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Armchair Travel April 2018
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| A Tokyo Romance: A Memoir by Ian BurumaWhat it is: an eloquent, vividly drawn memoir by Ian Buruma, the editor of The New York Review of Books.
Read it for: a candid look at a tall, upper-class Dutchman’s post-college years studying film in Japan and immersing himself in the wild underground art world of 1970s Tokyo.
Who it's for: those interested in unlikely coming-of-age travelogues or the avant-garde art scene. |
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Limits of the Known
by David Roberts
The mountaineer and award-winning author of Alone on the Ice and The Lost World of the Old Ones recounts his search for meaning in the quests of history's famed explorers, drawing partially on his own relationship with extreme-risk adventure and serious illness to share insights into what may have motivated landmark expeditions and ascents.
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National Geographic Guide to State Parks of the United States
by National Geographic Society
Bask in the spectacular beauty, thrilling terrain, and quiet peacefulness of the country's finest state parks, hand-picked by park directors and National Geographic editors. This fully updated fifth edition includes 750 additional off-the-beaten track destinations. Beautifully written descriptions tell the stories of the parks, from their wildlife, natural features, and history to their most popular current activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, water sports, and rock climbing. Vivid images inspire your next getaway, while detailed information--including 32 detailed maps highlighting sites, trails, campgrounds, and more--helps you plan your next excursion.
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Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir
by John Banville
The award-winning author of the Benjamin Black series presents a vibrant, evocative memoir of his life near Dublin, a city that inspired his imagination and literary life and served as a backdrop for the dissatisfactions of adult years shaped by Dublin's cultural, political, architectural and social history.
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| Disappointment River: Finding and Losing the Northwest Passage by Brian CastnerWhat it's about: Combining history with travelogue, acclaimed writer Brian Castner engagingly describes his 1,124 mile-canoe trip across Canada, following in the wake of Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie, who, in 1789, set out to find the fabled Northwest Passage.
Is it for you? Yes, if you like books with a thoughtful guide who combines fascinating history and modern-day adventure. |
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| Dressed Up for a Riot: Misadventures in Putin's Moscow by Michael IdovWhat it is: a witty, pop culture-infused look at modern Russia. Recounting his experiences as editor-in-chief of Russian GQ from 2012-2014 and as a successful screenwriter, American Michael Idov also describes moving his young family to Moscow, hanging with the media and cultural elite, and watching freedoms fade under Putin.
About the author: Idov grew up in a Jewish family in Soviet Latvia until age 16, giving him a unique and insightful perspective.
What you should read next: Peter Pomerantsev's Nothing is True and Everything Is Possible, which covers the decade prior to Idov's book. |
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| The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul BogardWhat it is: an engaging, eye-opening look at the importance of night-time darkness. Author Paul Bogard travels the world -- Paris, Walden Pond, Quebec, various national parks across the globe, and other locations -- exploring varying degrees of darkness and light pollution and how that affects what people see (or don't see) in the night sky.
Did you know? The brightest beam of light on Earth is at the top of the Luxor pyramid in Las Vegas. |
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Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
by Noah Strycker
Noah Strycker had a big 2015 goal: to travel the globe seeing as many bird species as possible (preferably over 5,000, which would break a world record). His delightful Birding without Borders chronicles his travels to over 40 countries on all seven continents, his encounters with interesting local birders and fellow travelers, how he came to love birds as a child, and the history and future of birding. This accessible book isn't just for the bird-obsessed, but for all fans of detail-rich, enlightening, and amusing journeys.
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The Black Penguin
by Andrew Evans
A devout young boy in rural Ohio, Andrew Evans had his life mapped for him: baptism, mission, Brigham Young University, temple marriage, and children of his own. But as an awkward gay kid, bullied and bored, he escaped into the glossy pages of National Geographic and the wide promise of the world atlas. The Black Penguin is Evans's memoir, travel tale, and love story of his eventual journey to the farthest reaches of the map, a wild yet touching adventure across some of the most astonishing landscapes on Earth.
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Adventure Cats: Living Nine Lives to the Fullest
by Laura J. Moss
The cofounder of AdventureCats.org—the first and only resource for information on safely exploring the great outdoors with your feline friend—presents a collection of amazing photos and stories of real-life cats, and all the how-to cat owners need to take their cats beyond the backyard.
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| Junk Raft: An Ocean Voyage and a Rising Tide of Activism to Fight Plastic Pollution by Marcus EriksenWhat it is: activist scientist and Gulf War veteran Marcus Eriksen's impassioned chronicle of his and a friend's Pacific sailing trip -- from Los Angeles to Hawaii -- on a home-made "junk raft" made from plastic bottles, used sailboat masts, and an old airplane. Along the way, they encountered storms, "plastic smog" in the water, and more.
Who it's for: readers concerned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the health of the world's oceans. |
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| Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape by Barry LopezWhat it is: an evocative, expansive, and keenly observed tour of the Arctic that discusses topics like the landscape, wildlife, indigenous people, history, explorers, and the author's multifaceted experiences there.
Award buzz: Originally published in 1986, the bestselling Arctic Dreams won the National Book Award for author Barry Lopez, a writer and field biologist who spent years in the Canadian north. |
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| On Trails: An Exploration by Robert MoorWhat it's about: While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, journalist Robert Moor pondered the history and purpose of trails, planting the seed for this fascinating, elegantly written examination of why we walk where we do.
Why you might like it: Letting his curiosity lead him around the world (from Maine to Morocco and beyond), Moor talks to historians, Native Americans, scientists, and others while quoting everyone from Wendell Berry to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Fans of Robert Macfarlane will especially enjoy this wide-ranging (literarily and figuratively) debut. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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