The best books about Colorado

Who picked these books? Meet our 72 experts.

72 authors created a book list connected to Colorado, and here are their favorite Colorado books.
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Theft

By BK Loren,

Book cover of Theft

Catherine Ryan Hyde Author Of Seven Perfect Things

From the list on animals by people who actually understand them.

Who am I?

In addition to being the author of lots of books, I am a wrangler of lots of pets. I live with a dog, two cats, a Belgian warmblood horse who I rode in dressage for many years, and his pasture pal who is a miniature horse. I’m known for writing books with animals in which the animal is a character, not a caricature. So many authors don’t seem to know animals deeply, and so just insert them in a scene like a placeholder. But every animal is an individual, and I try to reflect that in my work.

Catherine Ryan's book list on animals by people who actually understand them

Discover why each book is one of Catherine Ryan's favorite books.

Why did Catherine Ryan love this book?

This is a stunning debut novel about a woman who is a master wildlife tracker out to help save the Mexican wolf from extinction. There’s a lot more to the plot than that, but her relationship to animals and to the natural world is deeply satisfying. She allows them to “people” each scene, not only the wolf but her ranch animals, and her respect for other species shines through. This is a far cry from my pet peeve, which is a book with a dog, but the dog is a cardboard cutout who just holds up the end of the leash and makes us think his owner is nice. This is the opposite of that stereotype.

By BK Loren,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Theft as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A master wildlife tracker's life is thrown into upheaval when she is tapped to hunt not the animals of America's Southwestern terrain, but her own troubled brother. 

Willa Robbins is a master tracker working to reintroduce the Mexican wolf, North America's most endangered mammal, to the American Southwest. But when Colorado police recruit her to find her own brother, Zeb, a confessed murderer, she knows skill alone will not sustain her. Willa is thrown back into the past, surfacing memories of a childhood full of intense love, desperate mistakes, and gentle remorse. Trekking through exquisite New Mexico and Colorado landscapes,…


Book cover of Challenges of Ordinary Democracy: A Case Study in Deliberation and Dissent

Gerard A. Hauser Author Of Vernacular Voices: The Rhetoric of Publics and Public Spheres

From the list on why ordinary citizen voices matter to a democracy.

Who am I?

I am the grandson of a political refugee. My grandfather was a gunrunner in the Greek resistance to Turkish occupation of Chios prior to the 1st Balkan War. His guerilla activity placed his life in danger. He fled pursuit by the Turks, which led to his eventual emigration to the United States. From childhood my family experience was of lively discussions that were inflected by my grandfather’s experience of resistance and US citizenship. They sparked my fascination with the role of citizen voices in a democracy. That was a main focus of my academic career, teaching rhetoric for more than 40 years at Penn State University and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Gerard's book list on why ordinary citizen voices matter to a democracy

Discover why each book is one of Gerard's favorite books.

Why did Gerard love this book?

Perhaps the most widespread engagement by ordinary citizens in political relations is with the education of their children. School boards are increasingly regarded as a site of passionate political contest over what our children will learn, especially when it comes to learning history and its consequences for their understanding of their community and nation. Challenges of Ordinary Democracy reports on three years in the life of a local school board. The voices of administrators, teachers, parents, and the press are examined when dissent takes center stage in the school board’s deliberations. Given that ordinary citizens will disagree, often vehemently, Tracy asks us to consider the parameters of reasonable hostility and why reasonable hostility is important for the voices of ordinary citizens to matter in deciding issues that affect their lives.  

By Karen Tracy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Challenges of Ordinary Democracy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Is there any place in America where passionate debate plays a more vital role in democratic discourse than local school board meetings? Karen Tracy conducted a thirty-five-month study of the board meetings of the Boulder Valley School District between 1996 and 1999 to analyze just how democracy operates in practice. In Challenges of Ordinary Democracy, she reveals the major role that emotion plays in real-life debate and discerns value in what might easily be seen as negative forms of discourse-voicing platitudes, making contradictory assertions, arguing over a document's wording, speaking angrily, attacking a person's character. By illuminating this one arena…


Woman of Light

By Kali Fajardo-Anstine,

Book cover of Woman of Light

Alyson Hagy Author Of Boleto

From the list on the West that twist the myth.

Who am I?

