Summer Learning 2026 for Adults

A mix of new and recommended fiction and nonfiction titles.

Updated May 27, 2026
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Atlas of a lost world : travels in ice age America
Childs, Craig
Paper Book
Scientists squabble over the locations and dates for human arrival in the New World. The first explorers were few, encampments fleeting. At some point in time, between twenty and forty thousand years ago, sea levels were low enough that a vast land bridge was exposed between Asia and North America....
Oxford atlas of the world
George Philip & Son.
Paper Book
The only world atlas updated annually, guaranteeing that users will find the most current geographic information, Oxford's Atlas of the World is the most authoritative resource on the market. The Eighteenth Edition remains the finest international reference source of its kind available. Including...
Dinosaur odyssey fossil threads in the web of life
Sampson, Scott D.
Ebook
This captivating book, laced with evocative anecdotes from the field, gives the first holistic, up-to-date overview of dinosaurs and their world for a wide audience of readers. Situating these fascinating animals in a broad ecological and evolutionary context, leading dinosaur expert Scott D....
Dinosaurs without bones : dinosaur lives revealed by their trace fossils
Martin, Anthony J.
Paper Book
What if we woke up one morning all of the dinosaur bones in the world were gone? How would we know these iconic animals had a165-million year history on earth, and had adapted to all land-based environments from pole to pole? What clues would be left to discern not only their presence, but also to...
The Emerald Mile : the epic story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon
Fedarko, Kevin
Paper Book
From one of Outside magazine's "Literary All-Stars" comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever through the Grand Canyon, atop the legendary Colorado River flood of 1983. In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the length of the Colorado River...
Geology
Spooner, Alecia M.
Ebook
Get a rock-solid grasp on geology Geology For Dummies is ideal reading for anyonewith an interest in the fundamental concepts of geology, whether they're lifelong learners with a fascination for the subject or college students interested in pursuing geology or earth sciences....
Jurassic Park : a novel
Crichton, Michael
Paper Book
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Creatures once extinct now roam Jurassic Park, soon-to-be opened as a theme park. Until something goes wrong...and science proves a dangerous toy.... "Wonderful...Powerful." THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
The lost world
Crichton, Michael
Paper Book
"HARROWING THRILLS . . . FAST-PACED AND ENGAGING." --People It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park, six years since the extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end--the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, the island indefinitely...
The map that changed the world : William Smith and the birth of modern geology
Winchester, Simon.
Paper Book
In 1793, British canal digger William Smith noticed that the rocks he was excavating were arranged in layers, and that the fossils found in one layer were very different from those found in another. Determined to create a map that would display this hidden underside of England, he spent 20 years...
The National Audubon Society field guide to North American fossils
Thompson, Ida.
Paper Book
The most comprehensive field guide available to North American fossils--a must-have for any enthusiast's day pack or home library--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. Featuring a durable vinyl binding and over 500 stunning identification photographs...
The rise and fall of the dinosaurs : a new history of a lost world
Brusatte, Stephen
Paper Book
"THE ULTIMATE DINOSAUR BIOGRAPHY," hails Scientific American: A thrilling new history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists. "A masterpiece of science writing." --Washington Post A New York Times Bestseller * Goodreads Choice Awards ...
Deadly cults : the crimes of true believers
Snow, Robert L.
Paper Book
How does a Vampire Cult differ from a Satanic Cult? How do seemingly normal or ordinary citizens suddenly find themselves committed to a group whose leader promotes criminal activities and isolation from families and friends? What should you do if a loved one becomes indoctrinated by a...
Time song : journeys in search of a submerged land
Blackburn, Julia
Paper Book
Julia Blackburn has always collected things that hold stories about the past, especially the very distant past: mammoth bones, little shells that happen to be two million years old, a flint shaped as a weapon long ago. Shortly after her husband's death, Blackburn became fascinated with Doggerland,...
Under Jerusalem : The Buried History of the World's Most Contested City
Lawler, Andrew
Paper Book
A spellbinding history of the hidden world below the Holy City-a saga of biblical treasures, intrepid explorers, and political upheaval "A sweeping tale of archaeological exploits and their cultural and political consequences told with a historian's penchant for detail and a...
Written in stone : evolution, the fossil record, and our place in nature
Switek, Brian.
Paper Book
"Switek seamlessly intertwines two types of evolution: one of life on earth and the other of paleontology itself."--Discover Magazine ""In delightful prose, [Switek] . . . superbly shows that '[i]f we can let go of our conceit,' we will see the preciousness of life in all its forms....

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