News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

New books on Travel: ‘Mr and Mrs Dog’, ‘Laneways of Melbourne’ and ‘Amazing places cost nothing’ are three of this great mix of Travel books.

Overbooked : the exploding business of travel and tourism / Elizabeth Becker.
“Everyone needs a vacation, a time for carefree fun on a cruise, at a theme park, in a cultured city, or in nature. … What many do not realize is that with over a billion people now visiting foreign countries, travel and tourism have become an international force that seriously affects cultures, economies, and the environment. …Having spent more than 30 years as a correspondent for the Washington Post, New York Times, and other publications, Becker has seen tremendous change in foreign travel. In this timely and entertainingly personal report for serious travelers and policymakers, she features how tourism fares in France, Italy, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Dubai, Africa, China, and the U.S.–Roche, Rick Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Amazing places cost nothing : the new golden age of authentic travel / Herbert Ypma.
“In a world where package tours and international brands make the leading destinations begin to look alike, the thrill of discovery is in danger of disappearing from travel. Written by travel expert Herbert Ypma, who has traveled the globe, this book will change the way we envision the perfect vacation. Some 300 photographs capture thirty hidden gems from around the world. Ranging from a dusty working cattle ranch in Arizona to Brazil’s best deserted beach to a secluded island paradise off the coast of the French Riviera, these locations offer priceless adventure and beauty-especially because they are relatively inexpensive to visit. Often the best part of the trip is getting there, and Ypma tells engaging stories about how he stumbled upon each place.” (Syndetics summary)

France’s best trips : 39 amazing road trips / this edition written and researched by Oliver Berry … [et. al.].
“39 drives ranging from 1 to 10 days, and 140 maps- Extended coverage of the best unmissable routes- Road trip essentials on driving in France and useful phrases.” (Syndetics summary)

65 things to do when you retire / edited by Mark Evan Chimsky.
“…this new collection features 65 lively essays on a wide variety of fun and unusual travel opportunities for retirees, including eco-travel (to Brazil’s wetlands or the barrier reef off Belize), volunteering abroad (going on archaeological digs or helping to make a difference in developing countries), wine tourism (from Colorado to Croatia), international house-sitting, and taking a retirement “gap year.” In 65 Things to Do When You Retire: Travel, intrepid travel writers and notable retirement experts reveal their own personal adventures and offer practical advice about how to have the time of your life, whether traveling with a group, a spouse or partner, or on your own.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Mörön to Mörön : two men, two bikes, one Mongolian misadventure / Tom Doig.
“In July 2010, Tom Doig and his best mate Tama Pugsley cycled 1487 kilometres across Northern Mongolia from a small town called Moron to an even smaller town, also called Moron. Why? Because it was there.” (Syndetics summary)

Laneways of Melbourne / [Kornelia Freeman & Ulo Pukk].
“Melbourne’s unique laneways are a wonderful place of excitement and discovery and a mecca for people who love to explore, socialise, shop and eat & drink. Laneways of Melbourne is a visually stunning guide book to over 200 laneways, alleys and small streets of Melbourne’s CBD. A fold-out map on the inside cover will guide you to laneways from Ulster Lane off Spring Street to Captains Walk in the Docklands and the captions on each page will inform of each laneway’s fascinating history and name origins.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Paris to the Pyrenees : a skeptic pilgrim walks the way of Saint James / David Downie ; photographs by Alison Harris.
“An eclectic author of cookbooks, novels, and tourist guides, Downie embarks here on the genre of travel writing. His journey, which he completed on foot between the titular locations, in general followed the hallowed Christian pilgrimage route to Spain, le Chemin de Saint Jacques. France being France, history accompanied Downie as much as his walking companion, his wife, Alison. Their conversations were sparked by route-side sights, such as a centuries-old chateau that counted as young, and became enmeshed with Downie’s interior reflections about his reasons for undertaking the journey….Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist)” (adapted fron Syndetics summary)

Mr. and Mrs. Dog : our travels, trials, adventures, and epiphanies / Donald McCaig.
“Sheepdog trainer and novelist, poet, and essayist McCaig (Eminent Dogs) takes more than a few detours en route to describing his experiences in the World Trial, the “only truly international” competition for sheepdogs, and he may well lose readers along the way…. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved” (Publisher Weekly)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Argentina : a woman’s guide to traveling in Argentina / [authors, Erica Arvizu, Page Buono ; edtor-in-chief, Kelly Lewis].
“A travel guide designed for women traveling alone in Argentina. “The wine, the tango, the steak – there are a million reasons to fall in love with Argentina. Whether you’re here to see the turquoise glaciers, the penguins, the forests, or the majestic mountains, we’ll help guide you through all the corners of this meat-loving paradise safely. This is the essential guidebook for women traveling through Argentina. Find safe places to stay, get important information on women’s health, learn how to blend in like a local and navigate Argentine cuisine like a pro”–P. [4] of cover.” (Syndetics summary)

Quiet Paris / Siobhan Wall.
“Paris is a beautiful city with astounding architecture and world-famous museums and restaurants. Because of its many attractions, however, it often feels as if there is nowhere to escape from the crowds. Siobhan Wall, author of Quiet Amsterdam and Quiet London, has sought out hidden, tranquil places so that Parisians can find some respite from their busy lives.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Africa : eye to eye with the unknown / Michael Bright ; foreword by David Attenborough.
“…This lavish and unmissable companion to the BBC One series reveals the undiscovered side of Africa’s five unique regions. Inspiring photography captures unprecedented wildlife behaviour, mesmerising new creatures and magical landscapes that will astound and captivate, and will challenge what you think you know about Africa. This is a spectacular journey through a vast and diverse continent in all its beautiful and unexpected abundance.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

New travel books. From Hong Kong to Iceland: and two books about survival.

