Luncheon of the Boating Party
by Susan Vreeland
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Bestselling author Susan Vreeland returns with a vivid exploration of one of the most beloved Renoir paintings in the world Instantly recognizable, Auguste Renoir's masterpiece depicts a gathering of his real friends enjoying a summer Sunday on a café terrace along the Seine near Paris. A wealthy painter, an art collector, an Italian journalist, a war hero, a celebrated actress, and Renoir's future wife, among others, share this moment of "la vie moderne," a time when social constraints were loosening and Paris was healing after the Franco-Prussian War. Read More...

Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad
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Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad, was originally a three-part series in Blackwood's Magazine in 1899. It is a story within a story, following a character named Charlie Marlow, who recounts his adventure to a group of men onboard an anchored ship. The story told is of his early life as a ferry boat captain. Although his job was to transport ivory downriver, Charlie develops an interest in investigating an ivory procurement agent, Kurtz, who is employed by the government.

Truck
by Michael Perry
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The author of "Population: 485" returns, delivering a truckload of humor, heart, and . . . gardening tips? Think "Zen" and the "Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," complete with stock cars, sexy vegetables, and a laugh track. Read More...