Great new book recommendations for our World Travelers this Spring
Travel all around the world if you want but you have no need to search for top book releases perfect for you! Spring isn't over yet and we have top books for you from April, May and June.
We've done the work for you by finding the top books for your Bookfinity Reader Type. Be sure to add them to your “Read” list so that you can find them later.
JUNE NEW RELEASES
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West
by Will Grant
"Spellbinding" (Douglas Preston) and "completely fascinating" (Elizabeth Letts), cowboy and journalist Will Grant takes us on an epic and authentic horseback journey into the modern West on an adventure of a lifetime. The Last Ride of the Pony Express boldly illuminates both our mythic fascination with the Pony Express, and how its spirit continues to this day.
The Pony Express was a fast-horse frontier mail service that spanned the American West-- the high, dry, and undeniably lonesome part of North America. While in operation during the 1860s, it carried letter mail on a blistering ten-day schedule between Missouri and San Francisco, running through a vast and mostly uninhabited wilderness. It covered a massive distance--akin to running horses between Madrid and Moscow-- and to this day, the Pony Express is irrefutably the greatest display of American horsemanship to ever color the pages of a history book.
National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home
by Anya Von Bremzen
In this engrossing and timely journey to the crossroads of food and identity award-winning writer Anya von Bremzen explores six of the world's most fascinating and iconic culinary cultures--France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey--brilliantly weaving cuisine, history, and politics into a work of scintillating connoisseurship and charm
We all have an idea in our heads about what French food is--or Italian, or Japanese, or Mexican, or . . . But where did those ideas come from? Who decides what makes a national food canon? Recipient of three James Beard awards, Anya von Bremzen has written definitive cookbooks on Russian, Spanish, and Latin American cuisines, as well as her internationally acclaimed memoir Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking. Now in National Dish, she sets out to investigate the truth behind the eternal cliché--"we are what we eat"--traveling to six storied food capitals, going high and low, from world-famous chefs to scholars to strangers in bars, in search of how cuisine became connected to place and identity.
Graveyard of the Pacific: Shipwreck and Survival on America's Deadliest Waterway
by Randall Sullivan
A vivid portrait of the Columbia River Bar that combines maritime history, adventure journalism, and memoir, bringing alive the history--and present-- of one of the most notorious stretches of water in the world
Off the coast of Oregon, the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean and forms the Columbia River Bar: a watery collision so turbulent and deadly that it's nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Two thousand ships have been wrecked on the bar since the first European ship dared to try to cross it in the late 18thcentury. For decades ships continued to make the bar crossing with great peril, first with native guides and later with opportunistic newcomers, as Europeans settled in Washington and Oregon, displacing the natives and transforming the river into the hub of a booming region.
The Couscous Chronicles: Stories of Food, Love, and Donkeys from a Life Between Cultures
by Azzedine T Downes - Jane Goodall
Azzedine Downes moves between cultures, places, and time in this wryly comedic, at times mysterious, and always curious memoir of a lifelong nomad.
The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story?
Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he's a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends the glue-sniffing shoemakers of Fez, becomes the de facto manager of a traveling break-dance troupe, dodges bullets on his daily commute, and finds himself cursed over a feast of couscous gone very, very wrong.
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
by Michael Finkel
One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century: the story of the world's most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser.
In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser's strange world--unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.
For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years--in museums and cathedrals all over Europe--Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon
by Melissa L Sevigny
In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off to run the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious and entrepreneurial expedition leader, a zoologist, and two amateur boatmen. With its churning waters and treacherous boulders, the Colorado was famed as the most dangerous river in the world. Journalists and veteran river runners boldly proclaimed that the motley crew would never make it out alive. But for Clover and Jotter, the expedition held a tantalizing appeal: no one had yet surveyed the plant life of the Grand Canyon, and they were determined to be the first.
MAY NEW RELEASES
Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain
by McCarthy, Andrew
An intimate, funny, and poignant travel memoir following New York Times bestselling author and actor Andrew McCarthy as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son Sam.
When Andrew McCarthy's eldest son began to take his first steps into adulthood, McCarthy found himself wishing time would slow down. Looking to create a more meaningful connection with Sam before he fled the nest, as well as recreate his own life-altering journey decades before, McCarthy decided the two of them should set out on a trek like few others: 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago.
Over the course of the journey, the pair traversed an unforgiving landscape, having more honest conversations in five weeks than they'd had in the preceding two decades. Discussions of divorce, the trauma of school, McCarthy's difficult relationship with his own father, fame, and Flaming Hot Cheetos threatened to either derail their relationship or cement it. Walking With Sam captures this intimate, candid and hopeful expedition as the father son duo travel across the country and towards one another.
Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself
by Russert, Luke
In Look for Me There, Luke Russert traverses terrain both physical and deeply personal. On his journey to some of the world's most stunning destinations, he visits the internal places of grief, family, faith, ambition, and purpose--with intense self-reflection, honesty, and courage."--Savannah Guthrie, coanchor of Today
"Look for me there," news legend Tim Russert would tell his son, Luke, when confirming a pickup spot at an airport, sporting event, or rock concert. After Tim died unexpectedly, Luke kept looking for his father, following in Tim's footsteps and carving out a highly successful career at NBC News. After eight years covering politics on television, Luke realized he had no good answer as to why he was chasing his father's legacy. As the son of two accomplished parents--his mother is journalist Maureen Orth of Vanity Fair--Luke felt the pressure of high expectations but suddenly decided to leave the familiar path behind.
Instead, Luke set out on his own to find answers. What began as several open-ended months of travel to decompress and reassess morphed into a three-plus-year odyssey across six continents to discover the world and, ultimately, to find himself.
Chronicling the important lessons and historical understandings Luke discovered from his travels, Look for Me There is both the vivid narrative of that journey and the emotional story of a young man taking charge of his life, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and finally grieving his larger-than-life father, who died too young.
For anyone uncertain about the direction of their life or unsure of how to move forward after a loss, Look for Me There is a poignant reflection that offers encouragement to examine our choices, take risks, and discover our truest selves.
The (Big) Year That Flew by: Twelve Months, Six Continents, and the Ultimate Birding Record
by Dwarshuis, Arjan - Niederhauser, Madison - Obmascik, Mark
"A fast-paced page-turner and a unique adventure story . . . filled with insights about landscapes, people, and a world of wonderful birds."―Kenn Kaufman, author of Kingbird Highway
An epic tale of one passionate birder's record-breaking adventure through 40 countries over 6 continents--in just one year--to see 6,852 bird species, rare and common, before many go extinct.
When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the "Big Year"--the legendary record for birdwatching--he was twenty years old, it was midnight, and he was sitting on the roof of a truck in the Andean Mountains. In that moment he promised himself that, someday, somehow, he would become a world-record-holding birder.
Ten years later, he embarked on an incredible, arduous, and perilous journey that took him around the globe; over uninhabited islands, through dense unforgiving rainforests, across snowy mountain peaks and unrelenting deserts--in just a single year. Would he survive? Would he be able to break the "Big Year" record, navigating through a world filled with shifting climate and geopolitical challenges?
The (Big) Year that Flew By is an unforgettable, personal exploration of the limits of human potential when engaging with the natural world. It is a book about birds and birding and Arjan's attempts to raise awareness for critically endangered species, but it is also a book about overcoming mental challenges, extreme physical danger, and human competition and fully realizing your passions through nature, adventure, and conservation.
"Dwarshius' exhilarating race against time across 40 countries and 6 continents in his attempt to break the world record will thrill armchair readers and bird enthusiasts alike."―Booklist
APRIL NEW RELEASES
Gordon Ramsay's Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure with 60 Recipes from Around the Globe
by Ramsay, Gordon
In the National Geographic television series Uncharted, chef Gordon Ramsay travels to some of the most remote locations on Earth in search of culinary inspiration, epic adventures, and cultural experiences. Experience his journey in this beautifully illustrated collection, featuring 60 mouthwatering recipes and revealing insight into the cultures and foodways of destinations from Peru to Louisiana.
From the heights of the Peruvian Andes to the banks of the Mekong River Delta in Laos, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has traveled far and wide to find culinary inspiration in some of the world's most remote locations. In this travelogue-meets-cookbook, Ramsay reveals the rich food traditions and cultures he's found in 25 remarkable destinations from his explorations on the National Geographic Channel's Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.
Within these mouthwatering pages, you'll find insights into some of the world's richest cultures, behind-the-scenes stories from filming, tips from top chefs around the world, and must-try adventures in places near and far. Best of all, you'll be served 60 authentic recipes that are easy to achieve at home.
Both exotic and inspiring, this cookbook is perfect for travel inspiration, cultural insight, and an extra-special kitchen repertoire!
Tasting History: Explore the Past Through 4,000 Years of Recipes (a Cookbook)
by Miller, Max - Volkwein, Ann
Begin your very own food journey through the centuries and around the world with the first cookbook from the beloved YouTube channel Tasting History with Max Miller
What began as a passion project when Max Miller was furloughed during Covid-19 has become a viral YouTube sensation. The Tasting History with Max Miller channel has thrilled food enthusiasts and history buffs alike as Miller recreates a dish from the past, often using historical recipes from vintage texts, but updated for modern kitchens as he tells stories behind the cuisine and culture. From ancient Rome to Ming China to medieval Europe and beyond, Miller has collected the best-loved recipes from around the world and has shared them with his fans. Now, with beautiful photographs portraying the dishes and historical artwork throughout, Tasting History compiles over sixty dishes such as:
-Tuh'u: a red beet stew with leeks dating back to 1740 BC
-Globi: deep-fried cheese balls with honey and poppy seeds
-Soul Cakes: yeasted buns with currants from circa 1600
-Pumpkin Tourte: a crustless pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon and sugar on top from 1570
-And much more.
Including the original recipe and Miller's modern recreation, this cookbook is a must-have for any avid cook or history fan looking to experience delicious recipes from the past.
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
by Frankopan, Peter
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: A revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development--and demise--of civilizations across time
Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us.
Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformed will radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.
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