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Armchair Travel August 2019
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| A Dog Named Beautiful: A Marine, a Dog, and a Long Road Trip Home by Rob KuglerStarring: 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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| The Shanghai Free Taxi: Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China by Frank LangfittWhat it's about: Wanting to provide people a private, casual place to talk, NPR China correspondent Frank Langfitt (a former Philly cab driver) offered free rides to anyone willing to chat.
Did it work? Definitely. All sorts of interesting people opened up about their lives, hopes, and views of their rapidly changing country.
Read this next: For another delightful taxi-centric travel tale, try Layne Mosler's Driving Hungry, which details her experiences asking cab drivers around the globe where she should eat. |
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Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border
by Porter Fox
What it is: A beautifully written, reflective look at the border region between the United States and Canada, which traces the area's rich history (including the role of Native Americans) and draws on three years of exploration from Maine to Washington State via car, foot, freighter, and canoe.
Did you know? "Before September 11, 2001, half of the 119 border crossings between the US and Canada were unguarded at night."
For fans of: Brian Castner's Disappointment River.
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The Stowaway : a Young Man's Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica
by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
What it's about: Documents the true story of a scrappy teen from New York's Lower East Side who stowed away on a daring expedition to Antarctica in 1928, tracing the sensational heyday of the time and how high schooler Billy Gawronski jumped into the Hudson and snuck aboard the expedition's flagship, eventually becoming an international celebrity.
From the book jacket: "Full of twists, turns, and moments of pure wonder. An insightful tale of scientific exploration at its generous and courageous best." Deborah Blum
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| Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon KrakauerWhat it's about: Researching the commercialization of Mt. Everest in 1996, Jon Krakauer set out with a guide and other groups to trek to the summit. When a snowstorm hit, several people died, including two of the best mountaineers in the world.
What it is: A harrowing and evocative firsthand account of the events. |
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| In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton SidesWhat it's about: The ill-fated 1879 expedition of the USS Jeannette, led by U.S. naval officer and explorer George Washington De Long, who was looking for a passage to the North Pole via the Bering Strait.
What's inside: A dramatic account -- informed by letters, diaries, expedition records, and news reports -- of what happened when the ship became trapped in pack ice for two years.
Read this next: Paul Watson's Ice Ghosts, which details the history of and contemporary search for shipwrecks from an 1845 Arctic expedition. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library 585 Dahlonega Street Cumming, Georgia 30040 770-781-9840www.forsythpl.org/ |
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