I’m a writer fascinated by landscape and history—and the American West is my magnet. I’ve set three books in the West. I can’t get enough of the place. An entire national myth is enshrined “where the deer and the antelope play.” Independence. Freedom from the past. Land we can supposedly call our own. The West is so beautiful and also so scarred. I love to read books that deepen my experience of the deserts, mountains, and rivers. I also love to learn about the people who were here before me, those who have hung on, and those who hope to heal the scars. These books are great stories about a bewitching place.

Alyson's book list on the West that twist the myth

Discover why each book is one of Alyson's favorite books.

Why did Alyson love this book?

Fajardo-Anstine does many remarkable things in Woman of Light, but three of those things just blew me away. First, she anchors the novel in a city (Denver, 1930s). Cities are the forgotten truth of the American West, and they shouldn’t be. Second, she brings to life the “Lost Territories,” the Hispanic/Indigenous lands of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, long-cherished homes overrun by white settlement in the 19th century. Third, she builds the entire compelling narrative around a suite of Chicana/Indigenous women—and they are the strongest, liveliest characters you’ll ever meet. They work, they love, they breathe loyalty, they seek justice. This novel is a stylish eye-opener from start to finish. And it’ll forever change what you think you know about the region.

By Kali Fajardo-Anstine,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Woman of Light as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “dazzling, cinematic, intimate, lyrical” (Roxane Gay) epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award finalist Sabrina & Corina
 
“Sometimes you just step into a book and let it wash over you, like you’re swimming under a big, sparkling night sky.”—Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You
 
A PHENOMENAL BOOK CLUB PICK AND AN AUDACIOUS BOOK CLUB PICK

There is one every generation, a seer who keeps the stories.

Luz “Little Light”…


The Dog Stars

By Peter Heller,

Book cover of The Dog Stars

J Michael Jarvis Author Of French Roll: Misadventures in Love, Life, and Roller Skating Across the French Riviera

From the list on solo travel from a guy who skated across France.

Who am I?

Beyond a passion for yachting and flying, sharing adventures in memoir is my true passion. For better or worse, the soul cannot return from a hair-raising adventure as the same person. From roller skating across France as a teen, to sinking ships, being circled by pirates, or surviving an airplane crash, writing these stories brings true action to the pages. Writing memoir also forces me to learn and share life lessons so others won’t have to do it the hard way. Reading true adventures and memoirs lets me share the soul of my fellow travelers for a moment, and live that adrenaline high from the comfort of a reading chair. 

J's book list on solo travel from a guy who skated across France

Discover why each book is one of J's favorite books.

Why did J love this book?

Blunt and perturbed, Heller’s inspirational tale astonishes and delights with laughter in this cringeworthy and vulnerable novel that will have you rereading passages with a lump in your gut. One of my most powerful reads in years, The Dog Stars reminds us of the fragile society we live in, and how it all could change with marshal law survival at stake. Trust no one, leave no trace, and fly the airplane like your life truly depends on it. As a professional pilot, I found the aviation scenes accurate and believable, even with a dropped jaw of disbelief through the tough passages. Heller’s unique prose is like nothing I’ve read before or after; a style that says so much with so few words. 

By Peter Heller,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Dog Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE ROAD - but with hope. Hig, bereaved and traumatised after global disaster, has three things to live for - his dog Jasper, his aggressive but helpful neighbour, and his Cessna aeroplane. He's just about surviving, so long as he only takes his beloved plane for short journeys, and saves his remaining fuel. But, just once, he picks up a message from another pilot, and eventually the temptation to find out who else is still alive becomes irresistible. So he takes his plane over the horizon, knowing that he won't have enough fuel to get back. What follows is scarier…


Desert Heat, Volcanic Fire

By David A. Kring,

Book cover of Desert Heat, Volcanic Fire: The Geologic History of the Tucson Mountains and Southern Arizona

Who am I?

Since my earliest memories, I have been fascinated with rocks, landscapes, and the movement of time. It was perhaps only fitting then, that I should have landed in the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the 1970s working as a backcountry ranger where I discovered GEOLOGY! Since then, my world view has been shaped by the record of earth history that is held in sedimentary rocks, mountain belts, and the colorful and varied landscapes of the Desert Southwest and Colorado Plateau. I am in love with these landscapes and know them well. This love affair causes me to visit other landscapes around the world and ponder their development. 


Wayne's book list on the geology and magic of the landscapes of the American Southwest and Colorado Plateau

Discover why each book is one of Wayne's favorite books.

Why did Wayne love this book?

