Conspiracy Theory

This May saw the release of the fourth book in Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, Inferno. Set in Italy, the novel centers around Langdon, a Harvard professor of symbology (a fictional academic discipline, but go with it -- it's part of the fun). Langdon's in town to stop the release of a newly-developed strain of bubonic plague; while he's there, he finds himself drawn into a mystery at the heart of Dante's famous literary masterpiece. Surrounded by artistic, secret passageways, and cutting-edge science, Langdon must figure out who to trust even as he works to solve the mysteries of Dante's Inferno.

Like its predecessors -- Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Symbol -- Brown's latest entry in the Robert Langdon series is all about puzzles, secrets, and historical conspiracies. When Brown burst onto the bestseller list with The Da Vinci Code, it was neither his first novel nor his first entry in the Langdon series -- but it was the novel that catapulted him to national attention. The Da Vinci Code, with its blend of thriller intrigue and alternate history, offered up the idea of a secret conspiracy, millennia old, that captivated and thrilled fans with its unique twists on conspiracy theories.

Since then, there have been plenty of other titles released in the Da Vinci Code vein, leaving readers who are fans of Brown with more "historical conspiracy" fiction to whet their appetites. So if you're one of those fans of Brown's latest, check out these other conspiracy thrillers:

-- The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry.

Ex–Justice Department agent Cotton Malone has just found out that his father didn't die in 1971 on a nuclear submarine in the Mid-Atlantic. His father was, instead, on a top-secret mission to the Antarctic. On a quest to find out the truth, Malone is joined by twin sisters Dorothea and Christl (whose own father also disappeared on the same mission). The answers take them to Charlemagne’s tomb, where they uncover clues about a horrifying Nazi conspiracy.

-- The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper.

Instead of symbology, Professor David Ullman studies "demonic literature" -- which includes such tomes as Milton's Paradise Lost. Still, Ullman himself is a non-believer -- at least until a trip with his twelve-year-old daughter to Venice. Now Ullman is on a quest to find and rescue his daughter ... from the Underworld itself.

-- Sanctus by Simon Toyne.

Reporter Liv Adamsen -- along with the rest of the world -- has just seen a man climb the mountain called Citadel, the oldest inhabited place on the planet. On a quest to discover what happened to her long-lost brother, Adamsen journeys to Turkey, only to discover that the mysterious climb has touched off an unstoppable chain of events. It's something that the Sancti, a group of secretive monks, will stop at nothing to keep hidden.

-- The Breath of God by Jeffrey Small.

Grad student Grant Matthews is on a quest to discover the hidden roots of early Christianity. He never expected a 2,000-year-old story of one pilgrim's journey through India, to ignite a controversy that will put his own life in danger.

-- Relic by Tom Egeland.

"The Norwegian Da Vinci Code?" Translated from the original Norwegian, the book features albino archaeologist Bjørn Beltø, determined to get to the truth of the ancient document unearthed in a golden tomb. While the plot will be familiar to Da Vinci Code fans, Beltø's quirks makes him a fresh and unique character in his own right.

-- The Last Ember by Daniel Levin.

Once a doctoral candidate in classic literature, Jonathan Marcus ultimately became a lawyer. When an upcoming case takes him to Rome, he never expected to stumble across a hidden message that had been previously lost in a fragment of an ancient tomb. His discovery takes him on a mission to stop the efforts of those who would rewrite history.

-- 12.21 by Dustin Thomason.

Okay, the world didn't end on December 12, 2012 after all. Still, the premise of this novel makes for a fun conspiracy read. Two weeks before the fateful date, researcher Chel Manu is handed a codex from a mysterious stranger that purports to explain what happened to the Mayan civilization. And, if the discovery is to be believed, that catastrophe is about to happen a second time.

-- The School of Night by Louis Bayard.

The School of Night was a secret gathering of five brilliant scholars during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Four centuries later, disgraced scholar Henry Cavendish has been sent on a mission to recover a stolen letter. But whatever the letter contains -- the secret formula for alchemy, the path to a hidden treasure, or merely the truth about the School of Night -- there are others who will stop at nothing to gain the letter for themselves.

-- Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell.

