Best Book of the Year So Far: Karin Barker's Pick

Karin Barker is one of the talented, well read booksellers working at The Bookworm of Edwards in Edwards, Colorado. The Bookworm is a store that loves matching great books with readers and if you're traveling in the Vail/Edwards/Eagle area of Colorado, it's worth stopping and shopping. Chat up the booksellers and you'll walk away with a stack of books you'll be dying to read.

Here's Karin's pick:

A Constellation of Vidal Phenomena

By Anthony Marra

WOW - this is one of the best books I have ever read!  It is an inventive, captivating novel about love, loss, resilience, and the unexpected ties that bind us together.  The setting is war-torn Chechnya, but it is not a typical Russian novel.  I was reminded of The English Patient, City of Thieves, and The Tiger's Wife. I found it brilliant and heartbreaking; gorgeous storytelling that shows the best and worst of humanity and the insanity of war.  It takes place over 5 days yet spans 11 years - the foreshadowing was perfectly placed.  This outstanding debut is why I LOVE novels and it exemplifies the power of literature.  A must read!