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Armchair Travel February 2018
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The Monk of Mokha
by Dave Eggers
The best-selling author of The Circle traces his upbringing as a Yemeni-American in San Francisco and his dream of resurrecting the ancient art of cultivating, roasting and importing Yemeni coffee, an endeavor that is challenged by the brutal realities of Yemen's 2015 civil war.
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Junk Raft : An Ocean Voyage and a Rising Tide of Activism to Fight Plastic Pollution
by Marcus Eriksen
An exciting account of an activist scientist's unorthodox fight in the growing movement against plastic marine pollution and of his expedition across the Pacific on a home-made "junk raft. Eriksen writes of his voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii aboard his homemade "junk raft," and along the way he recounts the successful efforts to fight corporate influence and demand that plastics producers take responsibility for a problem they've created. Eriksen provides concrete, actionable solutions and an empowering message: it's up to bold, brash, unapologetically activist "citizen scientists" to challenge the status quo for the sake of the planet.
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The Outer Beach : A Thousand-Mile Walk on Cape Cod's Atlantic Shore
by Robert Finch
In a collection of essays, a beloved nature lover chronicles his 50-year relationship with Cape Cod, an iconic American landscape, paying tribute to the Outer Beach’s impressive literary legacy, meditating on its often tragic history and exploring the strange, mutable nature of time near the ocean.
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The Alps : A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond
by Stephen O'Shea
Blends contemporary travelogue and historical narrative in a history of the Alps that traces the real and imagined journeys of travelers ranging from Hannibal and Hitler to Sherlock Holmes and Napoleon to reveal the profound influence of the Alps on human culture. By the author of Sea of Faith.
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The Stowaway : A Young Man's Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica
by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
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.
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| A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill BrysonAmerican travel writer Bill Bryson, who'd been living in England for years, set out to hike the Appalachian Trail with an old friend. The two out-of-shape 40-somethings thought they'd walk the entire 2,100 miles to Maine before winter -- but reality soon hit. Nature descriptions and a history of the storied trail combine with the pair's amusing experiences and their encounters with other hikers.
The movie: In 2015, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte dramatized the duo's nature adventure on the big screen. |
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| Out of Africa by Isak DinesenWhen Kenya was known as British East Africa, Dane Karen Blixen (whose pseudonym was Isak Dinesen) lived and worked on a family coffee plantation located at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Her classic memoir lyrically captures her time there from 1913-1931, describing the alluring landscape, the local people, the deaths of close friends, and the eventual failure of the farm.
The movie: The award-winning 1985 film adaptation of Out of Africa, which also drew from other Dinesen writings, focused on Blixen's romance with a British aristocrat and starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. |
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| Into the Wild by Jon KrakauerBestselling author Jon Krakauer pieces together the dramatic -- and tragic -- story of Chris McCandless, an intelligent young man who embarked on a solo journey into the wilds of Alaska with no map and virtually no supplies.
The movie: Originally published in 1996, Into the Wild was adapted as a film in 2007 by Sean Penn and starred Emile Hirsch; Chris' sister, Carine McCandless, consulted on the movie and later wrote a book, The Wild Truth, about her and her brother's abusive childhood. |
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| Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances MayesFirst published in 1986, this delightful book chronicles poet Frances Mayes' purchase of a Tuscan villa in need of refurbishing. Relating experiences from her new Italian life, Mayes describes spending time with her neighbors, dealing with repairs, and dining on delicious foods (recipes are included!).
The movie: The 2003 Under the Tuscan Sun movie is quite different from the book but features luminous scenery and a compelling Diane Lane as Mayes. |
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Lion : A Long Way Home
by Saroo Brierley
Describes how the author was accidentally separated from his family and home in India as a child, how he survived as an orphan in Kolkata, his adoption by an Australian family, and his search for his biological family as an adult.
The movie: The 2016 film written by author, Brierley, and starring Nicole Kidman depicts the young boy's story of being lost in the streets of Calcutta. It details the struggles he faces before being adopted by an Australian couple and how he sets out to locate his lost family.
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The Revenant : A Novel of Revenge
by Michael Punke
A story of survival on the American frontier chronicles the exploits of fur trapper Hugh Glass, who after surviving a grizzly bear attack, undertakes an arduous trek through the wilderness to seek revenge against the trappers who left him for dead.
The movie: The 2015 adaptation based on a true story, tells the story of a frontiersman who fights for survival after being attacked by a bear.
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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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