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| Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon through North America's Stolen Land by Noé ÁlvarezWhat it is: a lyrical debut memoir by the son of Mexican immigrants that chronicles his working-class Washington State upbringing and his 2004 participation in the four-month, 6,000-mile Indigenous people's Peace and Dignity Journey, a relay-style run from Canada to South America.
What's inside: dangers (a mountain lion, unfriendly motorists, injuries); tensions between the runners; gatherings with Native American/First Nation groups; thoughtful musings about running and place. |
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A Dog Named Beautiful: A Marine, a Dog, and a Long Road Trip Home
by Rob Kugler
Starring: Rob Kugler, a Marine veteran and photographer, and Bella, the sweet chocolate lab who was by his side when he returned home from war and dealt with the loss of his brother, who died fighting in Iraq.
What it's about: their poignant road trip around the U.S. after Bella was diagnosed with incurable cancer, as well as Rob's thoughts about purpose and life and his memories of the military and his family.
Will I need a hanky? Probably -- but you'll have some laughs too!
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| American Harvest: God, Country, and Farming in the Heartland by Marie Mutsuki MockettWhat it's about: After inheriting her Nebraska-born father’s 7,000-acre family wheat farm, the nonreligious Japanese American author spent a season accompanying the itinerant group of Christian wheat harvesters from Pennsylvania who'd reaped her family's fields for years. As they worked and made their way from Texas to Idaho, she pondered faith, farming, food, and family.
Why you might like it: Offering a poetic, evocative look at the heartland, it provides a kindhearted, thoughtful look at divisions, from science and faith to rural and urban and more. |
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| Notes from an Apocalypse: A Personal Journey to the End of the World and Back by Mark O'ConnellWhat happened: Feeling the tension between the hope of fatherhood and anxiety about climate change, Irish author Mark O'Connell traveled the globe seeking answers on how to come to grips with the future.
Places visited: New Zealand, where some billionaires plan to retreat to in the event of a global collapse; survival bunkers in South Dakota; a Mars colonization conference in Los Angeles; a Scottish Highlands wilderness retreat; the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Reviewers say: "smart, funny, irreverent, and philosophically rich" (Wall Street Journal). |
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Road Trips with Relatives
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A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee
by Tom Coyne
What happens: Irish-American Tom Coyne decided to walk to and then play at all 50 or so golf courses around the coast of Ireland.
Why you should read it: Even with hazards (including blisters, pouring rain, and a large growling dog), Coyne enjoyed the beauty and people (and beer) of the Emerald Isle.
Who it's for: Coyne focuses more on his travels than his games, so even non-golfers can enjoy this book that's "equal parts touching, wry, and hilarious" (The New York Times).
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| Love that Boy: What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and My Son Taught Me about... by Ron FournierWhat it is: a candid, thoughtful memoir recounting a former White House correspondent's father-son road trips with his history-obsessed 13-year-old, who'd recently been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
Locations include: the White House; Teddy Roosevelt's former home of Sagamore Hill; Monticello; several presidential libraries.
What sets it apart: research and interviews about parental expectations in general; Fournier's own hard-won parenting insights; long visits with former presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush) and a White House party with Barack and Michelle Obama. |
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A Beginner's Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations
by Pico Iyer
What it is: lyrical, thought-provoking snippets and essays that ponder life in Japan, covering such varied topics as silence, signage, emotion, clothing, anime, baseball and more.
About the author: British-born bestselling travel writer Pico Iyer is married to a Japanese woman and the country is his adopted home.
Want a taste? "Being in Japan has taught me to say, 'I wonder,' more often than 'I think.'"
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| Don't Make Me Pull Over! An Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Richard RatayWhat it is: a funny, nostalgic, and informative history of family road trips in the U.S. set against the backdrop of the author's time in the backseat of the family car in the 1970s.
What's inside: seat belt-free riding, Fuzzbusters, CB radios, and sibling squabbles as well as details on the beginnings of the interstate highway system, Howard Johnson's, Stuckey's, Holiday Inn, Disneyland, quirky roadside attractions, and more. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library 601 S. Oak St. [Temporary Location] Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711)www.fallschurchva.gov/library |
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