Tobin Mitnick
[isbn]
Must Love Trees is a quirky, knowledge-based labor of love for tree admirers everywhere. There is a little something for everyone here. While undoubtedly an identifier for North American trees, this book is also a humorous guidebook with insights and observations brought to us by an author who really loves his trees and the forests around them.
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Kristen Jokinen, Cheryl Strayed
[isbn]
A remarkable and wondrous ride that feels like it never happens anymore, as if Cheryl Strayed's Wild were mixed with dreams and love and a miraculous spirit of exploration.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Mary Oliver
[isbn]
The perfect selction of poems to reflect and ponder with as we approach the new year! This book was good for my soul and I like that the primary theme was nature.
Recommended by Erica B.
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Michael Munk
[isbn]
The coolest guide to our city doesn’t mention donuts even once. Instead, it celebrates Portland’s radical past — the people, organizations, protests, strikes, and movements that have made their mark on the City of Roses, and the vestiges of that past that can still be found today (using one of the maps that accompanies each section, or by following one of the walking tours outlined at the end). My endorsement of this guide has nothing to do with... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Jonathan Meiburg
[isbn]
This book is a delight, and I've added a visit to the Falklands to meet the hilarious, obnoxious, Johnny Rooks to my bucket list. Meiburg is an entertaining writer, and his descriptions of his travels throughout South America to find the amazing caracaras were wonderfully vivid. One of my top five books from 2021!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Betsy Beier
[isbn]
Locals and visitors alike will find this a creative and invaluable guide to help discover — and record — new experiences across the Rose City.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Wade Davis
[isbn]
I knew next to nothing about Colombia before reading this, and I am captivated! It helps that Wade Davis' love for the country shines through every word. The people of Colombia are the real stars, full of life and love and deeply held beliefs that tie them to the land and each other. It made me want to visit this jewel of South America.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Andrea Pitzer
[isbn]
There’s something awe-inspiring about the bravery and egoism of 15th- and 16th-century polar explorers. To set off in wooden ships with maps that were half cartographical error and half illustrations of sea monsters remains the height of adventure; that these sailors fought scurvy, icebergs, polar bears, and each other in the name of global hegemony and supply competition is harder to valorize but no less riveting. In Icebound,... (read more)
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Nick Offerman
[isbn]
Join Nick Offerman, Jeff Tweedy, and George Saunders on a journey to Glacier National Park. Offerman’s observations about conservation, history, and geology, and humorous musings about the area, will make you feel like you’re right alongside him, selecting gear from REI, sipping on coffee, and smelling the fresh air together with your pals.
Recommended by Kim T.
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Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras and Atlas Obscura
[isbn]
For me, this extended period of “stay-at-home" has nourished an insatiable wanderlust. The greatest pleasures in traveling — both food and knowledge — are laid on the table in the brilliantly photographed Gastro Obscura. Leaf through this tome to discover beer made from fog, the delicacies of Delaware, and a fake banana, among other wonders.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Osamu Dazai and Donald Keene
[isbn]
This book is mentally taxing. It's beautiful, rough, and difficult. You are asked to observe the life of a man who generally struggles to empathize or connect with other people. Where you might find yourself empathizing, the protagonist, Yozo, will not. His alienation is the core of the narrative, leading him into a lifestyle of faking humanity in attempts at feeling anything. It hurts. His relationships (friends, family, romance) are tough.... (read more)
Recommended by Jun L.
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Annabel Abbs
[isbn]
The documented history of men walking the earth for pleasure or purpose, discovery or whim, is plentiful. The women's story is far more elusive. Whether these women were by the adventuring men's sides the entire time or roaming on their own, their stories were mostly lost or never recorded for posterity. Author Annabel Abbs is bringing to light the stories of various notable women — Georgia O'Keeffe and Daphne du Maurier to name just two. These... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Allison Williams
[isbn]
After more than a year stuck at home, we are ready to hit the road! From day trips to weekend jaunts to a two-week adventure through our gorgeous region, author Allison Williams (and the always excellent Moon Travel series) offers fantastic guidance on where to go and stay, what to see, and more.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Barry Lopez
[isbn]
It feels reductive to call Barry Lopez's work nature writing. He had a gift for taking the awe that the natural world can inspire and distilling it into prose. It is difficult to choose just one of his books to recommend — read them all! — but Arctic Dreams is exceptional. Epic in scope and execution, it covers every aspect of the Arctic: its Native peoples, flora, fauna, geology, explorers, climate. In Lopez's skilled hands the barren... (read more)
Recommended by Emily B.
