NYPL Blogs: The Ticketless Traveler

Summer Reading—It's in the Maps

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:42:46 -0400

Let’s face it: we are not all book-readers. For whatever reason, some of us don’t easily get absorbed by fiction plots and characters or by long form nonfiction concepts and exposition. Maybe our attention spans or the patterns of our lives don’t lend themselves to that kind of reading. But that doesn’t mean we don’t read a lot. Whether it’s cereal boxes, blog posts or news feeds, magazine or newspaper articles, recipes, or other kinds of instructions, reading is usuallly still a big part of the lives of those of us who don’t often read whole books. So don’t feel sheepish if someone asks what books are on your summer reading list—just remind them that the library has a lot to offer beyond books for recreation and edification during what we like to think of as the lazy days of summer (and all through the year!).

Come to the Library online, or when available, in person, for such non-book reading pleasures as magazines and newspapers; sheet music; recipes, DIY advice, and travel guidance (often in books, but you can simply dip into them); and my favorite—maps.

You don’t have to know how to read maps in a technical way in order to derive enjoyment from them. Seeing familiar names and features might help you indulge in nostalgia for places where you’ve spent time in the past or spur you to see those familiar places in a new way. The broad concept of literacy encompasses visual and spatial literacy, and becoming comfortable with maps by looking at maps of places you know is an ideal way to develop that sense. On the other hand, you might want to immerse yourself in explorations of unfamiliar territories to visualize them through the mapmaker’s lens of design, labels, colors, and symbols, to better understand events, issues, or trends.

Here are some suggestions of maps to read as inspiration for summer recreational activity:

Getting Close to Nature

Here’s a beauty of a Central Park map to read and explore:

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 56633708

A companion publication, Central Park, the plant list of 1873, is a guide to vegetation in the park. For more recent information on trees in the park, you might want to request this Central Park, New York City 2010 map, with tree legend, when you are able to come to the Library. Or right now, check out this online map of great trees in NYC Parks, or this interactive inventory map of NYC street trees.

Hiking

See how the “foot paths” of yesteryear correspond to hiking trails of today. Note that there were railroads that made it possible for folks to come from the city to work or play in and around the tourist mountain houses of the Catskills, as seen on this 1884 map. It focuses on a few of those hotels and the surrounding trails near Kaaterskill Clove.

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 5860959

The Library also has a 2010 map of Catskill Trails. See what other trail maps worldwide are available in NYPL’s Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division by searching the catalog with SUBJECTS:

Hiking
Trails

Add a place name to your search if you wish, and LIMIT to MATERIAL TYPE Map.

Right now you can view current trail maps for the New York area online by going to the site of the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference, which includes this map of an area overlapping the coverage of the 1884 map above.

You can also go to the website of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for maps of recommended hiking trails in NYC parks.

Cooling Off by the Water

Imagine when Coney Island was more of an excursion from the city than it is today. Reading this 1879 map, with places of interest and routes and modes of travel laid out, was a good way to plan your trip there, whether by horsecar, rail, or steamboat. Reading it today is, of course, a trip back in time.

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 4050464

For more recent maps of waterfront access around New York City, here are a couple of suggested paper maps to request onsite in the Map Division:

For current and historical nautical charts online of coastal locations all around the country, start at this page of links from the National Ocean Service.

Biking

In the late 19th century heyday of the sport as a transportation mode, Philadelphians with bicycles might make a trip to cool off by the water by following this 1897 route map to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reading it today could inspire the planning of a present-day iteration of the two-wheeled ride.

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 57206426

You might like to see what other cycling maps are available in the Map Division, including more recent publications. Search the catalog with these SUBJECTS:

Bicycle touring
Bicycle trails
Cycling

You can add a place name to the search if you have a geographic focus, and then LIMIT to MATERIAL TYPE Map. An example of what you might find is this 2015 Denver Bike Map. Closer to home, and for immediate viewing, go directly to the city website for the NYC Bike Map 2020.

Babylon Berlin : A Reading List

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Fri, 18 May 2018 10:54:41 -0400

Certain TV dramas allow vievers to indulge in that unfullfilled longing for a perilous, reckless and glamorous life they never had, while educating them about a historically significant time period. Based on a series of novels written by Volker Kutscher, the series Babylon Berlin offers a didactive escape from reality.

Set against the political turmoil of the Weimar Republic, the story has all the ingredients of a great noir. An intense, damaged police detective is introduced to Berlin though his encounters with rampant corruption, political conspiracies, conniving Russian revolutionaries, ruthless criminal gangs, beguiling widows, feminist flappers, and one very determined femme fatale.

Clad in fedoras, cloche hats, and trenchcoats, unflinching characters continuously betray each other while escaping death by drowing , poison gas, and explosives. When not plotting the next assasination, revolutionaries and detectives attend wild Jazz Age parties.

Co-written and co-directed by Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries, the show features 5,000 extras, 300 shooting locations, and is made for a budget of $40 million. While the nonstop action and beautiful cinematography will secure your space on the the edge of your couch, the titles below will provide factual information on this fascinating historical period.

For a full German immersion experience, check out some of our cookbooks and travel guides, too. If you can't get to the library, you can always borrow our ebooks, while chewing on a brawurtst . This blog would not be complete without mentioning one very special item in ourcollections, a book titled Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition .

Berlin In History

Before the Deluge; A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920's by Otto Friedrich

Berlin Metropolis 1918-1933 edited by Olaf Peters

Berlin Calling : A Story of Anarchy Music, the Wall, and the Birth of the New Berlin by Paul Hoskenos

Berlin: A Portrait of a City Throught the Centuries by Rory McLean

Berlin/New York: Like and Unlike: Essays on Architecture and Srt from 1870 to the Present edited by Joseph Paul Kleinhues and Christina Rathgeber

Berlin by David Clay Large

Walking in Berlin: A Flaneur in the Capital by Franz Hessel

Hitler's Berlin: Abused city by Thomas Friedrich

Home Fires Burning: Food, Politics, and Everyday Life in World War I Berlin by Belinda J. Davis

Berlin in Fiction

Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Dolbin

Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada

The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood

Fatherland : a novel by Robert Harris

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov

Berlin Stories by Robert Walser (ebook)

Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque

Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr

Weimar Republic

Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin by Mel Gordon

Fairy Tales and Fables from Weimar Days: Collected Utopian Tales edited and translated by Jack Zipes

Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy by Eric D. Weit

Walter Benjamin and Bertolt Brecht : the Story of a Friendship by Erdmut Wizisla

Cool Conduct: the Culture of Distance in Weimar Germany by Helmut Lethen (ebook)

Culture and Inflation in Weimar Germany by Bernd Widdig (ebook)

German History

Germania: in Wayward Pursuit of the Germans and Their History by Simon Winder

The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J Evans

The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History by Thomas Harding

The Oxford Handbook of Modern German History edited by Helmut Walser Smith

Germany Since 1789: A Nation Forged and Renewed by David G. Williamson

Events that Changed Germany by Frank W. Thackeray

The Long Ride of Major von Schill: a Journey through German History and Memory by Sam A. Mustafa

Dreams and Delusions: the Drama of German History by Fritz Stern

The Habsburg Empire: a New History by Pieter M. Judson

New Titles in German History

Stormtroopers: A New History of Hitler's Brownshirts by Daniel Siemens

Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich by Eric Kurlander

The Third Reich: A History of Nazy Germany by Thomas Childers

The Law of Blood: Thinking and Acting as a Nazi by Johann Chapoutot

German Food

The Wurst! The Very Best of German Food by Otto Wolff

Classic German Baking: the Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, From Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen by Luisa Weiss

My Berlin Kitchen: a Love Story, with Recipes by Luisa Weiss

Das Cookbook: German cooking, California Style by Hans Rockenwagner

New German Cooking: Recipes for Classics Revisited by Jeremy and Jessica Nolen with Drew Lazor

Travel

Germany by Andrea Shulte-Peevers

Rick Steves Germany 2018 by Rick Steves

Frommer's Germany by Rachel Glassberg

Eyewitness travel Germany by Joanna Egert-Romanowska

Berlin by Andrea Shulte-Peevers

Travel Around the World in 80 Checkouts

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:08:56 -0400

Model of Trylon and Perisphere with airplane; NYPL Digital Collections; Image ID: 1684345

As a librarian working with the World Languages Collection, I consider myself an Ambassador of Global Cultural Heritage. Over the years working with our multilingual collections, I have fallen in love with a number of international authors and, despite encountering striking differences in circumstances and perspectives across many translated books, I am always struck by the universality of human experiences.

In addition to providing a much-needed perspective on my own life, foreign literature can always be used as a conversation opener in our multicultural city. Below is an extensive list of my recommendations and a link for each book or film; I hope these will challenge you to embark on your own international journeys and make new friends along the way.

My favorite books from the World Languages Collection include two autobiographical novels from Russia and a tale from an unreliable narrator from Congo.

The first, Bury Me Behind a Baseboard, has been a bestseller since its initial publication more than 20 years ago. In addition to having a cult following in Russia, the novel was published in Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Israel, China, and Taiwan. This unforgettable story of a boy and his overbearing grandmother will resonate with any readers familiar with dysfunctional families.

The second, written by Ruben Gallego Gonzales, documents a totalitarian state's indifference to individual human life—White on Black details a childldhood spent in Soviet oprhanages for disabled children. Translated into mulitpe languages, White on Black can be requested from the Mid-Manhattan Library in English, Russian, Spanish, and Polish.

Broken Glass is written by Alain Mabanckou, a Congolese recipient of Académie Française's grand prix for lifetime achievement., and it's everything a great novel should be: entertaining, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. A denizen of a shady Brazzaville bar, the narrator, nicknamed Broken Glass, is on a mission to secure his place in a literary canon. Armed with a truly encyclopedic learning and fueled by red wine and "bicycle chicken," he takes us on a wild ride through history.

Recommended Authors

In the past few years I have enjoyed reading translations of Argentinean Federico Andahazi , Hungarian László Krasznahorkai, and Korean Kyung-sook Shin. I also believe that books written by Ivan Klima, Tove Jansson, Kōbō Abe, Clarice Lispector, and Jorge Amado deserve a wider audience, as well.

A couple of years ago, I finally read popular Neopolitan novels from Elena Ferrante, and you can request them in Mandarin, French, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew, Italian, and English. After you complete the series, I highly recommend Ferrante's Days of Abandonment; I can't think of any other modern writer that addresses the immediate aftermath of marital dissolution with such unrestrained candor.

My neglected masterpiece award goes to author Aluísio Azevedos for O Cortiço, translated as Slum, or Brazilian Tenement.

Current and Upcoming Reads

For current reading, I'm back to Russian novels, reading a bestseller as bizzare and enticing as its title: iPhuck 10. It's the latest savage satire from a bad boy of Russian literature, Victor Pelevin.

I am next looking forward to reading:

2084 : the end of the world, a dystopian novel by Algerian writer Boualem Sansal
the newly translated Oblivion by Segei Lebedev
Three Daughers of Eve by Elif Shafak

In the near future, l am determined to get a hold of the The llustrious House of Ramires by José Maria de Eça de Queirós; plan to read a book by frequently requested Algerian author Ahlam Mosteghanemil; and, by summer, I might get to My Struggle, a multi-volume autobiographical opus by Karl Ove Knausgaard.

Film Recommendations

My favorite film from the World Languages Collection is an Academy Award nominee from Argentina, Relatos Salvages (Wild Tales), which catches up with characters each on the verge of an approaching nervous breakdown. Other contenders for my favorite Spanish-spoken film are from some of the industry's most highly-regarded filmmakers: Pedro Almodóvar's Volver, El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth), an earlier film from The Shape of Water writer-director Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Gonzáles Iñnáritu's Amores Perros and Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mamá También.

Under-the-radar Russian movies that I have liked include the eerie Silent Souls (directed by Aleksei Fedorchenko), gloomy Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev), brutal The Major and brilliant The Fool (both by Yuri Bykov).

French Village is a well-researched period drama television series from France, starring the stunning, flawless Audrey Fleurot as a bored housewife, hopelessly in love with a charismatic Nazi sociopath played by Richard Sammel. Some of my favorite French movies in our collections include comedies The Dinner Game (directed by Francis Veber), The Class (Laurent Cantet), Penny Pincher (Fred Cavayé) and The Closet (Veber), plus drama Leaving by director Catherine Corsini.

Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die) is an unforgettable Italian documentary filmed in a maximum security prison, about the staging of a production of Julius Caesar. Golden Door (directed by Emanuele Crialese) follows a Sicilian immigrant family on a journey to the land of giant onions, rivers of milk, and incomprehensible immigration policies. And the Italian thriller I'm Not Scared (Gabriele Salvatores) should not be watched alone.

Among my favorite Scandinavian movies in our collections:

Norwegian Kitchen Stories from director Ben Hamer
Danish drama After the Wedding, directed by Susanne Bier
Icelandic award-winning drama Rams, from Grímur Hákonorson
Swedish coming-of-age tale My Life as a Dog, an early film from director Lasse Hallström

Additional Film Suggestions

From Japan:

My favorite Akira Kurosawa film, Dodes'ka-den
A brilliant film on the subject of resignation, Suna no onna (The Woman in the Dunes), based on the novel by the great Kobo Abe, and directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
The animated films of Hayao Miyazaki, which continue to enchant audiences of all ages, including my top three: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro

Also:

Casa de Areia (The House of Sand), a Brazilian film in our collection
The delighfully bizzare Chinese comedy, Mermaid, about a community of merfolk fighting against a greedy developer
The Square, 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Swedish director Ruben Östlund.
Quest for Fire, one of the most remarkable films in the World Languages Collection, whose language is classified as "Undetermined"

Films by Deepa Mehta have been on my watchlist for a few weeks, including NH10, a frequently requested thriller that will keep on the edge of your couch. For a light and charming reflection on serendipity, request Mehta's The Lunchbox. In the film, an unusual mix-up by a usually efficient dabbawalla, popular lunchbox delivery system in Mumbai, results in an epistolary exchange between a widower and a neglected wife. As they get to know each other, both decide that drastic changes must free them from a lonely and unfulfilled existence.

