Vail Daily Asks Six High Country Bookstores for Colorado 150th Anniversary Picks

Aspen —It’s a crisp Tuesday morning in Aspen, and the air inside Explore Bestsellers smells like old paper and roasted coffee. Clare Pearson is sorting through a stack of new arrivals, looking for titles that do more than just fill shelf space. She wants books that explain why this valley looks the way it does, and who was here before the ski lifts went up.

To mark Colorado’s 150th year as a state, the Vail Daily asked six independent bookstores across the High Country to share their top picks. The goal was simple: help locals and visitors navigate 150 years of history without getting bogged down in dry dates.

The question is whether history feels relevant when you’re buying a house or planning a weekend trip. To hear the booksellers tell it, these recommendations bridge that gap between past and present.

One book emerged as the clear favorite. Four of the six stores recommended “Go as a River” by Gunnison resident Shelley Read. Pearson, who serves as both manager and bookbuyer at Explore Bestsellers, called it a “gorgeous and harrowing coming of age story.”

She noted that the book offers “so many beautiful descriptions of the Colorado landscape” while echoing real historical events. Specifically, it mirrors the fate of Iola, a town that was flooded to create a reservoir in the 1940s and 1950s. For neighbors who drive past those high-water marks, the story connects personal struggle to geographic change.

Not everyone wants a single narrative, though. Miriam Roskam, owner of Mountain Shire in Winter Park, pointed to “This Isn’t New” by Denver-based author Cynthia Swanson. She described the anthology as “incredibly compelling,” noting that it spans from the 1870s to the early 2000s.

“It’s an excellent collection of women-focused historical fiction stories,” Roskam said, adding that several are set in Colorado and deal directly with the state’s history.

For readers who prefer facts over fiction, Alix Teague of the Bookworm in Edwards highlighted “Utes” by Jan Pettit. The book covers Ute history from prehistoric archaeological features to present-day culture.

“It’s so important to understand and acknowledge the people who’ve been on this land longer than Colorado has been a state,” Teague said.

Teague also recommended “Wandering Stars” by Tommy Orange, which explores the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. On the jacket, it’s described as a “constellation of narratives into the past and future,” tracing legacies through three generations.

Jacque Benson, owner of Next Page Books, took a broader approach. She suggested the “Images of America” series, which she said covers diverse topics ranging from Colorado in the Civil War to specific local histories of Summit County towns.

The math holds up: if you’re looking for a deeper connection to this region, the shelves are stocked with it. These aren't just bestsellers; they’re local endorsements from people who know the terrain.

Roskam also pointed readers toward “The Colorado B…” for those seeking a comprehensive overview of the state’s development. Whether through fiction or nonfiction, the consensus is that Colorado’s sesquicentennial is a good time to look back.

“We’re celebrating 150 years,” Roskam said, “and these books show us how we got here.”