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Sandra Cisneros
[isbn]
In the introduction to the 25th Anniversary edition, Sandra Cisneros refers to the collection of vignettes that make up The House on Mango Street as “a jar of buttons.” Mismatched “little stories” that came together in the telling into one of literature's most enduring portraits of a neighborhood, a time, a coming-of-age. The House on Mango Street was my first brush with vignettes — how exciting to find that a novel could be... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Stacy McCullough
[isbn]
In the heart of winter, trapped in snow and ice, dreams of spring and summer vacations bounce around in my head. In this era of restrictions, recommendations, and social protocols, it's hard to imagine anything safer than a personalized road trip with your quarantine bubble. Oregon Day Trips by Theme offers adventurers the opportunity to explore on their own terms, enjoying everything from caves and mountains to museums and local... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
[isbn]
Each entry in this posthumous collection of Bourdain’s reflections on world travel contains practical advice like how to get around and where to stay, but it’s his descriptions of local cuisine that will transport you. Bourdain’s reverence for good food, his sharp/disarming/uncouth delivery, and his knack for distilling flavors into words will make you feel as though you’re seated at the same table, savoring the same meal. I’ll be rationing this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Eden Dawn and Ashod Simonian
[isbn]
Locals and visitors alike cherish Portland, as it’s filled with something-for-everyone treasures to be found around every corner, both indoors and outside. This colorfully designed guide provides an updated tour through some of the smile-making activities that will engage your senses, showcasing what a wonderland Stumptown truly is.
Recommended by Aubrey W.
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Foster Huntington
[isbn]
I always wanted to live in a treehouse as a kid, and spend a maybe-embarrassing amount of my adult life watching tiny home TV shows and scrolling through the #vanlife hashtag. Off Grid Life is the perfectly curated collection of my dreams, showcasing beautiful homes — yurts, converted shipping containers, tiny houses of all stripes — in stunning landscapes. With hundreds of photographs and interviews with some fascinating folks living... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Harriet Jacobs
[isbn]
A profoundly harrowing account, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girlby Harriet Jacobs, is too often overlooked in the canon of American classics. Published 16 years after the narrative of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs presented the particular horrors of female slavery to a majority white male audience for the first time. A vital piece of history, Harriet Jacobs's autobiography deserves to be read and examined by modern audiences.
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Jon Krakauer
[isbn]
Krakauer's personal account of the deadliest season in Everest's climbing history is — hands down — one of the most riveting, harrowing, and thoughtfully written books I’ve ever read, and the title I recommend most to readers who assume nonfiction equals boring.
Recommended by Tove H.
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Peter Mayle
[isbn]
British author Peter Mayle and his wife make real their dream of living in the French countryside when they purchase a 200-year-old stone farmhouse. When Mayle's publisher complains about the lateness of his expected manuscripts, Mayle writes back a detailed account of the trials and indignities he faces with the upkeep of said farmhouse. That letter to his publisher eventually becomes A Year in Provence, and the book is hilarious,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Barry Lopez
[isbn]
As someone who has broadened the notion of what it means to be both a world traveler and a profoundly curious writer, it’s no wonder that National Book Award–winning author Barry Lopez, now 74 years old and battling terminal cancer, has given us a work so expansive it can only be named Horizon. Lopez has visited more than 70 countries, and though his book is loosely divided into just six regions — from the Oregon Coast to the... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Ian Urbina
[isbn]
I picked up this book because I’ve always had an interest in the world’s oceans and this subject seemed fascinating with its combination of true crime and the high seas. Wow! I was introduced to a world I didn’t know existed. Each chapter brings to light a surprising multitude of lawbreaking, and details the efforts of those who risk their lives fighting some horrendous crimes and injustices. Read about cruise lines behaving badly, illegal... (read more)
Recommended by Steph C.
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Andrew X. Pham
[isbn]
Gritty and emotional, this travelogue/immigration tale had me transfixed. Pham skillfully narrates his family's story both settling in the US and in leaving war-torn Vietnam. His bicycle tour through 1990s Vietnam is a fantastic (and scary!) experience no tourist could have while he seeks a deeper understanding of "home."