Music Selections

My desert island disc collection includes Djavan ao vivo, Bom tempo by Sergio Mendes, and the assorted works of Gilberto Gil and Paulinho Mosca . Also: Brazilian-born, Paris-based singer Flavia Coehlo, who has travelled many of the world's roads, and whose collaboration with Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô results in a very addictive musical composition. The music of Astor Piazzolla suits many of my moods and, in the past few weeks, I have been listening to Buika, queen of flamenco, jazz, and anything else that comes her way.

To release my inner Cinderella , I turn to popular Lebanase singer Nancy Ajram, and know that my taste for Henry Salvador, Serge Gainsbourg, and Joe Dassin definitely shows my age. (In addition to singing, Joe Dassin wrote a book of short stories, and World Languages has a copy in Russian.) Zaz, Cœur de pirate and Stomae are members of the new generation of talented francophone performers.

Gogol Bordello is a band known for its effortless blend of gypsy punk and irreverant lyrics—you might remember the band's irresistible Ukrainian-born , Brazilian-based frontman from the film Everything is Illuminated. Gogol Bordello's latest release, Seekers and Finders, reminds us that some things are illuminated for all those who actively seek to understand the world.

We invite you to share the titles of your favorite works of world literature, international movies, and world musicians in the comments below!

Are You a True Francophile? Quiz & Book Recommendations

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 13:37:32 -0400

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Jakstas

Not all Francophiles have to be seasoned with authentic Herbes de Provence and hardened in battle with French grammar. Take our Francophile quiz below and find out if you are enamored with Gallic ways !

Do you avoid fat-free and gluten-free products, but rarely refuse a glass of fine wine?

When your opinion is challenged in a conversation, do you tend to get argumentative?

Do you lean towards the philosophical teachings of Zadig & Voltaire about as much as those of Voltaire?

Do you believe that all children should be instructed in the fine art of rhetoric ?

Do you consider a trip to the supermarket to be a proper occasion for exhibiting your impeccable sense of fashion?

Would you be willing to sit through a three-hour lunch ?

Are you familiar with one of the following TV shows: French Village Spirals, Returned , Versailles ,Forgotten Girls , Bureau of Sexist Affairs , Kaboul Kitchen , Resistance ,Spin, Antigone 34 , Elite Squad , Dead Beautiful or Reborn?

If you’ve answered in the affirmative to many of these questions, it’s our pleasure to tell you that you are vraiment Francophile! A great number of readers fell under the spell of mellifluous language, without ever achieving desired fluency. Some Francophiles were seduced by the promise of artistic fulfillment, without ever setting a foot in Paris. The Library invites all our Francophile patrons to develop a habit of taking home random promising titles from our extensive circulating collection. In addition to the tiles on French history and culture, Mid-Manhattan's World Languages Collection contains a great number of books and films in French. This post will discuss a number of recent titles on the history, culture and cuisine of France.

History buffs often suffer from the notion that they missed all the fun in life due to a grave misfortune of being born at the wrong time and place. Reading When Paris sizzled: the 1920s Paris of Hemingway , Chanel , Cocteau, Cole Porter , Josephine Baker, and their friends will do little to disabuse any ardent Francophile from a belief that Paris in 1920's was the most exciting place and time be alive. Until time travel is invented, immersing yourself in this book is the next best thing to being alive during those tantalizing and irreverent years. Sizzling with intellectual effervescence, the period between Armistice and Wall Street Crash of 1929 is known as Les Années Folles . By 1923 the Lost Generation of American expatiates residing in Paris amounted to thirty thousand. Josephine Baker, Earnest Hemingway, Cole Porter and Gertrude Stein were among them. Mary McAuliffe paints the lives of creative and glamorous visionaries of that era against a broad historical and economic panorama of that decade. Le Corbusier , Kiki, Stravinsky, Diaghilev , Picasso , Ravel and Coco Chanel are among the cult figures that fundamentally redefined art, fashion and architecture. Apart from listing the objective achievements of our cultural icons, this author ensures that everyone's amorous pursuits and amusing exploits are duly preserved for the posterity. Her authority on this historical period is not limited to the encyclopedic knowledge of the artistic milieu .While Charles De Galle and Georges Clemenceau mingled with creative elites , leaders of automobile industry, Renault and Citroen , were engaged in intense business rivalry.

Almost a hundred years after Les Années Folles 85 million tourists visit France every year. If you are planning a trip to the most popular destination in the entire world , take along F is for France : a curious cabinet of French wonders .This pithy little volume will introduce a novice Francophile to French history and culture in alphabetically arranged bits and pieces. After reading an entry on Fashion , some readers might be surprised to find out that the word describing the fabric of our most significant contribution to the world of fashion, a ubiquitous pair of jeans, hails from a beautiful historical town of Nîmes . In addition to amusing historical anecdotes and tales of peculiar customs , this book contains a good number of practical tips. All tourist heading for France anticipate gustatory satisfaction. First-time visitors will benefit from reading essays dedicated to Salade Nicoise, Snails, Frogs , Cheese, Garlic , Galette De Rois, Oysters, Baguette ,Champaign, Absinthe, Wine and Tart. Beef familiarizes readers with an endless variety of French beef cuts . A chapter titled Brains explains the appeal of andouillette and fromage de tête , delicacies that many American travelers might consider a bit too bizarre to try. Did you know that 30 percent of English words are derived from French ? A fascinating chapter dedicated to the Language contains a list of French words with no single-word equivalents in English. Equally gripping is a list of French words and phrases with no conceptual equivalent in English. You might be able to identify a visceral reaction of L’appel du vide and intensely guarded mon jardin prive.

Budding Francophiles are secretly intimidated by a rumor that French are inhospitable to tourists. If you intend on reading only one book prior to your visit to France, make it a The Bonjour effect : the secret codes of French conversation revealed. With a publication of this volume by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau combat against cultural myopia is as informative ,as it is entertaining.

French-speaking couple from Canada, Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau, experienced perplexing French cultural codes while residing in Paris. Julie quickly understood that if you don't greet , you don't exist. Rules of proper conduct indicate that prior to addressing a bus operators, supermarket employee, sales representative ,neighbors, parents on the public playground ,or anyone else you wish to converse with , you must acknowledge their presence. Fail to utter that Bonjour , and you will be immediately perceived as mal élevé , a French equivalent of someone who was raised in a barn.

Authors of this book offer readers a number of astute observations on the key concepts that shape French national psyche. Their discussion of widespread cultural phobia of faute is particularly insightful. Faute is roughly equivalent to a combination of "responsibility", "wrongdoing "and "blameworthiness". French faute of any sort, including that of now knowing an answer to a question at work, is commonly associated with oversight and irresponsibility. Even a hint of accusation implies personal responsibility and a threat of humiliation, ridicule and loss of current position in a social hierarchy. Authors of Bonjour Effect believe that such widespread aversion to faute naturally results in commonly observed French unwillingness to admit responsibility for any errors or misjudgments.

Explanations of possible root causes of such obligatory perfectionism are scattered throughout several chapters of this excellent book. An chapter titled Know-It-Alls reveals French educational system's focus on history, literature and art. Upon enrolling their daughters into a public school in Paris, authors learned that all young children are graded on eloquence and cohesiveness of their public speeches. School's emphasis on rhetoric and philosophy results in a widespread habit of discussing complex issues in an intelligent manner. As a consequence of such comprehensive and competitive educational system many conversations in France resemble a formal debate. During a dinner party in Paris authors witnessed a number of conversations between couples. While discussing the latest film or current election, both spouses openly debated fine points till the conclusion of an evening. American couples that publicly disagree on issues would be advised to visit a marriage counselor. French couples public arguments display their undying commitment to each other's intellectual development and personal growth. Hopeless romantics should take notice and adjust their expectations accordingly.

In a chapter titled Finding the Yes in Non Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau highlights additional cultural differences in communication styles. An initial denial of a request ,or a refusal to agree with your point of view , might simply mean that a person is wishing to engage you in a conversation. Authors seem to emphasize the fact that all communication in France presupposes willing to participate in a prolonged verbal combat . A clear winner in an ensuing battle of the wits must display impressive breath of general knowledge ,superior mastery of language and esprit. Esprit is form of high-spirited wit , commonly reserved for public sphere. To better understand the concept of esprit , readers can watch Ridicule , Molière, or any other French comedy available at Mid-Manhattan library.

After reading about the rigors of French educational system in The Bonjour effect: the secret codes of French conversation revealed Franchophiles might feel an urgent need to refresh their knowledge of modern French History. France : a modern history from the Revolution to the war with terror by Jonathan Fenby is a perfect volume for the task. A recent Gallup Poll found French to be amount the most depressed people on earth. As a foreign correspondent, Jonathan Fenby is particularly sensitive to a country's current political mood. His latest book on France traces historical roots of current national crisis of security and confidence to the country's unresolved conflict between it's progressive image and a conservative reality behind many of it's institutions and policies. According to Jonathan Fenby France has been an "unfinished republic" since the days of French Revolution .Despite the facts that Bastille Day is the nation's most popular holiday and La Marseillaise is the country's national anthem , not all of it's citizens condone revolutionary spirit of rebellion. While discussing French Revolution of 1789 , author states that "Modern totalitarian terrorist state had been born in a terrible perversion of the ideal of perfectibility of mankind ". A number of eminent th inkers find the very notion of "perfectibility of humankind" to be utterly incoherent. As described in this book and countless other volumes , French Revolution is an example of practical consequences that always follow grandiose utopian experiments. Jonathan Fenby's is willing to confront unpleasant historical facts . In a time when "impresonal" style of narrative and popular history is becoming increasingly fashionable , this author's ability to pass a stern and sober judgment on the key political figures is very refreshing. This is what he has to say about an infamous French leader "Impassive and mediocre , prejudiced and without ideas of his own, subject to influence of the last person he had spoken to ."

To denote the significance of French food in the history of human achievement, UNESCO , an organization with headquarters in Paris, placed French Gastronomic Meal on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity . Readers that dream of achieving culinary perfection and impeccable presentation befitting a proper gastronomic meal, must reach for Escoffier Ritz, Paris : 100 step-by-step recipes from the Ritz Paris Culinary School. August Escoffier , known as the "king of chefs and chef of kings'', loaned his name to the famed Parisian culinary institution of Ecole Ritz Escolfier . Every single page of this exquisitely designed cookbook oozes polished sophistication and savoir-faire. Readers with a friend that frequents Ritz and graciously invites them to share a gourmet meal at her tastefully decorated brownstone, should consider this volume to be a perfect gift. Just don't judge this book by it's cover, as it contains clear instructions , complete list of ingredients in both metric systems , and pictures of every single dish.

French Comfort Food contains a great number of bucolic landscapes, but fails to provide a picture for most of it's dishes. It's redeemed by very comforting regional recipes . Elegant Knitting Needle Spirals with Pistou, Apple Brandy Cream Sauce with Normandy Pork Chop and Rillettes De Saumon are easy to prepare Roasted Chicken with Orange and Black Olives is bursting with regional flavors of Provence .Penultimate French comfort food, Onion Soup, is correctly prepared with Gruyere . Anyone with a French press and an appreciation of rich and complex flavor of Calvados will find an excellent recipe for an apre-dinner drink.

Franchophiles that wish to indulge in rich and satysfying meals and fit into that bon chic bon genre outfit from Galerie Lafayette , should pay attention to a cookbook written by Dr. Jean-Michelle Cohen .The publication of Light French recipes : a Parisian diet cookbook / Dr. Jean-Michel Cohen, France's foremost nutrition expert ; photography by Bernard Radvaner ; photo styling by Géraldine Sauvage might solve a major dilemma for those Francophiles that are torn between their ardent passion for French cuisine and their enthusiastic admiration of French fashion. Along with a recipe for low- fat rillettes and a sensible recommendation to simply limit yourself to a small portion of this delicacy, this book contains numerous light versions of traditional French dishes . A recipe for Coq Au Vin appears rather parched and fails to specify how exactly a chicken should be browned. Still, any health-conscious cookbook that recommends Breton pastry , potato and ham salad from Piedmont, cassoulet and foie gras, should get an instant stamp of approval from a health-conscious Francophile.

A lifelong Francophile, David McAnich finally lived his dream of settling in France for an extended holiday. Recently published Duck season : eating , drinking and other misadventures in Gascony-France's last best place contains an account of his delicious months in Gers, a region of France where ducks outnumber people by the ratio of twenty to one. Inhabitants of Gascogne are deeply attached to a habit of having long and relaxing meals. A typical meal in Gers will include duck rillettes, duck sausage , duck skin cracklings, Armagnac-flambeed duck tenderloins, skewed duck hearts with chanterelles , duck carpaccio, duck-confit Shepard's pie and foie gras.The most essential and indispensable ingredient from that region is known as the "balm for the wounds of the soul". The use of that magic ingredient ,duck fat, is becoming increasingly common in this country. In addition to consuming every part of the duck, Gascons drink wine, Armagnac , eat cheese, and rarely skip desert. Despite such lack of dietary restrictions, Gers has twice the national average of residents over the age of ninety. Author's passion for cooking regional specialties led him to a peculiar and very exclusive cooking club . After amusing misadventures and number of gargantuan meals David McAnnich achieved a noticeable improvement in cooking techniques. While browsing through his list of mouthwatering recipes and learning about warm welcome the author and his family received from eccentric inhabitants of Gers , it is very tempting to place a trip Gascogne on a personal bucket list.

