As many of us have hidden in air conditioning or run to the beach or mountains to escape the past month's record-breaking drought and heat across the country, there's one activity that consistently entertains and informs and usually keeps us from breaking a sweat: reading. In today's issue, we review a baker's dozen of great new books that can help on this quest.
In Behold a Pale Horse, starring Sister Fidelma, you can get lost in a mystery and learn about the ethnic, political and religious schisms in northern Italy in the 7th Century. In the 17 stories in Homesick, readers can travel between England and Sri Lanka and--like the characters--between two cultures.
Or if you want to ride into space--and be amused--delve into Year Zero, where other planets react in a range of ways to the royalties they are obliged to pay Earth for airing pop songs. (For more explanation, see below!) In a different vein, Insignia envisions a World War III created by greedy corporations.
Soundings is the inspiring story of Marie Tharp, the scientist whose underwater map work proved continental drift, a woman who had to fight all kinds of discrimination in the world of science and society at large.
Tigers in Red Weather is a debut suspense novel played out over three generations with the anchor of a family cottage on Martha's Vineyard. Other major storytelling titles are Chapman's Odyssey by Booker Prize nominee Paul Bailey and The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, the Glee actor and singer.
And what would summer be without baseball? Bluegrass Baseball tells about the hardscrabble life of four minor league teams in Kentucky one recent season--and the dreams that buoy everyone involved. Dream along, and stay cool. --John Mutter