Tracy Johnston's account of her rafting expedition down Borneo's Boh River.

A fiendishly clever mystery in which Dr. Siri and his friends investigate three interlocking murders—and the ungodly motives behind them Laos, 1979: Retired coroner Siri Paiboun and his wife, Madame Daeng, have never been able to turn away a misfit. As a result, they share their small Vientiane house with an assortment of homeless people, mendicants, and oddballs. One of these oddballs is Noo, a Buddhist monk, who rides out on his bicycle one day and never comes back, leaving only a cryptic note in the refrigerator: a plea to help a fellow monk escape across the Mekhong River to Thailand. Naturally, Siri can’t turn down the adventure, and soon he and his friends find themselves running afoul of Lao secret service officers and famous spiritualists. Buddhism is a powerful influence on both morals and politics in Southeast Asia. In order to exonerate an innocent man, they will have to figure out who is cloaking terrible misdeeds in religiosity.

From roaring nightlife to peaceful yoga retreats, Ibiza’s hippie-chic atmosphere is its hallmark. This quintessential Mediterranean hot spot has served as an escape for artists, creatives, and musicians alike for decades. It is a place to reinvent oneself, to walk the fine line between civilization and wilderness, and to discover bliss. Ibiza Bohemia explores the island’s scenic Balearic cliffs, its legendary cast of characters, and the archetypal interiors that define its signature style.

Travels with Anne is a hilarious account of vacation misadventures. Join Stuart Anderson and his ever-faithful companion, Anne, as they try their luck in various unlikely vacation spots, including: southern Africa, where Anne and Stuart learn about the perils of traveling with a guide who knows absolutely nothing about the country; Central America, where the vacationers learn about humidity, jungle insects, and why it doesnt pay to drop your eyeglasses into the ocean; the Yukon Territory, where Anne and Stuart find that grizzly bears can be very annoying; the Canadian High Arctic, where it turns outif you can believe itthat the weather can be pretty darned bad; Trinidad and Tobago, where the most notable things about the weather are the rain and the fact that it never stops; Mexicos Copper Canyon, where Stuart and Anne are lucky enough to travel with the quintessential Texas windbag; and, finally, West Texass Chihuahan Desert, where the vacationers enjoy missing car keys, flat tires, and repeated encounters with seemingly insane bird watchers. Along with being endlessly funny, Travels with Anne is also a surefire cure for wanderlust. Read this book, and for heavens sake stay at home.