I used to teach Topics in Regional Geology at Yavapai College (Prescott) and when preparing for field trips in the Santa Catalina and Tucson Mountains, I leaned heavily on this clearly written and engaging book with a fascinating storyline. Dr. Kring brings readers of all levels on a wondrous journey through time in the desert southwest. I think one of the most amazing aspects of the book is that none of the main parts of the story are readily obvious to anyone. Only geologic sleuthing has unearthed them.

By David A. Kring,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Desert Heat, Volcanic Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

softcover


The Inheritance

By Tamera Alexander,

Book cover of The Inheritance

Rachel Fordham Author Of A Lady in Attendance

From the list on historical romance that transport you in time.

Who am I?

My fascination for historical novels began long before I ever penned one of my own. As a child, I often sought out books that took me back in time. Before I was even a teenager I began gravitating toward historical novels with romantic threads (give me all the sweet romance). My love of all things historical has only grown through the years. My children have come to expect our vacations to include stops at museums and historical sites. I have four published novels (as of 2021), files of future ideas, and stacks of novels beside my bed ready to take me for a historical ride.

Rachel's book list on historical romance that transport you in time

Discover why each book is one of Rachel's favorite books.

Why did Rachel love this book?

Tamara Alexander is a prolific writer, any of her novels could have made this list. They are all rich in history, full of character development, and feature sweet romances. The Inheritance stands out to me for a couple of reasons. One, the main theme of this book is tough love. An older sister who is forever rescuing her brother has to learn that love can look a lot of different ways and sometimes love requires letting consequences follow actions. This message is rarely featured in a book! It’s not an in-your-face moral, but a gentle thought-provoking takeaway. Another reason this book is exemplary in its well-crafted love story. Alexander expertly weaves her story threads together, giving you bits of history and romance like a weaver of a great tapestry.

By Tamera Alexander,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Inheritance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From USA TODAY bestselling author Tamera Alexander comes an award-winning historical romance. Desperate for a fresh start, McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin's invitation to move west with her rebellious younger brother to the rugged wilds of the Colorado Territory, but what she finds there will be the greatest challenge of her life.

Determined to tame her fourteen-year-old younger brother's rebellious streak, twenty-three-year-old McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin's invitation to move west and start over. McKenna arrives only to find that her cousin and her cousin's husband have died, leaving their five-year-old daughter an orphan-and that life in Copper Creek, Colorado,…


Catering to Nobody

By Diane Mott Davidson,

Book cover of Catering to Nobody

Ellie Alexander Author Of Muffin But the Truth

From the list on heartwarming foodies to cozy up with this winter.

Who am I?

I wrote my first mystery in second grade, thinking I was writing a page-turning thriller when in reality I penned a sweet, little cozy where everything turns out okay in the end and everyone always has a cup of hot chocolate and a vanilla cookie in hand. Somehow, I’ve managed to turn my love of baking and writing into a long-term career. With over 30 mysteries and counting I’m not sure if I’m going to run out of recipes or ways to kill someone off first. 

Ellie's book list on heartwarming foodies to cozy up with this winter

Discover why each book is one of Ellie's favorite books.

Why did Ellie love this book?

This is the series that got me hooked on culinary mysteries and Diane Mott Davidson is the GOAT. If you’re looking for a cozy winter escape filled with food and a side of delectable murder, this is the book for you. Could you pick up any of the books in this long-running series, sure, but don’t do it—resist temptation. Start at the beginning when we meet Colorado caterer Goldy Bear as she whips up delicious sweet and savory eats while solving a murder. Trust me, you’ll thank me later because once you finish this book you’ll be running to the nearest bookstore for the next installment and running to your kitchen for a midnight snack.

By Diane Mott Davidson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Catering to Nobody as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

MEET THE CATERER WHO WHIPPED UP THE
MULTIMILLION-COPY MYSTERY SERIES–
AS GOLDY SOLVES HER FIRST MURDER!

Diane Mott Davidson’s winning recipe of first-class suspense and five-star fare has won her and caterer Goldy critical raves and a regular place on major bestseller lists across the country. In Goldy’s tantalizing debut, she serves up a savory dish of secrets, suspicions, and murder....

Catering a wake is not Goldy’s idea of fun. Yet the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast including Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. And her culinary efforts seem to be…


The Prairie Thief

By Melissa Wiley, Erwin Madrid (illustrator),

Book cover of The Prairie Thief

Kathleen Wilford Author Of Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt

From the list on the American prairie.

Who am I?

