CHECK IT OUT:

If anybody has ever lived near water or known the joys of going for walks along the edge of a stream, river or ocean, gone swimming or fishing, taken a boat ride, or even just looked at water from a vantage point, you understand its magic. Water soothes our souls, provides mystery and allure, creates history and, most importantly, sustains life!

Here are some titles at the Newport Beach Public Library that revolve around this glorious liquid:

“Rivers of America” by Tim Palmer: An explorer, conservationist, photographer and writer, Palmer reminds us that there would be no life without water. He provides the reader with beautiful photographs but also reminds us that nearly half of America’s rivers are polluted and endangered, thus jeopardizing countless ecosystems. He also reports the efforts of river conservation groups, which provide an informative and hopeful perspective.

“Garden Pools, Fountains & Waterfalls” by Scott Atkinson and the editors of Sunset Books: This Sunset bestseller provides beautiful illustrations of various water features and provides step-by-step instructions for how to build your own backyard water garden features. It also includes information for how to build crossings for streams and ponds as well as types of plants and fish that can be included in a variety of water features.

“Fodor’s The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises: A Cruise Lover’s Guide to Selecting the Right Trip with the Best Ports of Call” by Linda Coffman: This cruising guide answers many questions for those pondering a Caribbean cruise. It informs the reader of what’s included in a cruise fare, which are the best and worst cabins on a ship, shopping areas to include while on land, and great shore excursions.

“The River Wife: A Novel” by Jonis Agee: Set in 19th century Missouri, this is the story of a wronged woman who haunts three generations of women. The story begins with protagonist Annie Lark, who is trapped in an earthquake beneath a roof beam in her house. Her family leaves her for dead.

A French fur trapper, Jacques, comes to her aid and nurses her back to health. They fall in love and live on the banks of the Mississippi.

Until once again, Annie is trapped this time by the river, but Jacques fails to save her. Years later, other women in Jacques’ life are haunted by Annie’s immortal spirit.

“The Terror: A Novel” by Dan Simmons: This is a fictionalized account of British Royal Navy Officer John Franklin’s expedition to the Canadian Arctic in the 1840s. While Franklin and his crew charted the Northwest Passage, they mysteriously disappeared.

This tale mixes historical adventure with gothic horror and presents a mythic argument for how Franklin and his men met their demise.

“Nine Ways to Cross a River: Midstream Reflections on Swimming and Getting There from Here” by Akiko Busch: The author, an avid swimmer, reflects on her experience swimming across the Hudson River, and the personal transformations which inspired her to explore more great waterways in America.

It includes her reflections on swimming such rivers as the Delaware, the Connecticut, the Susquehanna, the Monongahela, the Cheat, the Mississippi, the Ohio and Current River.

An old Swedish proverb reminds us of the importance of water: “Don’t throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.”

By the way, June is also National Rivers Month.

These are just a few of the specimens that await armchair scientists at the Newport Beach Public Library.

CHECK IT OUT is written by staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. Use your Newport Beach Public Library card to reserve these titles at www.newportbeachlibrary.org or call (949) 717-3800 and press 2.