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Armchair Travel February 2021
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| The Moth and the Mountain: A True Story of Love, War, and Everest by Ed CaesarWhat it's about: Despite little experience with flying or climbing, troubled Great War veteran Maurice Wilson piloted a plane from England to India in 1933, walked across Tibet, and attempted to ascend Mt. Everest solo (which ultimately proved fatal).
Why you might like it: Using letters, diary entries, and more, this well-researched portrait of a little-known adventurer includes maps and illustrations and sympathetically examines Wilson's life and ill-fated trip.
Read this next: For another gripping book about mountaineers of the past, try Scott Ellsworth's The World Beneath Their Feet. |
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| The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War by John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. MolloyThe challenge: In a New York City neighborhood bar in 1967, U.S. Marine Corps veteran-turned-merchant mariner John "Chick" Donohue agreed to sneak into Vietnam, track down local friends at war, and share beers from home.
What happened: He did it! But witnessing shocking events like the Tet offensive changed him, and his thoughts about the war.
Reviewers say: "fascinating, vividly narrated" (Publishers Weekly); "an irreverent yet thoughtful macho adventure" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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The Seine : the river that made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
The former New York Times Paris bureau chief and author of the best-selling The Only Street in Paris presents a vibrant tour of the Seine that traces its rich history and the stories of contributors from all walks of life.
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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 KoisWhat 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 and podcast host Dan, lawyer 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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| A Year in Provence by Peter MayleWhat it is: a classic travelogue first published in 1989 by English writer Peter Mayle, who vividly describes his and his wife's experiences after they moved into a 200-year-old French farmhouse with a vineyard
What's inside: In chapters named after the months of the year, Mayle offers humorous and keen observations on expatriate life, locals, and the culture of Provence as well as mouthwatering descriptions of food.
Read this next: other books by Mayle; Duck Season by David McAninch; Dirt by Bill Buford; Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm; John Baxter's A Year in Paris; L'Appart by David Lebovitz. |
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Sweet spot : an ice cream binge across America
by Amy Ettinger
A journalist channels her ice-cream obsession, scouring the United States for the best artisanal brands and delving into the surprising history of ice cream and frozen treats in America.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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