The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

By Steve Brusatte

William Morrow, 2018. 400 pgs. Nonfiction.

"The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" is a sweeping narrative scientific history that tells the epic story of the dinosaurs, examining their origins, their habitats, their extinction, and their living legacy. Steve Brusatte, a world-renowned paleontologist who has even consulted on the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs program, presents a history of the dinosaur eras, chronicling nearly 200 million years of their evolution from small shadow dwellers through the emergences of prehistoric ancestors that became more than 10,000 modern bird species.

This book is absolutely phenomenal. Steve Brusatte masterfully weaves science and story together to create a compelling, informative, and engaging account of the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. It's a great popular literature introduction to paleontology, sure to be enjoyed by amateur bone hunters, longtime scholars, fossil enthusiasts, and curious learners alike. If you are at all interested in reading about dinosaurs, this book is for you.

If you like The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, you might also like: 

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals

By Steve Brusatte

Mariner Books, 2022. 416 pgs. Nonfiction.

This sequel to "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" picks up the narrative in the ashes of the extinction event that doomed the T-rex and its kind. In this narrative, Busatte explores the remarkable story of the family of animals that inherited the Earth--mammals--and brilliantly reveals that their story is every bit as fascinating and complex as that of their predecessors.

Beasts Before Us

By Elsa Panciroli

Bloomsbury Sigma, 2021. 320 pgs. Nonfiction.

This is the story of our most ancient of ancestors: mammals. For most of us, the story of mammal evolution starts after the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, but over the last 20 years scientists have uncovered new fossils and used new technologies that have upended this narrative. This book reframes the narrative of mammal evolution, and proves they weren't just precursors, they were pioneers.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

By Elizabeth Kolbert

Henry Holt and Co., 2014. 319 pgs. Nonfiction.

Drawing on the work of geologists, botanists, marine biologists and other researchers, an award-winning writer discusses the five devastating mass extinctions on earth and predicts the coming of a sixth.

KMC

Transcendent Kingdom

Transcendent Kingdom

by Yaa Gyasi
Alfred A. Knopf, 2020. 261 pages. Fiction

By the time Gifty leaves Alabama for Harvard, she's resolved to build a new self from scratch by shedding the debilitating experiences of her young life: her father's abandonment and return to Ghana, her older brother's heroin overdose, her mother's suicidal depression, her faltering Christian faith. Years later, as a fifth year PhD candidate in neuroscience at Stanford's school of medicine, she's untethered again when her mother arrives at her apartment withdrawn and depressed. As she cares for her mother and studies the neural circuits of reward seeking behavior in mice, she tries to understand the forces which crippled her childhood and reconcile with the ghosts from her tragic past.

I loved this book's careful reflections on the intersections between faith, science, religion, and family. This book feels reminiscent of a bildungsroman and explores strong themes and heavy topics in-depth throughout the novel. If you like character-driven, literary novels centered around gritty thematic exploration, then this book is for you.

If you like Transcendent Kingdom you might also like:

Lost and Wanted

by Nell Freudenberger

Alfred A. Knopf, 2019. 315 pages. Fiction

After receiving an unsettling phone call from her deceased college roommate, a rationally-minded MIT professor reflects on their once-close friendship, her friend's tragic death, and her own rediscovered feelings for a fellow scientist.

Real Life

by Brandon Taylor

Riverhead Books, 2020. 327 pages. Fiction

While keeping his head down at a lakeside Midwestern university where the culture is in sharp contrast to his Alabama upbringing, an introverted African-American biochem student endures unexpected encounters that bring his sexual orientation and defenses into question.

KMC

Seaside Harmony

Seaside Harmony

by Evangeline Kelley

Guideposts, 2013. 336 pages. Fiction

After the passing of their mother, sisters Caroline, Gracie, and Sam reunite for the summer in Nantucket, the seaside village vacation spot from their childhood. They soon discover that the historic Misty Harbor Inn that their mother loved all those years ago has fallen into disrepair and has been put up for sale. The three sisters decide to purchase the inn and restore it to the gorgeous bed-and-breakfast it once was.

If you're looking for a leisurely, summer read that will whisk you off to a quaint seaside inn filled with friendship and a dash of mystery, then this book is for you! Get ready to breathe in the salty ocean air, enjoy a community clambake barbecue with the locals, and discover the unique history of a small east-coast village, all while exploring the heartwarming themes of sisterhood, faith, and friendship. This book is clean, Christian fiction focused on family relationships and friendships, perfect for anyone who's ready for a beach getaway. You can access this book as an e-book through Overdrive or the Libby app.

If you like Seaside Harmony, you might also like:

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

by Heather S. Webber

St. Martins Press, 2019. 336 pages. Fiction

After the death of her beloved grandmother, Anna Kate travels to Wicklow, Alabama to settle her estate and sell the cafe she ran, but finds herself drawn to the quirky town and the mysterious blackbird pie everyone is talking about. You can access this book as a digital audiobook through Overdrive or the Libby app.

A Christmas by the Sea

by Melody Carlson

Revell, 2018. 176 pages. Fiction

Hoping that an inherited beach house will help her recover from debts after her husband's death, a widow moves into the property to renovate and sell it before a local craftsman encourages her to stay. You can access this book as a physical copy at the library, or as an e-book or digital audiobook through Overdrive or the Libby app.

KMC