Italy Book Tour

Little Bit of Italy Book List

 By no means a comprehensive list. I've tried to offer variety, but I admit I may favor the south a tiny bit in this list.

Rome scene during Corona virus lock downs in Italy 2020

 

Literature/Classics/Oldies

Ovid- Roman Poet

Dante's Divine Comedy- 1300’s- Long narrative poem, also known as The Inferno

Aeneid by Virgil- Latin poem approx. 20 BC Aeneas the Trojan travels to Italy

Odyssey by Homer-Greek hero Odysseus travels after the fall of Troy (Straits of Messina/Calabria)

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

 Giovanni Verga: (Late 1800's) (Italian realist writer):

The House by the Medlar Tree

Under the Shadow of Etna

Cavalleria Rustica

Little Novels of Sicily

 The Italian by (1797) by Ann Radcliffe

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

 

The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa (Sicily)

 William Shakespeare:

Romeo and Juliet

Two Gentlemen of Verona

 Italian Journey (1786-88) Johann von Goethe

 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

 Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

Memoirs/Cultural Essays/ Travel Writing

Italian Hours (1909)

The Wings of a Dove by Henry James

 Old Calabria (1915) by Norman Douglas

 By the Ionian Sea (1901) by George Gissing

 Extra Virgin (1983) by Annie Haws

 La Bella Figura, Ciao America (2002) both by Beppe Severgnini

 

Ancient Greek temple in Agrigento, Sicily

Mary Taylor Simeti:

On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal by

Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty-Five Centuries of Sicilian Food

Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes of a Sicilian Girlhood

Travels with a Medieval Queen. The Journey of a Sicilian Princess to Reclaim Her Father's Crown

Sicilian Summer: An Adventure in Cooking with My Grandsons

 

The Italians (1964) by Luigi Barzini

 A Tuscan Childhood by Kinta Beever

 Pasta, Pane, Vino by Matt Goulding

Actress Sophia Loren's
 memoir book

 

Recipes and Memories by Sophia Loren

 

Dolce e Salata

A Taste of Southern Italy

Regional Foods of Northern Italy

Regional Foods of Southern Italy

Antonia and Her Daughter

Lady in the Palazzo

A Thousand Days in Tuscany

A Thousand Days in Venice

That Summer in Sicily

The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Maria Di Blasi

 

 

Scilla, Reggio Calabria

Ann Cornelisen:

Women of the Shadows

Where it All Began

Any Four Women Could Rob the Bank of Italy

Torregreca: Life, Death, and Miracles in a Southern Italian Town all by

Strangers and Pilgrims- The Last Italian migration

Vendetta of Silence

 

The Reverse Immigrant

Gaetano's Trunk

Figghu Beddu all by Alfred M. Zappala

 Seeking Sicily

Hidden Tuscany

A Sweet and Glorious Land: Revisiting the Ionian Sea

Venice Against the Sea all by John Keahey

 Stolen Figs by Mark Rotella

 Dreaming of Sicily by Betsy Vincent Hoffman

 Nonna's House: Cooking and Reminiscing with the Italian Grandmas of Enoteca Maria by Scaravella and Petrini

 Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks

 

Author Frances Mayes

Under the Tuscan Sun

In Tuscany

Bella Tuscany by Francis Mayes      

 Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

 The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

 Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb

 My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

 The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

 

Salerno, Italy

Historical/Non Fiction

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture (Florence Italy)

Leonardo and the Last Supper

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling all by Ross King

 Garibaldi's Ghosts; Essays on the Mezzogiorno and the Risorgimento by Thomas De Angelo

 Christ Stopped at Eboli (time between WW1 and WW2) by Carlo Levi

 Calabria: The Other Italy by Karen Haid

 Letters from Calabria by Marty Sturino

 The Borgia's and Their Enemies

Rome: Biography of a City

Mussolini: The Rise and Fall of il Duce

The House of Medici all by Christopher Hibbert

 

Florence, Italy (Pepperdine University)

A Small Place in Italy

Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby

 Naples 44 by Norman Lewis

 Rome by Robert Hughes

The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance by Peter Murray

The Life and Times of Lucrezia Borgia by Maria Bellonci

 The Medici: Godfather's of the Renaissance by Paul Strathem

 Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzi de Medici by Miles J. Unger

