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Armchair Travel August 2017
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A speck in the sea : a story of survival and rescue
by John Aldridge
Two veteran sailors who co-own and operate a Montauk lobster boat recount the 2013 search-and-rescue mission for co-author John Aldridge, describing how his partner, their families, the local fishing community and the U.S. Coast Guard in three states mobilized an unprecedented and ultimately successful operation.
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| Ruthless River: Love and Survival by Raft on the Amazon's Relentless Madre de Dios by Holly FitzGeraldAn extended honeymoon traveling around the world is a dream that turns into a nightmare for Holly FitzGerald and her new husband when their plane crashes in a South American jungle in 1973. They survive, but are stuck in a remote town near a penal colony with no way out for months. Told they can easily float down the Madre de Dios river to civilization, they retrofit a raft and set out. All goes well...until a storm puts them off course, stalling the couple in swampy, piranha-infested waters. Peppered with hard-won insights about life and love, this harrowing survival tale is unputdownable. |
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| Love, Africa: A Memoir of Romance, Love, and Survival by Jeffrey GettlemanBefore he was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jeffrey Gettleman was a 19-year-old who fell in love with Africa. In his adventure-laden (hanging out in war zones, being kidnapped, etc.) memoir, he explores his undying affection for this complex continent, documents his career (including local reporting in Florida and war reporting in various countries), and traces his relationship with a fellow student who becomes his coworker and wife (though there were most definitely bumps along the way). If you want to understand either Africa or journalism better, this engrossing book is a must-read. |
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Out of the Shadows : Portugal from Revolution to the Present Day
by Neill Lochery
Lisbon and Portugal's best days are behind it" is a common theme put forward by writers who focus their attention on the golden era of Portuguese discoveries, the Empire, and the role of Lisbon as a major Atlantic power. Neill Lochery's book demonstrates that Portugal is not suffering from inevitable decline. Out of the Shadows is a full account of post-authoritarian democratic Portugal following the revolution of April 1974. Meticulously researched, based on documentary sources as well as personal accounts of witnesses to the events described, Out of the Shadows makes clear how significant Portugal has been and remains.
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| A Paris Year: My Day-to-Day Adventures in the Most Romantic City in the World by Janice MacLeodBeautifully illustrated with paintings, drawings, and photos, this jewel box of a travel journal by Canadian artist and author Janice MacLeod traces a year in Paris. Sharing her experiences getting to know and make a home in the City of Light via diary entries (starting with January 1st), MacLeod combines artwork with a newcomer's observation of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes as well as liberal splashes of anecdotes, quotes, and history. Those who appreciate Paris and beautiful things will find this memoir a sensory delight. |
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| Shark Drunk: The Art of Catching a Large Shark from a Tiny Rubber Dinghy in a Big Ocean by Morten Strøksnes; translated by Tina NunnallyTopically wide-ranging, Shark Drunk documents the quest of award-winning journalist Morten Strøksnes and artist Hugo Aasjord to catch a massive Greenland Shark in the frigid waters near Norway's Lofoten islands. In a rubber dinghy over the course of four seasons, the two friends baited hooks in order to entice the massive shark while they sat, occasionally got wet, reeled in cod, ruminated, and talked. Covering ocean life, poetry, mythology, science, history, and more, this lyrical book reads like a novel and will hook fans of philosophical stories. |
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Living in Another Language
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| Home is a Roof Over a Pig: An American Family's Journey in China by Aminta ArringtonAminta Arrington married an Army linguist and lived all over the world. Eventually, she, her retired husband, and their three children under the age of five (including an adopted Chinese daughter) moved to China...and experienced culture shock when they arrived. Recounting their experiences in a small university town, Arrington explains how they dealt with day-to-day activities, how the children adapted to school, and how she fell in love with their new language. Readers who want another travelogue focused on the Mandarin language should try Deborah Fallow's Dreaming in Chinese. |
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| When in French: Love in a Second Language by Lauren CollinsAn American in London fell in love with a Frenchman and moved to Geneva, Switzerland. Once there, she decided to learn French; not only did she want to be able to buy things on her own, but she wanted to become closer to her new husband and, when the time came, not be "a Borat of a mother." Chronicling her amusing adventures overseas and her attempts to communicate in a new tongue, talented New Yorker writer Lauren Collins serves up a funny, romantic, intelligent memoir, which provides "a thoughtful, beautifully written meditation on the art of language and intimacy." |
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In Other Words
by Jhumpa Lahiri
On a post-college visit to Florence, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri fell in love with the Italian language. Twenty years later, seeking total immersion, she and her family relocated to Rome, where she began to read and write solely in her adopted tongue. A startling act of self-reflection, In Other Words is Lahiri's meditation on the process of learning to express herself in another language--and the stunning journey of a writer seeking a new voice.
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| All Strangers Are Kin: Adventures in Arabic and the Arab World by Zora O'NeillHaving studied Arabic as a college student, personable travel and food writer Zora O'Neill decided at age 39 to revisit the language, but this time, to focus on the colloquial instead of the formal version. Visiting Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Morocco, she studied and tested out her skills, but was hindered by different areas having different dialects. Nevertheless, she engaged with people she met -- eating, visiting, and sometimes staying with them -- as she pondered the complex language and the relationship between culture and communication. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System 9601 Capital Lane Largo, Maryland 20774 301-699-3500www.pgcmls.info/ |
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