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Armchair Travel April 2023 |
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| 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. |
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Feral : losing myself and finding my way in America's national parks
by Emily Pennington
"After a decade as an assistant to high-powered LA executives, Emily Pennington left behind her structured life and surrendered to the pull of the great outdoors. With a tight budget, meticulous routing, and a temperamental minivan she named Gizmo, Emilyembarked on a yearlong road trip to sixty-two national parks, hell-bent on a single goal: getting through the adventure in one piece. She was instantly thrust into more chaos than she'd bargained for and found herself on an unpredictable journey rocked by a gutting romantic breakup, a burgeoning pandemic, wildfires, and other seismic challenges that threatened her safety, her sanity, and the trip itself. What began as an intrepid obsession soon evolved into a life-changing experience"
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100 trails, 5,000 ideas : where to go, when to go, what to see, what to do
by Joseph R. Yogerst
From the coast of Florida to the peaks of Wyoming, a hiking travel guide provides information on 100 trails through North America with recommendations for scenic picnic lunches, tips for spotting wildlife and practical planning advice. Original. 35,000 first printing. Illustrations.
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High : a journey across the Himalaya through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China
by Erika Fatland
"The Himalayas weave through five very different countries, where the world religions of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are mixed with ancient shamanic religions. Countless languages and vastly different cultures live in the secluded mountain valleys. Modernity and tradition collide, while the great powers fight for influence. We have read about mountain climbers on their way up Mount Everest and about travelers on the spiritual quest for Buddhist monasteries. But how much do we know about the people living in the Himalaya? Fatland invites us into close encounters with the many peoples of the region, and at the same time takes us on a dizzying journey at altitude through incredible landscapes and dramatic, unknown world histories--all the way to the most volatile human conflicts of our times"
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Finding elevation : fear and courage on the world's most dangerous mountain
by Lisa Thompson
"Defiance had provoked Thompson to enter the male-dominated world of high-altitude mountaineering, but defiance could only take her so far. After a harrowing battle with cancer, Lisa realized she needed to understand what motivated her to take greater and greater risks in the mountains. Finding Elevation chronicles Thompson's path from novice climber to world-class mountaineer, as she becomes the second American woman to summit K2, which is considered by many to be the most dangerous mountain in the world. More than a climbing memoir, Finding Elevation is a deeply personal examination of motivation and the human spirit. It is a story of what can happen when we finally stop letting others define our limits and instead trust that we are capable of more. Inthis inspiring book, Thompson reaches beyond the mountain to tell a story of heartbreak, resilience, and the discovery that we are responsible for defining our own boundaries, finding our own happiness, and facing our fears head-on"
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The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise
by Pico Iyer
What it is: a lyrical, thought-provoking look at the meaning of paradise, which took talented author Pico Iyer to a variety of places and led him to ponder how people can live more peacefully in a divided world.
Locations include: Iran, Sri Lanka, Jerusalem, Japan, Ethiopia, India, North Korea, and Northern Ireland.
Reviewers say: "Immersive and profound" (Publishers Weekly); "With keen observation and beautiful language, Iyer shows us the essential truths of places, people, and ideas" (Kirkus Reviews).
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An American in Provence : art, life and photography
by Jamie Beck
"Let Jamie Beck transport you to the South of France with An American in Provence: part art book, part travelogue, part memoir, and part cookbook, and perfect for art lovers, Francophiles, and armchair travelers alike. An American in Provence is a beautiful collection of exquisite portrait, scenic, and still-life photography from wildly popular and award-winning photographer Jamie Beck. Looking to slow down from her fast-paced life in New York City, Beck moved to the French countryside documenting her life as "An American in Provence." What started as a one-year getaway became five as she continues to chronicle her life there through her photography on Instagram @JamieBeck.co, including the birth of her daughter, Eloise, all in the most breathtaking way.In An American in Provence, Beck shares her tips and techniques for creating incredible photos and details her transformational journey as an artist and woman. Beck also includes farm-to-table recipes she's learned along the way, including Braised Beef Stew, Spring Chicken with Herbs de Provence, Potatoes with Truffle Butter, and Lemon Meringue Tart. This stunning visual journey is sure to delight anyone who wishes to escape reality and immerse themselves in life in Provence"
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Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World: Essays
by Barry Lopez
What it is: a collection of more than 20 essays, some never before published, broken into sections called Conversations, Thresholds, Sky, and River, and written during the award-winning author's final decades.
