Summer deep dive

A woman is reading in the grass next to a body of water.

If you have any young children in your life, you’ll notice that most of the time they have an incredibly deep interest in a niche topic at any given time. I’ve listened to a presentation on the schematics of a rocket ship from one of my cousin’s kids and seen others go hard into obscure animals. There are so many kids who know everything about trucks and vehicles that we have a specific “Things that Go” section on the third floor. Thinking back to my own youth, there were definitely personal obsessions, but there seemed to also be group interests that came in and out of fashion, such as a passion for the Titanic. One of the great things about being an adult is that you can once again turn to those niche passions, whether for deeper research or, simply, pleasure reading. Let this be your sign to revisit your old favorite topics this summer. Here are some examples to get you started, based on some of my past interests and those of my middle school classmates.


If you were: deeply obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic and stories of the people who survived. You printed information from the early internet on paper connected by a perforated edge.

You might enjoy

  • The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic’s Chinese Survivors” by Steven Schwankert. Historian Schwankert brings to light a forgotten group of survivors who not only went through the ship’s sinking but faced suspicion and deportation following their rescue. 
  • The Deep by Alma Katsu. Horror writer Katsu adds a supernatural twist to the disaster, following a survivor of the sinking who is forced to confront her experiences as she serves on the ship Britannic four years later.

If you were: a gem and mineral enthusiast. You cracked open geodes and enthusiastically turned on the blacklight feature at the stone display at the Natural Wonders store in the mall. 

You might enjoy

  • Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World” by Aja Raden. If the shiny stuff still catches your eye, you’ll enjoy this history of the vital role jewelry has played in critical moments throughout history.
  • Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet” by Will Hunt. For those who are more interested in where things come from, “urban explorer” Hunt dives straight down to the world below your feet, from mines to catacombs to subways.

If you were: invested in the lives of teen princesses throughout history, a.k.a. a reader of the Royal Diaries series. You also tried to keep a comparable diary, although your day-to-day political knowledge was admittedly a little weak. An important specialty was the Grand Duchess Anastasia, who might inexplicably still be your age, all those years later.

You might enjoy

  • An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence” by Zeinab Badawi. The history of African kingdoms is rich but is often left out of many people’s education, or limited just to Egypt, so start your dive into the rest of the continent here.
  • Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race. Race creates an alternate, magical Tudor England and centers the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII, offering them a new story.

If you were: obsessed with horses. You went to horse camp, had Breyer models, and ranked your preferred breeds for your future horse. You read the “Thoroughbred” and “Saddle Club” series, but you have also read all of the Marguerite Henry books, even the deep cuts.

You might enjoy

  • Crossing the Line” by Kareem Rosser. This captivating memoir details how a young man from West Philadelphia and his brothers stumbled into caring for horses and finding their strength in the elite world of polo.
  • Pony Confidential” by Christina Lynch. This novel about a pony who has to clear the name of his previous owner and find a killer is highly recommended by a colleague who most often reads very introspective memoirs and nonfiction about social justice topics. 

Now’s your time to bring back that enthusiasm of yore, whatever that looked like for you. If none of these personas fit the bill, you can explore more on our YouTube channel, visit our databases, or ask us if you’d like assistance with finding books or resources.

Photo by Nguyen Thu Hoai on Unsplash