Armchair Travel
December 2017

"Now, at the stroke of midnight, on top of a Russian ship in the frozen reaches of Antarctica, with a bottle of champagne in both hands and binoculars dangling around my neck, I was in a hot tub with a Scottish historian, a penguin researcher, and a geologist." 
~ from Noah Strycker's Birding Without Borders
 
 
Recent Releases
Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York
by Roz Chast

If you love Manhattan or just want to get to know it better, try the latest book by New Yorker cartoonist and bestselling author Roz Chast. Readers will find a quirky, fun illustrated tribute to the Big Apple that discusses everything from empty subway cars (avoid them) to the grid pattern that makes up most of the island. Written to help her suburban daughter, who was moving to Manhattan for college, Going into Town is a lighthearted, informative look at Chast's favorite city.
The snow tourist : a search for the world's purest, deepest snowfall
by Charlie English

A snow enthusiast searching for the best snow on earth travels across the Alps, searches for signs of global warming in the Cairngorms, meets with avalanche survivors and ski resort operators and explains how snow is created. Original.
L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home
by David Lebovitz

If you enjoy amusing stories about people buying homes in awesome places, L'Appart is for you. Love food? Even better! In his latest book, American expat chef and baker David Lebovitz chronicles his adventures buying and renovating a Paris apartment. Recipes, red tape horror stories, and renovation nightmares are all included, as are details about French idiosyncrasies, Parisian markets, adjusting to life abroad, and so much more.
The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up
by Michael Meyer

As one of China's first Peace Corps volunteers in 1995, Michael Meyer was there when the country was first opening itself to the west. He taught English in Sichuan to people who'd never seen a white person and who thought Americans were evil. Never really leaving China behind, he eventually falls in love with and marries a Chinese woman. Tracing the vast changes he's seen and sharing amusing anecdotes of what he's learned, Meyer provides a fascinating glimpse at his adopted country. Fans of Peter Hessler will want to check out Meyer's work; this is his third book about China.
Around the world in eighty wines : exploring wine one country at a time : Exploring Wine One Country at a Time
by Michael Veseth

Inspired by Jules Verne's classic adventure tale, Mike Veseth takes his readers Around the World in Eighty Wines. The journey starts in London, Phileas Fogg's home base, and follows Fogg's itinerary to France and Italy before veering off in search of compelling wine stories in Syria, Georgia, and Lebanon. Every glass of wine tells a story, and so each of the eighty wines must tell an important tale.
Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
by Noah Strycker

Noah Strycker had a big 2015 goal: to travel the globe seeing as many bird species as possible (preferably over 5,000, which would break a world record). His delightful Birding without Borders chronicles his travels to over 40 countries on all seven continents, his encounters with interesting local birders and fellow travelers, how he came to love birds as a child, and the history and future of birding. This accessible book isn't just for the bird-obsessed, but for all fans of detail-rich, enlightening, and amusing journeys.
Lonely Planet Secret Marvels of the World : 360 Extraordinary Places You Never Knew Existed and Where to Find Them
by Lonely Planet Publications

Featuring communist bunkers, burning gas craters and at least one sponge-rock flourescent grotto built by Polish monks, this book reveals weird and wonderful sights that the crowds don't reach. From eerie natural wonders to historical oddities and bizarre architecture, this is a travel companion for the incurably curious.
Base Camp Las Vegas : 101 Hikes in the Southwest
by Deborah Wall

Positioned in the heart of an immense region of unspoiled beauty, Las Vegas is the ideal starting point for exploring nearby natural wonders in Nevada, California, Utah, and Arizona. With Base Camp Las Vegas as your guide, you'll know exactly where to go and how to prepare for hiking the Southwest. From easy to strenuous, you'll find the perfect experience for every member of your party: children, teens, adults with limited mobility, and experienced hikers.
Contact your librarian for more great books!