Book Talk: Reading ideas for wherever your summer takes you | Entertainment

Nothing is so satisfying as a well-told saga. The MacBrides have leased a million acres of arid Western Australia for many decades. They succeed on their sheep station through the ups and downs of living in such perilous country. When an auto crash takes two of the three MacBride men, leaving the third with brain problems, their world is changed forever. A Far-Flung Life (M.L. Stedman, Scribner, 2026, 448 pages, $30) reveals the aftermath of the crash: the lives of the surviving MacBrides, their workers and members of the community in depth and with compassion. It is storytelling at its best.

In a recent talk at the Dallas Museum of Art, Marie Benedict revealed that her goal as a writer is to excavate women of the past who have been overlooked. This fits in perfectly with her latest significant book, Daughter of Egypt (Marie Benedict, St. Martin’s Press, 2026, 338 pages, $29). It features two women, Hatshepsut, a woman who made herself a pharaoh and whose success was later erased, and Lady Evelyn Herbert, daughter of Lord Carnarvon. It was Evelyn’s persistence in trying to find the tomb of Hatshepsut that led her father to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. This is a perfect time to read her book as the Kimbell Art Museum will be one of only two sites in the United States for the exhibit “The Treasures of the Pharaohs,” beginning March 14, 2027.

Mebel is a 63-year-old CHIP, a Chinese-Indonesian Princess. Her whole life she was groomed to be a trophy wife, and she loves it. When her husband walks out on her for a 24-year-old chef, Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block (Jesse Q. Sutanto, Berkley, 2026, 290 pages, $19). Packing her most glamorous attire, she heads to Paris for a culinary school. Oops — her lack of skill on the computer shows she enrolled at a school in the wilds of England. How she succeeds and grows in the experience, while helping much younger students, is both humorous and empowering. Sutanto is excellent at portraying women like Mebel and Vera Wong.

Camille needs an alibi to give her the freedom to track her husband and catch him in what she believes is cheating so she can divorce him and get her family pre-nup back. When he turns up dead in their home, the alibi is even more important. Anatomy of an Alibi (Ashley Elston, Viking, 2026, 340 pages, $30) uncovers just how corrupt small-town living can be, and how events that occurred decades earlier can still come back to haunt.

The Korean War is often forgotten but The Young Will Remember (Eve J. Chung, Berkley, 2026, 448 pages, $30) will bring it to the fore. Ellie Chang is a Chinese American journalist, fighting to cover the war. When the plane she is on is shot down, she is rescued from local soldiers by a woman who has been searching for her lost daughter. The book is a chronicle of the hatred of the Japanese who had conquered Korea and their “comfort women,” the collaborators, the Chinese, and the fight between North and South Korea. It is also a story of the lengths women will go to protect their children.

Opening with a police van that has crashed into a river, we meet Leandra, a woman who didn’t exist until her arrest. Bit by bit we learn of her past and who she becomes as Leigh, who realizes that “there are places where your soul connects and your spirit relaxes.” Where the Wildflowers Grow (Terah Harris, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2026, 480 pages, $29.99) is a compelling narrative of finding oneself, told in first person and laden with analogies.

Elizabeth Zhang has a plan. A student at Columbia University, she does everything correctly to garner a place at Harvard Law School. When she is denied, she becomes obsessed with another Asian student who has been accepted. Boring Asian Female (Canwen Xu, Berkley, 2026, 336 pages, $30) is what she believes she must be, and she needs to know what she must become. Her sociopathic behavior keeps the reader constantly on edge.

Edith and her family live in an isolated home in Vermont, where she becomes the author of a series of children’s books that are devoured by their young readers. She uses her own children as her main characters while neglecting them as they run wild, uneducated, and often hungry. The Children (Melissa Albert, William Morrow, 2026, 416 pages, $30) grows more eerie as the book progresses, and we see the battered lives of Guinevere and Ennis in their adulthood. Whatever you do, don’t read the ending before you read the whole book. It is staggering!

An errant practice shot by a promising young golfer results in a high school boy losing his life. The Amateur (Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday, 2026 336 pages, $30) is written as a memoir by the young golfer, revealing the journey from folks perceiving it as an accident to her trial and the shocking ending. I also like the fact that she gives us a view of the characters many years later. I always wonder what happened next! Recipient of several starred reviews, the thriller succeeds.