Readers that wonder how French women stay slim among the constant temptation of rillettes and baguettes , will not find an answers to that question in How to be Parisian wherever you are : love, style, and bad habits / Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Sophie Mas, Caroline De Maigret .Written by a model , film producer and two writers, this volume is saturated with famed Parisian savoir-faire. Far from perfect , Parisienne is a perfect example of someone who is "bien dans sa peau ", confident and at ease with herself. The overall advice of this book is focused on carefully cultivated unpredictability, self-assertive mischief in dating, well-groomed au naturel look and tireless dedication to a luxurious simplify of style. Readers can decide if authors preemptive admission of snobbery invalidates possible charges of smug affectation, excessive artifice and lack of sincerity in personal relations.

Other recent titles that should be on your Francophile's Reading List:

When in French : love in a second language / Lauren Collins ( see a review by Elizabeth Waters )

A brief history of France /Cecil Jenkins

A cook's Tour of France : Regional French Recipes

Paris in Winter an illustrated memoir David Coggins

Fairy tales for the disillusioned: enchanted stories from the French decadent tradition edited and translated by Gretchen Schultz and Lewis Seifert

French cinema : from its beginnings to the present / Rémi Fournier Lanzoni

Les Parisiennes : how the women of Paris lived, loved, and died under Nazi occupation / Anne Sebba

Seeking Provence: old myths, new paths/Nicholas Woodsworth

Paris at war, 1939-1944 / David Drake

The whole fromage:adventures in the delectable world of French cheese/Kathe Lison

I'm supposed to protect you from all this : a memoir / Nadja Spiegelman

My (part-time) Paris life : how running away brought me home / Lisa Anselmo

See this video of Lisa Anselmo's appearance at Mid-Manhattan library

The little pleasures of Paris / by Leslie Jonath ; illustrations by Lizzy Stewart

Markets of Provence : food, antiques, crafts, and more / text and photographs by Marjorie R. Williams

The French market cookbook : vegetarian recipes from my Parisian kitchen / Clotilde Dusoulier

For a selection on books about Paris, please see Paris, je t'aime! A Love Letter to Paris. New French fiction is discussed in Translated French Fiction: Announcing the Albertine Prize Finalists, by Lynn Lobash. Don't forget to share your favorite French reads in a comments section below !

Books for Railroad Travel

Hyacinth Persad — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 15:38:04 -0400

Willeybrook Bridge and Train. Image ID: G91F017_148F

On a recent summer Saturday morning I boarded Amtrak's Silverstar train from New York's Penn Station bound for Miami, Florida. As I was boarding the train the person who would be my attendant said, "there she is," with my paperwork already in her hand. This welcoming greeting made for a pleasant journey from the start. She showed me my compartment or roomette, gave me bottled water and said that there was a cafe car where hot meals would be available for purchase, and that I should ask if I needed anything else. I was impressed with the two, comfortably-cushioned chairs facing each other near the window in my roomette. The attendant told me that she would turn down my bed that night, but I asked her to show me how since I hadn’t planned on turning in early. I watched her turn down the bed in the roomette across the corridor from me and I was confident that I would convert the two cushioned chairs into a bed. In the meantime I settled in for the ride, gaping through the windows.

I had a few book titles loaded on my smartphone and tablet, but didn't get around to reading much. When approaching station stops I saw commercial buildings and traffic. After the train left a station and rolled along through the vast, verdant landscape, I also wanted to hear the train whistle, and I did many times throughout the trip as it neared stations and rail crossings. Another thing I remember was that as the train approached some station stops it would reverse to get to the station. I was captivated by how many trees there are across the country, especially in Virginia where the landscape went on forever.

During my train trip, I never got around to reading the print paperback I had with me, Unformed Landscape, by Peter Stamm. It is a work of fiction woven around travel, mostly by ship but also by train in and around Norway.

"An aimless joy is a pure joy,” is a Yeats quote that Paul Theroux uses in his nonfiction book, Ghost Train. It is an apt description of travel, especially for the way Theroux traveled through Central Asia and India. When his train travel had to be broken up, he took whatever was available, ferries, buses and cars before boarding the next train. And he did not necessarily get on the next available train. Sometimes, he would lay over for a number of days.This would mean meeting all kinds of people, and oftentimes he depended on their kindnesses. This observation resonates with me as I think, generally, about my own travels and the various kindnesses and incivilities I have encountered. Theroux is known for a wide body of fiction and nonfiction works, and is also a travel writer. His own friendliness and that of others combined with his observation and candor when making notes, and writing about those experiences, make for an engaging read. In this book he retraced the trip he made thirty years earlier. My interest in more of Theroux’s books on railroad travel has been piqued by this one.

Here are three more of Paul Theroux's nonfiction books on railroad travel that are on my reading list:

The Great Railway Bazaar

The Last Train To Zona Verde

The Old Patagonian Express

For a history of railroads in the United States and around the world, read Train by Tom Zoellner. He gives us some details about his railroad travel in each of the countries he visits. Additionally, he weaves each country’s history and politics together and shows how it influenced the development of its railway system.

See the library's catalog for a more extensive list of Paul Theroux's fiction and non-fiction works.

If you have any suggestions for books on railroad travel, please leave them in the comments section.

Around the World in 80 Episodes: International TV Series

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 14:27:01 -0400

Do you ever wonder what the rest of the world is watching on TV? If you do, we invite you to browse through Mid-Manhattan's World Languages collection. Located on the first floor of Mid-Manhattan library, our DVD collection is arranged alphabetically, according to the language.

TV series from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are located in our general TV series section. If you don't believe in serendipitous finds, or don't have time to visit us, feel free to request titles mentioned in this post.

After watching a great number of International TV series, I am happy to recommend a few favorites. Kaboul Kitchen is the most unusual sitcom, addressing serious issues under the guise of comedy. The prize for the most eerie setting goes to Fortitude. The best political drama in any language, including English, is Borden. The best transporting experiences are offered by the Executioner and Last Kingdom. The most intense and charismatic detective is Luther. If you can watch one recent Nordic Noir, let it be the Bridge. It would be a crime to miss French Spiral and British Broadchurch. I am grateful to Elizabeth Waters for her suggestions. She is very fond of Inspector Montalbano and recommends the Italian TV series The Best of Youth.

Far from being exhaustive and representative, this post lists a fraction of international titles available to our patrons. Please feel free to share your personal recommendations in the comments section. All the titles in this blog contain links to the first season of the shows.

Chinese

Lang ya bang: Nirvana in Fire
This complex and intricate historical drama received an Outstanding Television Drama Award. Set in the 4 th century, the story centers around the fate of young man involved in hostilities between warring feudal Northern Wei and Southern Liang Dynasties.

Dao xia liu ren: The executioner
When a political conspiracy threatens to murder a newborn baby, an infants life is at the mercy of two strangers. Will the unlikely partnership between a renowned midwife Fa Yui-hung and executioner Yip Sheung-luk be strong enough to protect an innocent child ? This historical drama is set during the reign of Chenghua Emperor in the Ming Dynasty and has enough action, intrigue, and romance to keep you busy for 26 episodes.

Danish

Borgen
To witness democracy in action you can wait for November, or simply watch Borgen now. This immensely popular political drama is often compared to our West Wing. Borgen, translated as castle, (the nickname for the Dutch Parliament Building), follows the political struggles and personal life of the first female prime minister.

Rejseholdet = Unit one
Unit One is an elite mobile police unit, dispatched to the most difficult murder investigations. Each episode of this crime series deals with a specific homicide that will be solved by the end of the segment.

Dutch

Salamander
When 66 safety deposit boxes in a small private bank in Brussels are burglarized, the owners of sensitive documents are very alarmed. While the management of the bank does not wish for the police to be involved, police inspector Paul Gerard wishes to find the culprit responsible for the heist that threatens to bring down a number of important public figures.

Finnish

Private Eye Vares
Created by bestselling Finnish crime author Reijo Maki, this serial is set in Turku. Vares is a scruffy and charming private detective, who should not be underestimated.

French

Spiral
Infinitely addictive, Spiral examines the French criminal justice system. Judges, attorneys, prosecutors, and other officers of the law are shown to be dedicated, but prone to errors of judgment. While grisly crimes, high speed chases, love triangles, betrayal of loyalties, and courtroom drama are the usual components of any police procedural, Spiral succeeds in examining the aftermath and effects of violent crime on victims, perpetrators, and members of law enforcement. In addition to Judge Roban, the most memorable judge on television, you will meet a self-destructive and fearless female detective, conscientious prosecutor, and an attorney whose beauty is well matched by her ruthless ambition and masterful eloquence.

The Returned
The inexplicable return of several deceased people shocks an isolated Alpine mountain community. Unaware of the fact that they have been missing for a while, the newly returned are determined to reclaim their past lives. A gruesome murder committed in town signals a possible unwelcome return of a serial killer.

Antigone 34: The Complete Series
Antigone 34 will introduce viewers to the underbelly of beautiful Montpellier, the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. With a visage and a physique of a comic book heroine, a female detective in this short series has to find a way to work with outsiders.

Li'l Quinquin
Unless you are a frequent visitor to Bretagne this mini-series will strike you as impossibly bizarre. A series of grotesque crimes are investigated by a detective with painful facial tics and his equally eccentric partner. A group of local kids on summer break follows the quirky pair. Don't expect any rational explanations for actions or resolutions of any kind. Expect to see a funeral you are unlikely to forget.

Carlos
This French/German serialized movie is based on the life of the Venezuelan-born Marxist revolutionary terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sachez, commonly known as Carlos.

Kaboul Kitchen
What does Afghanistan need the most in the year 2005? A French restaurant, bien sûr! This sitcom is loosely based on the experiences of an actual proprietor of the only French restaurant in Kabul. This very unique show manages to be funny and thoughtful, deserving everyone's attention and my prize for the best international comedy.

German

Bukow & König
Police inspector Alexander Bukow and criminal profiler Katrin König work as a team in the German city of Rostock. A criminal profiler, as well as a detective, Konig is asked to investigate Bukow, a detective with a very suspicious past.

Marie's Mind for Murder
After the death of her father, a policeman in the same force, Inspector Marie Bland retired from the department. While consulting on a difficult case, she is joined forces with an unlikely partner, a ladies' man without passion for analytics.

Deutschland 83
A spy thriller set during the Cold War, Deutschland 83 remains true to the spirit and look of the early '80s. Martin Rauch, a young East German joins the army on the other side of the wall, in an attempt to gain some insight into the NATO strategy.

Hebrew

Prisoners of War
The original inspiration for Homeland, Prisoners of War is the winner of Israel's Academy Award for Best Television Drama. The show centers around experience of several soldiers, returning home after being held as hostages for a number of years.

Italian

Il commissario Montalbano = Detective Montalbano
Our most popular Italian crime drama is set in the fictional Sicilian town of Vigata. The series follows the exploits of the irascible but ultimately lovable police inspector Salvo Montalbano. The depictions of the many layers of Sicilian society, from destitute refugees to the immensely wealthy, as well as Montalbano's personal and professional relationships, add depth to this crime series adapted from Andrea Camilleri's novels.

Inspector Manara
Upon his involuntary transfer from Milan to a sleepy Tuscan town, inspectors Guido Manara expects to be bored. Shortly after Guido's arrival, a librarian is savagely murdered. Delighted by a dashing policeman, town's female population is eager to avenge the librarian. While a great number of women are willing to assist Inspector Manara in his investigations, things grow quite complicated, as his former flame happens to be a chief of forensics.

La meglio gioventù = The best of youth
Originally shown as a mini-series on Italian television in 2003, The Best of Youth / La meglio gioventù is re-edited for theatrical release. This beautifully crafted drama shows the human side of forty years of Italian history, as it follows the lives of two brothers and their friends and family, starting with their high school days in Rome in the early 1960s.

Don Matteo
After spending some time away from his town, enterprising and slightly meddlesome Don Matteo solves crimes local police is incapable of solving. Bicycling through town in his habit, he always happens to be in the right place at a wrong time.

Swedish

Bron = The bridge
If you can only watch one Nordic Noir series from this list, let it be the Bridge. This Swedish/ Danish masterpiece deserves accolades for being the most uncommon detective and the most realistic portrayal of camaraderie in a workplace. Bridge is an outstanding and rare example of entertainment that allows for a nuanced view of life. Saga Noren, a Swedish detective with unmentioned, but clearly pronounced version of Aspergers' syndrome, must learn to cooperate with a deeply troubled Danish colleague. There is not a single false note in this show, so don't expect a happy end.

Beck
This Swedish television series is based on crime novels of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Unlike his handsome and impulsive partner, Martin Beck is not concerned with appearances. Unlike proper, but eccentric Beck, Gunwale refuses to play by the rules. The good cop, bad cop routine works for this pair of seasoned detectives.

Irene Huss
Married mother of two teens, Irene is dealing with parenting, marriage, crime, and private investigator assignments from a neighbor.

Henning Mankell's Wallander
Want to meet a man that is handsome, intelligent, emotionally complex, and dedicated to his work? Watch Henning Mankell's Wallander. While there is a number of Wallanders out there, most viewers seem to prefer the original Swedish version. Ignore reviews that reflect a shallow, but deeply ingrained Hollywood stereotypes of an "ideal" good looking male protagonist. Krister Henriksson was a very handsome man, is a very a handsome man, and will always be a very handsome man.

British

Fortitude
Fortitude receives my prize for the most unusual geographical setting. Filmed in Iceland, this glacial town of unspecified remote location is populated by scientists and absconders of all walks of life. No one is allowed to die in Fortitude, as it's impossible to be buried in permafrost. The Governor of Fortitude is very eager to attract investors for her glacier hotel project. When several inhabitants of Fortitude are savagely murdered, those plans have to be put on ice.

Broadchurch
Intensively atmospheric, Broadchurch examines the effects of tragedy on an isolated community. Tensions are brewing after a young boy body is found on the beach. It seems like everyone living in this community is hiding a trauma from the past or suffers from a deep character flaw. Confusing dead-ends, deviations from police protocol, brooding anti-social investigator and stunning cinematography seem to be the standard for any foreign police procedural. This show is distinguished by an exceptionally talented cast. After finding a great TV series, I am always fearful of the disappointing second season. Happy to report that the second season consisted of superb courtroom drama, supported by very memorable performances by Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Charlotte Rampling.

