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Armchair Travel December 2018
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The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah: Fear and Love in the Modern Middle East
by Adam Valen Levinson
What it's about: Hoping to address his post-9/11 fears, a Jewish American man armed with college Arabic skills took a job in Abu Dhabi and visited over 20 Middle-Eastern countries, including Iraq, Iran, and Egypt.
Who it's for: those who appreciate curious, funny, introspective travelers.
Further reading: Want another amusing, Arabic-centric travelogue? Try Zora O'Neill's All Strangers Are Kin.
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The Immeasurable World: Journeys in Desert Places
by William Atkins
What it is: a lyrical travelogue anchored by history and literature, which describes the British author's travels to eight deserts, where he lived in a straw hut, visited a shrine, and experienced Burning Man.
Deserts include: the United States' Sonoran, China's Gobi, Australia's Great Victoria, and the man-made(!) Aralkum in Kazakhstan.
Want a taste? "Waking in the night to the buzzing of cicadas or the yapping of coyotes, I experience a weight of tranquility that has the quality of a quilt."
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The Last Wild Men of Borneo: A True Story of Death and Treasure
by Carl Hoffman
What it's about: Carl Hoffman eloquently describes his travels in Borneo following the paths of two enigmatic outsiders: American Michael Palmieri, a tribal-art dealer who traveled deep into the rainforest, built relationships, and became rich acquiring art for museums and collectors, and Swiss environmentalist Bruno Manser, who lived with the Penan tribe for years, fought logging, and mysteriously disappeared in 2000.
Who it's for: those who relish compelling adventure tales, are fascinated by rainforests, or enjoyed the author's Savage Harvest.
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Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road
by Kate Harris
What it's about: In her first book, an Oxford-trained scientist who always wanted to be an explorer combines history, science, and adventure in a poetic, thought-provoking memoir of her bicycle journey along the legendary Silk Road, accompanied by her childhood friend.
Reviewers say: "Exemplary travel writing: inspiring, moving, heartfelt, and often breathtaking" (Kirkus Reviews).
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| The Man Who Walked Backward: An American Dreamer's Search for Meaning in... by Ben MontgomeryWhat it is: the intriguing story of Depression-era Texan banker Plennie Wingo, who, after losing everything (partially due to his selling alcohol during Prohibition), decided to earn money from sponsors (which didn't work out so well) and by selling postcards (which did) by walking the world...backward.
Don't miss: his stint in a Turkish jail; tea with a queen.
About the author: Ben Montgomery, who was a Pulitzer finalist for news reporting, also wrote the delightful Grandma Gatewood's Walk. |
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Love and Marriage...and Travel
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| When in French: Love in a Second Language by Lauren CollinsWhat happened: Lauren Collins, an American New Yorker writer living in London, fell in love and married a Frenchman, moving to Geneva, Switzerland to be with him.
What it is: a funny, full-bodied, and romantic chronicle of her amusing adventures in a new land and her attempts to communicate in a new tongue.
Reviewers say: This is "a thoughtful, beautifully written meditation on the art of language and intimacy" (The New York Times). |
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| Ruthless River: Love & Survival by Raft on the Amazon's Relentless Madre de Dios by Holly FitzGeraldWhat happened: A dream honeymoon traveling around the world turned into a nightmare for Holly FitzGerald and her new husband when their plane crashed in a South American jungle in 1973. They survived, and retrofitted a raft in order to float down the Madre de Dios river to civilization, but a storm put them off course, stalling them in swampy, piranha-infested waters.
Why you might like it: Peppered with hard-won insights about life and love, this harrowing survival tale is unputdownable. |
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| My Berlin Kitchen: Adventures in Love & Life by Luisa WeissStarring: Chef Luisa Weiss, who was born in 1977 West Berlin to an American father and an Italian mother who soon divorced, making her a frequent international flyer at a young age.
What happened: After years of living in cities around the world, Weiss left behind a stable job and her boyfriend to move back home to Berlin...where she reconnected with the man who later became her husband.
Author buzz: Still living in Germany, Weiss writes the award-winning blog The Wednesday Chef. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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