|
|
Armchair Travel August 2020 |
|
|
|
|
Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure
by
Monisha Rajesh
When Monisha Rajesh announced plans to circumnavigate the globe in eighty train journeys, she was met with wide-eyed disbelief. But it wasn't long before she was carefully plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles – almost twice the circumference of the earth – coasting along the world's most remarkable railways.
Packing up her rucksack – and her fiancé, Jem – Monisha embarks on an unforgettable adventure that will take her from London's St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, and beyond. The ensuing journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strike up friendships and swap stories with the hilarious, irksome and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, all while taking in some of the earth's most breathtaking views.
|
|
Wandering in Strange Lands
by
Morgan Jerkins
The respected cultural critic and best-selling author of This Will Be My Undoing documents how she retraced the steps of Great Migration ancestors to reconnect with her heritage and learn the stories of disenfranchised 20th-century families.
|
|
The Museum of Whales You Will Never See, and Other Excursions to Iceland's Most... by A. Kendra Greene What it is: a poetic illustrated tribute to the many quirky museums in Iceland by American Kendra Greene, who takes readers on a journey as she ponders the human impulse to collect, as well as what saved items tell us about people from the past and the present.
Museums include: Icelandic Sea Monster Museum; Icelandic Phallological Museum; Herring Era Museum; Petra's Stone Collection.
Reviewers say: "beguiling and witty" (Kirkus Reviews); "a gleaming gem of intelligent writing and an exuberant travelogue" (Booklist). | |
Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town
by
Barbara Demick
An award-winning journalist presents a gripping portrait of modern Tibet told through the lives of ordinary people living in the throes of conflict as they lead the resistance against Chinese occupation.
|
|
Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels through Spain's Food Culture by Matt Goulding What it is: an evocative celebration of the culture and cuisine of every region of Spain by an American foodie who lives there.
What inside: personal stories, including the author meeting and dating his Spanish wife; short bios of fascinating Spanish people; tips on what to eat and drink (hint: forget Sangria); mouth-watering descriptions of tapas, acorn-fed pig, paella, and more.
Still hungry? Goulding, a co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, gives a similar though less intimate treatment to Japan in Rice, Noodle, Fish. | |
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy
by
Frances Mayes
What 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 Italian life, Mayes describes spending time with her neighbors, dealing with repairs, and dining on delicious foods (recipes included).
The movie: The 2003 Under the Tuscan Sun film is quite different from the book but features luminous scenery and a compelling Diane Lane as Mayes.
|
|
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke What it is: A poignant, heartfelt memoir by actress Tembi Locke, who fell in love with Saro, an Italian professional chef. Saro's Sicilian family wasn't sure about him marrying a Black American, but as he battled and then succumbed to cancer, Tembi grew closer to them and spent summers in Sicily with the couple's adopted daughter.
Media buzz: a Netflix series produced by Reese Witherspoon and Zoe Saldana, who'll also star, is planned. Also working on the production are Tembi and her sister, bestselling writer Attica Locke. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|