A month by the sea : encounters in Gaza / Dervla Murphy.
“Bombed and cut-off from normal contact with the rest of the world, life in Gaza is beset with structural, medical and mental health problems, yet it is also bursting with political engagement and underwritten by an intense enjoyment of family life. During her month by the sea, Dervla Murphy develops an acute eye for the way in which isolation has shaped this society. Time and again she meets men who have returned to the Strip as an act of presence. Yet the mosque is often their only daily activity, as difficulties obtaining supplies mean few opportunities for creative work.” (Syndetics summary)

Into the abyss / Carol Shaben.
“Six people lost their lives in the plane crash. Four men found theirs. On a wintry October night in 1984, a Piper Navajo commuter plane bound for remote communities in northern Canada set off into thick cloud and freezing rain. One hour later, the plane smashed headlong into a high ridge of rugged forest. Of the ten people on board, only four – strangers from wildly different backgrounds – survived the crash: Erik, the young pilot who had never wanted to fly in such bad weather in the first place. Larry, a respected politician and family man. Scott, a rookie cop who, against regulations, had unshackled the prisoner he was escorting to face charges. And Paul: a criminal, and the only one to escape the crash uninjured. The only one capable of keeping the other three alive – should he choose to.”…–www.booktopia.com.au” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The last place you’d look for a wallaby : my obsessive quest to seek out alien species / Glen Chilton.
“”Chilton visits Ireland to witness how rhododendrons, an ornamental plant that escaped a private garden, now threaten to choke out the last of the great oak forests of the United Kingdom. He escapes blood-thirsty midges and a murderous Hungarian architect while visiting a colony of forgotten Scottish wallabies; finds out how termites, brought in on packing crates after the Second World War, contributed to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; dives with endangered sea turtles in North Queensland; and dodges crocodiles and machine guns in the eucalyptus forests of Ethiopia…..”–Publisher’s description.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Snowing in Bali / Kathryn Bonella.
“Snowing in Bali is the story of the drug trafficking and dealing scene that’s made Bali one of the world’s most important destinations in the global distribution of narcotics. With its central location to the Asia Pacific market, its thriving tourist industry to act as cover for importation, and a culture of corruption that can easily help law enforcement turn a blind eye, Bali has long been a paradise for traffickers as well as for holiday-makers…..” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Hidden cities : travels to the secret corners of the world’s great metropolises : a memoir of urban exploration / Moses Gates.
“”Urban exploration with Gates makes for wildly entertaining reading. Whereas most travel authors highlight the museums, fashionable streets, and restaurants of the great cities of the world, Gate’s passion lies elsewhere. He revels in surmounting contrived barriers, whether in New York, Paris, or Ukraine. “We live our whole lives as prisoners of artificial boundaries-boundaries put in place not by mountains, rivers, or walls but by people and institutions who tell us that they’re there.” Gates chronicles his exploits exploring subway tunnels in New York and Stockholm; climbing the Lateran Obelisk sewers in Rome; ringing a bell on the top of Norte Dame; and traipsing through abandoned buildings in Brazil.” …(Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved” (Publisher Weekly)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Alone on the ice : the greatest survival story in the history of exploration / David Roberts.
“”Douglas Mawson is not as well known as Amundsen, Scott, or Shakleton, but as this intense and thrilling epic shows, he deserves a place on the pedestal next to these other great explorers of the Antarctic. Trained as a geologist, the Australian-born Mawson launched an expedition to a largely unexplored region of Antarctica in 1912. The effort soon turned into a grim struggle of endurance and survival against an unforgiving environment. ….–Freeman, Jay Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

An illustrated journey : inspiration from the private art journals of traveling artists, illustrators and designers / Danny Gregory.
“Travel + Sketching = Inspiration. When we travel, we don’t want to follow the same itinerary as everyone who’s come before us. We want to feel like explorers, adventurers in undiscovered territory. And that’s exactly what sketching can bring to the travel experience. An Illustrated Journey captures the world through the eyes of 40 talented artists, illustrators and designers. You’ll experience the wonder of seeing familiar sights through a fresh lens but, more important, you’ll be inspired to set pen to paper and capture your own vistas. ….” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Italy’s best trips : 38 amazing road trips / this edition written and researched by Paula Hardy, Duncan Garwood & Robert Landon.
“38 routes lasting from a few days to two weeks, and 128 maps- Covers classic routes like the Amalfi Coast and intriguing back-road itineraries- Essential tips, advice and useful phrases for driving in Italy.” (Syndetics summary)

The rough guide to Iceland / written and researched by David Leffman and James Proctor.
“The Rough Guide to Iceland is the ultimate travel guide to this fascinating island and its capital Reykjavik, with clear maps and detailed coverage of all the best attractions. Discover Iceland’s highlights with inspiring photography and information on everything from hiking, soaking in natural hot springs and whale watching, to indulging in Reykjavík’s lively nightlife and superb seafood.” (Syndetics summary)

Pocket Hong Kong : top sights, local life, made easy / Piera Chen.
“Best of Hong Kong. We’ve found the best walks, food, art, shopping, views, nightlife and more. Maps for every neighbourhood. Walking tours and day planners. Packed with expert travel tips.” (Syndetics summary)

New travel stories. Love with a chance of drowning.

Love with a chance of drowning : a memoir / Torre DeRoche.
“Love can make a person do crazy things… A city girl with a morbid fear of deep water, Torre DeRoche is not someone you would ordinarily find adrift in the middle of the stormy Pacific aboard a leaky sailboat – total crew of two – struggling to keep an old boat, a new relationship and her floundering sanity afloat. But when she meets Ivan, a handsome Argentinean man with a humble sailboat and a dream to set off exploring the world, Torre has to face a hard decision: watch the man she’s in love with sail away forever, or head off on the watery journey with him. Suddenly the choice seems simple. She gives up her sophisticated city life, faces her fear of water (and tendency towards seasickness) and joins her lover on a year-long voyage across the Pacific.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Jungleland : a mysterious lost city, a WWII spy, and a true story of deadly adventure / Christopher S. Stewart.
“”… Stewart’s chronicle relates his 2008 odyssey to Honduras. He sought a place of rumored existence called the White City, with which he became obsessed upon learning that, in 1940, colorful adventurer Theodore Morde announced its discovery, though he kept proprietarily circumspect about its exact location. Morde then became an OSS agent but never returned to Honduras. With the assistance of Morde’s journal, an experienced American archaeologist, and local Honduran guides, Stewart sallied forth for the tropical forest where lurked the White City. ….–Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist) (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Bearback : the world overland / Pat Garrod.
“‘Inspired’, ‘enthralling’ and ’stylish’ are just some of the words used to describe the first edition of Bearback. Now in paperback, Pat Garrod’s remarkable story is set to be discovered by even more travellers.. Imagine jacking it all in, packing your life into a 41-litre pannier and riding into the sunset. Bearback is the story of two GPs who did just that, downing stethoscopes to take off on their motorcycle, The Bear, to see the world. Across the deserts of Africa, over the mountains of the Andes, deep into the jungles of Indochina, and beyond the Arctic Circle; 100,000 miles through six continents and 64 countries. A circumnavigation of epic proportion and entirely unsupported, it was to become one of the longest journeys ever undertaken by a couple on one motorcycle, a journey destined to change their lives forever.” (Syndetics summary)

