"THE STORY OF MORE" BY HOPE JAHREN
If you have read Jahren's "Lab Girl" you know that she is able to express herself well in print - and that she has a story to tell. In this thin volume, the acclaimed teacher and researcher writes convincingly of the need for climate change and how we, as individuals, must help in the process. At the start of each short chapter, she narrates interesting incidents from her life that show where she is "coming from" and what drives her to write this book. She brings an important message for our times.
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"WHAT STRANGE PARADISE" BY OMAR EL AKKAD
This is a small package that packs a punch. It's not easy reading, because it tells of a shipwreck and drowning. But, rather than telling of the Titanic or other historical events, this tale is contemporary. The boat is on the Mediterranean, the passengers are refugees from Syria, Ethiopia, Lebanon. One small boy survives and washes up with the dead on a shore where no one wants any of them - dead or alive. A young girl finds the boy. Thereby hangs the tale.
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"DIARY OF A YOUNG NATURALIST" BY DARA MCANULTY
This 16-year-old Irish author will give you a world of reasons to question your perceptions while marveling at the natural world at our feet. Growing up severely autistic, McAnulty introduces you to his world where interacting with people is a nightmare while embracing even the tiniest creature in nature is second nature. This book is an eye-opener to a different world than many of us are even aware of. A book that is good medicine for the heart and soul.
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"THE MOTHER-IN-LAW" BY SALLY HEPWORTH
A relatively easy read but with plenty of plot twists, this book will keep you guessing. Hepworth's novels take place in her home country of Australia (although they could take place as easily in the U.S.). Centered on family and relationships, this tale is loaded with deep secrets, all circling around a mystery to solve. The plot's time-line keeps switching from the present to the past and back again, so you'll get snippets of clues all the way through to the very end.
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"TUDOR ENGLAND" BY SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB
If you are planning a trip to England, or would like to take an armchair trip there, check out this book before you go. The author has made a list of 50 "must-see" places in English Tudor history - ones still standing through years of small and great wars, disease and storms. In addition to interesting stories of those early castles and their inhabitants, the Appendix adds a traveler's bonus - the addresses, phone numbers, open hours, parking, and nearby amenities to all of these sites. A handy travel guide.
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"THE SONG OF ACHILLES" BY MADELINE MILLER
I have never been a big fan of Greek mythology, but this book is quite intriguing. Our author has taken the story of Achilles and, while keeping true to the age-old story with all its gods and goddesses, makes it feel real to our present times. It is an interesting juxtaposition of belief in the gods while, at the same time, seeing our heroes in a more modern light. If you know the story of the Trojan War, you know the ending. But getting there makes for an interesting journey.
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"THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL" BY PHILIP D'ANIERI
Mention the Appalachian Trail and most of us will easily identify with that long walking trail stretching from Georgia to Maine. The author of this book calls his tale "a biography" - a story of the Trail's life from its beginning to the present day. Unlike our western national parks, such as Yellowstone or Glacier, the Appalachian Trail developed piecemeal beginning in the mid-1800s. It was not until the mid-1970s that the 2,100-mile trail across the Allegheny's became official as a national park. It's an interesting story.
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"THE ROSE CODE" BY KATE QUINN
Don't be intimidated by the thickness of this book, a little more than 600 pages. It's historical fiction with a heap of true World War II history and enough fiction to fill in the blanks - and keep you reading page after page. Featuring a trio of English war-time code breakers and their co-workers, you enter a world of disparate characters trying to cope in a mind-boggling world at war. The author's notes, at the end, reveal how much of the story's happenings really did happen to some very courageous, dedicated people.
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