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Armchair Travel August 2020
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Dirt: Adventures in Lyon, as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the... by Bill Buford What it's about: New Yorker writer Bill Buford worked in the kitchen at DC's famed Citronelle restaurant to learn about French cooking before moving to Lyon in 2008 with his wife and three-year-old twins, where they lived for almost five years.
Who it's for: those who appreciate haute cuisine, stories of families abroad, or vibrant travelogues with amiable guides.
About the author: Buford also wrote about living and cooking in Italy in 2006's Heat. | |
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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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Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe
by Kapka Kassabova
About the author: Bulgarian-born poet and writer Kapka Kassabova lives in Scotland, and in Border she describes her return visits home to Eastern Europe between 2013-2015.
What happened: In the complex area where Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece meet, Kassabova traveled through mountains and forests and spoke with villagers, ex-border guards, people who'd tried to escape Communist Bulgaria, incoming Syrian refugees, and others.
Read it for: a clever, lyrical, and acutely observed examination of Eastern European borderlands; references to myths and folktales.
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On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey
by Paul Theroux
What happened: Erudite 70-something travel writer Paul Theroux drove the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border alone, crossing over the border multiple times; he also visited Mexico City, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and other areas.
Why you should read it: Theroux saw the border situation up close, met locals, witnessed the monarch butterfly migration, visited historic locations, taught writing, and learned about drug cartels and corruption.
Read this next: Richard Grant's God's Middle Finger, about his trip through the Sierra Madres; or, for a penetrating look at both U.S. borders, try Stephanie Elizondo Griest's All the Agents and Saints.
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How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way...
by Dan Kois
What it's about: A dad humorously details the year his stressed Northern Virginia family gave up regular life for three months each in New Zealand, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and small-town Kansas.
The family: journalist father and podcast host Dan, lawyer mom Alia, and their daughters 11-year-old Lyra and nine-year-old Harper.
Read this next: For a more nature-inspired family travel memoir, try Michael Lanza's Before They're Gone.
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Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
by Alexandra Fuller
What it's about: In this evocative sequel to Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, author Alexandra Fuller focuses on her parents, covering the deaths of three of their children, her mother's childhood in Kenya, her mother's mental illness, and more.
Why you might like it: Fuller movingly evokes the hardships of living in the beautiful and wild African countryside as well as her parents' personal flaws, including their racism.
Reviewers say: "beautifully wrought" (Publishers Weekly).
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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. | | The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart by Emily Nunn What it's about: Grappling with the aftermath of her brother's suicide and the end of her engagement, grief-stricken food writer Emily Nunn embarked on a cross-country road trip visiting friends and family and indulging in favorite comfort foods.
Why you might like it: It's a compelling, unflinching story beautifully told with insight and humor.
Recipes include: Country Ham Biscuits; Lemon Sponge Cups; Cream Cheese and Olive Sandwiches; Collard Soup. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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