Black Sails
A prequel to Stevenson's Treasure Island, this show is not suitable for young audiences. Put your kids to bed and watch a show that finally portrays pirates as brutish, manipulative, and scheming cutthroats.

The Bletchley Circle
Four female former Nazi code-breakers figure out how to apply their skills to solving a series of murders in post-war London. Susan, a housewife dedicated to supporting her husband and children, is beginning to recognize patterns connecting the killings of young women. This inspires her to return to her code breaking past friends Millie, Lucy and Jean. After failing to convince the police to follow up on her calculations, the four friends take matters into their own hands.

Luther
Impossibly handsome, fiercely intelligent, brooding and intensely independent, this British detective is simply irresistible. Completely dedicated to fighting crime, Luther is often tempted to use unorthodox methods of investigation. He perseveres, despite personal problems and a number of law enforcement officers that wish him ill.

House of Cards
The original House of Cards includes charming and Machiavellian Francis Urguhart. It's always a pleasure to watch him wreak havoc all over Parliament.

Death in the Paradise
Sunshine and warm turquoise waves do not appeal to a British detective in charge of a murder on a tiny island in the Caribbean. He just wants to get back to rainy England. Unfortunately his superiors exiled him to Paradise for an indefinite period of time.

Hinterland
Y Gwyll, titled Hinterland in its English edition, is a great addition to the Celtic Noir genre. Filmed around a beautiful coastal town of Aberystwyth, this Welsh import is a refreshing alternative to a typical metropolitan series with glamorous, over-groomed detectives and international intrigue. I was pleasantly surprised by the refreshing idea of casting ordinary people for the roles of ordinary people. DCI Mathias, recently transferred from London, is seeking redemption after a family tragedy. As all crimes in the area are explained by deep dark secrets from the past, DCI Mathias gets into considerable trouble by attempting to uncover long-buried secrets.

Last Kingdom
This historical drama is based on the series of books by Bernard Cornwell. If you like shaggy-haired, battle-scarred Norse warriors, doing the usual burning and pillaging, you will enjoy this show. There are wise blind men, beautiful maidens, but no dragons.

Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a period costume drama, best compared to Boardwalk Empire. Recent war veteran and young leader of a crime family is attempting to improve their fortunes by engaging in illegal activity in Birmingham. According to a recent article in the Sunday Times of London, the show is responsible for the increasing sales of a specific flat hat, traditionally worn by Peaky Blinders. The article features a picture of Luther, who might just be a fan of this show.

New Zealand

Top of the Lake
Directed by Jane Campion, Top of the Lake is intensely atmospheric. While on a leave to care for her ill mother, detective Griffin uncovers secrets related to disappearance of a twelve year old girl. Despite beautiful cinematography and fine acting, this show feels a bit contrived and predictable. A number of characters lack depth and complexity.

Around the World in 80 Cookbooks

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:55:18 -0500

The idea for this list of cookbooks arranged by a country was inspired by an event that takes place at a local elementary public school. During an annual International Night students, teachers and administrators celebrate diverse student body by serving dishes prepared by student's parents . For a number of years , I was a participant, occasionally cooking and always sampling scrumptious and exotic dishes from Hungary, Morocco, Ireland, Malta, Albania, Nigeria , and a great number of other countries.

If you are bored with cooking the same few dishes , or wish to challenge yourself, you can use this list of cookbooks from twenty five countries.

The presence or absence of a particular country is determined by current availably of reading materials that can be borrowed . While I would have loved to include cookbooks from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Russia, Hungary, Australia, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Argentina and South Africa, and a few other countries, the following list will keep any aspiring cook occupied, until such books became easily available. For an excellent guide to regional cuisine and general food and travel titles please see the The Ticketless Traveler: Food and Cooking Edition.

Spain

Spain: Recipes and Traditions from the Verdant Hills of the Basque Country to the Coastal Waters of Andalusia / Jeff Koehler

The Cuisines Of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking / Teresa Barrenechea

Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain / by Joyce Goldstein

Portugal, Azores, Madeira

Authentic Portuguese cooking: 185 classic Mediterranean-style recipes of the Azores, Madeira and continental Portugal

The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast / David Leite ; photographs by Nuno

Greece

Ikaria: Lessons On Food, Life, And Longevity From The Greek Island Where People Forget To Die / Diane Kochilas

The Islands Of Greece: Recipes From Across The Greek Seas / Rebecca Seal

Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors / by Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher

The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes From Ancient Greece And Rome For The Modern Cook / Francine Segan

Italy

Nigellissima: Easy Italian-inspired Recipes / Nigella Lawson

Saveur Italian Comfort Food / the editors of Saveur ; editor-in-chief, Adam Sachs

Lidia's Mastering The Art Of Italian Cuisine: Everything You Need To Know To Be A Great Italian Cook / Lidia Mattichio Bastianich

Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook / Sal J. Scognamillo

Sweden

Traditional Swedish cooking / Caroline Hofberg ; translation by Monika Romare

Swedish Breads and Pastries / Jan Hedh ; photography by Klas Andersson

Under The Walnut Tree / Anna Bergenström, Fanny Bergenström ; translated by Susanne Lomander

Iceland

North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland / Gunnar Karl Gíslason and Jody Eddy

France

La Bonne Cuisine De Madame E. Saint-ange: The Original Companion For French Home Cooking

French Comfort Food / Hillary Davis ; photographs by Steven Rothfeld

Bistronomy: Recipes From The Best New Paris Bistros / Jane Sigal

In A French Kitchen: Tales And Traditions Of Everyday Home Cooking In France / Susan Herrmann Loomis

Great Britain

Jamie Oliver's Great Britain / photography by "Lord" David Loftus

Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking / Kate Colquhoun

Roast: A Very British Cookbook / Marcus Verberne

Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food / by Tom Kerridge

Cooking With The Two Fat Ladies / by Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright

Ireland

Irish Country Cooking: More Than 100 Recipes for Today's Table / the Irish Countrywomen's Association

Clodagh's Irish Kitchen / Clodagh McKenna

Kevin Dundon's Modern Irish Food: More Than 100 Recipes for Easy Comfort Food

India

Easy Indian Cookbook: The Step-by-step Guide To Deliciously Easy Indian Food At Home / Manju Malh

Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple And Healthy Vegan Recipes / Anupy Singla

Vegetarian India: A Journey Through The Best Of Indian Home Cooking / Madhur Jaffrey

Made In India: Recipes From An Indian Family Kitchen / Meera Sodha

Peru

Lima the cookbook: Peruvian Home Cooking / Virgilio Martinez & Luciana Bianch

The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from My Peruvian Kitchen / Ricardo Zarate & Jenn Garbee

The Everything Peruvian Cookbook / Morena Cuadra and Morena Escardó

Primicias de Cocina Peruana / Rodolfo Hinostroza

Jamaica

Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen / Lucinda Scala Quinn

Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style / Helen Willinsky

Puerto Rico

Cocina Tropical: The Classic & Contemporary Flavors Of Puerto Rico / Jose Santaella

Puerto Rican Cuisine In America: Nuyorican And Bodega Recipes / Oswald Rivera

Puerto Rico, Sabor Criollo / Wilo Benet

Cuba

The Cuban Table: A Celebration Of Food, Flavors, And History / Ana Sofia Pelaez

A Taste Of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes For Delicious, Authentic, And Traditional Dishes Highlighted With Reflections And Reminiscenses / Maria Josefa Lluria de O'Higgins

A Taste Of Cuba / Beatriz Llamas

Mexico

Cantina: Recipes from a Mexican Kitchen / Paul Wilson

The Best Mexican Recipes: Kitchen-Tested Recipes Put the Real Flavors of Mexico Within Reach / by the editors at America's Test Kitchen

The Art of Mexican Cooking: Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados / Diana Kennedy

Brazil

Brazilian Food / by Thiago Castanho & Luciana Bianchi

The Brazilian Kitchen: 100 Classic And Contemporary Recipes For The Home Cook / Leticia Moreinos Schwartz

Cooking the Brazilian Way: Culturally Authentic Foods Including Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes / by Alison Behnke and Karin L. Duro

Morocco

Morocco: A Culinary Journey With Recipes From The Spice-scented Markets Of Marrakech To The Date-filled Oasis Of Zagora

Mourad: New Moroccan / Mourad Lahlou ; With Susie Heller, Steve Siegelman, And Amy Vogler

Postcards From Marrakesh: Recipes From The Heart Of Morocco / Andy Harris ; photography by David Loftus

A Month In Marrakesh: Recipes From The Heart Of Morocco / text by Andy Harris

Lebanon

Rose Water And Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes From My Lebanese Kitchen / by Maureen Abood

The Lebanese Kitchen / Salma Hage

Turkey

Essential Turkish Cuisine / Engin Akin ; photography by Helen Cathcart

Turkey: More Than 100 Recipes With Tales From The Road / Leanne Kitchen

Senegal

Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes From The Source To The Bowl /Pierre Thiam

Yolele! Recipes From The Heart Of Senegal / by Pierre Thiam ; photography by Adam Bartos

Korea

Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes For The Home Cook / Maangchi with Lauren Chattman

The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking For An American Kitchen / Marja Vongerichten

The Korean Table: From Barbecue To Bibimbap: 100 Easy-to-prepare Recipes / Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

Japan

Donabe: Classic And Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking / Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton

Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, And More From The Streets And Kitchens Of Tokyo And Beyond / Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

Hiroko's American Kitchen: Cooking With Japanese Flavors / Hiroko Shimbo

Thailand

True Thai: Real Flavors for Every Table / Hong Thaimee

Nong's Thai Kitchen: 84 Classic Recipes That are Quick, Healthy and Delicious / Nongkran Daks

New Thai Food: Recipes for Home / Martin Boetz

Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes From the Thai Home Kitchen / Leela Punyaratabandhu

Vietnam

The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes For Crazy-delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches / Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen

The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food / Charles Phan with Janny Hu

Eating Vịêt Nam: Dispatches From A Blue Plastic Table / Graham Holliday

China

Phoenix Claws And Jade Trees: Essential Techniques Of Authentic Chinese Cooking / Kian Lam Kho

Chinatown Kitchen: From Noodles To Nuoc Cham: Delicious Dishes From Southeast Asian Ingredients / Lizzie Mabbott

Every Grain Of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking / Fuchsia Dunlop

The Food Of Taiwan: Recipes From The Beautiful Island / Cathy Erway ; photography by Pete Lee

Famous Literary Locales, Visualized

Gwen Glazer, Communications — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 11:55:28 -0500

This is one of a series of blog posts related to the NYPL Public Domain Release: discover the collections and find inspiration for using them in your own research, teaching, and creative practice.

The New York Public Library recently threw open the doors to our digital collections, making 180,000 public-domain available to the public for free—and it’s opened up huge rabbit holes that you can’t help but fall down.

In Readers Services, we went hunting for images that evoke our favorite literary scenes, and oh the places you can go…

Here are some of our favorites.

John Steinbeck’s Dust Bowl America

Photograph of Dust Bowl refugees along a highway near Bakersfield, Calif., 1935. Image ID: 3999709

Gelatin silver prints from the Farm Security Administration Photographs collection show scenes from the era of The Grapes of Wrath.

Edith Wharton’s New York City

Various NYC apartment buildings, 1908. Image ID: 1238851

When Lily Bart fell from grace in The House of Mirth, she did it in the elegant apartment buildings of Golden Age New York. Roam their interiors via the Apartment Houses of the Metropolis Collection.

Eloise’s Plaza Hotel

Detail of a menu at the Plaza Hotel, 1933. Image ID: 4016503

A detail shot from a menu at the Plaza Hotel—home of Kay Thompson’s indomitable little girl Eloise, who likes to “scamper to the Terrace room where those debutantes are prancing around.”

Catherine the Great’s Moscow

Jean-Baptiste Le Prince print of a gentlewoman in Moscow, 1768.

Gentlewomen such as this one may have roamed the streets of Moscow during the era of Catherine the Great, the subject of much literary fiction.

Oliver Twist’s London

“After the opera” print, London, 1840. Image ID: 5266918

Charles Dickens's serialized tale of the streetwise orphan was published serially, starting in 1837; this print depicts
“the lamplit colonnade of a theatre, where elegantly dressed patrons of the opera are seen departing after a performance... while a shabbily dressed man approaches a well-dressed trio, probably soliciting business for a hansom cab.”

Dracula’s Transylvania

Map of Transilvania, Walachia, Moldavia, Bulgaria, Bessarab, 1681. Image ID: 1503428

Adorn your wall with an art print of this 1681 map of Transylvania and its environs—where Bram Stoker’s Dracula roamed two centuries later.

Sir Walter Scott’s Edinburgh

Engraving by William Woolnoth, ca. 1800. Image ID: EM3952

The Scottish novelist wrote a series of novels in the early 19th century that center on the Old Tollbooth Prison in Edinburgh. This landscape, looking toward civilization, may echo what he saw.

Salem of The Crucible

Old Witch House, Salem, Mass., 1898-1931. Image ID: 68677

The caption on this postcard reads, “where victims of witchcraft were condemned, 1692”—the setting for Arthur Miller's iconic play about the Salem witch hysteria.

Baudelaire’s Paris

View of Paris, 1861. Image ID: 1105551

The French poet’s notion of modernity was formed in Paris, presumably on streets that looked much like this pencil drawing.

Jules Verne’s flying machines

Drawing of dirigibles, 1901. Image ID: 1693495

Around the World in 80 Days featured an array of flying machines... perhaps some like these dirigibles drawn by Albert Guillaume “inspirée par les expériences de Santos-Dumont (1901).”

What other book and image pairings can you think of?

