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 Out West Books in Grand Junction recommends books ranging from Oz to outlaws to the building in the backwoods.
Toto
By A.J. HackwithAce Books$19November 2024Purchase
From the publisher: I was mostly a Good Dog until they sold me out to animal control, okay? But if it’s a choice between Oz, with its creepy little singing dudes, and being behind bars in gray old Kansas, I’ll choose the place where animals talk and run the show for now, thanks.
It’s not my fault that the kid is stuck here too, or that she stumbled into a tug-of-war over a pair of slippers that don’t even taste good. Now one witch in good eyeliner calls her pretty and we’re off on a quest? Teenagers. I try to tell her she’s falling in with the wrong crowd when she befriends a freaking hedge wizard made of straw, that blue jay with revolutionary aspirations, and the walking tin can. Still, I’m not one to judge when there’s the small matter of a coup in the Forest Kingdom….
Look, something really stinks in Oz, and this Wizard guy and the witches positively reek of it. As usual, it’s going to be up to a sensible little dog to do a big dog’s job and get to the bottom of it. And trust me: Little dogs can get away with anything.
From Didi Herald, bookseller: All my life whenever someone asked me what I wanted for Christmas I always replied “books!” As an adult traveling over the holidays in some years, I always hoped to be gifted an enthralling book to make the post holiday journey home bearable. When I give a book as a gift, I want it to give the reader an enjoyable read with a giggle or two and, especially if they are traveling, some first class escapism.
With “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” and “Wicked” so ingrained in our culture for generations, Toto offers a comfortably familiar story but with 21st century characters that would be a blast to hang out with. It is truly Toto’s story. He’s a trash talking snarky little dog with a big heart who will protect his snarky, hoody wearing, teen girl. Landing in Oz thrusts them into the middle of a family feud that is escalating into a world war but friends and found family give Toto and company an edge. “Toto” is at the top of my gift giving list.
By Patrick HutchinsonSt. Martin’s Press$29December 2024Purchase
From the publisher: Wit’s End isn’t just a state of mind. It’s the name of a gravel road, the address of a run-down off-the-grid cabin, 120 shabby square feet of fixer-upper Patrick Hutchison purchased on a whim in the mossy woods of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state.
To say Hutchison didn’t know what he was getting into is no more an exaggeration than to say he’s a man with nearly zero carpentry skills. Well, used to be. You can learn a lot over six years of renovations. CABIN is the story of those renovations, but it’s also a love story; of a place, of possibilities, and of the process of construction, of seeing what could be instead of what is. It is a book for those who know what it’s like to bite off more than you can chew, or who desperately wish to.
From Marya Johnston, owner: Haven’t each of us, at some point in time, attempted a carpentry project that was way out of our league? A birdhouse? A doghouse?
Patrick Hutchison hardly knew how to use a chainsaw when he tired of his office job as a copywriter and bought his own little “shabbin” (as some friends of mine call their own shabby cabin or shed/cabin). It’s such a dream idea, isn’t it? Building a cabin in the woods? But sometimes the actuality of building it and/or living in it can be far less romantic. Hutchison’s humor and heart are evident in this DIY tale of fulfilling that dream of a cabin in the woods, the reality of said dream, and the satisfaction of overcoming the challenges and obstacles that are part of the deal.
I loved this book. My husband (who has had his own “shabbin” experiences), chuckled and read me passages out loud (even though I’d already read the book, mind you) which is a good indicator that he enjoyed it, too. This is a great gift for anyone on your holiday list. But beware: purchase of this book could lead to larger purchases, like land and lumber.
Didi Herald, bookseller, adds: My husband, who spends most of his time building, fixing, and creating at our off-grid home, in back of beyond, rarely reads. He devoured this book in a couple days when I took it home and read a bit out loud. I couldn’t get it back until he finished it.
Bandit Heaven
By Tom ClavinSt. Martin’s Press$30October 2024Purchase
From the publisher: Robbers Roost, Brown’s Hole, and Hole in the Wall were three hideouts that collectively were known to outlaws as “Bandit Heaven.” During the 1880s and ‘90s these remote locations in Wyoming and Utah harbored hundreds of train and bank robbers, horse and cattle thieves, the occasional killer, and anyone else with a price on his head.
Clavin’s “Bandit Heaven” is the entertaining story of these tumultuous times and the colorful characters who rode the Outlaw Trail through the frigid mountain passes and throat-parching deserts that connected the three hideouts—well-guarded enclaves no sensible lawman would enter. There are the “star” residents like gregarious Butch Cassidy and his mostly silent sidekick the Sundance Kid, and an array of fascinating supporting players.
From Marya Johnston, owner: If you live in the West and you don’t know about the Outlaw Trail, this book is for you. If you DO know about our outlaw history, it’s still a new, fun read. I was telling some young men about this book the other day and they didn’t know who Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were. How is that possible? Here in western Colorado, we literally follow in the footsteps of the Wild Bunch. They traipsed all over the ground we walk on!
This is a small book full of lots of rich history and interesting characters; many of whom have books written about them in their own rite: Tom Horn, the ruthless bounty hunter; Matt Warner, outlaw turned sheriff; the Basset Women, Anne and Josie, who grew up around the Wild Bunch; Charlie Saringo, the Pinkerton “Cowboy Detective” who spent his life chasing after Butch. Their colorful lives are all detailed in this book. And if you want to read more about them, we’ve got lots of books on these people in the store!
I know a thing or two about the Wild Bunch and the Outlaw Trail, and I can tell you that Tom Clavin has done some extensive research…and gets it right. I’m planning on giving this book to several members of my family. It’s a great read and would make a gift that anyone would be happy to receive.
THIS WEEK’S BOOK RECS COME FROM:
Out West Books
533 Main St., Grand Junction
outwestbooks.co
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: ReviewAn assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavor such as art, literature or a performance.