I’m a former high-school and middle-school English teacher and a current instructor in the Writing Program at Rutgers University. I live in hilly New Jersey, but I’ve always been fascinated by the flat, treeless American prairie and the people who have lived there, from the Native American tribes of the Great Plains to the early homesteaders. I believe that to understand where we are, you need to understand where we’ve been, which is why I love to read and write historical fiction.

Kathleen's book list on the American prairie

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

Apparently I’m not the only kidlit author who loves both the American prairie and all things British. When her Pa is accused of thieving, young Louisa is taken in by his accusers, the appropriately named Smirch family. Sour, mean-spirited Mrs. Smirch looks forward to seeing Pa hang. Louisa solves the mystery of the stolen items when she meets a gruff but sensitive... well, I won’t say, but he’s one of the Wee Folk from the Auld Country, far from home on the Colorado plains. A cute and lively read with a satisfying conclusion.

By Melissa Wiley, Erwin Madrid (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Prairie Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Synopsis coming soon.......


Stalking Ground

By Margaret Mizushima,

Book cover of Stalking Ground

DK Coutant Author Of Evil Alice and the Borzoi

From the list on mysteries with sleuths who love their dogs.

Who am I?

I don’t remember a moment in my life when there wasn’t a dog in it.  They are members of my family, and I identify with protagonists who have the same connection in their lives. In my day job, I write mysteries and forecast geopolitical events. Mysteries with dogs help me balance the darkness in the world with the sheer delight that can be found with a dog.

DK's book list on mysteries with sleuths who love their dogs

Discover why each book is one of DK's favorite books.

Why did DK love this book?

Mattie and Robo (a German Shepard) are part of a K9-Police Unit. Although they don’t bicker on stakeouts, in every other way, they live and work as a team. I  learned about the nitty gritty details (Kevlar protection for dogs!) that these teams need. And how much risk and what a critical role police dogs play when hunting a dangerous fugitive or searching for lost persons.

Also intriguing is that while not an amateur sleuth, Mattie is not a “detective” in the traditional sense of the word. Her primary responsibility is Robo.  And while Robo is a super-star in the K-9 Police world, even he had limitations. This is a great series about working dogs and their relationships with their handlers. 

By Margaret Mizushima,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stalking Ground as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A taut page-turner on multiple levels.” —Booklist
“Dog lovers will want to read this thriller.” —Library Journal

In this follow-up to Killing Trail, a murder investigation takes Mattie Cobb and her canine partner to the Colorado mountains—where the brutal winter landscape conceals an equally brutal killer.

When Deputy Ken Brody’s sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and Robo are called to search. But it’s mid-October and a dark snow storm is brewing over the high country—and they’re already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is…


Striking Range

By Margaret Mizushima,

Book cover of Striking Range

Chris Goff Author Of A Parliament of Owls

From the list on mysteries on rogue women spending time outdoors.

Who am I?

I grew up in a small, rural, mountain community in Colorado, which is where I learned to love the outdoors. I explored every inch of “my mountain” with my dog, Blueberry. I skied by age three, and my father taught me to fish, shoot a rifle and drive a Jeep before I turned twelve. And I loved to read. To my good fortune, a small stone house at the bottom of our hill housed the public library. The librarian was my best friend. My favorites were mysteries, suspense, and thrillers with strong female characters, which is how I came to be a mystery writer and a founding member of the Rogue Women Writers.

Chris' book list on mysteries on rogue women spending time outdoors

Discover why each book is one of Chris' favorite books.

Why did Chris love this book?

Seventh in Mizushima’s series, this is her best book ever! It’s a very personal story with ties back to Deputy Mattie Cobb’s past. In Striking Range, a woman who has recently given birth is found dead in a mountain campground and her baby is nowhere to be found. While Mattie and her K-9 Robo search for the missing newborn, a deadly storm descends on the Colorado Rockies, and then Mattie’s partner Cole goes missing. Soon she finds herself pitted against a mastermind killer with a cold-blooded plan and personal vendetta. Mizushima is a master at building relationships, but her depiction of the treacherous weather conditions was incredible. Having lived in the mountains of Colorado all my life, and she put me there for every frozen, heart-pounding moment.

By Margaret Mizushima,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Striking Range as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A deadly secret is buried in the Colorado high country--and murder is only the beginning in the seventh gripping installment of Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 mysteries.

He was suspect number one--the man who tried to kill Deputy Mattie Cobb and may have killed her father thirty years earlier. But when Mattie and cold case detective Jim Hauck reach the Colorado state prison where they will finally get to interview him, he's found dead in his cell. There's only one clue: a map leading to Timber Creek and rugged Redstone Ridge.

