Old Firehouse proposes a dictionary, a dark novel and a fantasy

Each week, as part of SunLit—the Sun’s literary section—we feature recommendations from staff at bookstores across Colorado. This week, the team at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins recommends a novel set in Nigeria, a must-have dictionary and an epic fantasy.

Small rot

By Akwaeke Emezi
Riverhead Books
$29
June 2024
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From the publisher: A weekend. The dark side of the elite of a Nigerian city. A party that goes wrong. A tangled web of sex, lies and corruption that leaves no one unscathed.

Aima and Kalu are a long-term couple who have just split up. When Kalu, reeling from the breakup, attends an exclusive sex party thrown by his best friend Ahmed, he makes a decision that throws them all into chaos, turning their lives brutally and suddenly upside down. Ola and Souraya, two Nigerian sex workers from Kuala Lumpur, stumble upon the scene just as everything goes downhill. They have been drawn into the city’s corrupt and glittering underworld and are all looking for a way out, driven by a desperate need to escape the dangerous threat that looms over them.

Each week, as part of SunLit—the Sun’s literary section—we feature recommendations from staff at bookstores across Colorado. This week, the team at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins recommends a novel set in Nigeria, a must-have dictionary and an epic fantasy.

From Teresa, bookseller: A gripping, twisted and absolutely heartbreaking story from the very talented Emezi. The breakup of Aima and Kalu (after several years together and many marital arguments) is the starting point of this story. In a desperate hope to ease his pain, Kalu decides to attend one of his best friend’s infamous sex parties. His decision will ultimately be his and change Aima’s life forever… not to mention all the people they come into contact with in the next few days. I read the book in one sitting and went through every emotion while reading… Emezi is a powerhouse not to be missed.

Dictionary of fine distinctions: nuances, subtleties and subtle shades of meaning

By Eli Burnstein
Union Square & Co.
$20
April 2024
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From the publisher: What’s the difference between mazes and labyrinths? Proverbs and adages? Clementines and tangerines? Join author Eli Burnstein on a hair-raising odyssey into the world of the ultra-subtle with Dictionary of Fine Distinctions. This humorous dictionary, illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck, takes a neurotic, brain-tickling plunge into the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances that make up our world.

The perfect gift for book lovers, word nerds, quiz geeks and everyday readers, this illustrated gem is more than just a book – it’s an essential resource, similar to a thesaurus but full of charm and wit. Each entry, from ‘Latte vs. Flat White’ to ‘Britain vs. the United Kingdom’, is accompanied by mnemonics, quirky observations and detailed illustrations, making it a standout dictionary for any book lover or language enthusiast’s library.

From Zane, bookseller: Do you hate or love the English language? Is it complicated? (same) Here’s a book for you! See, words are made up and English is a soup made of too many other soups. This is just a fun little book that shows how disgustingly beautiful the language is and I flicked through half of it in one sitting.

Black Sun

By Rebecca Roanhorse
S&S/Saga Press
17,99 €
June 2021
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From the publisher: In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time of celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event that is ostracized by the Sun Priest as a disruption of the world’s balance.

Meanwhile, a ship departs from a distant city bound for Tova, scheduled to arrive for the solstice. The ship’s captain, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can confound a man’s mind. Her ship has one passenger on board. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and wrapped in fate. As Xiala well knows, a man described as harmless usually turns out to be a villain. This epic adventure explores the decline of power amid the weight of history and the struggle of individuals battling the limits of society and their broken past, in the most original series debut of the decade.

From Andrea, event coordinator: After the recent release of Mirrored Heavens, I thought it was time to dive into the world of Black Sun. This story grabbed my attention from its incredible (and shocking!) first chapter. Black Sun is a story about a god reborn, a god dying, a traveler fallen from grace, faith, the lack of it, the darkest and lightest magic, and, oh, so much more. Written from multiple perspectives and inspired by the civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas, Roanhorse creates incredibly well-crafted characters, worlds that are easy to imagine, and magical systems that never fail to surprise. This is truly a fantasy world you’ll never want to let go of!

THIS WEEK’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS COME FROM:

Old fire brigade books

232 Walnut St., Fort Collins

www.oldfirehousebooks.com

As part of the Literature Section – SunLit – we feature our staff’s recommendations from bookstores across the state. Read more.