Farewell, Fred Voodoo : a letter from Haiti / Amy Wilentz.
“Describes the author’s long and painful relationship with Haiti before and after the 2010 earthquake, tracing the country’s turbulent history and its status as a symbol of human rights activism and social transformation.” (Syndetics summary)

The golden shore : California’s love affair with the sea / David Helvarg.
“”In this ambitious work, journalist and conservationist Helvarg (Saved by the Sea) successfully relates the myriad ways in which Californians engage with their beloved Pacific. …Unsurprisingly, Helvarg starts with surfing, specifically the Mavericks big-wave contest at Half Moon Bay. He covers California’s Native population from the earliest arrivals to a recent victory requiring the removal of dams on the Klamath River to return it and its fishing to a more natural state. Environmental issues appear throughout, though Helvarg also devotes entire chapters to shipping. …In two late chapters Helvarg describes a coastal drive from Mexico to Oregon, and then concludes with thoughts on how Californians will face ongoing environmental trials, such as a projected sea level rise of three feet or more. 12 b&w photos. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved” (Publisher Weekly)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

New travel guides

Korea / this edition written and researched by Simon Richmond, Timothy N Hornyak, Shawn Low.Korea
“”The Korean Peninsula is a true travel gem: the South, a high-tech nation with a reverence for tradition and the ways of old Asia; the North, a challenging, geopolitical enigma.”Simon Richmond, Lonely Planet Writer .” (Amazon.co.uk.)

Back roads Ireland / contributors, Donna Daily … [et. al].
“Unearth the real soul of this magical region with all the practical information you could need, from road conditions and length of drive to parking information and opening hours. Twenty-five themed drives, each lasting one to seven days, reveal breathtaking views, hidden gems and authentic local experiences that can only be discovered by road. Each tour is bursting with insider knowledge and loaded with ideas for varied activities from walks to days on the beach and children’s attractions, to wine and cycling trips.” (Amazon.co.uk)

Top 10 Cancun and the Yucatan / Nick Rider.
“DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Cancun & the Yucatan will lead you straight to the very best this region has to offer. Whether you’re looking for the things not to miss at the Top 10 sights, or want to find the best nightspots, this guide is the perfect pocket-sized companion. The guide is divided by area with restaurant reviews for each, as well as recommendations for hotels, bars, and places to shop. You’ll find the insider knowledge every visitor needs to explore every corner effortlessly with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Cancun & the Yucatan and its free pull-out map.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

36 hours USA & Canada : Midwest and Great Lakes / edited by Barbara Ireland.
“”The New York Times has been offering up dream weekends with practical itineraries in its popular weekly ‘36 Hours’ column since 2002. The many expert contributors, experienced travelers, and accomplished writers all have brought careful research, insider’s knowledge, and a sense of fun to hundreds of cities and destinations, always with an eye to getting the most out of a short trip.”–Amazon.com.” (Syndetics summary)

36 hours USA & Canada : West Coast / edited by Barbara Ireland.
“”The New York Times has been offering up dream weekends with practical itineraries in its popular weekly ‘36 Hours’ column since 2002. The many expert contributors, experienced travelers, and accomplished writers all have brought careful research, insider’s knowledge, and a sense of fun to hundreds of cities and destinations, always with an eye to getting the most out of a short trip.”–Amazon.com.” (Syndetics summary)

New travel books, taking you from Antarctica to Japan, Europe, China, Africa and ‘Around India in 80 Trains’.

Tokyo on foot : travels in the city’s most colorful neighborhoods / text and illustrations by Florent Chavouet.
“In this first English edition of a graphic memoir of a young French graphic artist of his stay in Tokyo in 2006, Chavouet presents his sketches evidently inspired by Japanese cartoon styles, hand-drawn maps, and impressions of the sights, sounds, and cultural quirks of the neighborhoods of what he notes has been called “the most beautiful of ugly cities.” The book was originally published in 2009 by Editions Philippe Picquier, and awarded a prize that year at the International Festival of Geography. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)” (Syndetics summary)

The Kombi trail : across three continents in a VW van / Robert Cox, Roger Sherwin, Tony Thompson.
“Cambridge, 1961. A group of students set off on the trip of a lifetime. Against the backdrop of the Cold War they travel through the Soviet Union to the Middle East, South Asia and on to Africa. Their mode of transport? The iconic VW Kombi.This book tells the story of that trip, not just the people they met and the places they saw, but the many experiences – sometimes nerve-wracking, sometimes bizarre – that they encountered along the way. It provides a fascinating insight into a world on the brink of change – seen through the eyes of nine young men fresh from university. ….” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Here, there, elsewhere : stories from the road / William Least Heat-Moon.
“”It’s collected-works time for the renowned author of such outstanding travel literature as Blue Highways (1983) and River-Horse (1999). Thirty magazine pieces comprise this assembly, with some articles ranging abroad, such as the author’s depictions of his ventures to New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, and Britain. Most, however, amble around America or radiate from the author’s home states of Missouri and Kansas. ….–Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist)” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Paris sketchbook / paintings by Fabrice Moireau ; text by Maria Kelly.
“Paris seen through the eyes of artist Fabrice Moireua, with sketches in watercolour and pencil perfectly matched by an introduction by Mary A. Kelly. These residents of the world’s most romantic capital city are the perfect guides to its street, monuments, gardens and delightfully hidden corners.” (Book jacket)

Leave the lipstick, take the iguana : funny travel stories and strange packing tips / edited by Marcy Gordon.
“The ninth book in the best-selling Travelers’ Tales humor series. This laugh-out-loud collection will resonate with experienced travelers and novices alike and includes hilarious misadventures with packing, travel fashion, border crossings, language faux pas, weird encounters with exotic cuisine, and romantic overtures abroad.” (Syndetics summary)

Gypset travel / Julia Chaplin.
“Gypsy+Jet Set = Gypset. In the follow-up to her best-selling Gypset Style, Julia Chaplin explores the little-known enclaves of gypsetters around the globe, from the Aeolian Islands in Italy to Lamu, Kenya; North Goa, India; and Jose Ignacio, Uruguay. Chaplin coined the term ‘gypset’ to describe a new lifestyle that fuses the carefree ethos of a gypsy nomad with the sophistication of the jet set. Gypset Travel delves into this glamorous bohemian world of artists, designers, and bons viivants through intimate photography and first-person anecdotes.” (Book jacket)

The robber of memories : a river journey through Colombia / Michael Jacobs.
“A gripping journey up the River Magdalena into the central regions of Colombia, and a moving, deeply personal meditation on memory and its loss in the footsteps of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.” (Syndetics summary)