 Catherine de Medici by Leonnie Frieda

 The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli

 SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

 The New History of the Italian South by Lumley and Morris

 Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures From the Nazi's by Robert Edsel

 Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimmasi

 The Peoples of Sicily: A Multicultural Legacy by Mendola and Alio

The Kingdom of Sicily by Louis Mendola

Women of Sicily: Saints, Queens, Rebels by Jaqueline Alio

 The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy

 Venice by James Morris

 A Concise History of Italy by Christopher Duggan

 A History of Venice

The Normans in the South (The Normans in Sicily)

Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History by John Julius Norwich

 A Reed in the Wind: Joanna Plantagenet Queen of Sicily by Rachel Bard

 The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius IX/ Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer

 City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas by Roger Crowley

 Italy's Many Diasporas by Donna R. Gabaccia

 

 

Novels and Historical Fiction

A Room with a View

Where Angels Fear to Tread both by E.M. Forster

 The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

 The Tigress of Fiorli by Elizabeth Lev

 The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Chasing the Rose by Andrea di Robelant

 Only Salt Remains (Sicily) by Meryl Mc Queen

 Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant

 Tomorrow or Never by Maria Martin

 Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

 From Sand and Ash by Ann Harmon

 The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

 Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

 Beautiful Ruins: A Novel by Jess Walter

 A Pillar of Iron (Ancient Rome) by Taylor Caldwell

 The Godfather

The Fortunate Pilgrim

The Sicilian

The Family

The Last Don

Omerta all by Mario Puzo

 City of Falling Angels (Venice) by John Berendt

 

Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries (a good dose of culture and a detective story in each/many titles/usually centered around Venice) by Donna Leon

 Madame Serpent

The Italian Woman

Queen Jezebel

The Borgias

Historical Fiction all by Jean Plaidy

 Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

(set in Florence)  by Oliver Bowden

 The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

 The Path to the Spider's Nests by Italo Calvino

 The Wine Dark Sea

To Each His Own

Sicilian Uncles

The Day of the Owl all by by Leonardo Sciascia (1959-1972)

 Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex

 Juliet by Ann Fortier

 I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis

 The Book of Unholy Mischief  by Elle Newmark

 

True Crime

The Monster of Florence

Trial by Fury (Amanda Knox) both by Douglas Preston

 King of the Mountains: The Remarkable Story of Giuseppe Musolino Italy's Most Famous Outlaw by Dan Possumato

 Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano

 

Folk Tales/Youth

Catarina the Wise (Sicilian Folk Tales) by Pitre and Zipes

 Italian Folk Tales by Italo Calvino

 

Strega Nona books by Tomie de Paola

 The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

 Italian Ancestry

They Came by Ship by Mario Toglia

 Finding Italian Roots

They Came in Ships both by John P. Coletta

 

Discovering Your Italian Ancestors by Lynn Nelson

 Sicilian Genealogy and Heraldry by Louis Mendola

 Forging the Chain: Italian Migration to North America, 1880-1930  il Circolo Calabrese

 Were You Always an Italian? by Maria Laurino

 Blood of My Blood by Richard Gambino

 Chiaroscuro: Essays of Identity by Helen Barolini

 Are Italians White? by Salvatore Salerno

 The Italian American Reader by Bill Tonelli

 
 

Assissi, Italy

Let's Travel to Africa, with a variety of Books

Books Set in Africa 

 Included in this list are adventure stories, historical novels, autobiographies, life stories of growing up in 

Africa, fictional accounts, folktales, and youth books for a sampling of books set in the continent of Africa. 

The List: (brief book summaries follow the list of titles)
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The African Queen by C S Forester
What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
Congo by Michael Crichton
The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith
The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Grant
Amelia Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters (Archaeological mysteries- Egypt)
Out of Africa by Karen Blixen
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller
The Butterfly Lion (youth) by Michael Morpugo
Listening for Lions (youth) by Gloria Whelan
Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema (Folktale)
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (youth) by John Steptoe
The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling (youth) 

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard- This was first published in Blackwoods magazine in 1899

 as a series of stories. A group of adventurers set off in an unexplored region of Africa to find the missing

 brother of one of the men in the group. Allan Quartermain Series. Contains common beliefs of 19th 

century Europeans.

 Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad- A Narrated voyage up the Congo river inspired by Conrad's 

experiences as a steamer captain in Africa, written from his travel journals. (Imperialism/violence)
The African Queen by C S Forester- (also a movie adaptation with Humphrey Bogart) WW1 Africa, 

travel down the Nile River.
What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers- About the lost boys 

of Sudan 2006.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela- 1994 His early life, coming of age, 

education and years in prison. 

 Congo by Michael Crichton- 1980 Science Fiction novel investigating mysterious deaths in the ruins of

 a lost city in the tropical rain forest. 

 The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith- Set in Botswana, Precious 

Ramotswe sets up a detective agency, solves mysteries and muses about life, charming series, the 

author spent his childhood in Botswana.
The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Grant- An English Couple decide to set up a coffee plantation in 

Kenya, memoirs of their daughter growing up. Also a British television series.
Out of Africa by Karen Blixen- Memoir by Danish author telling of the 17 years she lived in Kenya, 

then called British East Africa, also a 1985 movie.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton- Story of a Zulu pastor and his son, set in a background of 

racial injustice. 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver- a Baptist minister, his wife and four daughters move to 

the Belgian Congo in 1959, an emotional tale of morals and responsibility.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe- Okwonko, a warrior in a Nigerian clan tries to come to terms 

with his father's less than stellar legacy, historical fiction.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay- The story of an illegitimate child in South Africa and raised 

by black Africans in a remote mountain village 1930's.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese- An epic novel about an Ethiopian born Indian-American 

doctor. Love, betrayal, compassion, etc. 

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul- Set in central Africa, describes a personal journey and a journey

 in uncharted regions of an Indian who goes to Africa to run a business, post-colonial black Africa.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi- Ghana, slave trade, an old African belief that death of a slave allows the 

person to return back to Africa. 

 Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller- A memoir of her 

family as white Rhodesian farmers after the Bush War in 1980.
 The Butterfly Lion (youth) by Michael Morpugo- Inspired by the lions of Timbavati, a WW1 soldier 

saves some circus animals...
Listening for Lions (youth) by Gloria Whelan- Historical fiction, British East Africa, Kikuyu and 

Masai Tribes an orphaned girl becomes involved in an inheritance predicament.
Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema (Folktale)- A mosquito brags to the animals 

in the jungle, Caldecott medal winner 1976, unique primitive artwork enhances the tale.
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (Folktale) by John Steptoe- An African Cinderella story, set in Zimbabwe.

The Elephant's Child (youth) by Rudyard Kipling (youth)- A tale, great for reading out loud, about the 

insatiable curiosity of a young elephant and how he gets a trunk for a nose, one of the wonderful 

animal stories written for children by Kipling, setting the Mapungubwe River on the border of 

Botswana and South Africa. “The Great Gray Green Greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever trees.”

Who is Haddy? Dinos in New Jersey...

      Did you know that the first dinosaur skeleton unearthed in the USA was found in the state of New Jersey? Neither did I, until a few days ago, and I grew up there. Hadrosaurus Foulkii, named after the man who excavated it was, at the time of it's unearthing in 1858, the first and most complete skeleton of a dinosaur to be found in the US. The bones were mounted and put on display by 1868 in Philadelphia. The discovery and excavation has since been described as a watershed moment for the science of Paleontology, turning what was once known as a rich man's hobby of collecting fossils into a field of science worthy of study. Since its find, the Hadrosaurus has been eclipsed by more exciting finds elsewhere in the world and the original site was largely forgotten and used as dumping ground for trash. 

     In 1984, a boy scout (Christopher Brees)searching for a community project for his eagle award, learned about the discovery of the Hadrosaur and decided to try and find the original site again. He studied old maps to rediscover the site, cleaned up the area, and was able to turn it into a small commemorative park (now a historic landmark), where artifacts can still be found today.

In the 1830's, a man named John Hopkins had land located near the town of Haddonfield, NJ, on which there were marl pits, this is where the bones were found. A marl pit is a place where clay, silt, and sand have collected over time, the weathered particles aggregate together and are compressed to form new rock. This new rock (marl) is mined for use in agriculture as a soil additive and fertilizer for acidic soil. As the marl pit was mined, fossils and prehistoric bones were found and mostly thought of as conversation pieces. These particular bones were actually found in 1838 and the significance was not realized at the time. 

