Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. – Barbara Ellis
‘Good People,’ by Patmeena Sabit (Crown, 2026)
Told in a documentary-style series of short statements or observations from friends, neighbors or even strangers briefly encountered, plus a few scattered news reports, this novel explores what constitutes “good” to describe another human being, and how that definition can be refracted by cultural differences into multiple meanings. Each snippet of information is like a single tile being laid, with the story’s mosaic slowly, and tragically, emerging. The lively, spirited daughter of an Afghani immigrant family chafes against the traditional values of her family and immigrant community. When she connives to have an unchaperoned relationship with a young man, her wanton disobedience is met with anger, disappointment and shame. As one character put it: “For good people, name is everything.” Is her subsequent death an accident, suicide or an honor killing? Whose cultural values should prevail? A thought-provoking story, creatively told. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
‘Killers of a Certain Age,’ by Deanna Raybourn (Berkley, 2022)
“Killers of a Certain Age” is rather in the vein of “The Thursday Murder Club,” with people over 60 still showing how vital and smart they can be in high-pressure situations. Only this time, they’re the murderers. Four women who have been employed by “The Museum” to take out nasty folks around the world find themselves, after 40 years, to be the next targets. I found this book surprisingly entertaining, with better writing than I had expected. There are twists and turns aplenty, and a satisfying ending. Itap a great “palate cleanser” between heavier reads. — 3 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
‘Call Me Ishmaelle,’ by Xiaolu Guo (Black Cat, 2025)
For book clubbers reading Moby-Dick, here is a fast-paced, energetic retelling of Melville’s classic. Xiaolu Guo is a Chinese-born British writer and filmmaker who won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography in 2017. In this novel, she brings a 21st-century feminist perspective to the industry of whaling. What if Ishmael(le) had been a young girl disguised as a cabin boy? And if an eastern Taoist monk had been on board to advise the obsessed captain? And the obsessed captain had been Black? In similar but simpler style, Guo combines nautical adventure with philosophy; she asks questions about gender, race, religion and relationships. Itap true that the novel stands alone, but it was the comparison of two books that intrigued and captivated me. — 3 stars (out of 4), Michelle Nelson, Littleton
‘Judge Stone,’ by Viola Davis and James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company, 2026)
Another of Patterson’s partnerships with a celebrity, this would be a quick, entertaining read save for the seriousness of the content. That is, the severity of anti-abortion laws in Alabama, where a physician can be charged with murder for performing an abortion. In this case, a 13-year-old Black girl, pregnant due to rape, is taken to a local physician by her school nurse. The physician reluctantly agrees to perform an abortion, which becomes public knowledge when the girl is treated for a subsequent infection. Judge Mary Stone is the lone voice of reason in the ensuing trial and town crisis, though she pays a high price. Some behind-the-scenes legal maneuvering and judgments defy belief, but this is a good airing of social policy, ethics, racism and
hypocrisy. Lots to digest here. (A New York Times best-seller.) — 3 stars (out of 4); Jo Calhoun, Denver
‘Finding My Way,’ by Malala Yousafzai (Atria Books, 2025)
Malala’s first book, “I am Malala,” focused on her activism for girls’ education and what led to her shooting by the Taliban when she was only 15 years old. “Finding My Way” focuses on her years at Oxford University, when she sought freedom from the strictures of her traditional Pashtun Muslim upbringing, established true friendships outside her celebrity and found lasting love. Ironically, although she continued her work in support of girls’ education, she didn’t take full advantage of the educational opportunities afforded her at Oxford; she instead took full advantage of the social opportunities and relationships previously missing from her sheltered life. A refreshing story in its honesty, revealing her to be an ordinary young woman, after all. (A USA Today best book of the year.) — 2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