Around India in 80 trains / Monisha Rajesh.
“To understand India you have to see it, hear it, breathe it and feel it. Living through the good, the bad and the ugly is the only way to know where you fit in and where India fits into you. In 1991 Monisha and her family uprooted from Sheffield to Madras in the hope of making India their home again. But fed up with soap-eating rats, severed human heads, paying bribes, and the creepy colonel across the road, they soon returned to England, determined never to go back again. But twenty years later, Monisha takes a page out of Jules Verne’s classic tale, turns to a map of the Indian railways and embarks on an adventure around India in 80 trains connecting 80 cities, covering 40,000km – the circumference of the Earth. …” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Empire Antarctica : ice, silence & emperor penguins / Gavin Francis.
“It is said to be one of our oldest stories: a young man goes to a far-off land in search of a mythical and wondrous beast. For years, Gavin Francis yearned to go to the remotest place on our planet, to see one of the strangest beasts alive. This is how he came to spend fourteen months living alongside emperor penguins as the base-camp doctor at Halley, a profoundly isolated British research station on the Caird Coast of Antarctica. …Combining an evocative and enchanting narrative with a sublime sensitivity to the natural world, this is travel writing at its very best.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Cooks, clowns and cowboys : 101 skills and experiences to discover on your travels / [written by Andrew Bain ... [et al.]].
“101 experiences, courses and lessons into classical skills and talents from around the world ; Tips on becoming the next molecular gastronomy genius, an intrepid archeologist, a Paris-based artist and more; The ultimate reference book for making the most of your travels – and gaining new skills along the way.” (Syndetics summary)

Including from mapping your adventures to “the Japan Rail Pass”, the disappearing Antarctica, a blind person motorcycling round the world, rowing around London and, finally, ceasing to roam.

On the map : why the world looks the way it does / Simon Garfield.
“From Mappa Mundi to Myst – the bestselling “Just My Type” author turns his gaze to maps. …This is a book that will inspire mapophiles but engage even those of us who stare blankly at an OS pathfinder’s hieroglyphs. Just as Garfield found the magic in fonts, here he creates compelling narratives on everything from the challenge of mapping the oceans to spellbinding treasure maps to the naming of America, from Churchill’s crucial war maps to the lay-out of a Monopoly board, from crime maps to music maps, from rare map dealers to cartographic frauds.” (Syndetics summary)

The further adventures of an idiot abroad / Karl Pilkington ; photography by Freddie Claire ; illustrations by Dominic Trevett.
“…Taking the Bucket List of ‘100 Things to Do Before You Die’ as his starting point, Karl combines brilliant stories from his recent adventures to Alaska, Siberia and beyond with entertaining, highly-opinionated views on what other people aspire to do with their lives. * Why on earth would anybody want to run with the bulls in Pamplona? * Go ’storm chasing’ through Tornado Alley? * Have lunch with the Queen? * Or touch hands with the Pope? The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad is a fitting finale to two years of eventful globe-trotting. Frank, funny and strangely inspiring, this is Karl’s final word on travel.”–amazon.com. (Syndetics summary)

Japan by rail / Ramsey Zarifeh. “The secret to travelling around Japan on a budget is the Japan Rail Pass. Using this guide and a Japan Rail Pass, you can travel almost anywhere across all four main islands – cheaply and efficiently. …Practical information – planning your trip; what to take; getting to Japan from Europe, North America and Australasia. City guides and maps – where to stay (all budgets), where to eat, what to see in 30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

San Francisco Chinatown : a guide to its history and architecture / Philip P. Choy ; architectural photographs by Brian W. Choy. “San Francisco Chinatown is the first “insider’s guide” to one of America’s most celebrated ethnic enclaves by an author born and raised there. Both a history of America’s oldest Chinese community and a guide to its significant sites and architecture, San Francisco Chinatown traces the development of the neighborhood from the city’s earliest days to its post-quake transformation into an “oriental” tourist attraction as a pragmatic means of survival.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Lost Antarctica : adventures in a disappearing land / James McClintock. “Hidden between the ice and snow of Antarctica is a world unlike any other. Bitter cold, scarce resources, and six months a year without sunlight make this frozen landscape virtually uninhabitable for humans. Yet these harsh conditions have created a unique and fascinating world of unusual plants and curious animals, mostly amphibians. …Now, as temperatures rise, hardy species from warmer climates are making Antarctica their home and destroying this fragile terrain. ….” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

River/Road : journeys through ecology / David Cook, [photographs] ; Wiremu Puke, [text] ; Jonty Valentine, [graphic design]
“”River/Road takes an intimate look at the environmental, cultural, historical and economic factors that shape the ecology of our immediate environment. The narrative explores regional ecology from a bicultural perspective. The authors trace a journey, following the parallel arteries of the Waikato River and River Road. The emphasis is on being ‘readers of the landscape”–Publisher information.” (Syndetics summary)

Touching the world : a blind woman, two wheels, 25,000 miles / Cathy Birchall and Bernard Smith. “… the extraordinary story of Cathy Birchall, a blind woman, who set off with her companion Bernard Smith, to become the first blind person ever to circle the world on a motorbike, an 18 year old BMW R100. …From desolate and dangerous mountain roads, difficult border crossings and numerous mechanical breakdowns, to climbing Wayna Picchu …a poignant visit to the Centre for Blind Women in Delhi …and an (inadvertent) overnight stay in a Kosovan brothel – this book has it all…” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

New York / [edited by Heather Reyes]. “All the sights, sounds and flavours of city life with perfect gems of city writing. Already the series has taken us to the hearts of Paris, London, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam and Venice. From Oxygen Books, a new publisher of surprising books about all kinds of journeys. An exciting and unique popular city break travel series featuring the best ever writing on favourite World cities. Short vignettes from writers including Woody Allen, Tom Wolfe and Don DeLillo to Patti Smith, Junot Diaz and David Byrne, from over one hundred dazzling writers in all.” (Syndetics summary)

Circle line : around London in a small boat / Steffan Meyric Hughes. “…. In 1969, man flew to the moon and sailed around the world solo. In 2009, sailor and Londoner Steffan Meyric Hughes thought he’d try something a little closer to home, becoming the first to sail and row around London in a small boat. Along the way, he discovers the history of the great city’s future and great secrets of the mysterious Thames: wrecks, bombs and intrigue. Circle Line is the story of a unique journey on the forgotten waterways of one of the world’s greatest capitals; an investigation into the way we live today; and a humorous, moving trip down memory lane.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

When wanderers cease to roam : a traveler’s journal of staying put / Vivian Swift.
“Following a lifetime of trekking across the globe, Swift has finally dropped her rucksack in a small town on the edge of the Long Island Sound. In this beautifully illustrated work, the author chronicles, month by month, the wonderfully mundane perks of remaining at home.” (Syndetics summary)

A book about the sixteenth century Portuguese navigators: did they really sail and chart coastlines in New Zealand? And did you know that there are many ‘Mom and Pop’ shops still in the Big Apple…. these and other travel answers are to be found in this month’s round-up of new Travel books.