It's every Shakespearean's dream: an uncovered lost work of Shakespeare's. But the night when the reconstructed Globe Theater is burnt to the ground, Shakespearean scholar Kate Stanley is given a piece of an unexpected puzzle by her mentor, Rosalind Howard. Then Howard winds up dead. Soon, Stanley is running across the world as she struggles to unlock the clues in Shakespeare's plays and uncover the answer to one of the greatest secrets in history.

-- The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury.

Despite the building's rich history, FBI agent Sean Reilly never expected to see four Knights Templar -- on horseback! -- charge into the Metropolitan Museum. The "Knights" broke in to steal an unusual medieval artifact, an ancient decoder. Joined by archaeologist Tess Chaykin, Reilly finds himself caught in the center of a deadly race to recover the lost artifact -- and undercover the truth behind a mystery that's been centuries in the making.



-- Post by Ms. B

Read Like Harry Potter

June 26 marked the fifteenth anniversary of the British publication of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The publishing world would never be the same again. We all know Rowling's story -- a young single mother on the dole sits in local cafes in Edinburh, Scotland, and writes an amazing story about the young boy who didn't know he was a wizard. Rowling is now one of the richest women in the world and also one of the most beloved authors of all time.

Her character, too, is known and beloved worldwide. But the Harry Potter series didn't just usher in a new generation of readers -- it also ushered in a new generation of original science fiction and fantasy books. While most, if not all, were marketed as Harry Potter read-alikes, they all have their own merits.

So if you're a Harry Potter fan, celebrate the "season" by trying one of these fantastic YA adventures that owe at least a little corner of their success to the fantasy fans Harry Potter created.

1.) Maximum Ride

This James Patterson series chronicles the story of half a dozen teens who have been genetically altered to possess bird DNA -- giving them wings and the ability to fly. Part of a secret government experiment, these teens are now on a mission to save the world, X-Men style.

2.) Artemis Fowl

Eoin Colfer has described his YA series as "Die Hard with fairies!"  Artemis Fowl is a teenage criminal mastermind, who starts up his criminal career with a kidnapping and ransoming ... in the world of fairies. Like Harry Potter, Artemis straddles the line between a world of magic and a world of "Muggles" -- but Aretmis is decidedly more of an anti-hero.

3.) Eragon: (The Inheritance Cycle)

This coming-of-age fantasy saga, about a farm boy who is chosen to become a Dragon Rider, is famous for having been written by a teenage author.

4.) A Series of Unfortunate Events


When the series begins, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny have just recently become orphans. Things only go downhill from there. This darkly-funny children's series follows the trio of siblings as they try to escape from their new guardian, Count Olaf, who knows that the kids are all that stand between him and a major inheritance. The ending must be read to be believed!

5.) Inkheart

This German-language YA trilogy became immensely popular when the English translations were released in America. Meggie is twelve when she discovers that she and her father have the power to bring characters from books to life into the real world -- and to send real-life people into the pages of a book. When Meggie finds out that she "read" her mother into a book when she was only three, she knows it's up to her to bring her mother back.

6.) Ranger's Apprentice

Originally published in Australia, this action-packed series follows the apprenticeship of fifteen-year-old Will. An orphan, he is saved from a lifetime working in the fields by being chosen to become a Ranger instead. (This fantasy read is a good bet for any teen, or teen-at-heart, who also likes spy fiction.)

7.) Septimus Heap

The seventh son of a seventh son, Septimus Heap is the possessor of great magical powers. Those powers also bring a lot of danger his way. Luckily, Septimus has a magical family to who's always there to lend a hand. These books have much of the same sort of wit, charm, and character that the Potter series does, with an emphasis on family at their heart.

8.) His Dark Materials

Though the first book in the series, The Golden Compass, was published before Harry Potter, it wasn't until after the Potter-craze that this trilogy shot to its own international acclaim. Possessing one of the most unique child heroes to appear in recent fantasy reads, the series tells the story of Lyra Belacqua (and her sidekick Pantalaimon) -- in their world of talking bears, ageless witches, golden Dust, and cities between the stars. With rich world-building and great characterization, this is a unique fantasy series that's not to be missed. (... although Ms. B still doesn't like the ending!)