Recommended by Ruth J.
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Caren Beilin
[isbn]
The language in this book reminds me of those restaurants that offer the weirdest concoctions of food that make your taste buds question the normalcy of every other traditionally delicious food in the world. Most of the time, my brain (operating as taste buds to what I read) was delighted, sparked, spanked, and refreshed by the sting of fresh, new air. But yes, there were times I was challenged and had to question my idea of sentence structure,... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Robert MacFarlane
[isbn]
With poetic command of language, keen observational gifts, and worldly perspective, Robert Macfarlane seamlessly blends scientific inquiry, nature writing, travelogue, adventure tale, reportage, history, and requiem for our Anthropocenic age. Perceptive, reflective, and educative, Underland is unequivocally one of the year's must-read books; it is a masterful, magnificent work.
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Paul Theroux
[isbn]
Prodigious travel writer Paul Theroux never fails to entertain and inform, but his journey through Mexico is particularly prescient. An insightful, compassionate, and nuanced exploration of an oft-vilified country and people, On the Plain of Snakes is necessary reading for anyone seeking to make sense of our current cultural flash point.
Recommended by Emily B.
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Lonely Planet
[isbn]
Lonely Planet’s latest entry in their Epic series, Epic Runs is chock-full of gorgeous photos of runs across the globe and short chunks of information about them. Perfect for the aspirational runner or the seasoned race veteran, and truly a delight to peruse.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Charles King
[isbn]
Charles King tells the story of the intrepid individuals, including Margaret Mead and Zora Neale Hurston, who developed modern anthropology despite intense social pressures and interpersonal strife. This book serves as both a joint biography of a rich group of fascinating scholars, and as an engrossing history of the ideas that shaped social progress in the 20th century and beyond.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Timothy Egan
[isbn]
Regional author Egan’s classic travelogue of the Pacific Northwest has only grown more prescient (and pressing) since its 1990 release. In The Good Rain, Egan follows the path of Theodore Winthrop, who in 1853 journeyed across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Winthrop was overcome by the wild majesty of the Pacific Northwest; Egan is equally in awe, but also angry about the clear-cutting of old-growth forests, threats to local... (read more)
Recommended by Matt K.
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Peter Stark
[isbn]
Astoria is Peter Stark’s epic telling of the establishment of what was intended to be the base of John Jacob Astor’s Pacific fur trading empire. The harrowing journeys that led the settlers — by sail, canoe, or overland — to the mouth of the Columbia River are almost beyond belief. The obstacles they faced included not just the many natural barriers of an unmapped continent — sand bars, river canyons, and mountains — but also the... (read more)
Recommended by Keith M.
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Jeff Gordinier
[isbn]
You don’t have to be an adventurous eater, a travel junkie, or a memoir lover to get tantalized by Hungry, food journalist Jeff Gordinier’s gripping account of journeying through Mexico, Denmark, and Australia with Noma chef René Redzepi. Just sit back and enjoy this feast of the senses.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Wendy Gorton
[isbn]
This brilliant hiking guide through Oregon’s and Washington’s wilderness areas is an entertainment-packed savior for families adventuring with young children. Gorton pairs each hike — all under four miles — with an educational scavenger hunt for flora and fauna, plus tips on where to go afterwards for treats. Waterfalls and ice cream? Who could resist?
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Laura O Foster
[isbn]
Published by Portland’s beloved Microcosm Publishing and written by Laura O. Foster, known for many popular local walking books, Walking With Ramona: Exploring Beverly Cleary’s Portland is an utterly charming and chock-full-of-facts way to discover Portland through a literary lens that is all its own.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Cory Schreiber, Julie Richardson
[isbn]
Think of this as the dessert companion to Six Seasons, full of local produce simply prepared. A ricotta tart is heaped with fresh strawberries; raspberries melt into a creamy brown betty; a recipe for stone fruit slump calls for whatever peaches, nectarines, or plums you have on hand topped with tangy buttermilk dumplings. The perfect end to a great meal. Or breakfast. No judgement here.
Recommended by Eva F.
