The Bookies Bookstore Highlights Grief, Supergirl, and Irish Tales

The Bookies Bookstore in Denver isn’t just shelving bestsellers. It’s curating a specific, weird vibe for July. The staff is pushing hard on three distinct threads: the return of Supergirl, a horror story about getting old, and a deep dive into Irish culture.

It’s a narrow window of recommendations. But the choices reveal what the buyers at this specific shop think matters right now.

Becky, a sidelines buyer at the store, has her eye on Sundowner’s Dance by Todd Keisling. It’s a paperback from Shortwave, priced at $19. The story follows Jerry Campbell, a widower who just wants to be left alone. He’s grieving his wife, Abigail. He’s retired. He moves to Fairview Acres in the Poconos, a retirement community, hoping for solitude.

He gets weird neighbors instead. There are nightly block parties. Strange noises on the roof. And Arthur Peterson, the chairman of the community association, who won’t stop trying to force Jerry into participation. Then Katherine Dunnally shows up. She warns him about "the worms" dancing at nightfall. The neighbors say Katherine has dementia. Jerry isn’t so sure.

Becky notes the book mirrors the vibe of the Duffer Brothers’ show The Boroughs. She insists it’s different, though. It’s horror with heart. It centers on older characters. It’s not just about the scares; it’s about the emotion behind them.

Then there’s the superhero angle. Supergirl Vol 1: Misadventures in Midvale is the pick there. Sophie Campbell writes and illustrates it. Tamra Bonvillian handles the colors. DC Comics published it for $17.99 in paperback. It hits shelves in March 2026.

Kara Zor-El is leaving Metropolis. She wants a fresh start in Midvale. But someone else is already wearing the Supergirl mantle. Kara has to fight to reclaim her identity. She finds help in unexpected places, including a dangerous new ally in Lena Luthor. The staff sees this as a return to roots.

The third thread is Ireland. The store is highlighting heartfelt Irish tales alongside the paranormal and superhero fare. It’s a specific editorial choice. They aren’t just selling books; they’re selling a mood.

Feinsinger wrote in the Colorado Sun about these staff recommendations. The piece is part of the SunLit section, which features staff picks from bookstores across the state. The focus is on what the people who actually sell the books think is worth reading.

The Bookies isn’t a generic chain. It’s a specific shop with specific tastes. They’re betting that locals want to read about aging, about identity theft in a cape, and about stories from across the Atlantic.

The short version? The staff is betting on emotional weight. Whether it’s grief in a retirement home or a superhero losing her way, the stories are about people trying to figure out who they are.

Worth watching is how these picks hold up. If the Sundowner’s Dance hype is real, the horror genre is shifting toward character-driven dread. If the Supergirl trade is flying, the market is hungry for a grounded take on the big guns.

The Bookies Bookstore has made its bed. Now they just have to sell the books.