Babel combines
19th-century British history, an academic setting, and several fascinating
premises—including endowing silver with magical properties—into a potent mix.
Kuang’s novel concerns a fictional Oxford college dedicated to translation
(inevitably nicknamed Babel) and four brilliant young students in a Harry
Potter-esque plot line that turns serious, then violent, as they reach a greater
understanding of the project of which they are a part.
I was riveted and
wanted to read more about the place, the time, and the characters.
Combine
vivid descriptions of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River with the
enthralling story of two under-recognized women botanists who went there in the
1930s—how can you go wrong?
People back then thought women would be unable
to survive the rapids of the Colorado, much less do groundbreaking science in
the canyon. Sevigny’s protagonists, however, did both, with historic results.
Brave the Wild Riveris adventure, biography, and
natural history in a compelling mix.
In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off down the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious expedition leader and three amateur boatmen. With its churning rapids, sheer cliffs and boat-shattering boulders, the Colorado River was famed as the most dangerous river in the world. But for Clover and Jotter, it held a tantalising appeal: no one had surveyed the Grand Canyon's plants, and they were determined to be the first.
Through the vibrant letters and diaries of the two women, science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny traces their forty-three-day journey, during which they ran rapids, chased…
Susan
Casey + the ocean = unbeatable combo. This time, she explores the history of the
deepest, darkest depths and our changing perceptions of just what’s down
there…or not.
Casey also layers in her account of her own plunges into the
darkness, accompanying an eccentric millionaire in his deep-sea vessel. Danger,
suspense, and awe—it’s all here in Casey’s thrilling narrative.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From bestselling author Susan Casey, an awe-inspiring portrait of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and the men and women who seek to uncover its secrets
“An irresistible mix of splendid scholarship, heart-stopping adventure writing, and vivid, visceral prose." —Sy Montgomery, New York Times best-selling author of The Soul of an Octopus
For all of human history, the deep ocean has been a source of wonder and terror, an unknown realm that evoked a singular, compelling question: What’s down there? Unable to answer this for centuries, people believed the deep was a sinister realm of…
In 1722, Mark Catesby stepped ashore in Charles Town in the Carolina colony. Over the next four years, this young naturalist made history as he explored deep into America's natural wonders, collecting and drawing plants and animals that had never been seen in the Old World.
Nine years later, Catesby produced his magnificent and groundbreaking book, The Natural History of Carolina, the first-ever illustrated account of American flora and fauna.
In Nature's Messenger, acclaimed writer Patrick Dean follows Catesby from his youth as a landed gentleman in rural England to his early work as a naturalist and his adventurous travels.