     In the 1850's William Foulke, who was interested in fossils, heard about the bones and was invited to see them. He wound up excavating the bones from the pit and the skeleton was eventually mounted and put on display. No other dinosaur has ever been found to match the unique one that was excavated from that pit. Foulke had the bones taken to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they remain there today. Sadly, the skull of the dinosaur was never found. At first an artist made a conception of what the skull might look like and that conception has been modified over time as scientists learn more about the species. 

     When the skeleton was first mounted, it was put in an upright position reminiscent of a T-Rex, but that has also been modified using additional knowledge, to more of a quadruped style. Scientists don't know for sure about the actual way it moved, but have made educated guesses and there are a few different theories about how it moved, walked and ate. The discovery of the bones set off a frenzy of fossil hunting in the Garden State and from the period of about 1850-1870, most American dinosaur skeletons came from the little ol' state of NJ! This time period of the late 1800's is also known as the “Bone Wars”, characterized as a competition between two preeminent American paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope (of the Philadelphia Academy of Science, Drexel University), and Othniel C. Marsh (of Yale). 

      In prehistoric times the southern half of the state was submerged. The northern part of the state was above water and connected to the sea, with many marshy areas leading into it. Mastodons, large crocodiles and even giant shark remains have been discovered in the state. Mastodon remains have been found in Sussex County, NJ, and a giant shark specimen called Squalicorax was found with part of its last meal still in the stomach- it did not eat McDonalds, it had another Hadrosaur in there! Other fossil species found in New Jersey include Enchcodus (the sabertooth herring), many specimens of Diplurus (a coelacanth fish), Deinosuchus (a 30 ft long prehistoric crocodile), Icarosaurus (a reptile resembling a flying lizard), Driptosaurus (tearing lizard, a type of Tyrannosaur but not the T. Rex), and the Hadrosaurus already mentioned. The Hadrosaur was about 25 feet long and 10 feet high, it was a vegetarian- eating plants, stems, twigs, and leaves with its specialized teeth. In prehistoric times it roamed the forests and swamps along New Jersey's seacoast. After shutdowns from coronavirus have eased, here are some places to learn about dinosaurs and see their bones near where the Hadrosaur was originally found:       

Haddonfield, N J- location of the discovery of Hadrosaur commemorative park and plaque
Rutgers University Geology Museum-New Brunswick, NJ      

Dinosaur Den at Morris Museum- Morristown, NJ  

Garden State Discovery Museum- Cherry Hill, NJ   

New Jersey State Museum- Trenton, NJ    

American Museum of Natural History- New York City    

Academy of Natural Sciences- Philadelphia, PA     

Field Station Dinosaurs (with anamatronic dinosaurs) -Leonia, NJ   

Fossil Park at Rowan University (dig site) Sewell, NJ    

Sources: 

www.thoughtco.com/dinosaurs-and-prehistoric-animals-new-jersey-1092088   https://mommyuniversitynj.com   

https://njmonthly.com    

www.haddonfieldnj.org    

www.jerseyfamilyfun.com   

Pictures:

postcard pictures of dinosaurs from: www.geocaching.com    

skeleton picture from: youdontknowjersey.com    

Hadrosaur plaque sign from https://southjerseyadventures.wordpress.com   

scale image from: www.haddonfieldnj.org

Boredom Busters- Ways to fight Boredom During a Pandemic!

Using Secret Codes

Ways to fight boredom during a pandemic!

For kids and Adults!

Fun with secret codes

Types of codes: 

1. Replace each letter of the alphabet with a number corresponding to its place in the alphabet. 

Example the letter A = 1. 

2. Reverse the alphabet so that A=Z and Z=A. Example the word “the”= 20 8 5 or gsv. 

3. Move along one letter each so that A=B, the word “the” would now be: uif 

4. Move along two letters each so that A=C, the word the turns into: vjg        

5. Make an invisible ink message by writing with a white crayon on white paper, 

then to reveal the message color over it with a dark crayon. (Crayon resist method)
6. Another code can be to replace each letter of the alphabet with a symbol. 
Example of a symbol code



 
A 1 z
b 2 y
c 3 x
d 4 w
e 5 v
f 6 u
g 7 t
h 8 s
I 9 r
j 10 q
k 11 p
l 12 o
m 13 n
n 14 m
o 15 l
p 16 k
q 17 j
r 18 i
s 19 h
t 20 g
u 21 f
v 22 e
w 23 d
x 24 c
y 25 b
z 26 a
 
An example of a tongue twister.
A tongue twister to decipher: 

 
8 15 23    13 1 14 25   2 15 1 18 4 19    3 15 22 12 4   20 8 5



13 15 14 7 15 12 19     8 15 18 4 5     9 6      20 8 5   



13 15 14 7 15 12      8 15 18 4 5    7 15 20    2 15 18 5 4 ?