Scary monsters and super creeps : in search of the world’s most hideous beasts / by Dom Joly.
A brilliantly bizarre and hilarious travelogue from the audacious comedian, and TV star, Dom Joly.(Syndetics summary)

Retire and live the dream : our long journey to la dolce vita / Annette Edis. “Retire and Live the Dream: Our Long Journey to la Dolce Vita has been written to inspire and encourage readers to travel, especially those recently retired; urging them to disregard any fears they might have, take the plunge and have an experience of a lifetime. Included are an abundance of travel tips for both affordable and enjoyable travel, the importance of life goals and staying young in your outlook on life. Also included are fascinating anecdotes, myths and histories of the many towns, cities and countries visited by Annette.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Almost somewhere : twenty-eight days on the John Muir Trail / Suzanne Roberts.
“While wilderness memoirs have been coming fast and furious lately, Roberts dares to combine a hiking adventure with a healthy dose of humor and female bonding in all its complicated and turbulent best. Nearly 20 years ago she joined two girlfriends on a monthlong postcollegiate hike of the John Muir Trail. … With wit, laughter, and longing, she writes of the trip not as an attempt at wilderness salvation but rather a desire to do something, anything, that proved the future would not be so daunting. An utterly refreshing outdoors memoir free of the seemingly manufactured drama so many similar titles contain. A delightful and quite literary diversion.–Mondor, Colleen Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist) (adapted)

Pre-Tasman Portuguese down under? / John Tasker. “For more than 200 years, scholars and amateurs alike have wrestled with the problem — did sixteenth century Portuguese navigators sail down the east coast of Australia and along the shores of New Zealand, charting the coastlines as they went? Employing endless speculation, all kinds of people have proposed all kinds of theories, not one of which resulted in a resolution over those two centuries. This book is different. Forsaking the speculation and guesswork model, it finally lays the matter to rest beyond all reasonable doubt.” (Syndetics summary)

The Condé Nast traveler Book of unforgettable journeys : great writers on great places. Volume II / edited with an introduction by Klara Glowczewska.
“…Anthologies of travel writing abound, most of them like a pirate’s chest filled to the brim with gems. This one, the second gathering of articles published originally in Conde Nast Traveler magazine, has mostly diamonds for contents. The strongest pieces here among all strong pieces, that is include famous food critic Calvin Trillin’s Some Like It Not Hot, in which he shares experiences visiting the Ecuadorean city of Cuenca, calling it a walking around city (which he characterizes as often short on well-known sights but having small-item appeal nevertheless)….–Hooper, Brad Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist) (adapted)

Estonia : a ramble through the periphery / [Alexander Theroux].
“Any journey with Alexander Theroux is an education. Endowed with a razor-sharp and hyper-literate mind, he stands beside Thomas Pynchon as one of the sharpest cultural commentators of our time. For Theroux, the country of Estonia and its people became a puzzle as he accompanied his wife there for a nine-month stay. Estonia is as biting and satirical as it is witty and urbane; as curious and lyrical as it is brash and irreverent. It marks a new highlight in an already stellar career and a book that continues Fantagraphics’ exceptional line of prose works.” (Syndetics summary)

Two guys on the road ; walking backwards across the world / Steve Chandler & Terrence N. Hill. “In TWO GUYS ON THE ROAD, Steve Chandler and Terry Hill write e-mails, postcards, and letters to each other as they travel the world. Terry mostly takes lengthy travels for pleasure abroad with his wife Miranda while Steve takes short business trips around the country, at times with his wife Kathy. In their usual style, Steve and Terry often launch into digressions to discuss whatever piques their interest in the moment resulting in a collage of places, people, opinions, travel tips, and sometimes tenuously-related memories.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Classic hikes of North America : 25 breathtaking treks in the United States and Canada / Peter Potterfield. “Included in the book is helpful information, such as: level of difficulty, trail conditions, recommended seasons, potential hazards and difficulties, resource information, and detailed maps of hiking routes. …. These are journeys to dream on, and Potterfield puts them within reach of any aspiring hiker.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

360 degrees longitude : one family’s journey around the world / John Higham. “In June 2005, John Higham, his wife September, daughters Jordan and Katrina packed-up and began a 52 week global adventure, visiting 30 countries on five continents. They stayed with friends, strangers, college girls on spring break and Polish shipyard workers with a penchant for striped boxer shorts and little else. The Highams learnt more than just the food and cultures of their destinations; fish can mistake nipples for a snack, a Chilean mall isn’t the best place to get ears pierced and that elephants love receiving flowers; and they learnt all about each other.” (Amazon.co.uk)

New York originals : a guide to the city’s classic shops & mom-and-pops / by Jamie McDonald. “Some of the last classic mom-and-pop businesses in the US are in the Big Apple: despite the fast-moving, ever-changing nature of the City and the recent onslaught of chain stores, many small businesses in New York and its five boroughs have survived and thrived year after year, generation after generation. ….a unique tour through all five boroughs introduces readers to 75 of these unique shops, restaurants, services, and manufacturers….” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

From Secret Milan to Hidden Brussels, the Indian Coast and ‘Flamenco’ Spain, these new travel books will guide you around the world and back again to New Zealand.