Though she usually works with veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie's…


From a Distance

By Tamera Alexander,

Book cover of From a Distance

Davalynn Spencer Author Of An Improper Proposal

From the list on Western romance rugged heroes and fiery heroines.

Who am I?

As a child, I fell in love with horses. As a teen, I fell in love with a cowboy. That’s how I became the wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters and wrote for rodeo magazines. Today I write historical cowboy romances. The Western way of life is down-to-earth, honest, and God-fearing—even in our contemporary world, and I’ve written several of those stories as well. But my favorite challenge takes me back to the 1800s when life was simpler. Not easier, just simpler even though people faced the same emotional challenges we face today. I love writing about their journeys and encouraging readers that there is hope.

Davalynn's book list on Western romance rugged heroes and fiery heroines

Discover why each book is one of Davalynn's favorite books.

Why did Davalynn love this book?

I love happy endings and that’s why I read romance—Western romance from simpler, not easier, times. There is always a struggle, an honest hero who is not afraid to fight for what is right and protect the helpless, and a woman who doesn’t want the rugged cowboy/lawman/rancher telling her what she can or cannot do. They are a perfect match but it takes at least one of them a while to figure it out.

That’s exactly what I found in Tamera Alexander’s From a Distance. I was repeatedly startled, anxious, sympathetic, and angry. Alexander is masterful at interlacing passion, promise, and pain in a way that ties up even unexpected loose ends. And I must say, this book had the best ending of all!

By Tamera Alexander,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked From a Distance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life. Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is…


Plainsong

By Kent Haruf,

Book cover of Plainsong

John Hough Jr. Author Of The Sweetest Days

From the list on love stories that are even better than the movie.

Who am I?

Genre fiction and Robert Louis Stevenson aside, I can’t imagine loving a novel that has no strong thread, or threads, of love running through it. Fiction is written to entertain, it is true, but fiction’s higher aim is to put us in touch with our own humanity—our capacity to love, and to feel loss. We write to make people feel, and a powerful evocation of love will do that. I wouldn’t write a novel with no romantic love at its center, but I work hard too at love between siblings, friends, children, and parents. 

John's book list on love stories that are even better than the movie

Discover why each book is one of John's favorite books.

Why did John love this book?

First, Plainsong is beautifully written. Read it for the sheer pleasure of Haruf’s simple, sweet, elegant prose. The novel is two love stories: romantic love between two high school teachers, and the love that grows between the elderly brothers and Colorado ranchers, the McPherons, and the pregnant teenage girl they take under their roof. 

By Kent Haruf,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plainsong as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

National Book Award Finalist

A heartstrong story of family and romance, tribulation and tenacity, set on the High Plains east of Denver.

In the small town of Holt, Colorado, a high school teacher is confronted with raising his two boys alone after their mother retreats first to the bedroom, then altogether. A teenage girl—her father long since disappeared, her mother unwilling to have her in the house—is pregnant, alone herself, with nowhere to go. And out in the country, two brothers, elderly bachelors, work the family homestead, the only world they've ever known. From these unsettled lives emerges a vision…


Buried Unsung

By Zeese Papanikolas,

Book cover of Buried Unsung: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre

Laurie Marr Wasmund Author Of My Heart Lies Here

From the list on why the American West always will be the "Wild West”.

Who am I?

Raised in the American West, I have watched the explosive growth in Colorado with dismay. In my lifetime, metro Denver has grown from a population of about 500,000 people to more than 5.5 million. The Colorado of large ranches and wide, open spaces is disappearing. I have named my publishing company “lost ranch books,” in honor of the ranch where I grew up, which was sold and developed with cookie-cutter houses. I’ve now set out to recapture historic Colorado by writing about it. My award-winning books center on Colorado’s and the American West’s history, for not only is it fascinating and, often, troubling, but it still resonates today.

Laurie's book list on why the American West always will be the "Wild West”

Discover why each book is one of Laurie's favorite books.

Why did Laurie love this book?

The Ludlow Massacre in Trinidad, Colorado in 1914 is a shameful event in Colorado, U.S., and labor history. Zeese Papanikolas has created a portrait of the United Mine Workers of America’s battle for labor rights in the southern coalfields. Drawn from interviews and letters of survivors and witnesses, he captures the Greek immigrant experience in the United States. He also relates the story of the charismatic Greek organizer of the UMWA, Louis Tikas, who became a martyr in the battle for the union. Buried Unsung inspired me so much that I used it as a reference for my novel, in which I explore the bitterness of the strike and the tragedy of those whose lives were forever altered by the greed and cruelty of those in power.