What's inside: details of travels, including to Antarctica and Australia; stories about his Oregon home; musings on the natural world; memories from his California childhood, including surviving sexual abuse.
Reviewers say: " A sterling valediction" (Kirkus Reviews); Lopez was "a crucial and profound writer of spirit, commitment, benevolence, and reverence" (Booklist).
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| 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). |
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Paddling America : discover and explore our 50 greatest Wild and Scenic Rivers
by Susan Elliott
The nation's rivers connect mountains to sea, communities to natural places, and people to wildlife. America's Wild & Scenic River system recognizes these values. Paddling America provides descriptions for paddling and exploring 50 Wild & Scenic Rivers across the country. Woven throughout the river descriptions will be small anecdotal sidebars touching on the history of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, the adventurers themselves, and tips for paddling
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| 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. |
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"From sightings of the Columbia River Sea Serpent, nicknamed 'Colossal Claude,' to tales of Bigfoot encounters dating back to 1865, strange creatures lurk both on land and at sea. Shipwrecks, drownings, shanghaiing, and nautical superstitions abound. The restless settler spirits of those who lived and died on the Oregon Trail are said to linger alongside apparitions of adventurers and soldiers, while others, including the 1920's-era ghost of a woman in white and a man in top hat haunt places like the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Join author Ira Wesley Kitmacher as he takes you on a journey through one of the most haunted regions in America." |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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A drum in one hand, a sockeye in the other : stories of indigenous food sovereignty from the Northwest Coast
by Charlotte Coté
"In the dense rainforest of the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Somass River (þcuumaas) brings sockeye salmon (miaat) into the Nuu-chah-nulth community of Tseshaht. þCuumaas and miaat are central to the sacred food practices that have been a crucial part of the Indigenous community's efforts to enact food sovereignty, decolonize their diet, and preserve their ancestral knowledge. In A Drum in One Hand, a Salmon in the Other, Charlotte Coté shares contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth practices of traditional food revitalization in the context of broader efforts to re-Indigenize their diets. Coté shares evocative stories of her Tseshaht community's and her own work to revitalize relationships to haum (traditional food) as a way to nurture health and wellness.As Indigenous peoples continue to face food insecurity due to ongoing inequality, environmental degradation and the Westernization of traditional diets, Coté foregrounds healing and cultural sustenance via everyday enactments of food sovereignty: berry picking, salmon fishing, and building a community garden on reclaimed residential school grounds. This book is for everyone with concerns about their health and shows how food plays a major role in physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness"
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Downriver : Into the Future of Water in the West by Heather HansmanThe Green River, the most significant tributary of the Colorado River, runs 730 miles from the glaciers of Wyoming to the desert canyons of Utah. Providing water for thirty-three million people, it flows through ranches, cities, national parks, and some of the most significant natural gas fields in the country. Stopped up by dams, slaked off by irrigation, and dried up by cities, the Green is crucial, overused, and at risk, now more than ever. Fights over the river's water, and what's going to happen to it in the future, are long-standing, intractable, and only getting worse as the West gets hotter and drier and more people depend on the river with each passing year. Former raft guide and environmental reporter Heather Hansman knew the issues but felt driven to see the situation firsthand and from a different perspective - from the river itself. So she set out on a journey, in a one-person inflatable pack raft and with an open mind, and see what the experience might teach her. Mixing lyrical accounts of quiet paddling through breathtaking beauty with nights spent camping solo and lively discussions with farmers, city officials, and other people met along the way, Downriver is the story of that journey, a foray into the present-and future- of water in the West.
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The devil's element : phosphorus and a world out of balance
by Dan Egan
In this major work of explanatory science and environmental journalism, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times best-selling author investigates the past, present and future of phosphorus, exploring the alarming reality that diminishing access to phosphorus poses a threat to the food system worldwide, risking conflict and even war. Illustrations.
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Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure
by Rinker Buck
What it is: a fascinating combination of history and travelogue by Rinker Buck, who built a 19th-century-style wooden flatboat and sailed it from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, with the help a small, entertaining crew.
Want a taste? "The inland rivers -- not the wagon ruts crossing from Missouri to Oregon -- were American's first western frontier."
Read this next: the author's The Oregon Trail, Tony Horwitz's Spying on the South, Imani Perry's South to America, or Peter Fox's Northland.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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