This week, we feature a fascinating look at the historical quests to uncover secrets of Egypt’s past and a behind-the-scenes look at a band’s wacky mix of humor and music.
Archaeology
‘A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology’
By Toby Wilkinson
The ancient world of Egypt did not simply lie in ruins; it was truly a world beneath the sand. This remained the case until the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries when Europeans, primarily the French, British, and Germans, began to make archaeological discoveries of this lost world. Wilkinson walks readers through the most fascinating stories of discovery and the colorful characters behind them. An illuminating and thrilling tribute to the past and present Egyptologists.
W.W. Norton, 2020, 528 pages
Nonfction
‘Wind Sprints: Shorter Essays’
By Joseph Epstein
Fans of fine writing and wit will find a multitude of delights in this collection of 142 pieces from one of America’s premier essayists. No more than four pages each and written between 1996 and 2015, these essays are the perfect introduction for newcomers to Epstein’s writing. As in his other books and writings, he whips up a zesty concoction of literary, cultural, and political observations, all seasoned with an abundance of humor, anecdotes, and intelligence. A highly recommended read.
Hunter Lewis Foundation, 2016, 608 pages
Mystery
By Jean Rabe
This is the fourth book of a six-book series about Piper Blackwell, formerly in the military and now county sheriff in southern Indiana. She has improved the sheriff department in less than a year. Even her election opponent, Chief Deputy Sheriff Oren Rosenberg, respects her. A three-day holiday weekend trip to Kentucky with ex-army buddies ends tragically. One of them is shot and killed. Meanwhile the Buddhist Cultural Center in Blackwell’s Spencer County is wrecked. Blackwell has to solve both mysteries.
Boone Street Press, 2020, 276 pages
Music
‘Riders In The Sky: Romancing the West With Music and Humor’
By Bobbie Malone and Bill C. Malone
The band Riders in the Sky first came together at a bar performance in Nashville in November 1977. They have been together ever since. Featuring “Ranger Doug” Green (The Idol of American Youth), “Too Slim” Fred LaBour, “Woody Paul” Chrisman (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers), and, since 1994, Joey (the Cowpolka King) Miskulin, they entertain audiences with a unique combination of cowboy music and humor. This book tells their story. Well-researched and engagingly written, the group’s fans will like it.
Texas A&M University Press, 2025, 264 pages
Classics
By William Shakespeare
Rarely performed on stage—it did make the big screen in 2011—“Coriolanus” appeals today for its dive into power politics, identity and truth, overweening pride, and family ties. When this patrician and conquering hero refuses to play up to those beneath him, he is forced into exile, flees to his recently defeated enemy, the Volscians, and prepares to attack Rome. After his mother and other relatives dissuade him from this plan, he is murdered by Volscian assassins. Gripping and passionate.
Penguin Publishing Group, 1999, 192 pages
For Kids
By G. Brian Karas
Work is underway at a vegetable farm, a dairy farm, and a mushroom farm as workers pick and prepare their goods for market. At the market, the community comes together to share in the bounty. A fun and informative depiction of the value of local food and warmth of fellowship. A perfect read to enjoy before a trip to your local farmer’s market.
Henry Holt and Co., 2016, 40 pages
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