When I learned the theme for Summer Reading at Central Rappahannock Regional Library is “Unearth a Story,” my inner childhood dinosaur fanatic suddenly roared to life. “Unearth a Story” can be interpreted broadly, from how-tos on gardening to uncovering personal histories through memoir. I decided to throw my inner child a bone and take the theme literally. While written for adults, these novels featuring paleontologists and archaeologists satisfy the need for excitement and intrigue, like watching an Indiana Jones film for the first time.
Ruins, opens a new window by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Professor Ember Agni, a talented archaeology expert, is driven to validate her decade-long ambition to unearth a lost empire despite skepticism from her colleagues. Just before giving up the search, a promising artifact surfaces overseas, and Ember risks it all on an expedition to uncover the missing link to humanity’s origins. Journeying deep into the wilderness in pursuit of an extinct civilization, Ember is forced to confront her own personal demons while fighting to make a name for herself.
The Paleontologist, opens a new window by Luke Dumas
After a bad break-up and the death of the aunt who raised him, curator of paleontology Dr. Simon Nealy is unexpectedly compelled to return to the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History, from which his sister, Morgan, was abducted when he was just a boy. Struggling with grief and guilt, Simon hopes to uncover the truth about Morgan’s vanishing. But Simon also has to wrestle with a museum that is closed amid the pandemic, falling apart physically and financially. Then, he starts seeing and hearing things: strange animal sounds, bloody footprints of long-extinct creatures. Afraid for his sanity, Simon turns to his predecessor’s research and uncovers an ancient mystery that could explain everything, including the link to Morgan’s disappearance.
Excavations, opens a new window by Kate Myers
At a remote Greek archaeological site, four women—star excavator Elise, ambitious conservator Kara, commitment-phobic Z, and undergraduate Patty—are reluctantly reunited under the supervision of the arrogant head archaeologist, Dr. Charles Barton. Despite their deep-seated personal conflicts and rivalries, the women uncover an artifact that threatens to upend historical understanding of the first Olympics. As Dr. Barton attempts to suppress their discovery, the colleagues must resolve their differences and work together to protect the truth and make the find of a lifetime.
The Museum Detective, opens a new window by Maha Khan Phillips
Inspired by true events, this twisty thriller blends archaeology, narcotics, and crime. Dr. Gul Delani, a leading curator and expert in ancient civilizations, is called in by law enforcement regarding a major narcotics operation in western Pakistan. Amidst the illegal activity, she makes an unexpected and confounding discovery: a seemingly authentic mummy with ties to the Achaemenid Empire. With the help of her team, Gul launches an investigation that exposes a dangerous conspiracy, which may intersect with her own personal search for justice in the search for her missing niece.
The Last Odyssey, opens a new window by James Rollins
In this ultimate summer thriller, Rollins’s 15th Sigma Force novel, archaeologist Elena Cargill and a U.S. government team discover a medieval vessel buried under Greenland's ice, containing Bronze Age weapons and a miraculous clockwork map. After Cargill is taken hostage, the team takes off in pursuit of both their colleague and the artifact, which not only links to the historical basis of Homer's Odyssey but also charts a path to the mythological subterranean realm of Tartarus, the Greek name for Hell. Their quest to understand the vessel's significance and retrieve its rumored cache of powerful weapons drives a nonstop, global thrill ride that escalates regional tensions.
Raiders of the Lost Heart, opens a new window by Jo Segura
Is archaeological romance a thing? It is now. Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía, a leading expert on Aztec history, is reluctantly paired with her professional rival, Dr. Ford Matthews, to co-lead a high-stakes expedition into the Mexican jungle. Their forced collaboration to locate the remains of Corrie's ancient ancestor, an Aztec warrior named Chimalli, is complicated by their contentious history and undeniable attraction. But with artifact smugglers and Mexican authorities threatening the security of the dig, Corrie and Ford must put their differences (and attraction) aside to protect their work.
Join Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s Summer Reading Challenge for all ages (you too, grownups)! Sign up at librarypoint.org/summer, opens a new window to earn prizes by logging your reading and completing fun activities.
Tracy McPeck is the Director of Adult Services at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. This column first appeared in the Free Lance-Star newspaper.
