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Armchair Travel February 2018
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CMRLS Libraries will be closed Monday, February 19, 2018, Regular Library hours will resume on Tuesday, February 20. For Library hours and contact information, ----------------------------------------
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Under magnolia : a southern memoir
by Frances Mayes
The best-selling author of Under the Tuscan Sun shares the story of her youth in the American South and her decision to return to the places that shaped her early ideals, a journey marked by her regional travels and growing appreciation for Southern writers. 80,000 first printing.
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Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads
by Paul Theroux
For over 50 years, acclaimed novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux has traveled all over the world. But in his latest journey, he turned his eyes to a region of his home country he wanted to know better. Traveling to various Southern states (including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina) on a variety of road trips, Theroux bypassed the big cities and gleaming towns. Instead, he focused his keen eye on smaller, rural towns, where he visited with people in churches, restaurants, corner stores, farms, and gun shows, and explored the culture and paradoxes of the region. Publishers Weekly calls The Deep South "Theroux's best outing in years."
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The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story
by Douglas Preston
Though he's probably better known as the co-author of the suspenseful Pendergast novels, Douglas Preston also writes thrilling nonfiction. In his latest real-life adventure tale, he gives us a high-octane account of his travels in Honduras' Mosquitia area, where he's part of a team looking for evidence of the fabled Ciudad Blanca (The White City) aka The Lost City of the Monkey God -- but the group has to deal with unfriendly soldiers, parasites, jaguars, snakes, insects, and more. Fans of David Grann's Lost City of Z will surely want to check out Preston's compelling latest; those who'd like more on Mosquitia can pick up William Carlsen's fascinating Jungle of Stone, where he traces the footsteps of two 19th-century explorers, who were the first Euro-Americans to find evidence of the sophisticated Mayan civilization.
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Zookymoon
by Allen, Jacqueln
A man, his motorcycle, and the open road. When Dan Matthews christened his motorcycle "Zookymoon," he had no idea at the time where their travels would take them. But when adventure called, it ultimately led them from the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi, as far north as the Arctic Circle and finally as far south as the tip of South America, every mile bringing unexpected and entertaining situations along the way. More than a travel memoir, Zookymoon is the true story of how one man's thirst for adventure and the love of his motorcycle brought about the trip of a lifetime-with comments from Zookymoon herself thrown in for good measure.
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Eat Drink Delta : A Hungry Traveler's Journey through the Soul of the South
by Susan Puckett
"Much like John T. Edge's Southern Belly in conception but with a more focused regional scope, this book gets at the culture and foodways of the Mississippi Delta through lively descriptions of the region's restaurants, following a geographical path chapter by chapter from Memphis to Vicksburg. Introductions to each chapter as well as box features bring out historical and social context, highlighting famous deltans like Mose Allison and Jim Henson as well as interesting regional topics like "the FightingOkra" or the annual spaghetti gravy cookoff. Puckett has included ca. 65 recipes, each with a connection to one of the restaurants or featured individuals (Memphis Barbecue Pizza, for example. as favored by Elvis.) Photographs by Langdon Clay illuminate diners, restaurant settings, streetscapes, and shots of Delta life"
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| A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill BrysonWhat it's about: American travel writer Bill Bryson, who'd been living in England for years, set out to hike the Appalachian Trail with an old friend. The two out-of-shape 40-somethings thought they'd walk the entire 2,100 miles to Maine before winter -- but reality soon hit. Nature descriptions and a history of the storied trail combine with the pair's amusing experiences and their encounters with other hikers.
The movie: In 2015, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte dramatized the duo's nature adventure on the big screen. |
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| Out of Africa by Isak DinesenWhat it's about: When Kenya was known as British East Africa, Dane Karen Blixen (whose pseudonym was Isak Dinesen) lived and worked on a family coffee plantation located at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Her classic memoir lyrically captures her time there from 1913-1931, describing the alluring landscape, the local people, the deaths of close friends, and the eventual failure of the farm.
The movie: The award-winning 1985 film adaptation of Out of Africa, which also drew from other Dinesen writings, focused on Blixen's romance with a British aristocrat and starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. |
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| Into the Wild by Jon KrakauerWhat it's about: Bestselling author Jon Krakauer pieces together the dramatic -- and tragic -- story of Chris McCandless, an intelligent young man who embarked on a solo journey into the wilds of Alaska with no map and virtually no supplies.
The movie: Originally published in 1996, Into the Wild was adapted as a film in 2007 by Sean Penn and starred Emile Hirsch; Chris' sister, Carine McCandless, consulted on the movie and later wrote a book, The Wild Truth, about her and her brother's abusive childhood. |
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| Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances MayesWhat it's about: First published in 1986, this delightful book chronicles poet Frances Mayes' purchase of a Tuscan villa in need of refurbishing. Relating experiences from her new Italian life, Mayes describes spending time with her neighbors, dealing with repairs, and dining on delicious foods (recipes are included!).
The movie: The 2003 Under the Tuscan Sun movie is quite different from the book but features luminous scenery and a compelling Diane Lane as Mayes. |
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The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
by David Grann
In 1925, famed British explorer Percy Fawcett voyaged up the Amazon in search of a city he called "Z" and others call El Dorado. Although Fawcett was a seasoned adventurer, he and his two companions (including his 21-year-old son, Jack) were never seen again. Decades later, journalist David Grann learned about the headline-making disappearance and joined the ranks of those who've attempted to learn what happened to Fawcett -- several of whom have lost their lives in the process. An account of Grann's modern-day foray into the jungle is interwoven with details about Fawcett's adventures, which are based on the explorer's diaries, letters, and other accounts. Featuring blow-darts, giant snakes, and hostile locals, this gripping narrative reads "with all the pace and excitement of a movie thriller" (The New York Times), and, indeed, a film based on the book comes out later this year.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Central Mississippi Regional Library System
100 Tamberline Street
Brandon, Mississippi 39042
601-825-0100
http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us
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