A poem to decipher:

          
Z nrtsgb xcvzgfiv ri gsv tvin.

         
Gslfts hnzoovi gszm a kzxbwvin.


Srn xfhglnzib wdvoormt kozxv


rh wvvk wrgsrm gsv sfnzm izxv.


Sri xsrowrhs kirwv sv lugvm kovzivi


yb trermt kvlkov igizmtv wrivahvh.


Wl blf nb uirvmw uvvo rmurin?


Blf kilyzyob xlmgzrm a tvin!


(Gsv Tvin yb Ltwvm Mzhs)

Bookish Boredom Busters- Pass the time during a pandemic!

Bookish Boredom Busters

For people in Quarantine, Lock Downs, and other forms of confinement because of world pandemics!

Might I suggest some reads worthy of your time as you while away the days at home……………..Get your kindle charged up or visit your favorite on-line bookseller to make the best of it during the Covid-19 lock downs. Escape into a good book to help your days be more bearable and enjoyable. Introverts and bookworms are in their element right now! I am listing only titles and authors that I have some experience with and/or have read myself for these recommendations. Reading together out loud, and listening to books via CD or electronically has always been something we enjoy as a family on long car trips or as cherished family time as well. My children used to fall asleep listening to the Chronicles of Narnia being read to them by Mom in the hallway. 

The genre that gets a big chunk of my reading time is Fantasy and Science Fiction, so here goes with the suggestions of authors and titles: (in no particular order).

Jim Butcher- Dresden Files series, featuring scrappy wizard Harry Dresden, book 1- “Storm Front”, various story collections (including some novellas with Bigfoot) and the Codex Alera Series, Cinder Spire series.

Brandon Sanderson- plenty of books and series to choose from including the Stormlight Archive, which starts with “The Way of Kings”. 

 

Kat Richardson- Greywalker Series, set in the Seattle area, first book is “Greywalker”.

Patrick Rothfuss- Kingkiller Chronicles- It starts with “The Name of the Wind”, the series is as yet unfinished but good enough to start reading in spite of that.

Carrie Vaughn- a variety of different series, of which the Kitty Norville werewolf series is notable. First book “Kitty and the Midnight Hour”.

Robert Jordan- “Wheel of Time” series.

Anne McCaffrey- “Dragon Riders of Pern” series.

Marion Zimmer Bradley (editor and author) of “Sword and Sorceress” series which include a wide variety of tales featuring mostly female characters, and many future authors got started in the fantasy genre here. (26 volumes)

Andre Norton- classic Sci Fi and Fantasy.

James S.A. Corey- “The Expanse” series. 

The Expanse Series

 

Kevin Hearne- “Iron Druid” Series.

Candace J. Thomas- “Vivatera” Series and more.

T. Niven- “The Star of Ashor”.

Erin Morgenstern- “The Night Circus”.

 

Ray Bradbury (several works) including “Fahrenheit 451”.

Connie Willis (several works) Time travel, the black death, WWII

Neal Stephenson (several) Dodo, Snowcrash, etc.

Ransom Riggs- “Peculiar Children” series, with unique photography included.

Garth Nix- Sabriel and others

Patricia A. McKillip

J.K. Rowling- “Harry Potter” books

J R.R. Tolkien- “Hobbit, Lord of the Rings”

Orson Scott Card- “Ender’s Game” series and others

“Cosy” Type Mysteries

Paige Shelton- Scottish Bookstore Mysteries starts with “Of Books and Bagpipes”.

Dangerous Type Mysteries starts with “To Helvetica and Back”. 

 

Alice Kimberly (Cleo Coyle) - “The Ghost and…” series. Sometimes over the top but good for escapism.

Lillian Braun- “The Cat Who …” series.

M. C. Beaton- Hamish Mac Beth (Scottish Highland Constable) Mysteries, “Death of a …” series. (I love the character of Hamish, and the series is packs quite a punch of wit, as well.)