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Paris, je t'aime! A Love Letter to Paris

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 15:15:54 -0500

Rainy day in Paris. November 2015. Image Courtesy of Alexandra Jakstas

Literature, fine arts, photography, as well as every other form of creative self-expression has conditioned the world to equate Paris with romance. A few years ago cinematography contributed yet another film to the subject heading of Paris ( France ) - Drama. Paris, je t'aime is a melange of loosely connected vignettes, representing eighteen arrondissements of La Ville Lumière.

The most poignant and affecting episode of this film involves a letter carrier from Denver. Carol is in Paris for the first time and on her own. While she is eager to practice her diligently learned conjugations, most of her attempts to engage Parisians in conversation are unsuccessful. Carol consoles herself by looking at art and fantasizing of delivering mail to the inhabitants of charming homes, located on the quaint cobblestones streets. On the fifth day of her vacation Carol has an epiphany. Savoring a baguette sandwich on a bench of a lovely park, she is gripped by a previously unencountered and overwhelming moment of joie de vivre. Carol joyfully confesses her love for Paris and is convinced that her feelings are reciprocated.

If you've never visited Paris, you might be tempted to dismiss this scene as mawkish and contrived. It would be disingenuous for me to do so, because my personal love affair with Paris commenced in a similar tragicomic manner. I did not expect Paris of my childhood dreams to be matched by reality and landed at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle with a strong sense of foreboding. Just like Carol, I was smitten with the city's visual grandeur, mesmerized by the simple elegance of style Parisians possess, enamored with everyone's ability to enjoy life. I felt intensely alive after emerging from the Catacombs, determined to live a life of modest significance after visiting Père-Lachaise. In his poem In "Paris with You," James Fento n substitutes the world ‘Paris’ for "love." To fully comprehend the magical revivifying effect Parisian "love" could have on your life, you must experience Paris. If you haven't already done so , visit Paris for the pleasure of feeling intensely alive.

The following list of books about Paris includes works of history, travelogues, esoteric guides , as well as books with lots of pictures. All of the materials in this list are available at the Mid-Manhattan Library. If you are as determined as Carol to learn French, you are welcome to check out a few volumes in la langue de Molière . They are available at Mid-Manhattan's World Languages Collection. Anyone learning French can benefit from NYPL's Mango Languages, a self-paced language learning tool, available to all NYPL patrons. For a excellent selection of travel guides consult the Around the World with Travel Guides post.

Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, And Design Of The Métro by Mark Ovenden

It would be impossible to get lost in Paris with this informed and captivating volume. This book focuses on social history of Paris Metro and contains beautiful illustrations of Art Nouveau stations and Art Deco signage.

The Food Lover's Guide To Paris: The Best Restaurants, Bistros, Cafés, Markets, Bakeries, And More by Patricia Wells

Visiting a country with an infinite varieties of cheese? You need this newly revised edition of a classic guide to food in Paris.

Paris Versus New York: A Tally Of Two Cities by Vahram Muratyan

The differences between New York and Paris displayed in a graphic format.

Unexpected Paris: A Contemporary Portrait: A Photographic Journal by by Nicolas Guilbert

This new book is painfully self-aware, but not without a number of spontaneous and enjoyable images.

Brassaï: For The Love Of Paris by Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr

Hungarian-born photographer celebrates the beauty of Paris.

We'll Always Have Paris: American Tourists In France Since 1930 by Harvey Levenstein

Humorous and scholarly book on the history of our love affair with France.

Five Nights in Paris: After Dark in the City of Light by John Baxter

This very unusual guidebook will not disappoint your senses. John Baxter invites all visitors to Paris to devote each single night of a trip to the pleasure of one of your senses.

Every Woman's Guide To Romance In Paris by Caroline O'Connell

A personal tour of this authors favorite romantic spots, with many off the beaten path.

Quiet Corners Of Paris: Unexpected Hideaways, Secret Courtyards, Hidden Gardens by Jean-Christophe Napias

This directory of quite and quaint corners is conveniently organized by each individual arrondissement.

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter

John Baxter is the ideal tour guide you never had. He has that rare gift of being able to bring history to life without any references to dry and boring facts.

The Paris Style Guide: Shop, Eat, Sleep by Elodie Rambaud

Want a special light bulb from Paris to illuminate your life ? Paris Style Guide will direct you to the right boutique. Leather suppliers, ceramics, kitchenware, a basket specialists and a great number of bric-à-brac stores have the potential of transforming any dwelling into a chic Parisian apartment.

Bright Lights Paris by Angie Niles

If you want to shop and dine like a native Parisian, this guide is for you. Young women from each arrondissement have their own style and myriad of boutiques and cafes that cater to their needs. If you must know which cafe in Le Marais is currently in vogue, or which boutique is popular is Saint-Germain-des-Pres, read this book.

Paris To The Moon by Adam Gopnik

While on a temporary assignment in Paris, the author shares his impressions of the city. He is frequently juxtaposing the cultural differences between his true home in New York and his Paris.

The Only Street In Paris: Life On The Rue Des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino

Former bureau chief of The New York Times and an author of La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life, Elaine Sciolino wrote a love letter to her neighborhood in Paris.

The Other Paris by Luc Sante

After writing about New York, Luc Sante acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the seedier side of Paris, while in residence at NYPL's Cullman Center.

Parisians photographs by Peter Turnley; forewords by Edouard Boubat and Robert Doisneau; text by Adam Gopnik and Peter Turnley

Mosaic of images that impressed the author.

One Thousand Buildings Of Paris photography by Jorg Brockmann and James Driscoll; text by Kathy Borrus

Brief descriptions of architecturally significant structures of Paris.

Into A Paris Quartier: Reine Margot's Chapel And Other Haunts Of St.-Germain by Diane Johnson

An American in Paris offers personal recollections of the self-appointed intellectuals of the Left Bank.

How Paris Became Paris: The Invention Of The Modern City by Joan DeJean

Detailed examination of the urban planning that transformed a 17th century Paris into the magnificent city we know today.

Parisians: An Adventure History Of Paris by Graham Robb

Written for the pleasure of thinking about Paris, this vividly imagined and well-researched episodic history features the lives of famous and infamous Parisians.

Seven Ages Of Paris by Alistair Horne

A celebrated historian follows the history of Paris from Caesar to de Gaulle.

Paris: Capital Of The World by Patrice Higonnet; translated by Arthur Goldhammer

Not a factual history, but a fascinating account of city's rich mythology.

Paris To The Past: Traveling Through French History By Train by Ina Caro

Not enough time to visit the rest of France? Intensely passionate and knowledgeable about French history, Ina Caro offers an opportunity for a number of day trips back into the past.

Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager

When mad kind's lustful and scheming brother is brutally slain in the middle of Paris, there is no shortage of suspects. The task of locating the guilty party is entrusted to the provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville. Authors meticulous knowledge of medieval Paris transports the readers into the narrow dangerous alleys, putrid smell of rotting copses of criminals on display terrify the witnesses and jog their memory.

While the science of detection is frequently attributed to a fictional character, the leading protagonist of this historical account of true crime in 14 century Paris exhibits amazing powers of deduction and skillful use of forensic evidence.

Paris: The Secret History by Andrew Hussey

If you would like to know how the other half of Paris managed to survive throughout famines, poverty, pestilence and political upheaval, this book will kep you informed.

A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light by David Downie

This fascinating travelogue of Paris focuses on the nature of the city's eternal romantic appeal. If you wish to revel in the lives and loves of the famous Parisians of the last two hundred years, this book is a perfect guide to the capital of romance.

Reader's Den: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Part 2

Melissa Scheurer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 11:42:41 -0400

Hi Reader’s Den! It’s taking me longer to read Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods than to hike the AT. That’s the Appalachian Trail to the uninitiated... something I learned while reading this month’s selection. To be honest I still have about 80 pages to go. But it is the end of the month and time waits for nobody, so here I am posting some discussion topics.

Bill Bryson humorously recounts his own hike along large sections of the Appalachian Trail, describing its flora, fauna, and history. Which aspect of the book appealed to you more, the the humor or the history?

The longest hike I’ve done was about four hours and I thought that was long! What reasons does Bill Bryson give for wanting to hike over 2,000 miles on the AT? What do you think motivated Katz to join him?

Lookout Mountain from Tennessee River. Image ID: 62484

“Every step was a struggle. The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.” And yet they keep going. What motivates people to keep going when there is no end in sight?

"Good old Katz. Good old anyone with a pulse and a willingness to go walking with me." Who would be your ideal companion for walking the AT? How do you think a shared experience of this kind changes a friendship?

Who was your favorite trail character?

“In America, alas, beauty has become something you drive to, and nature an either/or proposition—either you ruthlessly subjugate it….or you deify it, treat it as something holy and remote, a thing apart…” Is it possible for people and nature to coexist to their mutual benefit?

Coincidentally, on September 3 author Edward Ricciuti will be at Mid-Manhattan Library discussing his book, Bears in the Backyard, which explores the increasing intersection between humans and wild animals.

Stay tuned for more reading suggestions.

In the meantime check out this post from a few years ago on local hiking resources.

Travel: A Reading List from Open Book Night

Lori Salmon, Art & Architecture Collection, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 11:34:41 -0400

On Friday, August 14, 2015, Mid-Manhattan Library hosted an intimate Open Book Night chat on the theme of travel. Books and destinations from around the world were discussed without the fuss of reserving airline tickets, hotels, cars, or even cruises. All types of travel were considered, and some new traveling recommendations were picked up along the way.

We began our journey with one bibliophile’s suggestion of Mark Twain’s travelogues, from which many learned that this American author and humorist was quite the globetrotter. Taking readers on train excursions from Marseilles to Paris, France, to pilgrimages of the Holy Land, to boat rides on the muddy waterways of the Mississippi, Twain’s records of his direct experiences include The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), A Tramp Abroad (1880), Life on the Mississippi (1883), and Following the Equator (1897).

Invisible Cities (1974) by Italo Calvino might be labeled a travelogue too. Here the author describes places that don’t necessarily exist on any map, but draw new representations in our minds. The story begins with a conversation between the two characters, Kublai Khan and Marco Polo. They are sitting in a garden, where the youthful Venetian explorer is entertaining the aging Mongol ruler with tales of the cities he has seen while journeying to the far reaches of Khan’s vast empire.

After passing these fictional sites, one could escape into the Italian cultural movement of the 14th to the 17th centuries to discuss The Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Greed, Violence and Depravity in an Age of Beauty (2013) by Alexander Lee, fantasizing about what it was like to live in the debaucheries of Italy behind the dazzling artworks of Michelangelo, Raphael, and Botticelli.

So, where does one go from there? 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (2011) by Patricia Schultz, recommended by an enthusiastic library patron who had just come back from India, is the ultimate guidebook for the traveler who wants to get a snippet on cities defined by Schultz as awe-inspiring for one reason or another. Shultz’s list, which has since been turned into a documentary television series, is supposed to win over the most avid traveler at heart. Please be generous in adding to this extensive index to make 1,001 places or more to explore!

This same patron commented on how he admired many people on his travels, because they seemed to be happier than people living in the United States, despite less favorable living situations. NYPL team member Elizabeth suggested reading Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World (2008) by Eric Weiner. In this book, Weiner travels the globe in an attempt to understand what makes some people and places happier than others. His starting point is the World Database of Happiness.

Hey, you never know, but you might even consider settings comprised of mountains, deserts, or grasslands for your next haven. Elizabeth also suggested The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey (2015) by journalist Rinker Buck, even though it sounds far grittier than any serene space for contemplation. This book reminds me of The Oregon Trail, a computer game I played in elementary school, in which players hit up the general store for supplies before packing up their covered wagons for a demanding journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon’s Willamette Valley on the Oregon Trail. In Buck’s memoir, the journalist takes his brother on a carefully plotted 2,000 something mile adventure, just like settlers journeying westward in the Great Migration of 1843.

But if your mule-drawn vehicle has a broken wheel, perhaps A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (2007) by Bill Bryson, is a better situation. Leaving the wagon on the side of road, readers can put on their backpacks for a hike of all time from the Peach State of Georgia to the mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania.

Last, but not least, A History of New York in 101 Objects (2014) by Sam Roberts encourages readers from all walks of life to look at the Big Apple a little differently. Similarly, taking a walk around town or feeling inspired about your future excursion can begin with a book and little sense of adventure.

Thank you to all our book lovers who attended this program. Please make a book suggestion related to travel literature if you can in the comments section below, and we hope you won’t miss our next Open Book Night, to share recommendations with other readers at the Mid-Manhattan Library. The complete 2015 schedule is listed below. We meet on the second Friday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Corner Room on the First Floor. We’d love to see you there!

September 11, 2015 - New York
October 9, 2015 - The Occult
November 13, 2015 - Thanksgiving
December 11, 2015 - Food and Cooking

August in the Reader's Den: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Part 1

Elizabeth Waters, AskNYPL — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 10:54:45 -0400

"All over America today people would be dragging themselves to work, stuck in traffic jams, wreathed in exhaust smoke. I was going for a walk in the woods. I was more than ready for this."

“So woods are spooky.”

Welcome back to the Reader’s Den! This August we’re making a virtual escape from the hot and steamy New York summer with Bill Bryson’s classic travelogue, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, originally published in 1996.

Our reading list this year includes books featuring heroes, superheroes, and antiheroes. “So how exactly does A Walk in the Woods fit into this theme?” you might ask. Well, as a not particularly fit fortysomething myself, I have to admire the heroic effort put forth by Bill Bryson and his ill-prepared hiking companion Katz, who slowly but surely walked hundreds of miles on the Appalachian Trail. Isn’t perseverance a kind of heroism? And doesn't it require courage to take a risk and embrace a new experience? But perhaps we could also ask: Where does heroism end and foolhardiness begin?