9.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Kane Chronicles

Percy Jackson is a series about another young boy who has trouble fitting in until he discovers the secret of his parentage – his father is the Greek god Poseidon. This information leads him to Camp Half Blood, a place for children of Greek gods and humans. Of course Percy and his new friends must save the day (several times), and end up on some exciting adventures -- adventures which are now being continued in the sequel series, Heroes of Olympus.

The Kane Chronicles, meanwhile, tell the story of a brother and sister who find themselves enmeshed in a world of Egyptian mythology. Though they've no camp to rely on, they do have a wide assortment of Egyptian deities and legends to help them out through their own crazy adventures.

10.) The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, the dystopian science fiction trilogy, is a rare series that has a strong, yet flawed, young female protagonist. In Panem, a future North America, young people are chosen to compete to the death in the annual Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen’s sister, Prim, is chosen from their district. Katniss volunteers in her sister’s place, which throws her into a world of survival and rebellion.


-- Post by Tracy and Ms. B

The Hypnotist

Ever since The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson was published in the US in 2008, there has been an increased interest in mysteries and psychological thrillers written by Scandinavian authors. The latest title to hit the bookshelves is The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (a pseudonym for a married couple). The only witness to a triple homicide in Sweden is a teenage boy who is in a state of shock and of no help to the police. Detective Joona Linna calls in a hypnotist to find out who the killer is. This leads to terrifying results for all involved.

If you would like to read more titles like this check out some of these authors:



Henning Mankell:

Mankell is famous for his Kurt Wallander series. The first title in the series is Faceless Killers (1997). The books were also developed into a television series by the BBC and broadcast in the US on PBS. The DVDs are available through the library.




Jo Nesbo:

Nesbo is a Norwegian mystery writer, who also has written children's books. His series follows Detective Harry Hole. The first book published in the US, is The Redbreast (2007). His latest book, The Snowman, is the 5th book published in the US.


Camilla Lackberg:

While only 2 of her books (The Ice Princess and The Preacher) have been published in the US so far, she has published 7 in her native Sweden. Her books are set in a small coastal village in Sweden called Fjällbacka, which is also the town where Ms. Lackberg grew up.



Check out these other Scandinavian authors:

Karin Alvtegen
Ake Edwardson
Kerstin Ekman
Kjell Eriksson
Mari Jungstedt
Asa Larsson
Hakan Nesser
Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
Johan Theorin

-- Post by Tracy

The Paris Wife

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is a fictionalized account of the love affair of Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson. It examines their life in Paris during the Jazz Age as a part of the "Lost Generation." This included people like F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. The marriage was quite unconventional (as most relationships were with this group of people), which lead to many challenges.

If you read this and enjoyed it, you might also enjoy these titles. And if you haven't read The Paris Wife yet, you might want to take a look at some of these while you wait for your copy to come in.

Biographies of Hadley Richardson

Hadley, The First Mrs. Hemingway by Alice H. Sokoloff

Hadley by Gioia Deliberto

Books about the "Lost Generation"

Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy, a Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill

Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties and Thirties by Noel Riley Fitch

Fiction
Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
Hoping to honor his father and the family business with innovative glass designs, Louis Comfort Tiffany launches the iconic Tiffany lamp as designed by women's division head Clara Driscoll, who struggles with the mass production of her creations.





Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Fact and fiction blend in a historical novel that chronicles the relationship between seminal architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney -- from their first meeting, when they were each married to another, to the clandestine affair that shocked Chicago society.




The Women by T.C Boyle
Recounts the life of Frank Lloyd Wright as told through the experiences of the four women who loved him: the Montenegrin beauty, Olgivanna Milanoff; the passionate Southern belle, Maud Miriam Noel; the spirited Mamah Cheney, tragically killed; and his young first wife, Kitty Tobin.




Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston
A historical novel based on the life and times of Genevra King, F. Scott Fitzgerald's first love and muse, which reflects on what her life would have been if she had chosen the writer instead.





The Master by Colm Tóibín
Nineteenth-century writer Henry James is heartbroken when his first play performs poorly in contrast to Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," and struggles with subsequent doubts about his sexual identity.