Comment on Finalists named in Holy Cow Press's "First Fiction" story competition

“Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel,” by Shahnaz Habib (Catapult, 2023) 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 these mini-reviews with you.

“The Memory of Lavender and Sage,” by Aimie K. Runyan (Harper Muse) Tempesta’s father is dead. His will leaves the family fortune to her brother.  But to everyone’s surprise, the will gives Tempesta money that had belonged to her mother, who died years before. Tempesta has no reason to remain in New York.  Her grandmother hates her, her brother is disdainful, and she’s bored with her newspaper job. So on a whim, Tempesta buys, sight unseen, a house in her mother’s native Sainte-Colombe, France.

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 these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer?

“End of Story,” by A. J. Finn (William Morrow) “End of Story,” by A. J. Finn (William Morrow) A. J. Finn’s “The Woman in the Window” was a huge best-seller. “End of Story” is destined to be, too. It’s a mystery more than a thriller, and a tightly crafted page-turner. Literary critic Nicky Hunter is a huge fan of mystery writer Sebastian Trapp.

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems). Right now, fans of sci-fi/fantasy films are going ga-ga over “Dune: Part 2” (which certainly is gorgeous). But I’m here to sing the praises of another space opera. A young George Lucas talks with Anthony Daniels, who plays the robot C-3PO, for the film “Star Wars: A New Hope,” in 1977. I was a bit late jumping on the Star Wars bandwagon.

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 other readers, to share these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. “Sisters under the Rising Sun,” by Heather Morris (St.