Category Archives: Travel

Atmosphere: a Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025)

19 Friday Dec 2025

Posted by in 20th century, adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel, United States

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Selected for the Novels at Night book club at the Weston Library on January 6, 2025! Read it and join the conversation.

“A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME, NPR, People, Good Housekeeping, them, Marie Claire, Book Riot, Library Journal, Chicago Public Library, She Reads”- Amazon

#1 NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER• GOOD MORNING AMERICABOOK CLUB PICK • From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Sixcomes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits. – Amazon

“Thrilling . . . heartbreaking . . . uplifting . . . the fast-paced, emotionally charged story of one ambitious young woman, finding both her voice and her passion.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

“NASA? Space missions? The ’80s? This is a collection of all the things I love.”—Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Maryand The Martian

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A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst

24 Monday Nov 2025

Posted by in adventure, Biography, nature, Non-fiction, suspense, Travel

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 Only 246 pages – quick heart-pounding read!

“This is nonfiction that reads like fiction – the best kind. Elmhirst’s retelling is a triumph, second only to the seemingly impossible feat of Maurice and Maralyn themselves. You won’t be able to put it down.” – USA Today

“Remarkable… I found myself, alternately, holding my breath as I read at top speed, wandering rooms in search of someone to read aloud to, and placing the book facedown, arrested by quiet statements that left me reeling with their depth.” – The New York Times

“Such an emotionally vivid portrait of a couple in isolation that I was shocked it wasn’t fiction. How could a writer get so deeply into the minds of two real people in such extraordinary circumstances? … So brilliantly depicted.” – Elle, Best Books of Summer

“A beautiful meditation on endurance, codependence, and the power of love. A dazzling book.” – Patrick Radden Keefe

“An enthralling, engrossing story of survival and the resilience of the human spirit.” —Bill Bryson

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The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

20 Monday Oct 2025

Posted by in adventure, Fiction, Humor, Travel, United States

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Brought together by unusual circumstances, a family sets out on a road trip from Massachusetts to the West Coast accompanied by a very perceptive cat. The characters in this novel are all dealing with pain and tragedy, yet the book is quirky, funny, and ultimately uplifting. I loved this!

“A beautiful reminder that the world is full of tragedy, but life-changing joy and connection might be just around the corner.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Hartnett’s signature blend of humor and deep emotional resonance shines through on every page. Balancing whimsy with raw emotion, Hartnett has a gift for turning life’s messiest, saddest moments into something weirdly funny and downright beautiful. Hartnett’s fans will find much to love here.”—Booklist, starred review

“The Road to Tender Hearts is the ultimate road trip novel: a zany, heartfelt blend of dysfunction, humor, healing, and Annie Hartnett’s signature poignancy and wit. This story of family, forgiveness, and moving forward is a balm for anyone who’s ever been too hard on themselves, offering a compassionate reminder that we’re all just figuring it out as we go. I was moved, delighted, and captivated from start to finish.”—Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart

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Isola: a Novel by Allegra Goodman

26 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by in action, adventure, Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel

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In 1500s France, orphaned Marguerite is dependent on her guardian, who forces her to travel with him to New France (Canada). When she develops a relationship with another young man on their ship, her guardian abandons them on an uninhabited island as punishment. An intense, powerful novel about the strength of women, based on a true story.

“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Goodman writes with fluid beauty, deep empathy, and an emotional undertow that pulls you in and holds you from the first page to the last.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Goodman’s lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review

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Hidden Libraries: The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories by DC Helmuth (Author), Nancy Pearl

22 Saturday Mar 2025

Posted by in Non-fiction, Travel

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“Discover 50 of the world’s most magnificent hidden libraries – each with a unique and uplifting story to tell – featuring a foreword by librarian, bestselling author, and literary critic Nancy Pearl.

Book swap your latest read in a cool 1950s style fridge in New Zealand or hike through the ethereal woodlands of Eas Mor in Scotland where a hidden library in a small log cabin awaits. Each entry shares the library’s mission and impact on the local community and offers fascinating stories from its resident caretaker.

Inside Hidden Libraries: 

  • 50 enchanting, obscure and astounding libraries from around the world
  • Fascinating insider knowledge and unique stories from each library’s resident caretaker
  • Captivating photos accompany every entry and the exact location of each hidden library is revealed
  • Featured libraries include: North America – Idaho: Little Free Library in a Cottonwood Tree; California: The Prison Library Project. South America – Argentina: The Weapon of Mass Instruction; Colombia: The Biblioburro. Africa – Egypt: St Catherine’s Monastery; Mali: The Timbuktu Manuscripts. Asia & the Middle East – China: The Lonely Library; Philippines: Reading Club 2000. Europe – England: Phone Booth Library; Norway: The Future Library. Oceania & Beyond – Antarctica: The Little Free Library at the South Pole; Outer Space: The International Space Station Library

Written by Diana Helmuth, an award winning author who writes about subjects including travel, nature, and philosophical trends”  (Amazon)

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Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson

28 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by in adventure, Fiction, Graphic novel, Travel, United States

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A BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, School Library Journal, Library Journal

So wonderful – I absolutely loved and highly recommend this graphic novel which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“A thought-provoking, profoundly moving adventure story. Not to be missed.”—Library Journal, starred review

“The book is an action-packed page-turner, with dastardly villains, narrow escapes, and a twist at the end that sheds a new light on the entire story.”—School Library Journal

“A vital reconsideration of an American classic.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Orbital: a Novel (2024 Booker Prize Winner) by Samantha Harvey

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Fiction, meaning of life, Science fiction, Travel

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Wondrous – like no other book I ever read. 207 pages. Can’t get it out of my mind now that I closed the last page.