Why would anyone wish to hike more than 2,000 miles over rugged terrain, carrying all needed supplies on their back? Bill Bryson got the idea when he stumbled upon a section of the Appalachian Trail near his home in New Hampshire:

"It seemed such an extraordinary notion—that I could set off from home and walk 1,800 miles through woods to Georgia, or turn the other way and clamber over the rough and stony White Mountains to the fabled prow of Mount Katahdin, floating in forest 450 miles to the north in a wilderness few have seen. A little voice in my head said: ‘Sounds neat! Let's do it!’"

June 3, 1948: Earl Shaffer
Photo: National Museum of
American History Smithsonian Institution

As we learn in A Walk in the Woods, the first thru-hiker, or person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail (AT), was Earl V. Shaffer, a World War II veteran who walked over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine over four months in 1948. There were no trail guides at the time, so Shaffer had to rely on his considerable experience as an outdoorsman, often bushwhacking through overgrown sections of the trail. Shaffer describes his hike in Walking with Spring: The First Solo Thru-Hike of the Legendary Appalachian Trail. Bryson and Katz embarked on their walk on a well-maintained trail, armed with (not always satisfactory) guides and advice passed on by hikers famliar with the AT. What they didn’t have at the beginning were Shaffer’s wilderness skills, which makes for some entertaining reading. On a more serious note, as Bryson describes his walk, he also explores the human and natural history of the AT and its environs.

Melissa Scheurer is my co-blogger this month in the Reader's Den. We hope that you’ll join us for an informative and frequently hilarious trek on the Appalachian Trail in the company of Bill Bryson and his unforgettable trail companion, Stephen Katz. We'll be posting discussion questions later this month, but please feel free to make comments about the book below. We'd love to know what you think about A Walk in the Woods!

You can request a copy of A Walk in the Woods from the library. It's available as a book, e-book, or audiobook.

And if you're interested in doing some actual hiking in the New York City area, this Ticketless Traveler post lists some great resources.

The Ticketless Traveler: Food and Cooking Edition

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:04:07 -0400

Whether your desire is to visit a faraway locale for a taste of the local delicacies, or just to shake up your weeknight cooking with some new, unfamiliar spices, there is so much inspiration to be found at the library.

When learning about an unfamiliar place, why not start by trying the country's traditional cuisine or national dish? Have you ever eaten phở, biryani, currywurst, pepperpot, poutine? Have you visited the regions that celebrate these dishes, been to restaurants that serve them in major cities, or tried cooking them yourself at home? Better yet: does your grandma make them for you (and can I come over)?

After reading some of these cookbooks, I know that even if I can't travel to these particular places any time soon, I can content myself with the kinds of recipes that can take me there.

General Food and Travel

The Food Traveler's Handbook: How to Find Cheap, Safe and Delicious Food Anywhere in the World by Jodi Ettenberg
The author has celiac disease but she doesn't let that prevent her from making the most of her travels around the world. This guidebook will build up your confidence, help you locate the best foods while overcoming language and cultural barriers, and avoid foodborne illness too.

An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies by Tyler Cowen
An almost-too-rational look at the economics of eating. The author provides insights on how to find the best tasting (which can also be the cheapest) food in an unfamiliar community. (Cowen and Ettenberg both suggest chatting up your cab driver.)

Try This: Traveling the Globe Without Leaving the Table by Danyelle Freeman
The author wrote this book "for anyone who's ever looked at a menu and had a question." She walks you through the basics of 14 varied cuisines, providing some history, culture, and trivia behind their flavors, and clues you in on appropriate table settings and manners too.

Eating Out in Five Languages
English, French, German, Italian and Spanish translations of food and drink terms. Useful phrases for those on special diets, and even tells you how to complain in the local tongue.

A Fork in the Road: Tales of Food and Travel by Anik See
All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukins
Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Cindy's Supper Club: Meals from Around the World to Share with Family and Friends by Cindy Pawlcyn
Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe
Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers by Holly Hughes
In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World by Gabriele Galimberti
Street Food: Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes by Tom Kime
Susan Feniger's Street Food: Irresistibly Crispy, Creamy, Crunchy, Spicy, Sticky, Sweet Recipes by Susan Feniger
Ultimate Food Journeys: The World's Best Dishes and Where to Eat Them
The World on a Plate: 40 Cuisines, 100 Recipes, and the Stories Behind Them by Mina Holland
World's Best Street Food by Lonely Planet
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
Where Chefs Eat: A Guide to Chefs' Favourite Restaurants by Joe Warwick

Regional Cookbooks

What faraway lands will your kitchen transport you to? The titles below are mainly books you will be able to check out and take home or access online. Yellow markers indicate e-books that are available to download. You can find even more in the noncirculating research materials in the catalog. Follow the subject headings "Cooking, (country)" or "COOKING / Regional & Ethnic / (cuisine)" and let your taste buds be your guide.

Does your favorite regional cookbook need to be added to the map? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Salute to Narrative Nonfiction: Travel and Adventure

Lynn Lobash, Manager of Reader Services — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:27:13 -0400

Narrative or creative nonfiction is somewhat newly recognized genre. Naturally, as librarians we have a great appreciation for the research, the primary source documents and interviews, but it is the narrative, the skillful pacing, the phrasing, and the insight that make it read like a thriller that set these books apart from other nonfiction. For this week's readers advisory practice we decided to pay tribute to the talented authors who do this well. We received such a strong response to the call out for favorites that we divided the list into four categories: journalism and social science, travel and adventure, science, and memoir. This is the travel and adventure edition of our salute to great narrative nonfiction.

Isak Dinesen's (Karen Blixen) Out of Africa brings you to her coffee plantation in British colonial Kenya. I found myself longing to lounge around her house and soak in the atmosphere first person. More recently, Philip Hoare's The Sea Inside took twists and turns with whales and birds around the globe and traveled through time to discuss man's relationship with the sea. Swimming, biking, boat riding… it is all very cathartic. —Jessica Cline, Mid-Manhattan

The Wild Trees by Richard Preston takes us into the heights of the Redwoods and the peculiar lives of a group of driven climbers. —Jeremy Megraw, Billy Rose Theatre Division

I love the travelogues of Paul Theroux, particularly The Great Railway Bazaar, which I read during a trip through Southeast Asia, and ignited a passion for train travel. The passages about the Trans-Siberian Express, the landscape around Lake Baikal, and especially Theroux's interactions with staff and passengers are priceless glimpses into a bizarre, hermetically-sealed universe. —Sherri Machlin, Mulberry Street

A great getting lost in the woods tale is A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. In between laughing until my eyes teared up, I enjoyed the fascinating history of the beginnings of this monumental tribute to the great outdoors and volunteerism and the story of what it took to actually get the trail finished as Bill Bryson attempts to walk the trail from start to finish. —Maura Muller, Volunteers Office

I used Bill Bryson’s In A Sunburned Country as a travel guide when I stayed in Australia for a month and I saw things I never would have thought to without his book (like a dual pet shop/porn shop). His audiobooks are high entertainment as well. —Leslie Tabor, Assoc. Dir. Neighborhood Libraries

Mango Languages: Travel the World

Miranda McDermott, Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:40:20 -0400

Want to learn a new language? Do you know that we have a service that provides visual and auditory instruction for 64 different languages? Mango Languages is great for tourists who want to master conversation basics for travel to a different country. Just choose a language, pick a conversation topic, and start learning. Users can put their mouse over the foreign words to see a phonetic pronunciation, and they can hear the pronunciation if they use earphones. I have used Mango many times for ESOL classes in order to facilitate English-language learning.

First-time users can pick the Quick Start option; it is not necessary to create an account to use the database, but customers must log in to the database through nypl.org and enter their library card number and PIN (personal identification number). Users must access nypl.org, go to Research, then Articles & Databases, then either type in Mango in the search field, or click on M, and scroll down to Mango Languages. Click on the database, and select the Quick Start option. The database is also accessible remotely by users (outside of the library) indicated by the house icon next to the database.

Top Languages to Learn

The most popular languages that users learn from the database are Spanish, French, English, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin) and Italian.

Scottish Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic is an interesting language to learn. I love the spelling and sounds of the words. I lived in Edinburgh for five months, and the country is lovely and fascinating.

Spanish for Librarians

Are you a librarian who wants to learn Spanish in order to communicate with your customers better? Mango has a Spanish for Librarians (in the Spanish, Latin America section) course just for you.

English for Speakers of Other Languages

The library holds ESOL Classes that can be useful for customers, but this database also offers lessons for speakers of 18 other languages. For example, Russian speakers can choose the English for Russian Speakers course.

Specialty Courses You Can Take

Specialty courses include Flamenco Dancing, Endangered Languages, Legal, Horse Race in Siena, Oktoberfest, Soccer Celebration, St. Patrick’s Day, Superstition, Wine and Cheese, and Zodiac to help users who are travelling for particular reasons.

Other Languages to Learn

This is not a complete list of the languages that one can learn from using Mango, but it gives customers an idea of the variety of lessons that are offered through the database.

Arabic
Bengali
Cherokee (Native American)
Chinese, Mandarin
Finnish
Hawaiian
Hindi
Icelandic
Latin
Pirate
Swahili
Tagalog
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese

Movies on Mango

Mango even shows foreign films with subtitles in the language of your choice! It currently offers seven movies, including The Diary of Anne Frank. You can relax and enjoy your favorite film while learning another language.

Mango is Great!

Use Mango today to facilitate learning another language. It’s free and easy to use, and it is accessible from home with the user’s library card number and PIN. Learn about another culture and make any international travel more fun and interesting! The library also has books, CDs and DVDs to help people acquire new languages.

Conversation classes (English, Italian, etc.)
Citizenship Resources
ID NYC - call 311 to make an appointment

Let's Go! Road Trip Picks For Kids

Tessa Hamilton, School Outreach Librarian — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 11:44:58 -0400

There is a certain time of the year when families decide to take a vacation. For many of us who come from large families, the only way we were able to visit new places was by driving. I reminisce a lot about the holidays, spending quality time with loved ones, and going on road trips to visit other family members, many of whom live in various parts of the United States.

Here are some great titles for children to enjoy while on a family road trip.

Travel Picks For Kids

Road Trip by Roger Eschbacher (Book - 2006)
A family piles into their car to head for a family reunion, embarking on a road trip that includes songs, games, food, roadside attractions, and restful motels.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (Paperback - 2012)
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (Paperback - 2013)
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

Not for Parents The Travel Book by Michael DuBois (Book - 2011)
Takes the inquisitive, data-hungry explorer on a tour of 200 countries. Packed with iconic images, evocative stories and informative facts and stats. In-the-know info on capital cities, language, currency, epic events, hideous histories, food, festivals and wildlife.

The Everything Family Guide to Budget Travel by Kelly Merritt (Book - 2011)
Taking a fun family vacation doesn't have to break the bank! Discover historic sites, scenic areas, and fun-filled attractions right in your own backyard.

Road Trip by Jim Paulsen (Book - 2013)
A father and son embark on a road trip to a distant animal shelter to save a homeless Border collie puppy.

Weekend Mischief: Poems by Rob Jackson (Book - 2010)
Describes the weekend of a young boy in a collection of poems.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas [maps, Games, Activities, and More for Hours of Backseat Fun!] by Crispin Boyer(Paperback - 2012)
Learn about amazing facts, sites, and activities related to each state in the U.S.

Sesame Street Elmo's Travel Songs and Games (DVD - 2011)
Elmo and Abby are so excited to go to the zoo, but it will take a while to get there. To help pass the time, they play stimulating travel games featuring the alphabet, counting, and shapes and rhyming along with exciting songs.

The Berenstain Bears: Bears Take A Car Trip (DVD - 2005)
The cubs are excited about going on a family trip, until they find out the destination is not Grizzlyland, but a tour of Bear Country's National Parks.

Let's Go: Travel, Camp and Car Songs by Susie Tallman (Music CD - 2000)
Let’s Go! takes you and your children on an adventure through music: you’ll explore the woods, star gaze on a cowboy’s range, dig for clams in San Francisco Bay, yodel with an ostrich on a mountain and visit 22 other traditional-now-hip places.

Travels as an Armchair Detective: Mysteries with a Sense of Place

Elizabeth Waters, AskNYPL — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:25:45 -0400

Summer's almost gone, and I haven’t been able to travel very far out of the city, so I’ve been doing the next best thing, vicariously experiencing far flung locales, and occasionally time periods, in the company of some of my favorite sleuths. Enjoy visiting these detectives' beats from your couch, in the park, on a beach, on the subway, or anywhere else you like to read.

The Périgord, France

Recently, I made a brief but delightful visit to the Périgord region in the southwest of France in the company of Benoit Corrèges, aka Bruno, Chief of Police of the fictional town of Saint Denis. When we first meet Bruno he is surveying his beloved town and preparing to thwart hygiene inspectors from Paris, come to enforce E.U. regulations that do not allow for the sale of home produced cheeses and other regional delicacies at the town’s centuries-old market. The peace of Bruno's tight-knit rural community is soon shattered by the brutal murder of an Algerian war veteran, which might be a modern hate crime or might be rooted much further back in the town’s history. While reading the novel, I could almost taste the Bergerac wine, truffle omelettes, and other Périgord specialties that Bruno, an accomplished cook, prepares for his friends. Martin Walker, the author of the Bruno novels, is an award-winning journalist who spends part of each year in the Périgord, and both his local and political knowledge inform the Bruno, Chief of Police series. After reading, I felt I had not only a sense of the sights, people, history, and flavors of the region, but also some insight into the concerns of the community and into the local, national, and European-level politics at play there today. I look forward to catching up with the rest of the series and to a future physical trip to the Périgord!

