|
|
Armchair Travel April 2023 |
|
|
|
|
| The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton's Endurance by Mensun BoundWhat it's about: Renowned marine archeologist Mensun Bound set out to find the remains of Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance. Interwoven with the details of his search, including his successful 2022 expedition, is the story of the Endurance's sinking in 1915.
Reviewers say: "exciting, dramatic" (Kirkus Reviews); "Bound is a terrific storyteller... this is simply wonderful" (Booklist).
For fans of: Hampton Sides' In the Kingdom of Ice, Robert Kurson's Shadow Divers, or Robert Ballard's Into the Deep: An Explorer's Life. |
|
| The Edge of the Plain: How Borders Make and Break Our World by James CrawfordWhat it is: a fascinating, wide-ranging work of travelogue, history, and reportage that thoughtfully examines borders, past and present.
Locations include: the Austrian-Italian Alps, the West Bank, Hadrian's Wall, the Sonoran Desert, the Spanish City of Melilla in North Africa.
For fans of: evocative books about border areas, like Colin Thubron's The Amur River, Kapka Kassabova's Border, and Rory Stewart's The Marches. Digital format: Always available as a Hoopla eAudiobook. |
|
| On Freedom Road: Bicycle Explorations and Reckonings on the Underground Railroad by David GoodrichWhat it's about: In this blend of history and travelogue, author David Goodrich describes cycling nearly 3,000 miles over three trips retracing enslaved people's paths to freedom and visiting museums, libraries, and other locales.
Trips included: the route Harriet Tubman may have taken from Maryland into Canada that passed through New York City; a journey from Jackson, Mississippi to Lake Erie; and a ride from New Orleans through the Mississippi Delta.
Read this next: Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed. Digital format: Only available as a Hoopla eBook. |
|
| Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance by Alvin HallWhat happened: Alvin Hall, an author and media personality who grew up in Florida, took two road trips inspired by the Green Book, a mid-20th century annual travel guide, and he spoke with Black American motorists who had used it to travel safely.
Reviewers say: "an illuminating history...inspires and educates" (Publishers Weekly).
Read this next: For more on the Green Book, try Candacy Taylor's Overground Railroad or Gretchen Sorin's Driving While Black. |
|
| Magdalena: River of Dreams: A Story of Colombia by Wade DavisWhat happened: Long fascinated with Colombia, anthropologist Wade Davis explored the 1,000-mile Rio Magdalena, which runs the length of the country, making five visits over several years.
Read it for: well-researched historical details, evocative descriptions, and the respectful treatment of Indigenous peoples.
Reviewers say: "An elegant narrative masterfully combining fine reporting and a moving personal journey" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| Riverman: An American Odyssey by Ben McGrathWho it's about: charismatic adventurer Dick Conant, who spent decades canoeing rivers and other waters alone before he disappeared while on a 2014 trip.
Read it for: an engaging mix of biography, travelogue, and mystery penned by The New Yorker staff writer Ben McGrath, who had a chance encounter with Conant shortly before he went missing.
For fans of: Into the Wild by John Krakauer. |
|
| River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice MillardWhat it is: a well-researched, fascinating look at an 1850s expedition seeking the source of the Nile River by two strong-willed British explorers and their local (formerly enslaved) guide, set against the backdrop of colonial exploitation of Africa.
Read this next: For modern travelers' tales along the river, try Levison Wood's Walking the Nile, Dan Morrison's The Black Nile, or Rosemary Mahoney's Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff. |
|
| The Amur River: Between Russia and China by Colin ThubronWhat it is: a lyrical travelogue by acclaimed British writer Colin Thubron, who, at age 80, took an adventurous trip via horse, boat, train, and car, following the remote Amur River from Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.
What happened: Though he faced injuries and suspicious officials, he followed the nearly 3,000-mile river, which forms the border between Russia and China, and visited with Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian people.
Read this next: Thubron's compelling In Siberia or Erika Fatland's The Border, who describes her visits to all 14 countries that neighbor Russia. |
|
320 Acres: Founding Oklahoma City
Thursday, April 20, 6:30 PM
Belle Isle Library
Have you ever wondered how Oklahoma City came to be? Join us for an episode from the OETA award-winning series, Back in Time to learn more about Oklahoma City's chaotic origin story.
|
|
Art Around the World: DANCE 2023!
Saturday, April 22, 10:00 AM
Downtown Library
Let’s take another trip around the world – through DANCE! Throughout the day audiences will be "transported" to another country/region of the world through the medium of dance. Join us and be swept away by folk dance performances originating from all over the world! Featuring performances from Yúmare Mexican Folkloric Dancers Inc., Metropolitan School of Dance, Inc., Marjan & Mystical Hips, Candela from Clips n Hips, Eterna Primavera, and more! There will be special activities for children and families and attendees will have opportunities to learn more about the different artforms and their origins.
|
|
Art Around the World: Dance! Family Activities
Saturday, April 22, 10:00 AM
Downtown Library
Enjoy learning more about the different artforms and their origins presented in Art Around the World: DANCE! and participate in special activities for children. This program is designed for children and accompanying adults. Please plan to be in attendance and be engaged with your child for this program.
|
|
|
|
Metro Grows
Are you a beginning gardener looking to plant some vegetables for the first time this spring? Or are you an advanced gardener who needs to upgrade their beds for the upcoming season? This brand-new program is perfect for any and all gardeners! You can now borrow gardening tools from the library and attend library events geared towards gardening.
|
|
|
|
GreenFILEContains well-researched information covering the relationship between human beings and the environment. GreenFILE's collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes coverage on topics like climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
|
|
|
|
A to Z World Food
This resource contains 7,000 traditional recipes from 174 countries, along with thousands of ingredient, food culture, and reference articles, making this the largest food database of its kind.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|