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
‘Contrapposto,’ by Dave Eggers (Alfred A. Knopf, 2026)
A son of a single mother discovers his talent for drawing. He meets a slightly older girl who lures him into using his talent in a scandalous act of vandalism, a sign of troubles to come. The pair will come together and grow apart multiple times over the 60-odd-year span of this novel. The two threads that keep them connected are their attraction to art and to one another. Through these characters’ unequal connections to and roles in the art world, Eggers offers a critique of art education, art as a business, and the role of the artist in modern society. But, most importantly, he offers a pure vision of the rapturous joy of artistic creation. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
‘The Forest Becomes Her,’ by Julie Carrick Dalton (St Martin’s Press, 2026)
Set in Concord, Mass. (a locale that I adore), “The Forest Becomes Her” incorporates elements of eco-fiction with magical realism in a story of three females whose lives are altered by the changing landscape of an ancient forest. Stella is a realtor employed by her family development company; Hazel is a landscape architect living in a new-build where a forest was razed; and Polly is an empathic teen activist replanting the forest one sapling at a time. How these story branches support each other is the joy of this novel. You don’t need to be a dendrophile to appreciate this story, but it doesn’t hurt. The plot grows far-fetched, but still the lesson of our connection to wildness and the lush language build their own magic. — 2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
‘Polar War: Submarines, Spies and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic,’ by Kenneth R. Rosen (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
Rosen’s thesis is that the United States and its allies are in a new Cold War in the Arctic region, vying against Russia and China. He spent two years traveling through Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Alaska, and interviewed researchers, military leaders, diplomats, sailors, fishermen, soldiers, Indigenous peoples and others to understand the issues. Rosen learned about the impact of climate change on the region; the race to control access to the minerals, fossil fuels and other natural resources there; the shocking cancellation of Arctic scientific research collaborations due to the Ukraine War; and which nation currently is ahead in military preparedness for cold-weather operations. It is not giving much away to disclose that the United States has neglected its military and other assets in the region for some time. Rosen closes with detailed recommendations to improve the U.S. “defense framework” and to focus on a pan-Arctic approach, rather than nation versus nation. An eye-opening read. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
‘George: A Magpie Memoir,’ by Frieda Hughes (Avid Reader Press, 2023)
While trying to resuscitate a rambling house, a sprawling garden and a crumbling marriage, the author rescues a baby magpie brought down by a storm. I expected a light, playful tale of another wild creature domesticating a human, something I might pick up each night before bed. And it started off that way, but I quickly became as invested in the book as the author was in her new houseguest. This thieving magpie is unforgettable. What a character! What hilarious antics! To say nothing of the adoring dogs, the jealous spouse, the grim-faced neighbors. A poet and author of numerous children’s books, Hughes is a fabulously talented writer, and her deepening sensitivity to George’s moods and her growing commitment to do right by this hapless creature made for a delightful romp of a read. Hughes, daughter of the poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, grew up desperate for a steady, consistent home, and George showed her the way. — 3½ stars (out of 4); Michelle Nelson, Littleton
