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Armchair Travel December 2021 |
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| Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of... by Andrés ReséndezWhat's inside: The vivid story of how in 1564-1565, the Spanish sent four ships from a secret port in Mexico hoping they could cross the Pacific and return, something that had never been achieved.
Why you might like it: Though history had forgotten him, this book centers around Lope Martín, an Afro-Portuguese ship's pilot who battled mutiny, terrible storms, and more, to make history after his ship made it back first. |
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| The Amur River: Between Russia and China by Colin ThubronWhat it is: The lyrical latest by acclaimed British writer Colin Thubron, who, at age 80, took an adventurous trip via horse, boat, train, and car, following the remote Amur River from Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.
What happened: Though he faced injuries and suspicious officials, he followed the nearly 3,000-mile river, which forms the border between Russia and China, and visited with Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian people. |
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| In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain by Tom VitaleWhat it is: A vivid, moving memoir about what it was like working with beloved chef/writer/TV host Anthony Bourdain, by his long-time director and producer, who found himself unmoored by Bourdain's death.
Why you might like it: Debut author Tom Vitale offers a candid, compelling look at Bourdain and their wild experiences shooting his popular TV shows in some of the most volatile regions in the world |
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| Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan ThurasWhat's inside: A friendly, fascinating tour of some the world’s most amazing foods -- from seven continents and 120+ countries -- featuring historical and cultural information plus colorful illustrations, all put together by the ever-curious Atlas Obscura team.
Foods include: Scotland's Irn-Bru drink; Afghanistan's Mended Teapot Soup; North Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue; Chilean beer made from fog; Germany's famous Spaghetti Ice-Cream Sundae.
Also available in eBook on Hoopla |
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| The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina BrenWhat it is: An engrossing social history of Manhattan's groundbreaking Barbizon, a 700-room residential hotel that was women-only from 1928-1981, as well as a look at some of those who called it home.
Residents included: Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, Molly Brown, Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Meg Wolitzer, Betsey Johnson, and Liza Minelli.
Read it for: An entertaining, well-researched look at 20th-century New York City and the middle-class young women who went there to find freedom and work. |
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| The Hotel on Place Vendôme: Life, Death, and Betrayal at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris by Tilar J. MazzeoWhat's inside: A richly detailed, behind-the-doors look at the Paris' famous Hotel Ritz, covering its entire history, but primarily focusing on the World War II years, when the hotel was both a headquarters for Nazi occupation leaders and home to people like Coco Chanel.
Is it for you? It's a gossipy chronicle that delves into illicit affairs and famous people's lives as well as deadly intrigue and acts of resistance. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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