Travel and Travel Writing

For the super adventurous traveler, there’s no greater getaway than Mars! It’ll take you 500 days to get there and back, the food isn’t that great (Toasted Bread Cube, anyone?), and you might go kind of space-crazy, but what could possibly beat a vacation spent in zero gravity? If you’re considering Mars, be sure to pick up Mary Roach’s hilarious new book, packed with information about what it takes to live in space.
—Kat

Filled with admiration and appreciation, this book will introduce you to the history of the iconic Golden
Gate Bridge. It’s easy-to-read, very detailed, and very fascinating. Starr weaves an elegant tale of more than architectural history; including geological background of the bay itself and the sociological importance this inspiring landmark has for people who live nearby. —Nici

After living in England for almost 20 years, Iowan native Bryson set out to relive his childhood road trips and rediscover small town America. Along his way he runs into characters of all types, offering a glimpse into an often-ignored side of the States. Bryson’s quick wit and open mind make this a much more enjoyable trip than his childhood road trips probably were! —Flannery

The Swiss writer Bouvier and his artist friend Thierry Vernay make a journey in their youth that might be termed the European equivalent of On the Road. Although equally broke and filled with wanderlust, the differences are illuminating. Bouvier brought this book out of his journals many years later, so that may be the reason for its quiet tones and maturity, though I don’t think that’s the whole explanation. Illustrated throughout with Vernay’s whimsical drawings. —Seana

Not perhaps technically a travelogue, Possessed becomes one by the nature of Batuman’s quest. Once a hopeful fiction writer inspired by beloved authors, she comes to think that it might be a better tack to find out every last scrap about them, particularly the great Russians of the past. Filled with literary information about giants like Babel, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, her quest takes her to California, Uzbekistan and Russia. It’s very funny, too. —Seana

“‘The world warms, awash in greenhouse gases,’ Bill Streever notes in the first line of this fascinating contemplation of all things frozen, ‘but forty below remains forty below.’ An Anchorage-based biologist and outdoorsman, Streever demonstrates an amazing zeal for collecting cold facts. If it hibernates, shivers, glaciates, migrates to the poles, skis, feels compelled to reach Ultima Thule or absolute zero, Streever is hot on its trail. This connoisseur of cold set out to sample every frozen delight before it's too late. What he serves here is a banquet of iced hors d'oeuvres,” says The Washington Post.