By Zeese Papanikolas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Buried Unsung as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Louis Tikas was a union organizer killed in the battle between striking coal miners and state militia in Ludlow, Colorado, in 1914. In Buried Unsung he stands for a whole generation of immigrant workers who, in the years before World War I, found themselves caught between the realities of industrial America and their aspirations for a better life.


Woman Between the Worlds

By Apela Colorado,

Book cover of Woman Between the Worlds: A Call to Your Ancestral and Indigenous Wisdom

Daina Middleton Author Of Grace Meets Grit

From the list on ambitious women embracing their authentic selves.

Who am I?

I’ve been passionate about personally and professionally lifting women up throughout my career. Today, it is how I spend my time and energy – in a way that makes a difference to those individuals and the greater world. Books have always filled my insatiable desire to continuously learn and explore mysterious, unknown worlds. As a writer, I read books to expand my understanding and push my comfort zones. I also read them so that I can share with others what I have learned in the hopes they will have a positive impact on them – a pay-it-forward of sorts. I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!

Daina's book list on ambitious women embracing their authentic selves

Discover why each book is one of Daina's favorite books.

Why did Daina love this book?

As someone who has deep ties to Mother Earth and the outdoors, this book spoke to my soul whose roots are attached to some primitive calling.

Apela shares her lifelong journey of connecting with the essence of indigenous spirituality and culture and her passionate work to communicate, conserve, and celebrate sacred indigenous ways.

It made me think about the cost of living in our modern world and how healing Earth begins from within.

By Apela Colorado,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Woman Between the Worlds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Apela Colorado shares her knowledge and experiences of indigenous wisdom and promotes an understanding between the indigenous and modern world perspectives.

A ceremonial journey to reconnect with the essence of indigenous spirituality and awaken to its beauty, power and potential in contemporary society.

In this book, Apela Colorado, the inspirational authority on indigenous wisdom, shares her lifelong journey of connecting with the essence of indigenous spirituality and culture. From China to Alaska, Benin to France, Apela recounts her passionate work to communicate, conserve, and celebrate sacred indigenous ways, all while reawakening to the wisdom of her Native American and French…


Sadie

By Courtney Summers,

Book cover of Sadie

Heather Critchlow Author Of Unsolved

From the list on true crime podcasters.

Who am I?

I’ve been hooked on true crime podcasts ever since Serial burst onto the scene in 2014. My favourites are set in remote locations and breathe life into long-forgotten cases, giving victims’ families hopes of resolution and delivering justice. Initially dispassionate podcasters often find themselves sucked into the stories they cover, continuing for years in a bid to discover the truth. I’m fascinated by what motivates the men and women behind the microphones, which inspired me to write my own podcast novel. Now Unsolved is out there, I love reading other authors’ takes on true crime podcasters and these are five of my favourites – dark and sinister with buckets of atmosphere!

Heather's book list on true crime podcasters

Discover why each book is one of Heather's favorite books.

Why did Heather love this book?

This book broke my heart. Runaway Sadie Smith is on a mission to avenge her murdered sister Mattie. West McCray is the podcaster on the trail of the missing teenager, desperate to find her before it’s too late.

Interspersing podcast episodes with Sadie’s perspective, the story is dark and the events horrifying. There’s something about Sadie that creeps inside you and stays with you long after the final page. Utterly captivating and brutal, it’s the kind of book that makes me want to be a better writer. It also made me cry!

Technically YA but I’m not sure my young teenager would cope with this yet so I’m keeping it…

By Courtney Summers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sadie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A missing girl on a journey of revenge and a Serial - like podcast following the clues she's left behind.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray - a radio…


Chasing Justice

By Kathleen Donnelly,

Book cover of Chasing Justice

Margaret Mizushima Author Of Standing Dead

From the list on mysteries transporting you into the great outdoors.

Who am I?

I’m fascinated by the mountain wilderness and national parks of my home state, Colorado. In my younger days, I hiked to the mountain lakes of the Sangre de Cristo range near my hometown and then later the high-country trails of northern Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. When I began writing the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, I combined my experience as a veterinarian’s wife with my love of the great outdoors and dogs to create Killing Trail, book one of eight in my series that features Deputy Mattie Cobb, her K-9 partner Robo, and veterinarian Cole Walker. Together they solve mysteries in the fictional mountain community of Timber Creek, Colorado.

