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| Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells by Pico IyerWhat it is: a poignant, personal meditation on family, self, and dying as viewed within the context of Japanese culture.
What happened: After his Japanese father-in-law died, British-born, Indian American writer Pico Iyer went to Japan where his thoughts turned to aging and death as his wife carried out traditional mourning rituals.
How he coped: Iyer helped his mother-in-law (who couldn't remember her husband had died), wondered about his brother-in-law's refusal to see the family, and played ping pong with elderly friends. |
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| Horizon by Barry LopezWhat it is: an eloquent essay collection combining nature writing, travelogue, and memoir that covers some of the award-winning author's travels (mostly while he was in his 40s and 50s) as well as his encounters with people, animals, and landscapes.
Places visited include: the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, Australia, Kenya, and the Canadian Arctic.
Reviewers say: "Exemplary writing about the world and a welcome gift to readers" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-PalmerWhat happened: On a whim, Lara Prior-Palmer, an English teen at loose ends, registered for the Mongol Derby, a 1,000-kilometer horse race.
And then? Seven weeks later, Prior-Palmer was riding a series of 25 wild ponies across Mongolian grasslands...and became the youngest (and first-ever female) winner of the endurance competition.
Book buzz: This compelling, poetic, and honest book is already appearing on many must-read lists, including ones by Publishers Weekly, Esquire, and Entertainment Weekly. |
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| The Sun Is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds by Caroline Van HemertFeaturing: wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert, who'd spent years working on a Ph.D., and her builder husband, both of whom needed a break after toiling away without taking time to enjoy the outdoors.
What it's about: The couple traveled 4,000 miles through vast wilderness from Washington state's Pacific rainforest to a remote part of the Alaskan Arctic via skis, rowboats, canoes, rafts, and foot.
Why you should read it: With vivid prose, Van Hemert documents the physical perils of the trip (like being stalked a bear) and contemplates her father's health troubles, her relationship with nature, and more. |
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Ottoman odyssey : travels through a lost empire
by Alev Scott
Traveling through twelve countries from Kosovo to Palestine, explores the influence of the Ottoman Empire, which ended 800 years of rule a century ago, on the modern world, including interviews with an Erdogan acolyte in Serbia and a Druze warlord.
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A Year in Paris: Season by Season in the City of Light
by John Baxter
What it is: a seasonal look at life in Paris along with a bit of history, by a prolific Australian author who's lived in the City of Light for decades.
Who it's for: those who want an insider's look at what the famed city is like each month of the year.
Reviewers say: "a quirky, affectionate portrait by an unabashed Francophile" (Kirkus Reviews).
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| The City of Falling Angels by John BerendtWhat happened: The famed Fenice Opera House in Venice dramatically burned just days before author John Berendt's arrival in 1996. Wondering if it could have been arson, Berendt talked to a variety of Venetians.
Who it's for: those who love Venice or enjoy atmospheric travelogues with fascinating people, politics, and city lore.
About the author: John Berendt is the bestselling author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which examined a shocking murder in Savannah, Georgia. |
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| The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten TroostWhat it's about: When 26-year-old J. Maarten Troost's girlfriend accepted a position in the tiny island nation of Kiribati, he decided to tag along, expecting to spend the next two years in a tropical paradise.
What actually happened: Troost quickly discovered the reality of life on the atoll: suffocating heat, polluted waters, tropical diseases, and a distinct lack of modern conveniences.
Reviewers say: "a comic masterwork of travel writing and a revealing look at a culture clash" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Patchogue-Medford Library 54-60 East Main Street Patchogue, New York 11772 (631) 654-4700www.pmlib.org/ |
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