The Wide, Wide Sea - Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

Hampton Sides writes nonfiction in such a compelling way that it's hard to put down one of his books once you pick it up.  It's certainly true of his latest - The Wide, Wide Sea - Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook (#1,232).  Cook's secret royal remit on this journey was to reach the 65th north latitude west of the North American continent and search for the elusive Northwest Passage, creating a shipping shortcut from Asia to England.  There were many perils along the way, political, geographical and meteorological.  Yet most of his crews survived the harrowing trip.  Cook himself did not.  And that, in itself, is the subject of much speculation.  The facts of Cook's death at the hands of Hawaiians are well-documented, but the cause behind it is not.

To me, it was remarkable that while Captain Cook on the Resolution, and Captain Clerke on the Discovery were exploring the South Seas and the Pacific Northwest, the American Revolution was raging on the North American continent.  France and Spain were both now officially at war with Great Britain, adding to the dangers of the expedition.  Yet still, the two ships landed at island after island where few, if any, Europeans had set foot, not even the Spanish or Portuguese, who laid claim to the entire Pacific.

This book was full of "Huh, I did not know that!" moments of reading.  A few of the places described in the book we have been to, most we have not, but like Cook himself, we always want to see the next thing.  His side trip to Russia just so he could set foot on the continent of Asia is a perfect example of what drove him most of his life.

If you are an armchair traveler, especially if you have ever spent any time on a boat, this is the perfect read for you.  Make sure you pick up a hardback edition so you will have the benefit of the color plates and illustrations.

Egypt's Golden Couple - When Akhenaten And Nefertiti Were Gods On Earth

I decided to track down Egypt's Golden Couple - When Akhenaten And Nefertiti Were Gods On Earth (#1,231) at our local library to begin reading up before our Nile cruise this winter.  Written by a pair of married Egyptologists, John and Colleen Darnell, the cover blurbs promised new insights into this controversial pair.  I was disappointed.

The authors introduced each chapter with a fictional episode based on carvings, sculptures and artifacts of the period.  They then concluded with a non-fiction essay on a topic related directly or tangentially to Akhenaten and Nefertiti.  A number of these had to do with correctly interpreting hieroglyphics concerning the royal pair.  Since I have no interest in diacritical markings of a technical nature, I found these chapters tedious, even though I plowed through them.

In the end, did I learn anything about Akhenaten and Nefertiti I didn't already know?  Yes, a few things.  Would I recommend this book to a casual reader who merely has curiosity about ancient Egypt and wishes to expand his or her knowledge?  No.  It's like trying to follow a sand flea as it jumps from topic to topic.  If you already have a background in ancient Egyptian history, this might be a good addition to your library.

Summers At The Saint

Talk about your perfect beach read - Summers At The Saint (#1,230) by Mary Kay Andrews fits the bill!  The Saint in the title is the St. Ceclia Resort, an exclusive enclave on a Georgia coastal island.  Families come and spend the "season" year after year.  Many have bought properties on the island and are members of the Saint.

So why is such a posh place losing money hand over fist?  And why is it so difficult to hang onto experienced staff?  These are just a few of the problems Resort Owner/Manager Traci Eddings is dealing with as the latest summer season is almost upon them.  The people she recruits for some crucial positions don't meet with the General Manager's approval, though.  Especially when those new hires start to question irregularities they notice while doing their jobs...

It's a suspenseful read with more violence than I might have expected after reading other books by Ms. Andrews.  Still, it moved the story forward.  I really enjoyed this book, and it would be a perfect fit for your own beach bag.

A Short Walk Through A Wide World

Douglas Weterbeke's A Short Walk Through A Wide World (#1,1229) is fantastical in all the right ways.  I've never read a book quite like this.  Aubrey Tourvel is just nine years old when she picks up a wooden puzzle ball outside a recently deceased neighbor's house in Paris.  Nothing is ever the same for her again.  Although she drops it down a well, it reappears the next day in her satchel.  And that's when Aubrey starts bleeding to death.  The only way to make the bleeding stop temporarily is to move on to a new location - over and over and over again.