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Lara Prior Palmer
[isbn]
Rough Magic is the extraordinary story of a 19-year-old woman who, with no formal training, ended up winning the Mongol Derby, the longest and one of the most difficult horse races in the world. Lara Prior-Palmer's memoir of her experience in the race is funny and raw; her voice is uniquely captivating, and the pace (as might be expected) is page-turning. An inspiring and enthralling tale.
Recommended by Jill O.
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Richard Kreitner
[isbn]
We love our books, and we love our vacations. How better to combine the two than Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World. Visit West Yorkshire, England, to view Emily Brontë's The Heath; explore Margaret Mitchell's Atlanta, Georgia; or even the famous school bus in Healy, Alaska, from Krakauer's Into the Wild. Vacation planning made easy, for the book lover in your life.
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Chandler O'Leary
[isbn]
All the beauty of a west coast road trip, condensed in a beautiful, yet practical
book. The Best Coast: A Road Trip Atlas is perfect for those new to the West, and a wonderful supplement for the natives who haven’t quite been everywhere yet. Handy tips, stunning locations and a number of side trips just in case you decide to do some wandering.
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Mary Norris
[isbn]
Mary Norris's Greek to Me is as warm, beautiful, and inviting as Greece itself. Norris is as witty and charming as ever, and her paean to Greek language and culture is irresistible.
Recommended by Jill O.
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Samantha Allen
[isbn]
Samantha Allen traveled thousands of miles looking for thriving queer individuals and communities in America’s most conservative states. She found them. And in telling their stories and her own, she overturns many of the narratives held by those of us in coastal cities.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Kate Harris
[isbn]
What a way to look at the world! Lands of Lost Borders spoke to me so deeply I was near tears as I finished it. We follow Kate Harris on her journeys, and discover not just what it means to explore, but what it means to live beyond borders, to live as a human on this small planet. Thought-provoking and funny, introspective and full of adventure. A really fantastic read!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jon Krakauer
[isbn]
Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild sparked controversy with its first publication. Readers were of two minds, either admonishing Christopher McCandless for his ignorance in traipsing off into the Alaskan wilderness with little firsthand knowledge of the harsh reality of it, or living vicariously through his journey and the middle finger he gave to our modern society. With a careful eye for bias, stemming from journalistic experience,... (read more)
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Dave Eggers
[isbn]
Like most of Eggers's books, The Monk of Mokha wears its themes on its sleeve — but that's a large part of why I read Eggers in the first place, and Monk doesn't disappoint. I came to read about Yemeni coffee, but ended up — delightfully — learning about much more than that.
Recommended by Ashleigh B.
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Jedidiah Jenkins
[isbn]
Jedidiah Jenkins’s memoir is his story of bicycling 14,000 miles from Oregon to Patagonia over the course of 16 months. Readers follow along with Jenkins’s travels, experiencing the people and places he encounters while he reflects honestly on his personal life and struggles.
Recommended by Jennifer H.
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Caitlin Doughty
[isbn]
The delightful second book by death-positive revolutionary (and American hero) Caitlin Doughty, From Here to Eternity is a heartfelt travelogue through ancient funerary practices and cutting-edge modern deathcare.
Recommended by Hayley H.
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Timothy Egan
[isbn]
This is the story of the biggest forest fire in US history. Three million acres burned across three states, aided by the flammable gas that boiled out of pine sap during the conflagration!
Recommended by Jennifer K.
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Lonely Planet
[isbn]
In need of some inspiration to explore the great outdoors? Try Epic Hikes of the World! Lots of photos, tips, and historical tidbits accompany each entry, along with suggestions for similar expeditions. It's also a great resource for armchair hikers — I may not ever climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, but I sure enjoyed reading about it.
Recommended by Leah C.
