Hampton Library’s Adult Services Department provides for the educational, recreational, and informational needs of adults of all ages. This is accomplished through our workshops, events and activities, as well as individual assistance and group instruction which assist library patrons in becoming literate users of information. Hampton Library strives to foster an atmosphere of free inquiry and provide information without bias or discrimination.

Non-fiction

American Moonshot, by Douglas Brinkley

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity."

So begins this comprehensive and well-researched volume recounting NASA’s commitment to realize President Kennedy’s dream of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” A history professor at Rice University, Douglas Brinkley has woven together a mesmerizing chronicle that recalls the spirit of America during one of its greatest moments in history, the race to space. One part biography, one part political history, one part rocket science, all come expertly together to retell a story that is colossal, engaging, never dull, and never old. Brinkley includes sharp color photographs (a rarity in historical works), copious notes, and a bibliography that makes for fascinating extended reading. If you pick up only one book this summer, make sure this is the one.

CHECK IT OUT

Literary Fiction

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

This is an elegant debut novel crafted by Delia Owens, an innately poetic writer with three previous bestsellers focusing on her work as a wildlife researcher and conservationist in Botswana and Zambia. It’s difficult to decide which is more captivating – this novel, or the author’s unique life. When Kya Clark is ten years old, she is abandoned in the wetlands of North Carolina. For years, she survives alone, connecting to the natural world that encircles her, but her world does not remain idyllic for very long. As she comes of age, the dead body of a young man is found in her beloved marsh, and Kya – known to the locals as the “Marsh Girl” – stands as the accused. A rare literary gem that will not easily be forgotten.

CHECK IT OUT

Fiction

Fire and Blood, by George R.R. Martin

A continent called Westeros. A dragon known as the Black Dread. A family named Targaryen. Their histories collide three hundred years before Tyrion, Daenerys, John, or Cersei. Enough said.

The first volume of a definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros is set centuries before the events of "A Game of Thrones" and answers key questions about the dynasty's origins, conflicts, and relationships with dragons.

CHECK IT OUT