Whether your passion is fiction or the real world, there’s something for every reader on the list below. You can sample a mystery based on the actual unsolved disappearance of two local girls; scientists exploring the secrets of old growth forests; or a pundit’s analysis of similarities he sees between ancient Rome and contemporary America.

Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America by Cullen Murphy 973 M
The author examines his belief in certain similarities between our nation and the Roman Empire and suggests ways to ensure a successful fate for the United States.

Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh FIC HAI
Life in the coal mining town of Bakerton revolves around the mines. Nowhere is this more evident than in the lives of the five Novak children.

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak 813 KEENE
The famous girl detective was the brain child of Edward Stratemeyer. But, it took the devotion of Harriet Stratemeyer, Edwards's daughter, and syndicate writer Mildred Wirt Benson to really bring the girl sleuth to "life."

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler FIC FOW
Six people form a book club to discuss the novels of Jane Austen. In doing so, they discover much about their own lives.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini FIC HOS
Two Afghani women are united by circumstance; together they struggle to find the strength to endure devastating hardship.

What Angels Fear: A Historical Mystery by C. S. Harris MYS HAR
A young woman is found murdered on the steps of an ancient church; an examination of the evidence points to the guilt of one man.

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman FIC LIP
Apprehended as she flees from the scene of an accident, a middle-aged woman tells police that she has information about the long-ago disappearance of two sisters.

The Wild Trees: a Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston 585 P
Virtually unstudied until recently, old growth forests remained a mystery until a dedicated group of scientists began to explore this complex ecosystem.