“Harvey takes readers on board a cramped space station with six members of an international mission as they rotate the earth 16 times in 24 hours. Through their eyes, we watch typhoons grow in the Pacific, packs of noodles float in zero gravity, and continents whir by. A meditative novel that reveals our changing planet with a new urgency, and its inhabitants with a new and profound love.” —Oprah Daily, A Best Book of the Year

“Orbital is as beautiful as it is profound. It’s not a long book, but I made the final chapters last for weeks because I didn’t want the book to end.” —Emily St. John Mandel, author of Sea of Tranquility

“A short novel of cosmic proportions.”—Financial Times, A Best Book of the Year

“Coming from five different countries, the space travelers represent a microcosm of humanity. This is a beautifully written, deeply thoughtful meditation on planet Earth and our place in it.”—Library Journal, Starred Review“

Luminous and profound, Orbital is hard to put down and even harder to forget.” —Booklist, Starred Review

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You Are Here: a Novel by David Nicholls

27 Wednesday Nov 2024

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, romance, Travel

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A witty, touching love story. The writing is magnificent: taut and vivid. I was so happy while I was reading it and now I’m bereft. Gorgeous.” — Marian Keyes, internationally bestselling author of Rachel’s Holiday

“Captivating [and] flawless. . . . Sharp-tongued and irresistible.” — New York Times Book Review

“I finished this novel in two breathless sittings, as invested in its outcome as I would be in the happiness of a friend. This is the magic of You Are Here: warm, generous and funny, it invites readers into the world of Marnie and Michael with the promise that everyone is welcome, and that choosing happiness and being courageous in any small way we can is always possible. I loved this book.” — Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time

Oh this book! What’s better than rooting for two shy, once-burned characters to recognize that love is within reach? I stopped often to reread and savor its sparkling, wry sentences. You Are Here is both up-to-the-minute and old-fashioned in the best way: sharp, yet so very kind, funny, and bittersweet.” — Elinor Lipman, bestselling author of Ms. Demeanor

“A stunning, funny, frank and beautiful look at loneliness, friendship, and the risks taken to love and be loved. In a career of standout books, You Are Here takes its place at the top. David Nicholls is my favorite writer.” — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin At The End

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The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw

06 Wednesday Nov 2024

Posted by in adventure, anecdotes, Biography, memoir, Non-fiction, Travel

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Ruth Shaw runs two wee bookshops in remote Manapouri in the far south of New Zealand.  In her memoir, she weaves together remarkable sailing adventures, a yearning to be independent, characters who she meets on the sea and in her book shops, and the books you’ll want to read that she collects and sells.  Never a dull moment in Ruth Shaw’s full life.

‘Compelling. Shaw tells her own story free of oversentimentality or self-pity; she’s straightforward, frequently humorous, but, understandably, sometimes guarded and reluctant to overshare. Her resilience, optimism and willingness to always help others is to be admired; her remarkable story is to be read and reflected upon as it adds another vital perspective to a New Zealand life.’ Dionne Christian, Sunday Star Times – –

‘Utterly charming and filled with equal measures of heartbreak and humour, Ruth Shaw’s memoir will have you booking the first flight to New Zealand to share a cup of tea at her Wee Bookshops. Shaw has been a cook, a nurse, sailor and world traveller, and endured
immeasurable loss. But with Lance, the love of her life, Shaw has found her place bookselling in Fiordland.’ Booksellers’ Choice Australia

‘Shaw can write about these peaks and troughs [of her life] without a skerrick of maudlin introspection or mawkishness. Battered and emotionally bruised, she marches on. In a word, dauntless, and it’s exactly this quality that makes this memoir so readable.’ Chris Moore, NZ Listener

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Salt Path: a Memoir by Raynor Winn

12 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Biography, England, memoir, nature, Travel

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The true story of a couple (married 32 years) who lost everything (literally – lost their family farm, all their assets, plus one gets a terrible diagnosis) and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England. Uplifting and inspiring.

“Raynor Winn is a master of writing about nature and grief. The coast is the backbone of her memoir … a gripping story about a search for home, resilience and emotion, all the while in conversation with the sea.”—Guardian

“An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves.”—Independent (UK)

“Winn’s chronicle is filled with beauty, humor and surprises. Glorious landscape a given, the loveliest scenery is the pair themselves, their affection and easy camaraderie treasures to behold. Facing grief, harsh elements, starvation and judgment about being homeless, they relish growing feelings of achievement and purpose. When, miraculously, Moth starts to feel better, their future grows more unclear. The Salt Path is a great travelogue of surroundings, passersby and local merchants, but its heart is in Winn and Moth finding meaning in the chaos.”—Shelf Awareness

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