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Jon Krakauer
[isbn]
My to-read list is long as it is, so I usually put off reading bestsellers until (a) the hype dies down and used copies start to become available or (b) someone chastises me for not having read something that came out forever ago. And so it was that 10 years after its release, I finally got around to reading Into Thin Air. Turns out the hype was justified. Krakauer's personal account of the deadliest season in Everest's climbing... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Mike Ashworth and Mike Ashworth
[isbn]
With visual representations of every subway, light rail, and streetcar system on earth, Transit Maps of the World, now updated and expanded, is a treasure trove for travel and design enthusiasts. The historical maps, which reveal not only a city's evolution but also trends in how we've conveyed information, are particularly fascinating.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Olivier Le Carrer
[isbn]
Adventurous souls would be wise to steer clear of such treacherous lands as Jharia, India (where an underground inferno swallows up victims); Australia's Cape York (land of the killer crocodiles); or, closer to home, the "Nevada Triangle" (where some 2,000 aircraft have gone missing). But they'll be glued to the pages of Le Carrer's creepy travel guide.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Brandon Stanton
[isbn]
Even if you're not familiar with Humans of New York, you'll immediately find yourself engrossed in this follow-up collection. The photos and accompanying stories (some as short as one sentence) are candid and continually surprising: each page will make you feel something different, and the overall effect is incredibly powerful.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Simon Winchester
[isbn]
At nearly 64 million square miles, the Pacific Ocean is larger than Earth’s entire landmass. It takes someone like Simon Winchester to truly encompass the range of people and places that call the Pacific home. Winchester deftly navigates through explorations of the ocean’s floor, vessels sinking, surfing's emergence from obscurity, and many other fascinating topics.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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David Grann
[isbn]
The White Darkness is a riveting chronicle of one man’s drive to experience the most extreme conditions on Earth. The seeming impossibility of an Antarctic crossing is only enhanced by the inclusion of photographs that connect recent expeditions to Shackleton’s crew on the Endurance.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Chris Hedges
[isbn]
Chris Hedges is one of our most incisive, trenchant thinkers and writers. In his now-classic first book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, the former war correspondent (and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) offers an unflinching portrait of armed conflict’s seductive — and ultimately destructive — allure to soldier and society alike. Blending history, reportage, philosophy, personal accounts, and literary allusions, Hedges makes a... (read more)
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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David Grann
[isbn]
I've never read anything quite like The Lost City of Z. Partly the story of an early 20th-century explorer, and partly the story of the reporter who became obsessed with his fate, this book managed to be informative while reading like an adventure story. Lost City gave me the opportunity to live vicariously through someone else's journey, and it reminded me exactly why I am a person who reads instead of a person who goes into... (read more)
Recommended by Ashleigh B.
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Brian Phillips
[isbn]
The world vibrates with weirdness, some people are just more attuned to it than others. This book is an astonishingly profound exploration of the pathos, humor, beauty, and irreconcilable strangeness that exists underneath the numbing mundanity of everyday life. Whether he is speculating about the inner lives of the Royal Family, searching for tigers in the Himalayas, or driving down Route 66 to Area 51, Phillips is always digging further,... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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John Hodgman
[isbn]
If you don't happen to have two vacation homes, it's okay. John Hodgman does, and he'll tell you funny stories about them, which feels almost as good as having two vacation homes. This book exceeded my expectations. Vacationland is Hodgman at his wittiest and most endearing.
Recommended by Moses M.
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David Banis and Hunter Shobe
[isbn]
A remarkable, visually stunning collection of infographic maps that allow an unparalleled view of the Rose City, Portlandness is an impressive accomplishment offering indispensable insight into our beloved city. Go ahead, take a look — it may well be the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Kirk Wallace Johnson
[isbn]
With vivid, engaging storytelling, Kirk Wallace Johnson recounts a tale that has got to be the strangest crime ever — stealing rare, exotic bird skins from a natural history museum and selling their feathers to enthusiasts of the Victorian art of salmon-fly tying. Thoroughly fascinating.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Brian Castner
[isbn]
The search for the Northwest Passage had — for centuries — driven men to desperation, starvation, and madness. In Disappointment River, journalist and river guide Brian Castner sets out to complete the journey along a great river once choked with ice. Like all exploration stories, this is a tale of cussedness as much as it is of discovery.
Recommended by McKenzie W.
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Rick Hanson, Richard Mendius
[isbn]
"We are what we think." — Gautama Buddha
Discover the neuroscience and psychology behind the principles used in Buddhism to achieve peace of mind. By offering practical methods and applications to change the way you think, this book can change your life. Like the muscles in the body, with the correct exercise and maintenance, the mind can change its constitution over time. Mindfulness, contemplation, and meditation are just a few... (read more)
Recommended by Alex K.
