225BatonRouge.com

Summertime means catching up on some much-needed R&R. Cash in those vacation days you’ve been stockpiling all year, load up the car and get your weary self to the beach for some sand, sun and adventure—the cerebral kind.

225 has the scoop on some beachy keen reads.

Wanted: history buffs

A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories of History’s Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors

By Michael Farquhar

You’re on vacation. You don’t want to be bogged down by a boring, heavy history text, and this definitely isn’t one of those. Written tabloid-style by Washington Post writer Farquhar, the book takes you on a well-researched journey through some of the most scandalous, dirtiest deeds ever committed by history’s most powerful people. Plus, there’s a handy family tree so you can keep track of who’s doing what and to whom.

$5 to $10.50 at amazon.com

The biography channel

Duveen: The Story of the Most Spectacular Art Dealer of All Time

By S.N. Behrman

A fascinatingly juicy story about the one man responsible for some of Europe’s greatest masterpieces ending up in American mansions and museums. Joseph Duveen—a self-made man and art dealer to Rockefeller, Hearst and Frick—practically invented wheelin’ and dealin.’

$5 to $10.36

It’s called a classic for a reason

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

Don’t freak out because it’s a play. Once you get over that tiny, insignificant fact you’ll find a witty, satirical, hilarious romp of mistaken identities among a cast of extreme eccentrics delivered with brilliance, proving that Oscar Wilde was way ahead of his time. An easy read, making it one of those classics that won’t put you to sleep.

$3.85 to $9.97

I’ll take potpourri for $500, Alex

The Areas of My Expertise

By John Hodgman

You know him as the PC in the Mac vs. PC ad campaigns, but John Hodgman is so much more than a dork. An author and humorist, Hodgman’s book is quite possibly the last book you’ll ever need, and is exceptionally great if you ever wanted to know the history of lobsters, how to win a fight, or need a complete listing of 700 hobo names.

$.95 to $10.50

Where the locals go

Last of the Red Hot Poppas

By Jason Berry

All the King’s Men on steroids. Louisiana governor Rex LaSalle is found dead in the Governor’s Mansion. The first lady wants answers, but when Louisiana politicians and big oil enter the investigation, it’s politics as usual. Berry, a New Orleans writer, gives an accurate portrayal of good ol’ boy politics as only a Louisianan can.

$3.99 to $16.66

Murder Mystery Theater 3000

Murder on the Orient Express

By Agatha Christie

It has several movie adaptations and even a video game version where you help famed detective Hercule Poirot solve the murder of Mr. Ratchett, but nothing beats the original. They don’t call Agatha Christie the queen of mystery for nothing. This gripping whodunit will have you pointing fingers at all aboard the Orient Express, making everyone a suspect.

$2.86 to $6.99

My endless love

True Believer

By Nicholas Sparks

The darling of the New York Times bestseller list strikes again. Here, Sparks pits two seemingly polar opposites against each other in the battle of love. He’s a smooth-talking New Yorker, she’s a small-town Southern girl, and the love between them is undeniable. A story about taking chances and following your heart.

$3.13 to $7.50

Cause this is thriller, thriller night

Inca Gold

By Clive Cussler

What could be more thrilling than grave robbers, art thieves and ancient curses? If you’ve seen the movie Sahara with Matthew McConaughey, then adventurer Dirk Pitt requires no introduction. This is one of Cussler’s many Pitt adventure novels and probably one of the more remarkable.

$.75 to $7.99