A Short Walk chronicles Aubrey's adventures over the many years of her life.  Always on the move, she meets all sorts of people, but she can never stay long enough to build a relationship with most.  Her only respites are in the underground libraries which pop up in unexpected places.  There she can find endless shelves of fascinating books, food when she needs it, and comfortable places to rest.  When she emerges, she is always in a far different place than where she entered.  Aubrey slowly realizes she is not living in the same world as those who dwell on the surface.

More than just an adventure story, A Short Walk Through A Wide World probes Aubrey's interior life as well, and that's just as interesting.  No wonder this book has gotten so much buzz from the literary critics.  It might not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it.  Can't wait to see what Mr. Weterbeke has up his sleeve for us next!

The Royal Game

Perfect summer reading for royal fans, Linda Keir's The Royal Game (#1,228) combines an unlikely royal romance with aspects of a thriller.  It works well here.

Jennie Jensen is an American musician who's had success when a song she wrote was picked up as the main theme in a hit movie.  It's allowed her some financial freedom - enough to tour Mediterranean hot spots with her acoustic guitar.  She's living her dream when a rich, entitled Englishman disrupts her performance one balmy evening in Mallorca.  It turns out Hugh, the Prince of Wales, is a fan.  The rest, as they say, is history.

But an American as the Princess of Wales?  Many people don't want that to happen, and some are very determined to prevent it.  After all, look at what happened to Princess Penelope, Hugh's mother; she was killed in a tragic plane crash.  But as small snubs and mishaps begin to pile up, Jennie begins to wonder.  Was the Princess paranoid, or was someone out to get her?

The danger adds a special edge to this otherwise conventional love story, but it's enough to make this book a real page turner.  I thoroughly enjoyed this romance by writing team Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff.  Maybe it's the male perspective that helps propel the story.  Anyway, if you love reading all things royal, definitely add The Royal Game to your list.

The Murder of Mr. Ma

Looking for something different in a mystery?  The Murder of Mr. Ma (#1,227) by co-authors John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan might fit the bill.  In classic form, the mystery kicks off with the murder of a moderately successful Chinese antiquities dealer living in London in 1924.  He was killed by a butterfly sword which was on display in his shop.

Since the victim was Chinese, the London Police aren't taking much of an interest in the case.  Enter two legendary Chinese cultural icons - Judge Dee Ren Jie and scholar Loa She - to investigate.  As the body count rises, the pair find commonalities in the victims - all members during World War I of the Chinese Labor Corps based in France on the front lines.

There's a slowly unraveling motive behind the killings, hostile police, a number of kung fu style fights featuring Judge Dee, and visits to some of the seamiest parts of London including its opium dens.  Nobody is whom they appear to be...

This was a lot of fun to read and imagine (Yes, it would make a great movie or tv adaptation!  Loved that the authors referenced the Frankie Drake tv mystery series for visual clues!).  Dee and Lao's English is usually more posh and polished than that of the characters they meet.  Though based on real people, their pairing here would have been impossible in real life, since they actually lived hundreds of years apart.  But here, they cozy up to Bertrand Russell and Ezra Pound without missing a beat.  I certainly hope this appealing pair of sleuths will be undertaking future cases!

You Dreamed of Empires

I remember hearing an interview on NPR when You Dreamed of Empires (#1,226) was first published.  It's Alvaro Enrigue's re-imagining of the confrontation between Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes and the Aztec emperor Moctezuma (translated by Natasha Wimmer).   It sounded so off-the-wall that I immediately wrote down the title and author to add to my "To Read" list.  It's taken my local library a long time to finally acquire this slim volume, but I read it in essentially one go.

Most of the action in this bizarre story takes place on a day when Cortes and his soldiers are invited into the capital city of Tenoxtitlan.  Moctezuma's councilors cannot understand the emperor's actions.  Why not squash these invaders as they deserve?  But Cortes has one thing that Moctezuma has determined he wants for future conquests: the horses.

The descriptions of the ancient Aztec city and the customs of its peoples are utterly fascinating.  It sounds so civilized - except for the constant blood sacrifices of almost anything that breathes.

If you remember your history, you know how this story ended in fact.  After reading about the actions of the conquistadors here, I have to admit, I prefer Enrigue's alternative, highly satisfactory ending.  It's a weird book, but if you have the stomach for it, worth the time.