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Armchair Travel December 2016
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| In the Land of Giants: A Journey Through the Dark Ages by Max AdamsCombining travelogue and history with his thoughts on the way the past and present connect, archaeologist Max Adams shines a bright light on both the British dark ages and current times. In In the Land of Giants , which is based on ten walks Adams took over 18 months, he explores Britain's (and, to a lesser extent, Ireland's) early medieval past, providing narratives about his adventures as he camped, visited with locals, explored paths through hills and fields, and saw the remnants of forts, crypts, churches, causeways, memorials, and more. If you enjoy this fascinating book and want another amble in Britain, pick up Simon Armitage's Walking Home: A Poet's Journey. |
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| My (Part-Time) Paris Life: How Running Away Brought Me Home by Lisa AnselmoManhattan creative director Lisa Anselmo was very close to her strong-willed mother -- like, codependent-close. So when her mother passed away, Anselmo was devastated and adrift. Searching for a reason to get out of bed in the morning, she started researching Paris homes for sale, just for fun. Before too many months had passed, and despite being someone who plays it safe, she had bought a Paris apartment, where she planned to live for part of each year. Describing her new life in Paris (and all the joys and troubles of home ownership in an unfamiliar place) as well as her search for a happy life, this memoir offers readers who enjoy soul-searching books an engaging Parisian get-away. |
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| Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin DickeyColin Dickey, who grew up in California near the infamous Winchester Mystery House, isn't afraid to take on America's ghosts. In this spellbinding, intelligent examination, he takes readers on an offbeat road trip through some of the continental United States' most haunted places. Dickey, who believes that "if you want to understand a place, ignore the boasting monuments and landmarks, and go straight to the haunted houses," visited hotels, houses, prisons, plantations, bars, brothels, and more, and interviewed psychics, ghost hunters, and historians to better understand what our haunted places say about us. Thoughtfully digging into a little-understood area, Dickey compares ghost tales with the known facts and examines what the differences between the two means. |
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| In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine by Tim JudahThough you might not want to travel to Ukraine right now, you can discover Europe's second largest country via British journalist Tim Judah's excellent new book. Traveling across the divided country, including the war-torn eastern part, he interviews Ukrainian people on both sides of the current conflict with Russia-supported separatists, talking with teachers, government officials, poets, historians, retirees, grieving mothers of fallen soldiers, and others. Combining travelogue and interviews with history, reportage, and an astute analysis of recent political events, he provides a well-rounded book that's a must read for anyone interested in Ukraine or Russia. |
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Chasing the Last Laugh: Mark Twain's Raucous and Redemptive Round-the-World...
by Richard Zacks
When aging Mark Twain set out to travel the world in 1895 on what amounts to a comedy tour, he did so because he was broke. Desperately needing money to pay back his many creditors, he performed to English-speaking audiences in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, and, his favorite stop, India. After the year-long tour was over, he spent an additional four years in Europe. Drawing on newspaper accounts, Twain's own journals and letters, and unpublished materials, historian Richard Zacks presents a fast-paced, humorous, and informative look at Twain's late-life adventures (including how he got into such dire financial straits to begin with).
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Chicken in the Mango Tree : Food and Life in a Thai-khmer Village
by Jeffrey Alford
In the small village of Kravan in rural Thailand, the food is like no other in the world. The diet is finely attuned to the land, taking advantage of what is local and plentiful. Made primarily of fresh, foraged vegetables infused with the dominant Khmer flavours of bird chilies, garlic, shallots and fish sauce, the cuisine is completely distinct from the dishes typically associated with Thailand. Best-selling food writer and photographer Jeffrey Alford has been completely immersed in this unique culinary tradition for the last four years while living in this region with his partner Pea, a talented forager, gardener and cook. With stories of village and family life surrounding each dish, Alford provides insight into the ecological and cultural traditions out of which the cuisine of the region has developed. He also describes how the food is meant to be eaten: as an elaborate dish in a wedding ceremony, a well-deserved break from the rice harvest, or just a comforting snack at the end of a hard day.
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Super sushi ramen express : one family's journey through the belly of Japan
by Michael Booth
Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet. Food and travel writer Michael Booth takes the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by two fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa. Along the way, they dine with-and score a surprising victory over-sumo wrestlers; pamper the world's most expensive cows with massage and beer; share a seaside lunch with free-diving, female abalone hunters; and meet the greatest chefs working in Japan today. Less happily, they witness a mass fugu slaughter, are traumatized by an encounter with giant crabs, and attempt a calamitous cooking demonstration for the lunching ladies of Kyoto
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Following fish : one man's journey into the food and culture of the Indian coast
by Samanth Subramanian
In India's long and diverse coastline, fish inhabit the heart of many aspects of life: food of course, and also culture, commerce, sports, history, and society. Journeying along the edges of the peninsula, Samanth Subramanian delivers a kaleidoscope of extraordinary stories. Following Fish conducts rich, journalistic investigations of the use of fish to treat asthmatics in Hyderabad; of the preparation and the process of eating West Bengal's prized hilsa; of the ancient art of building fishing boats in Gujarat; of the fiery cuisine and the singular spirit of Kerala's toddy shops; of the food and the lives of Mumbai's first peoples; of the history of an old Catholic fishing community in Tamil Nadu; and of the hunt for the world's fastest fish near Goa; and of many others. Pulsating with pleasure, adventure, and discovery, Following Fish reveals a series of unknown Indias in a book as intriguing as the country itself.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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