Have mother, will travel : a mother and daughter discover themselves, each other, and the world / Claire and Mia Fontaine.
“Told in alternating voices, a travelogue capturing the changing relationship between a mother and her adult daughter follows their sixteen-city, twelve-country tour during which their adventures and mishaps brought them closer together.” (Library Catalogue)

Secret Milan / Massimo Polidoro.
“Discover a canal lock designed by Leonardo da Vinci as well as the secrets of his Last Supper, find out where Mussolini’s hidden bunker lies, marry beneath frescoes by Tiepolo, visit artists’ houses usually closed to the public, see exceptional private collections, admire the sculpture of a young girl shaving her pudenda, look for the boxers carved on the roof terraces of the cathedral… An indispensable guide for those wishing to discover another facet of the city.” (Book jacket)

Madagascar highlights / Daniel Austin, Hilary Bradt.
“Madagascar’s isolation means most of its mammals, birds, and plants exist nowhere else on earth. This guide showcases the best of the island with details of all the sights included in tour operators’ itineraries; trips along the Route Nationale 7, around Nosy Be, days trips around Antananarivo, and tours to the east and southwest of the country. Detailed maps include ‘the top spots’ – the six places most favoured by tour operators, and a birders’ map identifies the island’s key locations to spot birds. An authoritative chapter on conservation discusses many of the islands projects and outlines how visitors can help. With full colour photographs throughout, this handy book also acts as a field guide to lemurs, chameleons and a host of other exotic plants and animals.” (Amazon.co.uk)

Walking home : travels with a troubadour on the Pennine Way / Simon Armitage.
“In summer 2010 Simon Armitage decided to walk the Pennine Way. The challenging 256-mile route is usually approached from south to north, from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm, the other side of the Scottish border. He resolved to tackle it the other way round: through beautiful and bleak terrain, across lonely fells and into the howling wind, he would be walking home, towards theYorkshire village where he was born. Travelling as a ‘modern troubadour’ without a penny in his pocket, he stopped along the way to give poetry readings in village halls, churches, pubs and living rooms… It’s a story about Britain’s remote and overlooked interior – the wildness of its landscape and the generosity of the locals who sustained him on his journey. It’s about facing emotional and physical challenges, and sometimes overcoming them. … Contemplative, moving and droll, it is a unique narrative from one of our most beloved writers.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Only in Spain / Nellie Bennett.
“A sparky, witty and thoroughly enjoyable memoir of a girl who fell in love with flamenco dance and with Spain. A foot-stamping, full-on firecracker of a travel memoir, crackling with energy, dance, gypsies, love, food and the occasional donkey. Nellie Bennett fell in love with flamenco one hot summer day in a Sydney dance studio. Longing to get closer to the authentic experience, she packed her suede dance shoes and a set of castanets and travelled to the other side of the world, to Seville, to learn flamenco. What she didn’t realise is that flamenco is not a dance, it’s a way of life. In Spain, she fell in love three times – the first time with a smokey-eyed flamenco dance teacher, the second time, with a wild and tempestuous gypsy; and the third with a tall, dark handsome Basque chef – not realising that, all along, it’s really Spain she’s fallen in love with. A witty, passionate story of romance and discovery.” (Syndetics)

Skyline London : a guide to the finest views from the capital’s highest points / Caroline Dale.
“An all-new, awe-inspiring view of the greatest city in the world; the essential guide to London’s high points and what you can see from them. …London, as this fascinating and original guidebook shows, is already full of fabulous views from above, if you know where to go – and those vistas are not of a rigid grid-pattern of streets as in New York, but the teeming intricacy of a capital city shaped by settlement and redevelopment since Roman times. From Becton Alps in East London to Henman Hill at Wimbledon’s All-England Club, from Edison’s Lighthouse at Leamouth to the top of Centre Point, here are fifty amazing and unexpected aerial views available to the curious visitor.” (Syndetics)

Hong Konged : one modern American family’s (mis)adventures in the gateway to China / Paul Hanstedt.
“In this alternately hilarious and heartrending memoir, acclaimed writer and editor Paul Hanstedt recounts the true story of his family’s recent sojourn to Hong Kong. Hanstedt and his wife and three children–aged 9, 6, and 3–lived in Hong Kong for a year, a year beset by culture clash, vicious bullies, hospital visits, M&Ms, and the worst traffic jam you’ve ever seen.
Through the eyes of the earnest if sometimes clueless Hanstedt family, you’ll discover a world you’ve never known before. But in the end,Hong Kongedis about place and family and what it is that makes us human–no matter who we are or where we live.” (Syndetics)

The 500 hidden secrets of Brussels / [Derek Blyth].
“This book offers a practical guide to Brussels’ finest places, covering all bases to ensure no visitor to the city is ever anything short of captivated. The ’secrets’ are listed thematically and include 60 places for good food, 45 places for a drink, 50 places to shop, 20 places for fashion, 40 buildings to admire, 40 places to discover the world, 25 things to do with children and 60 activities.” (Syndetics)

Following fish : travels around the Indian coast / Samanth Subramanian.
“In a coastline as long and diverse as India’s, fish inhabit the heart of many worlds – food of course, but also culture, commerce, sport, history and society. Journeying along the edges of the peninsula, Samanth Subramanian delivers a kaleidoscope of extraordinary stories…. Pulsating with pleasure, adventure and discovery, and tempered by nostalgia and loss, “Following Fish” reveals a series of unknown Indias in a book as revealing of the subcontinent as any three times its length.” (Amazon.co.uk)

Home & away : award-winning travel stories by New Zealand writers / selected and edited by Graeme Lay.
“ Home & Away marks the twentieth anniversay of Travcom’s annual Travel Media Awards, which celebrate the best New Zealand travel writing and photography, and it amply demonstrates how over the last couple of decades our finest travel writers have come of age. There is humour, excitement, pathos, warmth and above all creative latitude and longitude in these stories….” (Book jacket)

The recent picks highlight some of the more interesting and different travel items in our collection. Retrace historical steps around Britain, Antarctica and New Zealand, unique snippets from a career that took in 70 countries, follow a lost biker, and discover the worst ways to spend a holiday around the UK.

Crap days out / Gareth Rubin ; with contributions by Jon Parker.
“From Land’s End to John O’Groats, this Sceptred Isle is riddled with what are laughably referred to as ‘attractions’. Rubbish tourism is a proud British tradition, and from Stonehenge to Madam Tussaud’s, Shakespeare’s birthplace to the Harry Potter Tour, and model villages to a museum dedicated to pencils, Crap Days Out is the quintessential collection of places that will ruin a perfectly good bank holiday.” – (adapted from Publisher’s description)

