Our Favorite Adventure Books 2.0

After our very first Temporary Armchair Traveler email with a few of our favorite books about adventure and other cultures, not only did we come up with more, but a few of our guests shared their recommendations, as well.

Here’s our next round if you’ve finished the last batch or are practicing tsundoku and need a few more to add to your stacks.
Please support your local independent bookstore if they have online ordering.

Franci T., Palau guest, Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz
From Macmillan, “Tony Horwitz vividly recounts Cook’s voyages and the exotic scenes the captain encountered: tropical orgies, taboo rituals, cannibal feasts, human sacrifice…Signing on as a working crewman aboard a replica of Cook’s vessel, Horwitz experiences the thrill and terror of sailing a tall ship. He also explores Cook the man: an impoverished farmboy who broke through the barriers of his class and time to become the greatest navigator in British history.”

Lenny C., Tour du Mont Blanc guest, Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
From Penguin Random House, “In September 1960, John Steinbeck embarked on a journey across America…accompanied by a distinguished French poodle named Charley…Travels with Charley in Search of America is an intimate look at one of America’s most beloved writers in the later years of his life—a self-portrait of a man who never wrote an explicit autobiography. 

Janice R., Spain & Morocco guest, Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom
From Penguin Random House, “Walking through four cities–Paris, Florence, Istanbul, and New York–and four seasons, Alone Time gives us permission to pause, to relish the sensual details of the world rather than hurtling through museums and uploading photos to Instagram. In chapters about dining out, visiting museums, and pursuing knowledge, we begin to see how the moments we have to ourselves–on the road or at home–can be used to enrich our lives.” 

Karen, safari manager: Out of Africa by Karen Blixen
From Penguin Random House, “From the moment Karen Blixen arrived in Kenya in 1914 to manage a coffee plantation, her heart belonged to Africa. Drawn to the intense colours and ravishing landscapes, Blixen spent her happiest years on the farm, and her experiences and friendships with the people around her are vividly recalled in these memoirs. “

Deborah, trip manager: On the Road by Jack Kerouac 
From Penguin Random House, “Jack Kerouac’s masterpiece of the Beat era was first published in 1957 and continues to provide a vital portrait of a generation adrift, as well as inspiration for travelers, dreamers, and artists in every generation that has followed.”

Kristen, Asia manager: Walking the Kiso Road by William Scott Wilson
From Penguin Random House, “Take a trip to old Japan with William Scott Wilson as he travels the ancient Kiso Road, a legendary route that remains much the same today as it was hundreds of years ago. Wilson, esteemed translator of samurai philosophy,…shares its rich history and lore, literary and artistic significance, cuisine and architecture, as well as his own experiences.”

Emily, trip manager: Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis
From Simon & Schuster, “…Zorba the Greek, is, on one hand, the story of a Greek working man named Zorba, a passionate lover of life, the unnamed narrator who he accompanies to Crete to work in a lignite mine, and the men and women of the town where they settle. On the other hand it is the story of God and man, The Devil and the Saints; the struggle of men to find their souls and purpose in life and it is about love, courage and faith.”

Katya, marketing manager: The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
From Penguin Random House, “At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it.”