by Mary-Ellen Mess
The world-wide pandemic may have scuttled your travel plans for the summer, but books offer a way to discover exotic cultures and spectacular landscapes both here and abroad from the safety of your beach chair.
Author Nevada Barr’s series about Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is set in popular parks and pristine wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service. In each suspenseful novel, Ranger Pigeon lands a temporary assignment in a new locale only to find herself using her training and instincts to bring miscreants to justice.
Whether attempting a rescue in the depths of Carlsbad Caverns or studying wolves on an island in Lake Superior, Anna Pigeon is one tough cookie. Her daring exploits provide both great entertainment and an appreciation of the breath-taking beauty and ever-present danger in our National Parks.
If your heart was set on a European sojourn, David Nicholls’ novel Us, will take you to must-see places for a tour of the continent. Douglas Petersen’s long awaited celebratory family trip with his wife and son doesn’t quite turn out as planned. Surprise! It’s a bittersweet tale of self-discovery that is both amusing and heart-wrenching.
Two Steps Forward by husband and wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist also explores themes of personal renewal as widowed Zoe and divorced Martin each set out on the two thousand kilometer Camino de Santiago. As in any self-respecting romantic comedy, these two strangers fall victim to misunderstandings that ebb and flow as they cross paths with each other and a cast of characters seeking absolution, acceptance, and peace of mind.
John Burdett’s thrillers set in sexy, steamy Bangkok follow the exploits of Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep as he seeks justice while dodging local corruption and foreign profiteers. The son of a long gone American GI and a Thai bar girl, Sonchai is a wry observer of human behavior who struggles to balance his Buddhist beliefs with the reality of being a cop in Thailand.
A relaxing visit to Botswana is possible in the company of Precious Ramotswe, whose intrepid spirit and practical wisdom solve problems big and small for the inhabitants of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels. Or spend time with Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie Series set in Scotland if you prefer a cooler climate.
Plan your staycation by browsing these and other ebooks in our 24 Hour Library on the RBPL website. You will need your library card number and PIN to borrow books there.
Working at the RBPL is a second career for Mary-Ellen, who spent 30 years managing youth programs in Newark, NJ. In anticipation of her retirement from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, Mary-Ellen returned to school and earned a MLIS in 2013. A part-time Reference Librarian at RBPL, she resides in Red Bank with her husband. Mary-Ellen considers herself fortunate to have raised two sons in Red Bank, a diverse community with great public schools.