket — power to be used as a force for good or, um, not so good.
Fraught with cyberbullying, disinformation, fake stuff, tech addiction, and so much more, the digital world can be downright sad, awkward, and nasty. But have no fear, kids! Packed with research-based explanations, techy tidbits, and real stories from hundreds of teens and preteens, this phone book (the fun kind) will be your guide on the path of light, teaching you healthy phone habits and ways to stay safe online. And while you’re on your journey, super illustrations, activities, and secret codes will reveal the power of your phone and the superpowers you have to wield it. Go forth, be informed, and slay the dark side of technology!
From Marilyn Robbins, children’s programs manager: Colorado author Jessica Speers has delivered a fun manual for tweens, perfect for when they receive their first phone. “The Phone Book” is fun and engaging, filled with entertaining quizzes, tips, and more. This book is a delightful way for parents to work together with their children on exploring their new phone.
A Most Agreeable Murder
By Julia Seales
Random House Publishing Group
$27 (hardcover)
June 2023
Purchase
From the publisher: Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township: She is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with true crime. For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that younger daughter Louisa will steal his heart. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior — a difficult challenge when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.
Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear that the guests are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires — before anyone else is murdered.
From Krista Carlton, manager: Julia Seales has delivered a hilarious and intriguing murder mystery. The right combination of frippery and substance, you find yourself drawn in and laughing the whole way! A classic “the murderer is someone in this room” combined with the over-the-top and ridiculous etiquette rules of society, this book had me laughing and asking for more!
Migrations
By Charlotte McConaghy
Flatiron Books
$16.99 (paperback)
July 2021
Purchase
From the publisher: Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool — a passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crime — it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny’s dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?
From Bess Maher, event liaison: Based on our bookseller Jeanne Boudreau’s review of Charlotte McConaghy’s “Once There Were Wolves,” I decided to go back and read “Migrations”and then work my way to her second novel. I’m so glad I did. It is a heartbreaking, important novel — a coming-of-age story for a character with an old soul and a big heart for the rapidly disappearing natural world.
THIS WEEK’S BOOK RECS COME FROM:
The Bookies Bookstore
2085 S. Holly Street
Denver, CO 80222
As part of The Colorado Sun’s literature section — SunLit — we’re featuring staff picks from book stores across the state. Read more.
Type of Story: Review
An assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavor such as art, literature or a performance.
