| France: An Adventure History by Graham RobbWhat it is: the fascinating latest by British historian and author Graham Robb, who offers a quick, wide-ranging history of France, from Ancient Gaul to the election of Emmanuel Macron, based on a series of bicycle journeys he's taken throughout the country.
Read this next: Paris to the Past by Ina Caro, The Seine by Elaine Sciolino, or the author's other books.
Reviewers say: "Delightful, discerning, and charmingly irreverent" (Kirkus Reviews); "refreshing as well as deeply researched" (Booklist). |
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| The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Paradise, Profit, and Peril at the Beach by Sarah StodolaWhat it's about: Travel writer Sarah Stodola details visits to beach resorts around the globe, offering an eye-opening, well-researched look at these "sanitized bubbles" and their sometimes troubling aspects, as well as their history and what climate change might mean for their future.
Locations include: Thailand, England, New Jersey, Monte Carlo, Fiji, Nicaragua, Senegal, Ibiza, Hawaii, Portugal, Florida, Indonesia.
Want a taste? "We haven't really conquered the sea, as it likes to remind us. The beach resort only works as well as our ability to pretend otherwise." |
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| Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure by Rinker BuckWhat it is: a fascinating combination of history and travelogue by Rinker Buck, who built a 19th-century-style wooden flatboat and sailed it from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, with the help a small, entertaining crew.
Want a taste? "The inland rivers -- not the wagon ruts crossing from Missouri to Oregon -- were American's first western frontier."
Read this next: the author's The Oregon Trail, Tony Horwitz's Spying on the South, Imani Perry's South to America, or Peter Fox's Northland. |
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| Shadowlands: A Journey Through Britain's Lost Cities and Vanished Villages by Matthew GreenWhat it is: a historian's lyrical, haunting look at eight lost British towns, covering their rise and demise, the people who lived there, and what the places are like now.
Locations include: Skara Brae, a Neolithic site in the Orkney Islands; Wharram Percy, a deserted medieval village; Dunwich, a city that fell into the sea, and Capel Celyn, a village flooded in 1965 for a reservoir.
For fans of: Robert Macfarlane's books, Annalee Newitz's Four Lost Cities, and Alastair Bonnett's Unruly Places. |
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| A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home by Frances MayesWhat it is: a short collection of personal essays centered on home and place by the bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun.
Locations include: San Francisco, where she once lived; Cortana, Italy, where she renovated a home; Hillsborough, NC, where she now lives and grows roses; Fitzgerald, Georgia, where she grew up; Provence, Capri, and other places she's felt at home.
Want more essay collections? Try Aminatta Forna's The Window Seat, Letitia Clark's Bitter Honey, or Pam Houston's Deep Creek. |
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| Driving Miss Norma: An Inspirational Story About What Really Matters at the End of Life by Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie LiddleStarring: charming nonagenarian Norma; her retired son, Tim; his personable wife, Ramie; and their standard poodle, Ringo.
What happened: After receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis the same week her husband died, Norma decided to forgo a nursing home and invasive chemotherapy to embark on a lively tour of the country with Tim, Ramie, and Ringo in their Airstream RV.
Adventures include: hot air balloon rides, NBA courtside seats, a fêted appearance at the Boston St. Patrick's Day parade, and more. |
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Shape of a Boy : Family Life Lessons in Far-Flung Places
by Kate Wickers
What it is: Shape of a Boy is an inspirational parenting travel memoir from travel journalist and mother of three, Kate Wickers, as she and her family cross the globe in search of adventure.
Reviewers say: "highly entertaining, often hilarious" and "inspiring to all parents."
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| Blue Sky Kingdom: An Epic Family Journey to the Heart of the Himalaya by Bruce KirkbyFeaturing: Canadian TV journalist Bruce Kirkby, his introverted wife Christine, their highly intelligent autistic seven-year-old son Bodi, and their free-spirited three-year-old son Taj.
What happened: From British Columbia, they slow traveled (no planes!) for three months, making their way to South Korea, India, China, and finally Nepal, staying at a Buddhist monastery for three months.
For fans of: rich, uplifting family travelogues; the Travel Channel's Big Crazy Family Adventure, which covers the first part of their trip. |
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| From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi LockeWhat it is: a poignant, heartfelt memoir by actress Tembi Locke, who fell in love with Saro, an Italian professional chef. Saro's Sicilian family wasn't sure about him marrying a Black American, but as he battled and then succumbed to cancer, Tembi grew closer to them and spent summers in Sicily with the couple's adopted daughter.
Media buzz: An eight-part Netflix series starring Zoe Saldaña arrives this month. Locke and her sister, bestselling crime writer Attica Locke, created, wrote, and produced the show. |
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| We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year by Charles WheelanWhat it's about: In 2016, college professor Charles Wheelan, his math teacher wife, 18-year-old daughter, 16-year-old daughter, and 13-year-old son left their New Hampshire home to spend nine months visiting six continents on a budget.
What happened: They visited Colombia, Australia, the Republic of Georgia, India, and other locales while seeing amazing sights, large spiders, and not always getting along with each other.
Read this next: For other entertaining family travelogues, try Dan Kois' How to Be a Family. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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