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Happy Colorado Sunday, friends.

Though I read almost constantly for work, I try to make time to read what I want for a few minutes every day, drifting between the classics, nonfiction and great new works by novelists and short story writers. I think you might call me an agnostic reader — this week I’m about to finish Allyson Reedy’s “Mrs. Wilson’s Affair,” a clever retelling of “The Great Gatsby,” and ready to roll on to, well, I don’t know what comes next.

That’s why I’m grateful for the 2026 Summer Book Guide, expertly curated by SunLit editor Kevin Simpson and 10 of his most bookish friends. It’s so good that I might just read from top to bottom.

The thrill of connecting with that perfect book

Just about everybody loves a good book. And in my experience, something everyone loves just as much, if not more, is recommending a title to folks who might share their interest.

Books are meant to be shared and there’s something great about getting connected with that perfect book that speaks to an interest you already have, or better yet, one you didn’t see coming. I’ll give you an example: I wasn’t particularly looking for a short story collection, but when local author Pardeep Toor offered me a peek at his 99-page treasure, “Hands,” I was hooked by the stories’ pitch-perfect voice and incredible sense of humor.

So recently, when I put out the call to local authors to help with some recommendations for our Summer Book Guide, Pardeep was at the top of my list. And as Colorado authors always do, he and nine of his literary peers responded with the kind of heartfelt, well-considered suggestions that could appeal to an exceptionally wide swath of the state’s booklovers.

So today we present their picks, organized roughly by genres, though those headings are intended solely as guides, not restraints. In addition to the suggestions offered by our authors, be sure to check out their own work, listed and linked in their brief bios. All together, you’ll have dozens of options to consider — with links to buy them if you just can’t wait.

READ THIS WEEK’S COLORADO SUNDAY FEATURE

Starstruck at Denver Art Museum

“Wati Wanampi Tjukurpa,” a painting on canvas by Tiger Palpatja, is part of “The Stars We Do Not See: Indigenous Australian Art,” a traveling exhibit from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. (Jeremy Dillon, National Gallery of Victoria)

I’m just back from a place where the sky is so big and so dark that it looks like you can touch the stars. Each time I visit during those perfect conditions, I feel like I can see how the sky might have influenced Australian artists telling stories of their culture in abstract swirls composed of thousands of painted dots.

The Denver Art Museum offers the opportunity to test the theory in “The Stars We Do Not See,” an expansive exhibit of work collected by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, on view through July 26. The 130 works by 142 artists span the 19th century to today, featuring more typical forms, including map and bark paintings and weavings, but also contemporary work in neon, video and photography.

DENVER ART MUSEUM, 100 W. 14th AVENUE PARKWAY, DENVER

“Chaos in the Green Zone”: From AFA instructor to Iraq war strategist

“I was exhausted, I was scared of my own conclusions, and I was thrilled. This was the kind of thing I had only imagined working on: real-time, real-world contingent assessments. I may not have known what I was doing, but as I looked around, it didn’t seem like anyone else did either.”

— From “Chaos in the Green Zone”

EXCERPT:Tom Mowle had no idea what he was in for when he volunteered to leave his teaching position at the Air Force Academy in 2004 to head for Baghdad and become a cog in the U.S. military’s war strategy during the second Iraq war. In his first-person narrative, he describes the idealism, tragedy, humor and insanity that defined our intervention in an ill-advised conflict.

READ THE SUNLIT EXCERPT

THE SUNLIT INTERVIEW: Mowle had written about the Iraq war before, but in the context of an academic treatment. His decision to write an account based on the narrative of his own experience proved to be a different undertaking entirely.

SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?

Mowle: This book is very different from my earlier ones because it is intended for more than an academic audience. I had to learn how to maintain a narrative while parceling out the facts and information people need.

Oddly enough, writing the book added to my knowledge of my own experiences. My headcanon was that certain things had happened at certain times, yet when I went back to my journal I discovered I was wrong. This taught me humility about my own memory!

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH TOM MOWLE

LISTEN TO A DAILY SUN-UP PODCAST WITH THE AUTHOR

A curated list of what you may have missed from The Colorado Sun this week.

Katie Bowman applies makeup as she prepares for her performance as Bumpsy at Flipside Theatre on May 23 in Superior. Bowman will perform as Bumpsy during Denver Fringe June 3-7. (Seth McConnell, Special to the Colorado Sun)

🌞 Apologies to anyone triggered by the photo above of a performer transforming into a clown, but clowning will be a major part of Denver Fringe this week. Parker Yamasaki takes us inside the craft of clowning and reminds us of all the other indie artists who will be trying out new acts during the festival.

🌞 Pine beetles continued their march through Colorado forests last year at a pace 150% greater than in 2024, and Michael Booth reports emerald ash borers have chewed their way into six new Front Range towns.

🌞 Army veteran James Bauer has been on a long journey to recover his mental health. Now he’s taking on the huge physical challenge of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride. Jennifer Brookland caught up with Bauer before he started pedaling.

🌞 Oil and gas companies drilled and polluted less in 2025, but emissions from each well are rising.Mark Jaffe dipped into a deep report and also learned that a far lower percentage of water used in fracking is getting recycled than in previous years.

🌞 The total number of mountain town real estate transactions is down, but prices remain at record highs. Jason Blevins wonders whether high country discounts are looming.

🌞 It’s been a minute since the Fort St. Vrain nuclear power plant near Platteville ran. So why, Michael Booth asked, are there 15 tons of spent fuel rods still stored there? He got the answer to this and other questions raised around interest in the revival of “clean” nuclear energy.

🌞 When Cargill locked out 1,700 workers and stopped beef production, it sent ripples through the supply chain. Tracy Ross went to Fort Morgan to learn more about the impacts of the second major labor action in northeastern Colorado this year.

🌞 Curious about the coming primary election? Jesse Paul is here to help with what you need to know about the candidates and how to vote.

🌞 Colorado’s race to cut water use is off to a slow start. Jerd Smith reports that water savings are meager, even after cities across the state pleaded with customers to cut back.

🌞 Jennifer Brown could hardly believe it when she learned about a Colorado woman who wore the same, gray wool dress for 100 days. She turns out to be part of a broader movement to counter fast fashion and clothing waste.

Have a great rest of this excellent Colorado Sunday, fam! We’re always happy to see you here or meet in real life. Speaking of which, we’ve got two more primary candidate forums on the agenda. Come listen to the Democratic attorney general candidates June 10 at 6 p.m. at the Korbel School at the University of Denver, and the Democratic candidates for governor at 10 a.m. on June 13 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. As always, the forums are free and open to the public, but we like you to register.

— Dana & the whole staff of The Sun

Have something to share with The Sun? We welcome all ideas and suggestions at newsletters@coloradosun.com.

Corrections & Clarifications

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