Margaret's book list on mysteries transporting you into the great outdoors

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Why did Margaret love this book?

Chasing Justice starts off with a bang, literally, as an explosion in a national forest rocks Maya Thompson, a former marine who has recently started a new job with US Forest Service law enforcement, into a new challenge when she must become handler for K9 Juniper, a Belgium Mallinois whose handler has been killed.

Debut author Kathleen Donnelly delivers a tense, action-packed mystery/suspense set in the Colorado wilderness that provides a terrific start to this new National Forest K9 series. It is apparent that as a narcotics detection K9 handler, Donnelly really knows her stuff about canine nose work and dog training.

I was immediately taken with both Maya and Juniper, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

By Kathleen Donnelly,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chasing Justice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A former marine learns to love again in this suspenseful, action-packed K-9 search and rescue from debut author Kathleen Donnelly.

After losing her military K-9, former marine Maya Thompson swears she’ll never work with dogs again. But when she returns home to Colorado and accepts a job with US Forest Service law enforcement, fate brings K-9 Juniper into her life just as another tragedy unfolds.

Juniper, a beautiful two-year-old Malinois, isn’t the only new addition to Maya’s life. Josh Colten, the local deputy sheriff, insists on helping with her new case. Handsome and mysterious, he’s all anyone in town can…


Bigfoot Hunters

By Rick Gualtieri,

Book cover of Bigfoot Hunters

Nick Sullivan Author Of Zombie Bigfoot

From the list on Bigfoot to satisfy your creature feature cravings.

Who am I?

My writer’s journey has been circuitous. Originally, I’d intended to become a screenwriter, until I was bitten by the acting bug. Appearing often in film, television, and on Broadway, I found myself drawn to audiobook narration. After so much exposure to so many genres from so many authors, I decided to return to writing. Zombie Bigfoot is a novelization of a screenplay of mine, inspired by SkyMall magazine I read during a scuba diving trip. One page had a Bigfoot garden statue… the adjacent page had a garden flagstone with a zombie coming up out of the ground. I looked at those two images and thought: “How has nobody done this?”

Nick's book list on Bigfoot to satisfy your creature feature cravings

Discover why each book is one of Nick's favorite books.

Why did Nick love this book?

Another heavy hitter in the realm of Horror Comedy, Rick Gualtieri is a skillful wordsmith who knows how to build tension with chuckles sprinkled throughout. I met him recently at a book signing and we traded books. Naturally, I grabbed one of his with “Bigfoot” in the title.

Filled with action and humor, Bigfoot Hunters is a roller-coaster rampage when a troop of enraged Sasquatch cut loose, racking up an impressive body count. I don’t often laugh out loud when I read, but this one pulled quite a few giggles out of me.

By Rick Gualtieri,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bigfoot Hunters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

MANKIND IS NO LONGER THE DOMINANT SPECIES.

When Harrison Kent suggests an outing to a secluded campsite in Colorado, his friends are all eager for a few days of fun and adventure. But what awaits them is far more terrifying than they ever bargained for.

They learn that Sasquatch is real, but these are not the shy creatures of myth & legend. A madness has claimed them, erasing their once peaceful nature and leaving in its wake a ravenous horde of cryptids that's about to descend upon the unsuspecting residents of a remote town.

The woods hold more than one…


Geology of the Canyons of the San Juan River

By Four Corners Geological Society,

Book cover of Geology of the Canyons of the San Juan River

Who am I?

Since my earliest memories, I have been fascinated with rocks, landscapes, and the movement of time. It was perhaps only fitting then, that I should have landed in the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the 1970s working as a backcountry ranger where I discovered GEOLOGY! Since then, my world view has been shaped by the record of earth history that is held in sedimentary rocks, mountain belts, and the colorful and varied landscapes of the Desert Southwest and Colorado Plateau. I am in love with these landscapes and know them well. This love affair causes me to visit other landscapes around the world and ponder their development. 


Wayne's book list on the geology and magic of the landscapes of the American Southwest and Colorado Plateau

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Why did Wayne love this book?