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Foster Huntington
[isbn]
There is no greater feeling than hitting the open road to see where it takes you. Van Life celebrates those who make the open road their home. While we're not van dwellers, my family and I find that adventuring the West in our Dodge Sprinter van is our home away from home. No need to be a fellow van lifer to appreciate the rich photographs and stories in this beautiful collection — just don't be surprised if it converts you into... (read more)
Recommended by Kate L.
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Lonely Planet
[isbn]
Need some inspiration for your next adventure? With its breathtaking photos and truly unique suggestions, Lonely Planet’s new guide may just motivate you to go on a cycle safari through Botswana, try sandboarding in Peru, or camp inside a glacier in Norway.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Jessica Bruder
[isbn]
I first encountered Jessica Bruder's work in Harper's; her absorbing article contained the seeds of this book. Nomadland is the fascinating, frequently tragic story of a hidden population in America: older people living in camper vans and RVs who crisscross the country in search of often grueling work. Amazon and others rely on this low-cost labor pool, and we owe it to ourselves to hear these untold stories.
Recommended by Jill O.
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John McPhee
[isbn]
Who knew oranges could be so interesting? John McPhee succeeds at making them so in this nonfiction narrative of the history, science, culture, and art of oranges and orange products. Nonfiction can be dry, but this book is as juicy as the fruit it's about. He writes with humor and poetic prose that reads more like insightful literature than typical nonfiction. This book about a favorite staple produce has become a favorite staple on my shelf.
Recommended by Alex K.
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Desmond Tan, Kate Leahy
[isbn]
Half the fun of traveling to a new country is experiencing the local food. If your future world travels don't include Myanmar, you can armchair travel and yet still eat the food with cookbook Burma Superstar. The San Franciscan restaurant has done an excellent job of recreating these exotic and colorful dishes. Do you like garlic? Do you like noodles? Do you like lots of flavor? Burma Superstar is the cookbook for you.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Buck, Rinker
[isbn]
Rinker Buck offers a witty, fascinating account of the year he and his brother spent traveling the Oregon Trail in a mule-drawn wagon. Equal parts autobiography and travelogue, Buck writes movingly about both the original trials of the Oregon Trail and his complicated relationship with his father. Bill Bryson fans take note: Buck's blend of historical research and personal eccentricity is sure to win you over.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Philip Connors
[isbn]
Every summer Philip Connors runs away from home. He spends half the year in a remote fire lookout savoring the solitude and the joy of monotasking. His wonderful book, Fire Season, will make you want to quit your job, sell the house, and find your own little piece of wilderness. You've been warned.
Recommended by Shawn D.
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Ba, Gabriel and Moon, Fabio
[isbn]
These siblings are a dream team of art and words. This story follows the many potential lives of one character, and each outcome is just as engaging as the last. Daytripper plays with family, life, and death in a way that makes you a bit frightened and a bit hopeful and very glad to be alive.
Recommended by Junix S.
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Jennifer Haigh
[isbn]
Touching on one of today's hot-button topics, pedophilic priests, Faith is an exercise in rollercoaster emotions. This story explores the heart-rending situation of Father Art Breen, who finds himself accused of sexually abusing a young boy in his church. Set against the backdrop of multiple accusations in one city, the aura of hysteria is palpable. This is not, however, your typical drama-laden movie-of-the-week in book form. I came to... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Jhumpa Lahiri, Ann Goldstein
[isbn]
Writing a book is difficult enough, but imagine trying to write it in a language that is not your own. This is the challenge Jhumpa Lahiri embarked upon in the fascinating memoir In Other Words. She is forthright and honest in recounting her struggles and vividly describes how it feels to be immersed and overwhelmed in another language. The result is a thoughtful examination of the creative process and the role that language plays in all... (read more)
Recommended by Shawn D.
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Craig Pittman
[isbn]
As I debated which of my Top Fives to give the top spot, in my heart I knew there was no debate. It had to be Oh, Florida! While I'm passionate about all of my picks (and I wish I could add more), Pittman's book won for the simple fact that I come from the crazy state that is Florida and he captures things perfectly. Reading Oh, Florida! will make you realize how true to reality Carl Hiaasen is in his entertaining mysteries.... (read more)
Recommended by Robin F.
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Douglas Preston
[isbn]
This incredible true story reads like a no-holds-barred adventure novel. Douglas Preston joins a crew as they venture into the treacherous Honduran wilderness to uncover a sacred lost city. His account of the expedition is mesmerizing.
