Summer Reads

The warmer and steamier it is in the great outdoors, the more I want to stay inside with the AC humming away. Indoor activities such as cooking and cleaning also work up a sweat so what's a person to do? Read, of course. Truthfully, that is my answer to most days, hot, cold or in-between. I do not need much encouragement from book marketers to enjoy a breezy, easy summer read, if that is such a thing. My book selections are often based on whatever is available at my local library.

Here are a few books I have enjoyed so far.

1) The Truffle Hound: On the Trail of the World's Most Seductive Scent, with Dreamers, Schemers, and Some Extraordinary Dogs by Rowan Jacobsen--The title alone is a grabber, for sure. Just to clarify, the author of this book is not referring to the chocolate confectionery many of us adore. The truffle being sought after is a rather gnarly looking fungi that is often revered in the culinary world. The flavor is said to be very seductive and the harvesting of truffles is a complicated treasure hunt best done by trained dogs and their owners. The author travels around the globe on his quest to solve the mystery of this flavor bomb of the subterranean world. I knew precious little about truffles before reading the book but I found myself quickly fascinated by this cherished fungi. I will not be adding truffles to my meals anytime soon due to cost and availability but I enjoyed the trip around the world with Rowan and the dogs. (Yes, I referred to dogs in a positive manner. A miracle for me.)

2) Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves--I am a big fan of the British writer, Ann Cleeves. This book features my favorite detective, Vera Stanhope. Vera is a self-proclaimed stodgy-looking solver-of-crimes. In an attempt to refresh her look and improve her health, she takes up swimming at a local gym. It isn't long before a dead body is discovered in the gym's sauna and Vera is on the scene to unravel the intricacies of murder and all the players. Cleeves also writes a series of mysteries called the Shetland mysteries, featuring the detective, Jimmy Perez. Both mystery series have BBC TV shows if you prefer to watch your British whodunits. One further recommendation: turn the close captioning on when watching the BBC shows. Details matter.

3) Surviving the '72 Flood by Seth Tupper and Johnny Sundby--One of our state's darkest moments happened on June 9, 1972. A series of calamitous events resulted in a flood that caused the deaths of 238 men, women and children as well as massive destruction of property. Much has been written and documented about this devastating flood in Rapid City, South Dakota, and all of it can be difficult to absorb. Tupper, a local journalist, and Sundby, a photographer, documented stories shared by survivors, 50 years later. All the stories have a tragic edge, of course, but Tupper and Sundby also suss out the human, and often heroic, responses to an unimaginable event. One theme was clearly evident. We are here to love our neighbors.

I hope you are able to carve out a little time this summer to enjoy a good book or two or three. It is a way to travel the world without leaving your driveway. And with the price of gas, that is a big win.