I’ve been fortunate to have “stumbled” into a geologic writing career and if I had to put my finger on a single book that has the greatest effect on me choosing this path, it would be this little river guidebook. Maybe you will not run the San Juan River (but you should!). Nevertheless, the introductory chapters to the rocks and landscape of Monument Valley and the San Juan River will have you planning a trip there in no time. The chapter called “Permianland” was especially enlightening to me - I have read the first two paragraphs in it innumerable times. Great book!

By Four Corners Geological Society,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Geology of the Canyons of the San Juan River as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Four Corners Geological Society Staple-bound Pamphlet 1973. 94 pp. Size 8" by 5" by about 0.25". Binding intact; no loose pages. Covers and pages clean and unmarked EXCEPT a red upside-down "PAID" stamp on front cover and an occasional dirt spot. All text pages are unmarked. Numerous B&W photos, charts, maps, and drawings. Articles by D.L. Baars and Jack A. Ellingsen (both of Ft. Lewis College, Durango) and Gary C. Huber (of Colorado School of Mines, Golden) discuss the geology and canyon structures of the river from around Aneth westward to about Big Bend. The last chapter is the "River…


Book cover of Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team

Timothy M. Tays Author Of Wannabe Distance God: The Thirst, Angst, and Passion of Running in the Chase Pack

From the list on the passion for distance running.

Who am I?

As a boy and then as a young man I was a passionate, compulsive, and hypercompetitive sub-elite distance runner. In middle age I became a clinical psychologist and only then did I come to fully understand my youthful need to run long distances fast and beat everyone that I could. I captured the etiology and passion in Wannabe Distance God.

Timothy's book list on the passion for distance running

Discover why each book is one of Timothy's favorite books.

Why did Timothy love this book?

Hardcore, Division I distance running at one of the greatest distance-running schools: the University of Colorado, led by the passionate and hyper-competitive phenom Adam Goucher. With passion and suspense, Lear captures the lives of these young men and offers a glimpse of what drives a gifted runner like Adam Goucher and a great coach like Mark Wetmore.

By Chris Lear,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Running with the Buffaloes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Top five Best Books About Running, Runner's World Magazine Top three Best Books About Running, readers of Runner's World Magazine (December 2009) In RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES, writer Chris Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team through an unforgettable NCAA season. Allowed unparalleled access to team practices, private moments, and the mind of Mark Wetmore--one of the country's most renowned and controversial coaches--Lear provides a riveting look inside the triumphs and heartaches of a perennial national contender and the men who will stop at nothing to achieve excellence. The Buffaloes' 1998 season held great promise, with Olympic hopeful Adam…


Nothing Here but Stones

By Nancy Oswald,

Book cover of Nothing Here but Stones

Betsy R. Rosenthal Author Of When Lightnin' Struck

From the list on Jewish historical fiction on family and friendship.

Who am I?

Before becoming an author, I was a civil rights lawyer, so naturally, I’m drawn to stories that shine a light on prejudice and hatred for “the other.” My desire to combat the bigotry that stems from ignorance, coupled with my fascination with the historical struggles of the Jewish people, led me to write this latest book. Because my kids can trace their ancestors to Spain, I took an interest in learning everything I could about the Spanish Inquisition and the fate of the Jews of Spain. I added some of my own family lore from Russia and voila! When Lightnin’ Struck was born. The research gave me a great excuse to visit Spain!

Betsy's book list on Jewish historical fiction on family and friendship

Discover why each book is one of Betsy's favorite books.

Why did Betsy love this book?

There is a crossover with my book in the fleeing of a Jewish family from persecution in Russia. I was captivated by this slice of American Jewish history that I was completely unaware of. Eleven-year-old Emma tells the story of her family’s journey with a group of Jewish Russian pioneers making their way to Cotopaxi in the mountains of Colorado in the mistaken belief that rich farmland and completed houses awaited them. These pioneers weren’t prepared for such a harrowing journey and the many struggles of frontier life they would encounter—marauding bears, poor land for growing crops, an early frost, and being a different religion from the other settlers. The author was inspired to write this story after learning that the remains of the Cotopaxi Jewish colony are located on her family’s land. 

By Nancy Oswald,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nothing Here but Stones as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At first I thought everything in America would look like New York City, with shops and crowded streets, but I have discovered, the farther west we travel, that there are long stretches of nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I only hope the place we are going to is not so empty.

Nothing Here but Stones is based on a Russian Jewish colony that settled in Cotopaxi, Colorado, in 1882. Told from the viewpoint of eleven-year-old Emma, the book vividly portrays the hardships and struggles of the colony.

They were promised housing and rich ground for farming. Instead, the land is rocky and…