The author of the memoir North of Ordinary (Sue Aikens with Michael Vlessides, Sourcebooks, 2026, 288 pages, $27.99) was 12 years old when she was deserted by her mother in the wilds of Alaska. Rather than perishing, she survived and thrived. Her astonishing life included a severe mauling by a grizzly, staring down a wolf pack, living for two decades alone in the most desolate reaches of Alaska and becoming the star of the television show Life Below Zero. Riveting reading and impossible to put down.

The relationship between Zig and Nola is shaky, at best. Throw in her brother Roddy and a real mess occurs. And who is The Viper (Brad Meltzer, William Morrow, 2026, 391 pages, $32)? The unraveling of who Nola and Roddy’s mother is, who her friends were and why they were involved in a murder scheme, makes for a tale that twists and turns. This is a thriller that will keep you totally engaged and satisfied at the end.

Kya is a fae, marked by the gods to prove herself Worthy in a Trial. The realms are being ravaged by the Glaev, a destructive plague that no one understands. And Ryker, lord of one of the realms, is destined to be mated with Kya. Worthy of Fate (A.N. Caudle, Ace, 2026, 608 pages, $19) is an epic romantasy, full of drama, magical world-building and a fight for survival.

Don’t send out for pizza, create your own! The Book of Pizza (King Arthur Baking Co., Simon Element, 2026, 288 pages, $32.50) is organized around 12 distinct styles and features recipes for every taste and occasion. There are wonderful topping suggestions you may not have experienced before. The book teaches you to customize your own creations as well as following the recipes. Gorgeous salads and tasty desserts round out the book. Beautiful design and photos.

In almost any town in Texas, there will be a plethora of Mexican restaurants. Veracruz All Natural (Reyna and Maritza Vazquez with Nils Bernstein, Simon Element, 2026, 271 pages, $35) will help you create even better meals at home. Two sisters who came to Texas and started a food truck will take you by the hand. You think you know salsa? An entire chapter is devoted to this spicy concoction. There is an introduction to each recipe and straightforward instructions. A variety of food is included from salsas to vegetables, meat and dessert. Beautiful photos.

Juneteenth (Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Tequitia Andrews, Little Simon, 2026, 24 pages, $8.99) is now a national holiday. This first-rate board book manages to present a depth of information without seeming overcrowded or too dense for young readers. I even learned some things!

FIFA World Cup is back in the U.S. for the first time since 1994. Men’s soccer teams are on the mind of many this month, so it is time to celebrate the women who play as well. The Best Women’s Players of World Soccer (Chrös McDougall, Abdo, 2026, 48 pages, $35.64) begins with the pioneers of the early 20th century and continues to the new wave of players. Color photos fill the pages, even Brandi Chastain’s iconic celebration of winning the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

Many children begin playing soccer at an early age. Tiny T. Rex Tries Soccer (Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck, Chronicle Books, 2026, 48 pages, $12.99) is sure to be a hit with youngsters. The popular dino gets to play for the first time but learns it is quite difficult. His teammates encourage him and he gets to use his greatest skill, being tiny. Advice for young players can be found at the end of the book and there are stickers and help on drawing included.

Each year there is a national theme for summer reading. This year’s theme includes dinosaurs (see above), archaeology and geology. Archaeological Digs (Anna Anderhagen, Abdo, 2026, 48 pages, $31.91) explores five sites around the world where important digs are occurring. Each highlights different aspects of a dig, introducing important terminology and photographic examination. A glossary and challenge for thinking are backmatter.

Minerals exhibited in a museum can enchant but finding them in nature can be exciting. The Mineral Encyclopedia (Jill Wheeler, Abdo, 2026, 192 pages, $52.79) is a superb introduction to some of the 6,000 minerals to be found on Earth. Categorized into groups based on their chemical composition and internal structure, eight categories are discussed. Their uses and locations are shown, and excellent photos show the raw material as well as other information.

“I’m bored” can be answered with the beginning of a new hobby. Science Hobbies: Stargazing, Beekeeping, Engineering & More (Ruby Daniels, Abdo, 2026, 64 pages, $37) begins with the benefits of having a hobby, then describes several hobbies in depth with the materials needed and how to proceed. The second half of the book is directions on projects that relate to the hobbies.