Writing about his favorite fictional detectives for the Huffington Post last summer, Martin Walker observed, "But of all the genres, the detective story seems the most durable, perhaps because the tales are less about crime, more about character." He also noted that “Almost as important as the characters is the place.” Like his own character Bruno, Chief of Police, most of Walker’s favorite fictional sleuths operate in very distinctive settings, such as Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe in 1940’s Los Angeles, Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti in Venice, Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther in Nazi Berlin, Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret in 1930s Paris and Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus in Edinburgh, to name a few. Many of Walker's favorite sleuths are also among mine, and looking at his list reminds me of how important setting and cultural and historical insight are when I'm choosing a mystery to read. A good plot, and interesting, well-developed characters are key, but learning something about the history, society, and culture of a place as I’m trying to unravel a mystery along with the detective greatly enhances the reading experience for me.

After a trip to the Périgord with Bruno, here are twelve more mystery series that will make you feel like you've visited another place and maybe even learned something while you were there:

Ystad, Sweden

I once met someone who had planned an entire vacation based on the settings of Henning Mankell’s dark and gripping Wallander series. The official Visit Sweden website even includes a section on "Wallander's Ystad" to help you follow in the dour inspector's footsteps. I have yet to travel in Sweden, but after reading the series, I felt almost as if I really had been to Ystad and its envrirons. Kurt Wallander, the obsessive and talented poiceman who is much more successful at solving crimes than tending to his personal relationships, is certainly a complex and memorable character. But one of the aspects of Mankell’s Wallander series that I found most fascinating was the insight into how newly open borders after the breakup of the Soviet Union and increased immigration have affected Swedish society. The Wallander series begins with Faceless Killers, originally published in Swedish in 1991.

For a detailed look at Scandinavian crime fiction authors, see Jeremy Megraw’s post A Cold Night’s Death.

Venice, Italy

Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti series takes place in Venice, Italy. Commissario Brunetti loves his native city, his family, his wife’s cooking, reading Tacitus on his balcony while sipping a glass of wine or grappa. He hates crime, corruption, and entrenched privilege. While he’s nearly always able to solve the crime, he may not always be able to bring the culprit to justice. These atmospheric and wryly cynical mysteries make you feel like you’re walking the streets (or calle) of Venice with Brunetti . The series begins with Death at La Fenice, originally published in 1991. Bonus: the descriptions of Brunetti’s meals are so mouthwatering that they inspired a cookbook, published in 2010.

Sicily

Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series, translated by Stephen Sartarelli, is set in the fictional town of Vigàta in southwestern Sicily, which is based on the author’s hometown, Porto Empedocle. The character of Montalbano is a classic, the honest detective working within a corrupt system, and who, like Brunetti further north in Venice, is something of an epicure. He's also synesthetic, and he's quite moody, as he suffers from meteoropathy. Within the confines of entertaining crime novels, Camilleri manages to comment meaningfully on contemporary issues affecting Sicily and Italy, such as political corruption and the influence of the Mafia, all while conjuring the atmosphere of a Sicilian town by the sea. The series begins with The Shape of Water ,first published in Italian in 1994.

Paris

Perhaps a coffee at a Parisian cafe is more to your taste. Private investigator Aimée Leduc lives in a historic and somewhat decrepit apartment right at the center of Paris on the Île St. Louis, but Cara Black’s mystery series takes the reader through many neighborhoods of Paris not on the typical tourist itinerary, such as Belleville and Clichy, as well as frequently visited areas like the Latin Quarter and Monmartre. Aimée’s cases bring her into contact with all echelons of French society, from clandestine immigrants to influential politicians and business leaders. The series begins with Murder in the Marais (1999) .

Paris

The Commissaire Adamsberg novels by Fred Vargas, translated from the French by Siân Reynolds, offer another look at Paris through the eyes of an eccentric police officer, Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, who does not rely on deductive reasoning alone to solve cases. Adamsberg works in Paris but hails from a small village in the Pyrénées, and his cases sometimes take him to other regions of France, such as Normandy in This Night's Foul Work and The Ghost Riders of Ordebec. Vargas is an archaeologist and historian by training, so in addition to enjoying quirky characters and vivid settings, you will also find yourself learning a bit of Medieval history along the way. The series begins with The Chalk Circle Man, originally published in French in 1991 .

Ghana

Kwei Quartey's Darko Dawson series is set in Accra, Ghana, "a city of noise and chaos." Inspector Dawson is one of crime fiction’s devoted family men, not a loner cop. He’s doesn't kowtow to authority or respect political connections, and his investigations take him to the inner city slums of Accra, to a rural village in the Volta region, and to coastal oil rigs at Cape Three Points. in addition to describing the people and places of Ghana in these mysteries, the author provides a glossary to explain important Ghanaian terms and customs to the reader. The series begins with Wife of the Gods (2009), which examines Trokosi, a system of ritual servitude in which young teenage girls are sent to live with fetish priests to bring good fortune to their families.

Botswana

Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, featuring the wise and kind-hearted Precious Ramotswe, offers gentler mysteries on the whole, with more corruption, dishonesty, and communication miscues to be dealt with than actual murder. McCall Smith clearly delights in describing the landscape, history, and customs of Botswana and draws his characters with great warmth. I can almost picture the road from Gaborone to Mochudi although I’ve never been there. Who wouldn’t want to have a soothing cup of rooibos tea with Mma Ramotswe? The Series begins with The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (1998).

Rio De Janeiro

Inspector Espinosa, the philosophizing (his name is no accident), book loving detective created by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, lives and works in the Copacabana section of Rio. The first book in the series, The Silence of the Rain, introduces the reader to the quirky detective, a divorced cop who lives in an apartment that has been taken over by his books, seems to exist mainly on microwaved meals, and has a tendency to ruminate over his cases and to become romantically interested in some of his female witnesses. The local color, however, is not strongly in evidence until the second book, December Heat, where the the city of Rio de Janeiro is more vividly described, becoming an important presence in the novels. The Silence of the Rain was first published in 1997 in Portuguese, English translation by Benjamin Moser.

Shanghai, 1990s

Shanghai born writer and translator Qiu Xiaolong, who has lived in the United States since 1988, writes the Inspector Chen series set in Shanghai in the 1990s. Chief Inspector Chen Cao, police officer, poet and translator, must navigate the rapidly changing political and economic landscape in China as he works at solving murder cases with the help of Sergeant Yu, a survivor of the Cultural Revolution. The mysteries themselves are almost secondary in these books, which offer a vivid portrait of an entrenched party bureaucracy and a society in flux, with some prospering and others left behind by new capitalist initiatives. The reader can also savor a taste of China’s literary heritage when Inspector Chen quotes from great classical poets. The series begins with Death of a Red Heroine (2000).

Laos, mid 1970s

Colin Cotterill’s Dr. Siri Paiboun series takes the reader to Laos after the communist takeover in 1975. Retired septuagenarian physician Siri Paiboun is forced to become the nation’s coroner as he is the only qualified person who has not fled or been killed. This eccentric sleuth brings a sense of humor to his work and uses both his forensic and shamanic skills to solve murder cases with the help of his two faithful assistants, Nurse Dtui (Fatty) and developmentally challenged Geung. In addition to evocative descriptions of the people and locales in Laos, Cotteril interweaves political and folk history into these mysteries featuring a charming and unique detective. The series begins with The Coroner’s Lunch (2004).

Berlin, 1930s - 1940s

When we first meet Philip Kerr’s cynical, wisecracking detective Bernie Gunther in March Violets, it’s 1936 in Berlin, and the former police inspector is trying to make a living as a private investigator without running afoul of the Nazis or completely compromising his humanity, an impossible task. As the series continues in The Pale Criminal, Bernie is forced to join the S.S. although he continues to refuse to register as a member the Nazi party. In A German Requiem, Bernie travels to Vienna in 1947 to conduct an investigation while coping with the personal and national aftermath of war. These three novels comprise Kerr’s original Berlin Noir trilogy, completed in 1991. He returned to the character in 2006, adding six more novels to the series so far, filling in more of Bernie Gunther's experiences before and after the war. Bernie’s (or Kerr's) gift for colorful description brings the Berlin of this era darkly yet vividly to life.

Istanbul, 19th c

Jason Goodwin’s investigator Yashim solves mysteries for the Ottoman court in mid-19th century Istanbul. Because Yashim is a eunuch, he is allowed access to some forbidden parts of the city, such as the harem, where he discusses cases and borrows French books from the valide sultan, the sultan’s mother. Before creating investigator Yashim, Goodwin wrote a history of the Ottoman Empire, The Lords of the Horizon, and some of this historical knowledge is imparted as Yashim goes about his investigations. The sights and sounds of 19th century Istanbul are lovingly recreated in these engaging mysteries, and the descriptions of Yashim’s cooking will make you want to race to nearest Turkish restaurant. The series begins with The Janissary Tree (2006).

Who are your favorite fictonal sleuths and where do they do their detecting? Please share your suggestions for further armchair detective travels below.

Around The World in 80+ Children's Books

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:52:52 -0400

Summer is here and with it comes the joy of getting away from it all. While we research our destinations with some assistance from guidebooks, children don't really have that option. Unless you are lucky enough to travel to a small number of selected destinations covered by the wonderful Lonely Planet Not For Parents Guides, your younger traveling companions will be deprived of any guidance. This does not have to be the case. Books on this list offer young travelers a great opportunity to explore new cultures through a colorful world of illustrated picture books . They can introduce children to the rich cultural heritage of your international destinations.

Even if your pilgrimage to a dream destination is entirely imaginary, picture books can offer kids an introduction to a wonderful world of armchair travel. If you can't take your child to another country, visiting cultural institutions and ethnic neighborhoods throughout New York City can have similar benefits. How lucky are we to reside in a city that offers unparalleled opportunities for cultural exploration? The Museum of the Chinese in America or Asia Society could be visited in conjunction with your favorite Chinatown landmark or Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. A trip to El Museo del Barrio can be combined can with a quick lunch at Cuchifritos or Cabana. New Yorkers have always been known for their special appreciation of cultural differences. Let's keep this tradition going!

My criterion for inclusion was rather narrow, as this list was originally compiled for a specific class of students at PS 59, Beekman Hill International. Located in close proximity to the United Nations, Beekman Hill is a perfect microcosm of a vibrant global village. In selecting books for a specific location , I attempted to cover that country's customs, folklore, traditions, cuisine, art, fashion, cultural attitudes to childhood, as well as famous historical figures. Artistic and literary merits of the book, as well as its current availability were taken into consideration. Given a wide variety of children's reading levels, as well as the indisputable appeal of picture books to readers of all ages, I would recommend this list to children from kindergarten all the way to middle school.

Many versions of the story of Cinderella (Persia, China, Egypt, Korea, South Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico, Ireland, India, France and Russia) are part of this reading list. Reading several versions of this familiar fairytale can help kids identify differences in another country's way of life, while simultaneously affirming our cross-cultural bond of being human.

There is a separate list of nonfiction titles that readers may find helpful while traveling with a child. Travel, or the promise of it in the future, offers unique educational opportunities. International travel can introduce a child to the splendors of past and present civilizations. It can foster an appreciation of cultural differences and offer a newfound perspective on life at home. A better understanding of foreign relations is an added benefit of international travel.

We would love to receive book recommendations for this list from readers of all ages.

Have a nice trip! Bon Voyage! Счастливого пути ! 잘다녀오십시오! Hyvää matkaa! よい旅を Καλό ταξίδι! Góða ferð سفر خوش

Selected Children's Travel Nonfiction

Where on Earth ? The Ultimate Atlas of What's Where in the World
Maps by Aleksandra Misielinska
If the World Were a Village by David Smith
How People Live by Penelope Arlon
Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! By Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
A Life like Mine: How Children Live around the World by DK Publishing and UNICEF
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
National Geographic Kid's Beginners World Atlas
From Mud Huts to Skyscrapers : Architecture for Children by Christine Paxmann
History Year by Year by Peter Chrisp
A City Through Time by Steve Noon

Australia

Possum Magic by Mem Fox
The Quinkins by Persy Trizese

Egypt

Winged Cat by Deborah Lattimore
Mummies made in Egypt by Aliki
Who was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards
The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence H. Parry
Hands around the Library : protecting Egypts treasured books by Susan L. Roth and Karen Leggett Abouraya

England

This is London by Miroslaw Sasek
Dick Whittington and His Cat by Margaret Hodges
Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow by Robert San Soci
Dodsworth in London Egan Tim
The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard by Gregory Rogers
Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans
Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbara Cooney
Tales from Shakespeare by Marcia Williams
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams
Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo

Ethiopia

Lion's Whiskers: an Ethiopian Folktale by Nancy Raines Day
Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale From Africa by Cristina Kessler

Finland

The Princess Mouse: A Tale of Finland by Aaron Shepard

France

This is Paris by Miroslav Sasek
Cinderella by Charles Perrault (illustrated by Loek Koopmans )
Beauty and the Beast by Max Eilenberg
Zat Cat : A Haute Couture Tail by Chesley McLaren
Ink Drinker series by Erik Sanvoisin
Cat Who Walked Across France by Banks Kate
Adele and Simon by McClintock Barbara
Everybody Bonjour! By Leslie Kimmelman
Picasso and Minou by P. I. Maltbie
When Pigasso Meet Mootisse by Nina Laden
Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
Bonaparte by Marsha Willson Chall
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Inside-Outside Book of Paris by Roxie Munro
Puss in Boots by Fred Marcellino
Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork
Crictor by Tony Ungerer
Anatole by Eve Titus
Anatole and the Cat by Eve Titus
Come Fly with Me by Satomi Ichikawa
La La Rose by Satomi Ichikawa
Belinda in Paris by Amy Young
The King's Day : Louis XIV of France by Aliki
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Germany

Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Heinz Janisch
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky
Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
Pied Piper of Hamelin by Donna Diamond
Hansel and Gretel by Rika Lesser
Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer
Coppelia by Margot Fontein
The Nutrcracker and the Mouse King by Hoffmann E.T.A

