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Armchair Travel April 2022 |
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| In Pursuit of Jefferson: Traveling through Europe with the Most Perplexing Founding... by Derek BaxterWhat it's about: Following advice in Thomas Jefferson's "Hints to Americans Travelling in Europe," Virginian Derek Baxter and his family visited places in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, England, Italy, and the United States.
What's inside: fun stories about what they did, including going to gardens and museums and exploring cheese- and wine-making; eye-opening lessons Baxter learned about Jefferson, history, and himself.
For fans of: engaging books that mix U.S. history and contemporary travel, such as Tony Horwitz's Spying on the South, Nathaniel Philbrick's Travels with George, or Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed. |
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| The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir by Karen CheungWhat it is: a lyrical memoir of a young journalist coming of age against the backdrop of a Hong Kong newly under Chinese control; an intimate look at the author's unhappy family, her schooling (including university), and her struggles with depression.
Read it for: the evocative insider's look at the city, including its stratified society, alternative music scene, and protests for democracy.
Read this next: Louisa Lim's Indelible City or Mark Clifford's Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World -- two recent books that, while less personal, offer broader looks at, respectively, the city's history and its politics. |
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World Travel: An Irreverent Guide
by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
What it is: the final book planned by the late, great Anthony Bourdain, which was put together by his long-time colleague Laurie Woolever.
What's inside: Bourdain's witty, lively looks at favorite places and restaurants (via excerpts from earlier writings and recordings); essays about Bourdain by those who knew him well; practical travel information; charming illustrations.
Read this next: any of Bourdain's previous books; Buttermilk Graffiti, an award-winning book detailing Korean American chef Edward Lee's travels across the U.S. exploring various cuisines.
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| The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben RawlenceWhat's inside: an evocative travelogue, engaging nature and science writing, and a perceptive look at arctic forests in Scotland, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Siberia, and Norway, including the effect climate change is having on the trees there.
For fans of: Porter Fox's The Last Winter, Jonathan C. Slaght's Owls of the Eastern Ice, and Roger Deakin's Wildwood.
Reviewers say: "Nature lovers and travelers alike will find this a lovely paean to a rapidly changing landscape" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage by Silvia Vasquez-LavadoWhat happened: Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, who grew up in Lima, Peru, worked in high-pressure Silicon Valley. Struggling with alcoholism and memories of childhood sexual abuse, she began climbing mountains, eventually starting a nonprofit to help girls heal through adventure and becoming the first openly gay woman to climb the Seven Summits.
For fans of: Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and other books that combine unflinching honesty with evocative travelogue.
Movie buzz: Film rights have already been sold, and Selena Gomez is set to star in the big-screen version of this moving memoir. |
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When the Last Lion Roars: The Rise and Fall of the King of Beasts
by Sara Evans
What it's about: Sara Evans considers the cultural significance of the Lion over thousands of years as well as its historic rise and fall as a global species. She also explores the many, and often complex, reasons that explain why numbers have plummeted so catastrophically in recent decades. As humans are the lion's only predator, she asks what is being done to reverse, or at least stem this hemorrhage?
Reviewers say: "Compelling, highly recommended reading for all interested in natural history, hunting, human history, Africa, and India" (Library Journal).
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Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America
by Britt Collins
What it's about: Presents the uplifting story of how homeless alcoholic Michael King rescued an injured stray cat who on shared migrations through the American west inspired him to reach out for help, achieve sobriety and come to terms with painful losses.
For fans of: A Street Cat Named Bob and Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.
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| All the Way to the Tigers by Mary MorrisWhat's inside: compelling, short chapters that move back and forth between time and place describing the acclaimed author's 1950s Chicago-area childhood, her catastrophic 2008 ankle injury in New York, and a 2011 solo tiger-spotting trip to India during the middle of a cold snap.
Read it for: candid writing, interesting factoids, an evocative look at India, and a thoughtful examination of life and travel.
Did you know? Unseen tigers are always referred to as "she." |
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| Nala's World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride Around the Globe by Dean NicholsonWhat's inside: the charming, heartwarming story of affable Scotsman Dean Nicholson, known on social media as 1bike1world, and his travels with the adorable cat he found on a Bosnian mountaintop.
What happened: Feeling purposeless, Nicholson left his job to bike alone around Europe and Asia, leading to his life-changing encounter with Nala, their inspiring bicycle journeys through remarkable terrain, and their visits to refugee camps, animal shelters, beaches, and more.
Locations include: Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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