Alexander McCall Smith- “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” “Isabel Dalhousie” books, “Professor Von Iglefeld”, and so on. 

No. 1 Ladies Detective series books

Most cozy-type books can get tiresome after a while because they seem to follow a similar pattern and story line, but they are good escapist/light reading endeavors that don’t require as much commitment as a long fantasy series with 1000 pages each, a la Brandon Sanderson style, and you can get through them in a few days of reading time. 

 

Thriller/Action/Other 

 

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child- Many collaborations between this heavyweight author duo, and also many offerings by each author separately, as well as together. Of note: The “Agent Pendergast” Series, of which there are at least 21 volumes, and also various spin off works featuring characters from the Pendergast books, such as those starring archaeologist Nora Kelly. The first Pendergast book is “Relic”. (Be prepared for a bit of gore in these, as the subject is usually unsolved murders being investigated by the FBI, but Agent Pendergast is a very interesting, larger than life character.) 

 

Richard Preston- “Hot Zone” and “Demon in the Freezer”, etc. if you want more pandemic stuff. (Brother of Douglas Preston, already mentioned.)

Elizabeth Kostova- “The Historian”, “The Shadow Land”

Robin Sloan- “Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore” and “Sourdough” for the foodie in you.

Susan Vreeland- A fictional account loosely based on the life of painter Vermeer, “Girl in Hyacinth Blue”.

Lisa Wingate- A fictional account based on a real life baby seller/adoption story in Great Depression times “Before We Were Yours”.

Jean Plaidy- all kinds of Historical fiction books, from the Medici's to the Borgia's to Mary Queen of Scots, Henry the Eighth, and the War of the Roses (written in the 70's).

M.L. Steadman- “The Light Between Oceans”.

Stephen R. Lawhead 

A variety of books by author Stephen R. Lawhead

 

Non Fiction/Biography/Science Nerd/Historical

Sam Kean- “The Violinist's Thumb”, “The Disappearing Spoon” Everyday chemistry, antedotes.

Malcolm Gladwell- several

Penny Le Couteur- “Napoleon's Buttons”

William Rosen- “Justinian's Flea”

Carl Zimmer- “Parasite Rex”

David Quammen- “Spillover”, very timely considering we are facing a “Bat” flu.

Dean King- “Skeletons on the Zahara”

David Gran- “The Lost City of Z”

Wasik and Murphy- “Rabid: A cultural History of Rabies”

Douglas Preston- “Lost City of the Monkey God”, “Dinosaurs in the Attic”, and others.

Keith Richards- “Life”. Need I say more?

Pat Benatar- “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”

Mark Kurlansky- “Salt” is good (but “Milk” is a disappointment).

Thomas Mueller- “Extra Virgin” all about the olive oil industry, surprisingly interesting

Sara Beth's Bakery- learn to cook something new!

The life story by iconic Rolling Stones song writer and guitarist, Keith Richards.

Classics and Utopian Literature (if your brain can take it)

J.S. Le Fanu- classic gothic and ghost stories (many free on kindle for him and other classic authors)

Charles Dickens

Arthur Conan Doyle- Sherlock Holmes and lots of other good stuff, really!

Jules Verne

H.G. Wells

Rudyard Kipling

H Ryder Haggard- “King Solomon's Mines”

George Orwell- “1984” “Animal Farm”

William Golding- “Lord of the Flies”

Aldous Huxley- “Brave New World”

Ayn Rand- “The Fountainhead” and others

Don't forget to feed your spirit and soul as well, in these trying times. Fill your head with something positive and revive your hope by reading some uplifting and inspiring things. I turn to the scriptures, the Holy Bible and other religious writings but will not make a list because of the personal nature of it. I will only add that “The Lost Gospel Q; The sayings of Jesus”, and “The Book of Mormon” (read with an open mind), have also been inspirational to me.

  Bash boredom with some fun and easy art and creative endeavors, pick up a few adult coloring books, some new colored pencils, jelly roll pens or doodle markers, and one of the entertaining “Wreck This Journal” books by Keri Smith (available in different languages, too). All are available online. 

A page from my own "Wreck this journal", the page instructs you to -make a mess and clean it up-.Just 'google' wreck this journal ideas and you will be amazed and inspired.