Recommended by Moses M.
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Chris Santella
[isbn]
You don't need to globe trek to appreciate the suggestions in this guide — you may find many of the locations in your own backyard. From Alabama to Zimbabwe, sprawling five continents, regional beer experts give you the insider tips on what to drink for your next cold one — and where to do it! Bonus: this handsome guidebook filled with beautiful photography will fit nicely on your coffee table — or bar for that... (read more)
Recommended by Kate L.
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Bill Bryson
[isbn]
Humorist Bill Bryson is at his best when commenting on the minutiae of life. In The Road to Little Dribbling, he meanders and rants his way through the wayside villages of Great Britain. Armchair traveling through Bryson’s travelogues is always a fun romp.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Alfred Lansing
[isbn]
In 1914, Ernest Shackleton left for the Antarctic. While World War I occupied Europe, the Endurance was destroyed by ice and the men aboard were left far from help in a barren land where the darkness got longer every day. Although written in the 1950s, Alfred Lansing's account of this incredible survival story is just as fresh and riveting as anything by Jon Krakauer, Timothy Egan, or Erik Larson.
Recommended by Eva F.
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Craig Carlson
[isbn]
If you are a foodie and Francophile, or if you like a rags-to-riches story, you should arm yourself with a strong cup of coffee and a croissant, curl up in an armchair, and tuck into Craig Carlson’s memoir, Pancakes in Paris. A bit like Gabrielle Hamilton of Blood, Bones and Butter, Carlson starts life treading the dysfunction of his family. Fending for himself from an early age set the stage for the herculean task he later took... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, Ella Morton
[isbn]
I don't think there is a more perfect coffee table book. It's not just beautiful (but it is really beautiful) — it's full of fascinating information about places I've never heard of.
Recommended by Ashleigh B.
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William Finnegan
[isbn]
This lush and glorious ode to surfing is also an absorbing coming-of-age story. William Finnegan's memoir isn't merely a book about a sport, but rather a vivid and incandescent tale of obsession, self-discovery, and transformation. With writing both fluid and perceptive, Finnegan transports his readers to another world.
Recommended by Rebekah A.
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Antoine Laurain, Gallic Books
[isbn]
This is a quirky little novel about French President François Mitterrand's hat, and the life it leads when separated from the man himself. He accidentally leaves it in a restaurant, and for the lucky souls who will next wear it, it is a good-luck charm of immense proportions. Thoroughly engaging, this unlikely story is a quick, fun read. But don't misconstrue "fun" for "insubstantial"; there are clever layers of allegory and meaning to discover... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Steve Hely
[isbn]
The Wonder Trail is a travel book by a comedy writer, i.e., the opposite of insufferable. Steve Hely is optimistic, enthusiastic, and not drug-averse as he wanders from Mexico down to the tip of Patagonia. He peppers his stories with history, and cites his sources for the curious. I learned; I laughed; I tore through it.
Recommended by Britt A.
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Rinker Buck
[isbn]
Rinker Buck tells a grand adventure tale of traveling the original Oregon Trail in a covered wagon with his brother Nick and a scrappy terrier pulled by a team of heroic mules. Along the way he relates the fascinating history of the trail and beautifully describes the glories of the American West.
Recommended by Kathi K.
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William L Sullivan
[isbn]
I've been hiking in the Portland area for 15 years, and this is the book I rely on most. It includes good driving directions, accurate descriptions of terrain and difficulty, and even a little history thrown in.
Recommended by Paul S.
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Chris Santella
[isbn]
This book causes extreme wanderlust, in the best way. With gorgeous photos and ample insider tips, Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die will inspire even the staunchest nature hater to get outdoors and explore camping spots far and wide.
Recommended by Renee P.
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William Finnegan
[isbn]
William Finnegan is a lifelong surfer and a long-term staff writer for the New Yorker. Through this combination of writing talent and surfing skill, he is able to explain convincingly why so many surfers become obsessed with the sport. Finnegan writes especially well about the difficulty in balancing a consuming activity with the demands of work and family. He also honestly conveys his struggles to keep his ego and competitive instincts... (read more)
Recommended by Shawn D.
