text:  So before you head out for a week at the beach, start packing for that road trip, or stock up for a long staycation, we've got the best list of science-y reads straight from those familiar with the best on the shelf. Riley Black is a science writer and the author of several books, including one of my personal favorites, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World. She's based in Salt Lake City, Utah.