Beach books to carry along? We suggest this quartet from W.W. Norton.

With the sweet yearning and raw truth of a Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris duet, Don Lee’s Lonesome Lies Before Us ($26.95) resounds as a contemporary ballad of heartbreak, failure, and unquenchable longing. Yadin Park is a talented alt-country musician whose career has floundered—doomed first by his homely looks and lack of stage presence, and then by a progressive hearing disorder. His girlfriend, Jeanette Matsuda, might have been a professional photographer but for a devastating heartbreak in her teens. Now Yadin works for Jeanette’s father’s carpet-laying company in California while Jeanette cleans rooms at a local resort. They sing together in a Unitarian church choir and try to find comfort in their weekly routines, yet solace eludes them, their relationship remaining lukewarm despite their best intentions. When Yadin’s former lover and musical partner, the celebrated Mallory Wicks, comes back into his life, all their most private hopes and desires are exposed, their secret fantasies about love and success put to the test. Subtly and sublimely, all the characters’ paths begin to converge, and the results of these intersections will provoke readers to reconsider their own lost highways.

With an infectious passion for the period and an expert knowledge of the music, Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tells the story of how progressive rock developed, evolved and endured over time—and why it still matters to music today. A wonderfully entertaining behind-the-scenes look at such hugely popular bands as Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Jethro Tull, The Show That Never End: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock ($26.95) explains exactly what was “progressive” about the music, how it arose out of psychedelia and heavy metal, and why it went from dominating the pop charts to being widely despised and satirized. Spanning five decades, the book is both a narrative history and an affirmation of progressive rock as “a grand cultural detour” that made possible much of the music that is popular today. Every new artistic movement rebels against whatever came before it, but progressive rock’s rebellion was the weirdest, the most outlandish of them all.

Part archeological dig, part culinary science lab, part history lesson with booze, Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Recreated ($26.95) by Dr. Patrick E. McGovern is a romp through time to rediscover how our ancestors brewed libations, and how to recreate these liquid time-capsules at home. Biomolecular archeologist and experimental beer-maker Dr. Pat—as he is affectionately known—not only traces the rich history of human’s centuries-long passion for fermented drinks, but reveals how research science and the culinary arts combine to bring these paleo-brews back to life. McGovern has worked to uncover the tastes and techniques of ancient brewers, while also exploring the significance of alcoholic beverages in human history: how ancient brews shaped our culture; impacted our environment; and informed our ideas of life, death and the divine.

Soaking up the sun is a good way of cooking up some new dishes with BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts ($35). Stella Parks, an award-winning pastry chef, serves it all up: From foolproof recipes and fresh take on the history of American desserts to the surprising story of how our favorite desserts came to be—the hidden meaning of the word “oreo,” the weirdly vindictive origin of graham crackers, and the marketing-driven machinations that led to key lime pie. You’ll find everything from a one-bowl Devil’s Food Layer Cake to Blueberry Muffins and Glossy Fudge Brownies, even Stella’s own recipes for recreating popular supermarket treats! These meticulously tested, crystal-clear, and innovative recipes (including an effortless, no-fuss twist on Angel’s Food Cake) bring a pastry chef’s expertise to your kitchen.