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Tom Bissell
[isbn]
Tom Bissell has written about subjects as varied as video games, the Aral Sea, and Werner Herzog. In Apostle, he turns his ever-curious mind to early Christianity. Always intelligent, fascinating, and frequently quite funny, Apostle is Bissell's exploration of Christian history and faith. For lovers of essays or narrative nonfiction, Bissell should be on your list.
Recommended by Jill O.
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Duncan, Dayton and Burns, Ken
[isbn]
The dazzling companion volume to the acclaimed Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea chronicles the fascinating history of the world-renowned United States National Park system. Four hundred pages of richly composed text by Dayton Duncan accompany hundreds of magnificent, awe-inspiring photographs.
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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John Waters
[isbn]
When cult film icon John Waters decides to hitchhike across the country, expect the unexpected to happen. This blend of fiction and travel memoir features all the wit and dark humor Waters is known for, with a dose of filth thrown in for good measure.
Recommended by Jen C.
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Alastair Bonnett
[isbn]
Unruly Places is The Chronicles of Narnia for grown-ups, made real. Sorted into chapters like "Dead Cities" and "No Man's Lands," which are further divided into vignettes about specific locations (complete with the global coordinates!), Unruly Places takes the reader into both natural and man-made spaces, far-flung and domestic. Bonnett is keenly interested in how people perceive and create places, and one of the pleasures of... (read more)
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Ellen Morris Bishop
[isbn]
Living with Thunder is a stunning coffee table book that doubles as a serious geology study. Gorgeous color photographs of regional landscapes and rock formations are accompanied by accessible, detailed histories, often illustrated with maps and figures. Anyone with an interest in the Pacific Northwest's scenery, history, or geology will thrill to turn the pages of this beautiful book.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Julia Cooke
[isbn]
Julia Cooke's fascinating The Other Side of Paradise is a sobering read, but it is also deeply sympathetic and remarkably apolitical. Cooke offers detailed portraits of everyday lives, as well as of her own experiences living in Havana, and allows the reader to develop his own opinions of the Castro brothers' regimes and American-Cuban relations.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Chris Guillebeau
[isbn]
Always wanted to make croissants? Dreamed of learning to surf or opening a cat sanctuary? Whoever said it's not about the destination but the journey was only half right. Bliss lies in pursuing the seemingly impossible with steely tenacity, and Guillebeau offers solid advice and tales of his own journeys to inspire you to pursue your wildest dreams.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Jim Yardley
[isbn]
Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Yardley brings us an entertaining account of a season with the Shanxi Brave Dragons, one of the worst teams in the Chinese Basketball Association. In an attempt to improve his team, owner Boss Wang hires a former NBA coach (the first in the CBA) to take over. What ensues is both a lively basketball story and an illustration of how China's attempts to modernize can sometimes be at odds with its traditions.
Recommended by Jennifer H.
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Mark Adams
[isbn]
With wit and infectious curiosity, Mark Adams takes us on a journey to find Atlantis. He sifts through the evidence, the contradictions, the wild claims of fellow obsessives. What he unearths are the rich jewels of history and lore, as he pays tribute to man's thirst for knowledge.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Deborah Davis
[isbn]
Andy Warhol had his first Los Angeles gallery show in 1963, right before his career exploded. He used the occasion to round up a few friends and a Ford Falcon, and armed only with a Diners' Club card, drove there from New York in four days. The Trip documents that journey but also serves as a great introduction to Andy Warhol's art, and the art world of the 1960s in general.
The Trip is a very fun book, entertaining... (read more)
Recommended by Sandy M.
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Jessica Anya Blau
[isbn]
Louise, Buzzy, Anna, Portia, and Emery: striking characters individually, but together they are an unforgettable family. Triumphantly dysfunctional, painfully hilarious. Jessica Anya Blau's new book, Drinking Closer to Home, is a rich portrait — wacky, outrageous, and surprisingly human — that ultimately pays homage to one of the odd treasures of family: the way dysfunction and love come together to create something uniquely one's own.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Robyn Jasko, Jennifer Biggs
[isbn]
Just as a small plot of land can yield a bountiful harvest, this unassuming little book packs quite a punch. Jasko's friendly, informative, and unfussy instructions cover all the basics of growing, preparing, and preserving your own food, while Biggs's charming line drawings challenge you not to crack a smile in the process. You don't need a green thumb or a culinary degree to enjoy farm-to-table goodness — this book should do the trick.
Recommended by Tove H.
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