Bonjour! Is this Italy? : a hapless biker’s guide to Europe / Kevin Turner.
“Bonjour – Is This Italy? offers a unique and often hilarious insight into the challenges and excitement afforded by a lone motorcycle journey though Europe. In his quest to escape the frantic nature of London life, Kevin Turner heads south across France, crossing the Alps into Italy, and onto Rome, before returning via Germany – and the treacherous Nürburgring. Throughout, the author provides valuable advice to those considering a similar journey, noting the best and most scenic routes, where to stay, and what to see. This is interspersed with a raft of comic anecdotes that demonstrate exactly what NOT to do when lost on a motorbike in Europe.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Ten trees & a truffle dog : sniffing out the perfect plot in Provence / Jamie Ivey.
“….The plot of land was perfect, just what they’d been looking for, offering expansive views across the valley and within walking distance of the local village. There was only one small problem, there was no house. And yet the land was affordable and came, the agent promised, with a possible income from a copse of truffle oaks. Just after the birth of their first daughter, after leaving the London rat race behind, here was a chance for Jamie and his wife to finally realise their dream of owning a property. With one final salivating glance at the oak trees the decision was made. All they needed now was a dog….” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Poenamo revisited : a facsimile of the 1898 edition of Poenamo / by Sir John Logan Campbell ; essay and notes by R.C.J. Stone.
“Imagine you are 23 years old, newly arrived in a country on the far side of the world where there are only a handful of other white men to keep you company. Imagine that you are fearless, bursting with energy and entrepreneurial resolve. Imagine that you are also well educated, a shrewd observer and a gifted writer. Four decades on you are one of the colony’s wealthiest and best known citizens and politicians and you sit down to remember those amazing years in the 1840s when the world was your oyster. This is the achievement of Sir John Logan Campbells’ fascinating memoir/travelogue Poenamo, which continues to be a unique insight into early New Zealand. Republished as a complete fascimile of the 1880 volume….” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The oldest post office in the world : and other Scottish oddities / Hamish Brown.
“Scotland has been called a small country with a big story and among its varied riches must be the extraordinary number of surprising, curious, unexpected, odd places that occur from Muckle Flugga to the Mull of Galloway. Nobody knows its length and breadth better than author, lecturer and photographer Hamish Brown and from his decades of wandering he has stitched together this – first -collection of sites and sights to intrigue visitors.” – (adapted from Book jacket summary)

Fakirs, feluccas and femmes fatales : tales from an incidental traveller / by E.T. Laing.
“This is a unique collection of brief encounters and adventures from working in seventy countries – a kaleidoscope of landscapes, sounds, smells, politics, humour dialogue and, above all, people. … A warts-and-all account of the author’s travels, with disasters and miseries alongside the high points, he takes you to danger zones, wars of startling savagery in Sierra Leone, Pakistan and Angola, coups and dubious elections. He narrowly avoids death in India, Mexico and Nigeria. …. As the author says, ‘Nothing sharpens the understanding more than seeing things done ten different ways in ten different countries.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The old ways : a journey on foot / Robert Macfarlane.
“In The Old Ways Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove-roads and sea paths that form part of a vast network of routes criss-crossing the British landscape and its waters, and connecting them to the continents beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, of pilgrimage and ritual, and of songlines and their singers. Above all this is a book about people and place: about walking as a reconnoitre inwards, and the subtle ways in which we are shaped by the landscapes through which we move…” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Narrow dog to Wigan Pier / Terry Darlington.
“At seventy-five, Terry and Monica Darlington had done everything they could think of doing, including starting a business and becoming athletes and running a literary society.Lately they had become boating adventurers and Terry a bestselling writer. But in their Midlands canal town in November, life was looking dull and short on surprises. Then their famous canal boat was destroyed by fire. Within a few days they had bought a new one and soon headed north in the Phyllis May 2 to Liverpool, Lancaster, the Pennines and Wigan Pier.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Antarctica : a biography / David Day.
“Antarctica: A Biography draws upon libraries and archives from around the world to provide the first, large-scale history of Antarctica. On one level, it is the story of explorers battling the elements in the most hostile place on earth as they strive for personal triumph, commercial gain and national glory. On a deeper level, it is the story of nations seeking to incorporate the Antarctic into their national narratives and to claim its frozen wastes as their own.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Chronicles of Old London : exploring England’s historic capital / [Kevin Jackson].
“Another in Museyon’s “Chronicles” series (Chronicles of Old New York), in this book London writer Jackson provides 30 stories of the city, starting with Boudicca’s revolt around 60 C.E. and ending with Prince William’s marriage in the present day. …. In addition to the historical sketches, the volume presents nine walking tours with maps, photographs, and descriptions of sights along the way. …The numerous detailed neighborhood maps in the walking tours section will be especially useful. Verdict: A helpful and pleasant read for travelers looking for historical background and a few walking tours for a London trip. Interesting and fun to read, the book mixes light history with contemporary details.” – (adapted from Library Journal summary)

One of our new travel items details a car ride from Edinburgh, Scotland to Chingola, Zambia. It’s a very long journey, as you can see here, and makes for quite the adventure. Other, more manageable holidays have thankfully been added to the collection too.

The voluntourist : a six-country tale of love, loss, fatherhood, fate, and singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem / Ken Budd.
“When Ken Budd was thirty-nine, his father collapsed after eighteen holes of golf. Ken and his wife raced to the hospital–but it was too late. In the weeks that followed, as grieving friends revealed how his father had changed their lives, Ken started questioning his own life–and admitting, after years of denial, that he and his wife would never have children….” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Appointment in Zambia : an African adventure / Sara Dunn. “‘We could always go overland now that we have wheels,’ Ross had suggested out of the blue. I’d pulled out an atlas and we’d traced a route down through Africa via countries still marked with their colonial names. Only two strips of water interrupted the flow of land between Edinburgh and Chingola; the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar. Fourteen months had passed since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon so Africa couldn’t be that difficult, could it? A month later we boarded the ferry for Calais…” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Bright lights, no city : an African adventure on bad roads with a brother and a very weird business plan / Max Alexander.
“Overseeing the start of a new energy business in West Africa, Alexander, a former executive editor of Variety and Daily Variety and a former senior editor at People, details the arduous task of selling durable, rechargeable AA batteries for flashlights and radios to poor rural villagers in Ghana despite government graft, tribal conflicts, superstition, and general apathy …” – (adapted from Publisher Weekly summary)

All roads lead to Austen : a yearlong journey with Jane / Amy Elizabeth Smith ; illustrations by Lucia Mancilla Prieto.
“Taking a cue from Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran, literature professor Smith decided to set up Jane Austen reading groups in six different Central and South American countries: Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, and Argentina. She wanted to see how readers in those countries would relate to Austen. Do Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma translate well at all?” – (adapted from Booklist summary)

The last bohemia : scenes from the life of Williamsburg, Brooklyn / Robert Anasi.
“The eternal clash between authenticity, art, and real estate development shapes this bittersweet memoir of New York’s most tragically hip neighborhood. Anasi witnessed Williamsburg’s progress in the 1990s and 2000s from crime-ridden working-class neighborhood overshadowed by crumbling factories – his explorations of the decrepit industrial waterfront are one of the books greatest pleasures – to edgy arts scene and hipster mecca to end-stage self-parody as an unaffordably upscale “Bohemian theme park,” sprouting sterile luxury condos where picturesque ruins once stirred the soul.” – (adapted from Publisher Weekly summary)

