Lost in the Stacks

What the River Knows is a thrilling historical fantasy set in a version of 19th century Egypt where ancient magic exists. After her parents' deaths, the heroine, Inez Olivera, travels from Argentina to Egypt to discover what happened to them. Her last gift from her father was a golden ring, supposedly from the tomb of Cleopatra, with magic attached to it. Inez can sense the magic even after the ring is stolen from her, and she hopes it will lead her to Cleopatra's tomb. On the way, she meets Whit, her archaeologist uncle's assistant, and finds herself both annoyed by and attracted to him. They must work together to find the tomb, and what happened to Inez's parents.

Celebrate Black History Month with some books by African-American authors in the library’s OverDrive collection.

It’s writer Toni Morrison’s birthday (1931-2019). An author, editor, and professor, Morrison was the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature. In her writing, Morrison explored the lived realities of Black Americans with lyrical prose, psychological depth, and unflinching honesty. As an editor at Random House, she championed Black writers and thinkers. Here are just a few of Morrison's works we have in our collection, showcasing the breadth of her work.

The Man in the Iron Mask is the final adventure in Dumas' Musketeer Saga. The former Musketeer, Aramis, now a bishop, plans to replace the villainous king, Louis XIV, with his identical twin brother, a masked prisoner in the Bastille. This novel brings the series to a thrilling conclusion, and it has inspired numerous film adaptations. But don't expect the novel to have the same ending as the 1998 film, which is probably the best-known adaptation.

Excavations is a novel by Kate Myers about four women working at an archaeological site in Greece, which was supposed to have been the home of the ancient Olympic Games before they moved to Olympia. The women all have very different personalities, and at first, they don’t get along, with two of them actively disliking each other, but when they find an artifact that might change history, they must work together against the egotistical, male chauvinist professor who oversees the dig. It is a highly entertaining novel which, according to rumor, is being made into a TV series.

Whip Hand is an award-winning thriller by Dick Francis, about Sid Halley, a jockey who lost a hand after a horse fell on him during a race. He has become a private detective, and in this book he investigates what happened to three horses who were champions, then suddenly failed. He also searches for the con artist who drew Sid's ex-wife into a scam, leaving her to take the blame. She will go to jail for fraud unless he clears her name. Francis, a former jockey, knew the horse racing world extremely well, and it shows in this excellent novel.

The Song of Achilles is Madeline Miller's beautifully written retelling of the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus, Achilles' companion and, in this version of the story, lover. Miller writes about the two boys' childhood, their early training by a centaur, and the events that brought them to Troy. She also has much to say about how war changes people. It is a wonderful novel, and will stay in your mind for a long time.

July is disability pride month, honoring the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This month we'll learn a little bit about what disability is, what disability pride means, and the historical and contemporary importance of the ADA--plus recommendations for further reading!

Dive into pride month with fiction and non-fiction books that explore the varied experiences of LGBTQ+ people! Each of these titles is available online through the University of Michigan library catalog.

Hera is author Jennifer Saint's retelling of the story of an often-vilified figure from Greek mythology: Hera, wife of Zeus and queen of the gods on Mount Olympus. Hera is usually depicted in mythology as jealous and vengeful, especially toward Zeus' many lovers and their offspring. We see this side of her in Saint's novel, but we also see the reasons why Hera acts as she does. In the novel, she comes across as, if not a sympathetic character, certainly a complex, multi-layered one, and we also see a more admirable side to her.