Archaeology
‘Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations’
By Sam KeanArchaeology reveals how people lived in bygone eras. Some archaeologists itch to experience the past they are studying. This book explores their efforts: experimental archeology, investigating the past by experiencing it. It shows how enthusiasts examine the smells, tastes, and sounds of the past by recreating the past in the present using era-appropriate technology. Informative and entertaining, this book is for anyone with a bit of Walter Mitty within them.
Nonfiction
‘Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put’
By Annie B. JonesIt’s the subtitle that catches the eye. Many Americans don’t stay put—in a hometown, a marriage, a job, a religious faith—yet in this collection of essays, Jones celebrates the beauties and hardships of loyalty and forever love, especially when juxtaposed against clamorous ambitions. This is no how-to manual, but a let-me-tell-you-a-story book that will strike a chord with many readers. Honest and funny, this Georgia bookseller finds the extraordinary in the ordinary lives so many of us live.
Mystery
‘Father Brown and the Ten Commandments: Selected Mystery Stories’
By G.K. ChestertonFrom 1910 to 1936, G.K. Chesterton wrote 51 short mysteries with the central detective being a Catholic priest, Father Brown. This book repackages 11 of these stories with an interesting twist. Each is linked to a different one of the Ten Commandments. Why 11 stories? The editor treated “You shall have no other gods before me,” and “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” as separate commandments to slip in an extra story. It’s an excellent sampler of the Father Brown stories.
If you are looking for a summer thriller that’s a complete shoot ‘em up with a bit of globetrotting mixed in, then Pote’s debut action novel should do the trick. The author’s protagonist is an adventure-seeking former military helicopter pilot who knows his way around aircraft, weapons, and archaeology. This book stretches the imagination from outer space on the International Space Station to bullet trains deep in Iran—all in pursuit for what every side believes to be the Ark of the Covenant.
Classics
‘Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon’s Mines, Allan Quatermain’
By Rider HaggardA trio of renowned Victorian thrillers: “King Solomon’s Mines” is the gateway book of the “lost world” genre of fantasy and sci-fi; “Allan Quartermain” is its sequel; and the wildly popular “She” remains among the best-selling imaginative fiction of all time. Haggard spent several years in Africa, the setting for these tales, and brings to them authenticity and a sympathy for native peoples that was unusual in his day. Open this book and escape via the sofa into another age and a different world.
For Kids
‘Hurry Down to Derry Fair’
By Dori Chaconas and Gillian Tyler“Hurry, Mama! Please, let’s go! Let’s go to Derry Fair!” Dinny Brown exclaims as his family prepares for the fair and his mother grates lemon zest for the pies she is bringing. This cheerful picture book is made brighter by finely detailed illustrations that offer plenty for kids to absorb. A great read for the transition from summer to fall.