Meander : East to West, indirectly, along a Turkish river / Jeremy Seal.
“Armed with a canoe, luggage, a box of baklava, and a jar full of water, Seal (The Snakebite Survivors’ Club: Travels Among Serpents) began his canoeing adventure down the Meander River (now known as the Buyuk Menderes River) from its headwaters on Turkey’s Anatolia plateau to its mouth in the Aegean Sea. As he recounts here, things don’t go quite as well as Seal had expected. …VERDICT Readers of history and travel will enjoy this charming book.” – (adapted from Library Journal summary)

Peru / main contributor, Maryanne Blacker.
“Whether you’re trekking the ancient Inca Trail or getting to know the locals on a home stay in Cusco, Eyewitness Travel Guide: Peru provides insider tips every visitor needs, with comprehensive listings of the best hotels, restaurants and shops for all budgets. Fully illustrated and covering all the major areas from Lima and the Amazon Basin to Canyon Country and the Northern Desert, there are 3D cutaways and floor-plans of all the must-see sites — including Lima’s colonial San Francisco complex and world-famous Machu Picchu. Eyewitness Travel Guide: Peru explores the culture, history and architecture, not missing the best in entertainment, shopping, tours and scenic walks, in this unique and varied country.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Follow somebody who picks destinations based on the number of letters in their name, Agatha Christie as she explores the Empire, a reporter investigating the complexities of religion in India, and plenty more interesting writers embarking on fascinating adventures in our new travel books.

Growing old outrageously : a memoir of travel, food and friendship / Hilary Linstead and Elisabeth Davies.
“Two old school friends reconnect unexpectedly after thirty-five years and discover that they both love travelling – and the more exotic and far-flung the location, the better!” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Europe in the looking glass / Robert Byron.
“Robert Byron is best known for The road to Oxiana, but Europe in the looking glass was written twelve years earlier. Byron and three friends set off in 1925 to travel across Europe from Hamburg to Athens. Byron’s skill as a travel writer evokes a picture of Europe in the 1920’s that was soon to be irrevocably changed by the First World War.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The elephant’s tale : London to Vladivostok on two wheels / Mike Hannan.
“With their children grown and flown, Mike and Jo Hannan discover that it’s never too late to live the dream and embark on an epic tour of Europe and beyond on a 1150cc BMW motorbike called ‘Elephant’. With a limited budget, and all the essentials packed, they hit the road. Journeying through sunshine and rain, over good roads and bad, they explore France, Spain, North Africa, Russia and other former Soviet countries, Mongolia and Korea, taking in all kinds of sights and meeting all kinds of people. Along the way they also learn the difference between a tourist and a voyageur, and come to understand the deep universal significance of their journey.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The grand tour / Agatha Christie ; edited by Mathew Prichard.
“In 1922 Agatha Christie set sail on a 10-month voyage around the British Empire as part of a trade mission to promote the forthcoming British Empire Exhibition. Leaving their two-year-old daughter behind with Agatha’s sister, Agatha and her husband set sail at the end of January and did not return until December.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The ten-letter countries : more zany adventures of the alphabet traveller / David Jenkins.
“With a touch of Bill Bryson’s humour, this wacky, fun book takes readers on a fascinating journey to parts of the world that few people visit. The Ten-Letter Countries is a story of a unique blend of countries visited by David based solely on their spelling…. David Jenkins is The Alphabet Traveller. Having previously made an 85 000 mile journey to visit all countries in the world whose names are made up of four letters, David is now off to explore 12 countries which all have ten letters to their name. David Jenkins hitchhiked to France the day he left school and has trotted the globe ever since…” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Travels with Bertha : two years exploring Australia in a 1978 Ford stationwagon / Paul Martin.
“A book for anyone whose friends, loved ones, or themselves have travelled to Australia, and for those interested in the dark history, the colorful characters, or the startling beauty of this most fascinating continent.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Swirly World sails south / Andrew Fagan.
“In 2007, Kiwi musician and radio personality Andrew Fagan set sail in his tiny 5.4-metre plywood yacht to circumnavigate New Zealand. And just to make it more difficult, he included a leg to the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands in the notorious Southern Ocean. All in all he sailed over 3000 miles (around 5000 km) in two months. Facing such potentially lethal conditions in such a tiny craft took careful planning mixed with extreme determination, serious fortitude and uncommon daring. In this account of his voyage, Fagan tells of having to avoid icebergs, sail through a force ten storm and visit sites of shipwrecks at Port Ross in the Auckland Island group. ‘With the genuine concern of a very fatigued person, I was sailing for my life and I knew it!’ ….” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

You can’t hide the sun : a journey through Israel and Palestine / John McCarthy.
“In captivity for many years, John McCarthy had only the Bible to read. While many of its stories are just that, stories — part-history, part-myth, evolved over many generations of oral story-telling — the accounts of conflict thousands of years ago made him realize that his own captivity was in some ways just another footnote in the endless saga of violent dispute over the Holy Land. This very small area has been fought over since the dawn of time, for trade, for politics, for God, as nations, empires and faiths have demanded the right to control Palestine. So what is it like for modern people to live in that hall of mirrors, with its myriad distorted visions? How do you keep a sense of perspective, a sense of self? To find out, John McCarthy travels through Palestine and meets the people who live there. And to do so, he uses a map, not of the current “Palestinian territory” but one that shows how Palestine looked before The Cataclysm.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

When Gods collide : an unbeliever’s pilgrimage along India’s Coromandel Coast / Kate James.

“Part detective story, part personal journey, Kate’s engrossing reportage explores India’s complex tapestry of religion and mysticism, assessing its Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and athiest heritage as she comes to terms with the faith she has rejected.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Wild : from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail / Cheryl Strayed
“…..Strayed tells the story of her emotional devastation after the death of her mother and the weeks she spent hiking the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail. As her family, marriage, and sanity go to pieces, Strayed drifts into spontaneous encounters with other men, to the consternation of her confused husband, and eventually hits rock bottom while shooting up heroin with a new boyfriend. Convinced that nothing else can save her, she latches onto the unlikely idea of a long solo hike. Woefully unprepared (she fails to read about the trail, buy boots that fit, or pack practically), she relies on the kindness and assistance of those she meets along the way… Strayed labors along the demanding trail, documenting her bruises, blisters, and greater troubles….–Mondor, Colleen Copyright 2010 BooklistFrom Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” – (adapted from Booklist summary)