This summer, we’re hoping to head to the beach.  But before we arrive, I will have already spent quite a bit of time underwater because of the book I’m enjoying this month.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction novel published in 1870 by French writer Jules Verne.  The novel is set in the mid-nineteenth century where a French professor and his two companions, who are trapped aboard a fantastic submarine as prisoners of Captain Nemo, come face to face with exotic ocean creatures and strange sights hidden from the world.I laughed, was mesmerized and even learned a thing or two from this brilliant man and his pen.  I admit, I did get lost in the classifying sometimes, but I loved reading about all the different underwater cultures the Nautilus encountered. Several years ago, I loved reading The Mysterious Island, the sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues, so I dived into the sea adventures out of order!But again, I was charmed by Verne’s characters.  They are gentle, wise and intriguing. Give this book a taste test-but I warn you, the classification lists can go on and on. Just skim those and keep reading!