Each week, as part of SunLit—the Sun’s literary section—we feature recommendations from staff at bookstores across Colorado. This week, the team at Poor Richard’s Books in Colorado Springs recommends a touching summer tale, the latest classic from King and Longmire.
The Summer Book
By Tove Jansson
NYRB Classics
15,95 €
May 2008
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From the publisher: Tove Jansson distills the essence of summer—its sunlight and its storms—into 22 crystal-clear vignettes. This short novel tells the story of Sophia, a 6-year-old girl coming to life, and Sophia’s grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life, as they spend the summer on a tiny pristine island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little moody; Sophia is impetuous and unpredictable, but she cares for her grandmother with the care of a new mother. Together they stroll along shore and forest in easy companionship, build boats from tree bark, create a miniature Venice, write an imaginative study of native insects. They discuss matters that are important to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and love.
From Jeffery Payne, Deputy Retail Manager: On the first page of The Summer Book we meet Sophia – a precocious, curious child with worldly questions and a seething anger under her skin – and her grandmother – wise, caring, with sharp words, a mischievous glint in her eyes and cigarettes in her worn pockets.
Jansson has captured the pace of summer life on a small, remote island in the Gulf of Finland. Cleverly crafted words lull the reader into a calm mind and a quiet place. Her astute observations (about both nature and humanity) are sometimes a gentle, compassionate punch to the gut. Written with a naturalistic eye and an obvious love of life on the Finnish coast, The Summer Book gives us a good reason to pause and take a few minutes to enjoy the last days of this season.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
By Stephen King
Scribner Bookstore
$14
September 2020
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From the publisher: A fascinating tale of wrongful imprisonment and unusual escape. This is one of Stephen King’s most popular and iconic stories and has helped make Castle Rock a place that readers return to again and again. Suspenseful, mysterious and heartbreaking, this iconic King novella, populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, follows a highly compelling convict named Andy Dufresne seeking his ultimate revenge. Originally published in 1982 in the collection Different Seasons”, In 1994 it became the film “The Shawshank Redemption”.
From Jeffery Payne, Deputy Retail Manager: To be completely honest, I’m not a Stephen King fan. I don’t know which one (story) started it, but I’ve avoided reading anything by Mr. King for decades. Recently, when I had nothing to read between my “big” books, I asked my colleague (hi, Thom!) for ideas and he again suggested this novella.
There’s not much new to say about Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, except that if you haven’t read it, you should put it on your list. The succinct and powerful choice of words tells a story of hope and determination. The characters are incredibly well-developed, even though the book is very small compared to King’s other volumes. We are easily and willingly drawn in. There’s a reason King has been a literary monument for many years: he really knows his craft well.
First frost
By Craig Johnson
Vikings
$30
June 2024
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From the publisher: It is the summer of 1964, and recent college graduates Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear recognize the signs of the times and report for duty in the Vietnam War. As they ride a few last waves in California before reporting for duty, a storm suddenly hits the coast and capsizes a nearby cargo ship. Walt and Henry rush to action, but the police who greet them on land soon discover that the sunken ship was carrying valuable contraband from underground sources.
The boys are in their early 20s and at the peak of their physical abilities after four years of college football and are heading to Route 66. The question, of course, is how far they will get before they face the consequences of their actions. The answer is: not very far.
Back in the present, Walt must testify before a judge following the deadly events of the “Longmire Defense.” With powerful enemies lurking behind the scenes, the Absaroka County Sheriff must weigh his options if he wants to finish the fight he started. Jumping back and forth between 1964 and the present, Craig Johnson presents us with a propulsive dual timeline that sees Walt Longmire caught in the crossfire of good and evil, law and anarchy, compassion and cruelty at two crucial times in his life.
From Jeffery Payne, Deputy Retail Manager: Craig Johnson does not disappoint with the latest volume in the Longmire series. In First Frost, we move between the past, when Longmire and his best friend Standing Bear do a good deed (or at least they think it is a good deed), and the developments decades later. This gripping read shows how decisions made years ago play a major role in where we all are today. The turmoil plays out deftly, testing and strengthening the patience of friendships and the law. In typical Johnson style, there is subtle humor, a poignant examination of the human psyche, and a great cast of supporting characters who rarely get the attention they deserve.
As part of the Literature Section – SunLit – we feature our staff’s recommendations from bookstores across the state. Read more.
