Books, Books, Book! Summer Reading Suggestions & The 2021 Colorado Book Awards

Are you ready to snuggle in with a good book? Whether it’s a steamy beach read, a heart-pounding thriller, or getting lost in poetry, Abby Kerstetter, Programs Coordinator for the Colorado Center for the Book has got you covered! 

It’s time for the 2021 Colorado Book Awards winners to be announced! All month long Book Bar, Denver will be hosting virtual books readings and events to celebrate the winners in each category. You can attend live or on demand by registering at https://coloradohumanities.org/programs/colorado-book-awards/  

Book categories and celebration dates are below, and be sure to come check back weekly as winners are announced.Reader’s Bonus! 
Be sure to check out Lora and Abby’s top book selections and email Lora your top choices to be included on her Best Of book list! Lora@loracheadle.com 

Young Adult: Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly 

Historical Fiction: This Tender Land, William Kent Kruger. Anything by Ken Follett, especially the Knightsbridge series. 

History: Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, David Treuer 

Anthology: Family Resemblance: An Anthology and Exploration of 8 Hybrid Literary Genres, Edited by Marcela Sulak and Jacqueline Kolosov 

 

Poetry: "When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry". United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Dante’s Iliad and Odyssey 

 

Childrens: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean and Wolves in the Walls. 

 

Science fiction/Fantasy: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue V. E. Schwab,  

Graphic Novels: The Monstrous book series by MarcyKate Connolly 

Biography: His Truth Is Marching on: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, by Jon Meacham and Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

 

Mystery/Thriller: Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land, by Toni Jensen 

 

General Nonfiction Finalists  

Lean & Strong: Eating Skills, Psychology, and Workouts by Josh Hillis (On Target Publications) 

Caregiving Done Differently: A Commonsense Approach for Families, Caregivers, and Seniors by Loretta J. Gilbert and Nancy E. Walker (The Common Sense Approach) 

Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary by Sasha Geffen (The University of Texas Press)  

  

History Finalists  

Colorado’s Highest: The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks written by Jeri Norgren, photography by John Fielder (John Fielder Publishing) 

Yanks Behind the Lines: How the Commission for Relief in Belgium Saved Millions from Starvation during World War I by Jeffrey B. Miller (Rowman & Littlefield) 

The Bad Old Days of Colorado: Untold Stories of the Wild West by Randi Samuelson-Brown (Two Dot/Rowman & Littlefield)  

  

Learn more about the Colorado Center for the Book at coloradohumanities.org