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Armchair Travel October 2018
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| The Immeasurable World: Journeys in Desert Places by William AtkinsWhat 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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| On the Ganges: Encounters with Saints and Sinners on India's Mythic River by George BlackWhat it's about: In short trips over several years, journalist George Black followed India's iconic Ganges River from its Glacier source to its mouth at the Indian Ocean, 1,500 miles away.
Why you might like it: Deftly using history and the writings of earlier travelers (Sir Edmund Hilary, Mark Twain, the Beatles, etc.) to inform his travels, Black thoughtfully discusses the sacred river and relates his own experiences meeting a wide variety of people, including those who worship it and those who pollute it. |
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| Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border by Porter FoxWhat it is: a beautifully written, reflective look at the border region between the United States and Canada, which traces the area's rich history (including the role of Native Americans) and draws on three years of exploration from Maine to Washington State via car, foot, freighter, and canoe.
Did you know? "Before September 11, 2001, half of the 119 border crossings between the US and Canada were unguarded at night."
For fans of: Brian Castner's Disappointment River. |
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| Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road by Kate HarrisWhat 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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| Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else by Maeve HigginsStarring: Maeve Higgins, an Irish comedian and podcaster now living in New York.
What it is: A collection of funny yet thoughtful essays about her time in the United States and other locales that discusses everything from the Irish in America to renting expensive clothing for formal affairs.
Don't miss: "Pen as Gun," describing a comedy workshop in Iraq. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Culpeper County Library 271 Southgate Shopping Center Culpeper, Virginia 22701 540-825-8691
www.cclva.org
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