|
Armchair Travel April 2017
|
|
|
|
|
The Marches: A Borderland Journey between England and Scotland
by Rory Stewart
Insightful, lyrical author Rory Stewart has written about Iraq (Prince of Marshes) and Afghanistan (The Places In Between), but his latest journey is more intimate: it's the landscape of his homeland, on the border between England and Scotland, along Hadrian's Wall, and he's walking it with his 89-year-old Scottish father. Touching on his own familial history as well as the plants, animals, conflicts, people (from Romans to modern-day locals), and more that have shaped this stunning area, Stewart, who's also a Member of Parliament, provides a thoughtful book. For another richly detailed (though more wide-ranging) walk about Great Britain that engagingly mixes history and travel, pick up Max Adams' recent In the Land of Giants.
|
|
|
50 great American places : essential historic sites across the U.S.
by Brent D Glass
A one-of-a-kind guide to 50 of the most important cultural and historic sites in the United States is guaranteed to fascinate, educate and entertain, and is selected and described by the former director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Original.
|
|
Seeking Something More From Life
|
|
| A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan AndersonIf living alone in a rustic Cape Cod cottage for a year while you sort through your future sounds like paradise, read on. Middle-aged Joan Anderson did just that after her husband took a job in another state and she decided she wasn't going with him (the kids were grown and their marriage was stale). Moving into the family's summer cabin, Joan discusses how her explorations -- walking the beach, swimming with seals, working at a fish market, and making new friends (including the widow of famed psychologist Erik Erikson) -- helped her focus and learn more about what she wanted out of life. A 2016 movie version of this bestselling 1999 book stars Karen Allen. |
|
| Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life by Daniel KleinWhen witty 73-year-old philosopher Daniel Klein wanted to learn how to age in the best way, he visited the Greek island of Hydra. In this charming account of his trip, Klein, who co-wrote the bestselling Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar, describes how he turned down the excitement of the new for the comfort of the familiar, going to a place he's known for four decades (bringing along with a suitcase of philosophy books). Taking his cues from philosophers (especially Epicurus) and the older locals he spent time with, Klein slowed down, drank coffee, visited with friends, pondered his experiences, and chronicled it all in this delightful meditation on living life to the fullest. |
|
| Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl StrayedIn this "unsentimental memoir" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), recently divorced 26-year-old Cheryl Strayed sets out on the 1,100-mile Pacific Coast Trail (PCT), walking solo from California, through Oregon, and on to Washington State. Strayed, a completely inexperienced hiker, had plenty of baggage with her, and we're not just talking about her too-heavy backpack. Though the book is centered around her time on the trail and her dealings with snakes, bears, and blisters, sections of Wild discuss the troubles that sent Strayed (back)packing, including her mother's death, the end of her marriage, and her own reckless behaviors. |
|
| The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric WeinerWant more happiness in your life? Maybe you don't need a better job or to lose ten pounds -- maybe you just need a change of scenery. National Public Radio correspondent Eric Weiner traveled the globe, investigating not what happiness is, but where it is. His first stop was Rotterdam, where he consulted scientist Ruut Veenhoven, compiler of the World Database of Happiness, which ranks countries' happiness levels. From there, Weiner, a self-professed grump, visited such "happy" places as Iceland, India, Qatar, Great Britain, and America. The result? "A charming, funny and illuminating travelogue" (The Washington Post). |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Manatee County Public Library System 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard West Bradenton, Florida 34205 (941) 748-5555www.mymanatee.org/library |
|
|
|