Greece

Mr. Semolina-Semolinus: A Greek Folktale by Anthony L Manna
What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure by Julie Ellis
Diogenes by M. D. Usher
Hero's Spear by Lucy Coats
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders by Mike Townsend
The Gods and Goddesses of the Olympus by Aliki
Pandora by Robert Burleigh
King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft

Holland

The Cow Who Fell in the Canal by Phillis Krasilovky
Melanie Martin Goes Dutch: The Private Diary of my Almost Bummer Summer with Cecily, Matt the Brat and Vincent Van Go Go Go by Carol Weston
Sea Man by Jane Yolen

Iceland

The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan

India

Gifts of Wali Dad: A Tale of India and Pakistan by Aaron Shepard
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Jerry Pinkney
No Dinner! Story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin by Jessica Souhami
One Grain of Rice by Demi
The Road to Mumbai by Ruth Jeyaveeran

Iran

The King and the Three Thieves: A Persian Tale by Kristin Balouch
Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Rich Man and the Parrot by Suzan Nadimi
Rumi: Persian Poet, Whirling Dervish by Demi

Ireland

Pirate Queen by Emily Arnold McCully
Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie De Paola
The King with Horses Ears and other Irish folktales by Batt Burnes
Tales from Old Ireland by Malachi Doyle
Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo
Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert San Souci

Israel

First Rain by Clarlotte Herman
Chicken Man by Michelle Edwards

Italy

Olivia goes to Venice by Ian Falconer
There's a Dolphin in the Grand Canal by John Bemelmans Marciano
Madeline and the Cats of Rome by John Bemelmans Marciano
Aldabra or the Tortoise Who Loved Snakes by Silvana Ganfoldi
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino
Gabriella's Song by Candace Fleming
Pappa Gatto: An Italian Fairy Tale by Ruth Sanderson
Tomasso and the Missing Line by Matteo Pericolli

Japan

Three Samurai Cats: a Story from Japan by Eric Kimmel
Yoko's Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells
Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel
Sumo Mouse by David Wisknievsky
Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
The Hungriest Boy in the World by Lensey Namioka

Kenya

Mama Panya's Pancakes by Mary and Richard Chamberlin
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola
14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy

Korea

Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Bee-Bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park
Where on Earth is my Bagel? By Francis Park

Mali

I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakite

Mexico

Frida by Jonah Winter
Adelita : A Mexican Cinderella Story by Tomie de Paola

Morocco

My Father's Shop by Satomi Ichikawa
The Bachelor and the Bean: A Jewish Moroccan Folk Tale by Shelley Fowles

New Zealand

Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas by Ronda Armitage

Norway

D'Aulaire Book of Trolls by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Terrible Troll-Bird by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

Philippines

Tuko and the Birds by Shirley Climo
Pedro and the Monkey by Robert San Soci

Russia

My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Becky Reyner
Philipok by Leo Tolstoy (illustrated by Gennady Spirin)
Babushka's Doll by Patricia Pollacco
Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Pollacco
The Tale of the Firebird by Gennady Spirin
The Sea King's Daughter: a Russian Legend by Aaron Shepard
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer
Peter and the Wolf by Vladimir Vagin

Scotland

This is Edinburgh by Miloslav Sasek
Cold Feet by Cynthia DeFelice
Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf

South Africa

Soccer Fence : A story of Friendship , Hope and Apartheid in South Africa by Phild Bildner
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
A Mother of Monsters : A Story from South Africa by Fran Parnell

Spain

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The Beautiful Butterfly: A Folktale from Spain by Judy Sierra

Sweden

Ronia, the Robbers Daugher by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi Long Stocking by Astrid Lindgren
Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren
Wonderful Adventures of Nills by Selma Lagerlof
Nail Soup by Harve Zemach

Tibet

Tenzin's Deer by Barbara Soros

Ukraine

Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale

Vietnam

Grandfather's Dream by Holly Keller

In Praise of Unconventional Travel

Tyler Smith, Library Manager, Tompkins Square Library — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:07:47 -0400

Will man travel in space? Image ID: 407623 I once heard it said that no one ever got drunk by reading the label on a bottle of wine. This is an apt metaphor for the difference between studying another region of the world versus experiencing it firsthand. What does it mean to become drunk on another culture, to internalize the experience of a different place to such an extent that it alters you?

It seems such a waste of money and opportunity when someone's vacation resembles a pale imitation of the Grand Tour, an excuse to trek from one tourist trap to the next while luxuriating in a vague sense of Old World prestige. Travel should involve a sincere desire to know and understand other peoples and cultures, to gain some context for our own subjective place in the world.

Allow me to acknowledge, as a sort of disclaimer, that travel is not cheap, and you can certainly learn a great deal through research. The strangely persistent conspiracy theories about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays usually cite Shakespeare's humble origins and claim that he had too little experience of the world to write about it so perceptively. Anthony Burgess counters that no writer takes these claims seriously because writers understand how deeply we can experience other places through reading, writing, and conversation. I often cringe when someone proudly lists the countries that he or she has visited, as though having traveled extensively is proof of erudition rather than mere privilege. I hope not to give that impression.

I have left the U.S. three times in the past fifteen years. I would like to share my reasons for choosing each destination and describe some of my more memorable experiences.

China

Like many children of the 1980s, I grew up on a steady diet of kung fu movies starring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. I wish I could tell you that my interest in China grew out of less typically adolescent interests. I began studying Mandarin Chinese in tenth grade and started attending Master Shawn Liu's martial arts school at around the same time. A few years later, Master Liu had arranged a three-week trip to China, beginning the August after my high school graduation. Six other Americans would join us, though Master Liu and I were the only two acquainted beforehand.

I have come to view knowing someone (not just a tour guide) and speaking at least a bit of the language as indispensable when traveling. Deserved or not, Americans have acquired a reputation for knowing nothing of other cultures and then rudely demanding accommodation when they arrive overseas. (We in New York know that oblivious tourists can originate in any corner of the globe.) Besides being useful if you want to accomplish something as simple as ordering food on your own, proving this assumption wrong can be very satisfying. After arriving back in Beijing toward the end of our trip, I would meet two Chinese businessmen. One of them told me he spoke a bit of English and then asked if I spoke Chinese. His companion immediately interjected, "Bu, ta bu shuo zhongwen." (No, he doesn't speak Chinese.) I replied, "Wo hui shuo i diar." (I can speak a little.) My new friend turned to his companion and triumphantly pumped his fist in the air as he repeated what I had said.

As for the rest of the trip, we did our share of touristy sightseeing. We saw the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the terra cotta warriors in Xian. While enjoyable and sometimes even moving, these were sights rather than experiences. I will always much more vividly remember riding into Chen Village and having a small crowd form around our van because many of them had never seen westerners before. I have always enjoyed feeling as though I have arrived in as foreign a place as possible, unreachable and disconnected from my ordinary life. We had come to visit Master Liu's old friend Chen Xiaowang, the 19th-generation Chen Style Tai Chi master. There were no tourists and few gift shops in this place.

At the Shaolin Temple, we learned forms from Shi Deyang, the Temple's martial arts headmaster, and we were the first westerners to practice in the personal courtyard of the abbot, the Grandmaster Shi Suxi.

Master Liu, third from left, with Shi DeYang, fourth from left

During our first stay in Beijing, we practiced with the Chinese National Sanshou Team. (Sanshou is a Chinese fighting style involving kickboxing and takedowns.) Scott Sheely and I, being the two young men in our group, each sparred with a Chinese team member. Scott had been on the U.S. National Sanshou Team, and he was paired with an up and coming Chinese fighter. These two men were peers, and heavy blows were exchanged. I was a little nervous when my opponent turned out to be a three-time national champion, but it was actually the best-case scenario. He was a nice guy with nothing to prove to an 18-year-old kid and, as an experienced fighter, he instinctively read my facial expressions and body language. He took it easy on me, but perhaps not wanting to deprive me of an authentic experience, he did give me one good kick to the thigh. If you've never received a world-class roundhouse kick, both the sound and sensation are reminiscent of an ax splitting wood.

What started as a three-week trip turned into a month for Master Liu and me when the pilots at Northwest Airlines went on strike. Our companions had acquired new tickets home through other airlines. This extra week was a major highlight and a welcome respite from a whirlwind trip. We got tickets to the first ever performance of the opera Turandot in the Forbidden City. We no longer had to coordinate the movements of eight people wherever we went, and the two of us could blend in somewhat better. We spent relaxed evenings wandering dodgy side streets in Beijing and eating traditional foods sold by sidewalk vendors. Again, this lent the trip a far different character than it would have had if I had been alone or relying on a nine-to-five tour guide, and I will always remember China as my first experience of the larger world.

Russia

I developed a fascination with Russia at the age of twelve when I read Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie. Vivid descriptions of the last Tsar's final years with his family, their tragic fate at the end of the Revolution, and of course, Rasputin the Mad Monk, left me with a lasting sense of a unique, almost fantastical history and culture. Because my high school did not offer Russian classes, I enrolled in a university course a couple of nights per week in ninth grade and eventually took additional courses when I was actually in college.

I finally traveled to Russia for two weeks in 2008. I had acquired Russian friends through social media and other online venues for language study, and I was to go to Orenburg on a guest visa (rather than a tourist visa which requires regular "check ins" at a hotel or hostel).

Despite my opening remarks, some things can only be experienced firsthand. When I disembarked for my layover in Moscow, I was surprised on some level that everyone at the airport was speaking Russian. Despite my courses, despite having met real live Russians and watched any number of Russian films, it was odd to me that Russians were speaking Russian in Russia. Incidentally, this was the first thing that my Russian professor, Dr. Mozur, asked me about when I returned. He was an Air Force linguist and worked as a translator for Reagan and Gorbachev, and he had had the same experience.

Orenburg is a beautiful city. My friend Andrei, an Orenburg native, agreed that it was a good opportunity to observe "pure life" in Russia rather than international, tourist-centered areas in Moscow or St. Petersburg. The only other Americans I encountered (or that anyone knew of) were the Mormon missionaries who offered free English classes. There were a few small museums, and I was present for the city's 265th birthday celebration, but most of all, I savored the sensation of having been transported, mind and body, to a wholly new environment. Everything from language to architecture, stray animals, and personal style were different. I continually reflected on just how much people are influenced, knowingly or not, by their culture's celebrities and advertisers. People could tell immediately that I was a foreigner due to my clothing and mannerisms. As my friend Olesya put it, "Just...everything is different." Among many Russians, the mullet is still a socially acceptable hairstyle, and clothing choices would not be out of place in early 1980s America. I say that without condescension. It was fascinating and refeshing. Paradoxically, you can sometimes feel most at home when everything around you is unfamiliar.

Sol Iletsk

I could go on at length about any number of beautiful experiences I had in and around Orenburg. We watched the sun set over the salt lakes at Sol Iletsk, traveled the countryside near the border with Kazakhstan, and visted a church where priests were killed during the Soviet anti-religious purges. I love museums as much as the next person, but museums are a substitute for lived experiences, and I would not trade a single day I spent in Orenburg for a private tour of the Hermitage.

Uzbekistan

This is when I started getting some strange looks and incredulous questions, from friends, U.S. Customs agents, and Uzbeks themselves. "Why would you come to our (certain part of human anatomy) of the world?" During the 2012 presidential campaign, Herman Cain famously referred to the leader of "Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan" as an example of an obscure, irrelevant piece of trivia used by journalists to unfairly stump candidates. Uzbekistan has been ruled by the same man, Islam Karimov, since the fall of the Soviet Union, and has been of great strategic importance during the Afghan war. To understate matters a bit, controversy surrounds their economic and human rights policies, with the Karimov regime accused of torturing suspected Islamist militants, in some cases allegedly boiling them alive. I strongly recommend the book Dirty Diplomacy by former British Ambassador Craig Murray, who claims that he was railroaded after objecting to intelligence gained through torture and used to bolster George W. Bush's foreign policy. Whatever your political views or feelings about the author (a self-described "scotch-drinking, skirt-chasing, dictator-busting and thoroughly un-repentant ambassador stuck on the frontline of the War Against Terror"), the book is a fascinating inside look at the cultural and political landscape of a region poorly understood by most of the rest of the world. Uzbekistan is an important place, is what I'm trying to say.

You might still reasonably ask why I would want to visit. The Possessed represents a good starting point and a far more lighthearted read than Murray's memoir. Fortunately, a people and their government are not synonymous, and Uzbekistan is home to an immensely complex culture, a mostly Muslim nation strongly imprinted with Russian culture after many decades of colonization. Part of my fascination with Russia emanates from its history as a sprawling, multi-ethnic empire. Many ethnic Russians left Uzbekistan and other former Soviet republics after the fall of the USSR, but you still see a multitude of races and ethnicities living together and improvising a shared patchwork of language and lifestyle in the wake of relatively recent and staggering geopolitical upheaval.

My friends are great examples, children of an Uzbek father and a Russian mother whose union caused a bit of a scandal among the more traditional Muslim side of the family during the first years after their marriage. The older generation eventually decided to make things work for the sake of their grandchildren. Their situation represents one of countless personal and societal adjustments still being made as a result of government actions beyond the control of any individual. Some want to use the Uzbek language more often in day-to-day life, but people are slow to catch on after using Russian for so long. Aside from such weighty political and religious issues, I was intrigued by more mundane cultural quirks, such as the fact that Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is brimming with unlicensed cabs. One has only to stop at the street corner and hold up a hand, and a driver will quickly pull up to the curb and negotiate a price (an absurdly cheap price by New York standards).

Perhaps my most uniquely Uzbek experience occurred late one evening as I started back to my rented apartment in Tashkent. As I walked out of my friends' apartment complex and approached the sidewalk, I noticed soldiers lining the streets and turning away pedestrians. I decided to walk along the back alley to avoid the closed street, but when I had gone one block, I discovered another soldier blocking the alleyway. He was very friendly and apologetically admonished me, "Brat, brat, nelzya!" (Brother, brother, it's not allowed.) Having no other option, I returned to my friends' apartment and told them what had happened. "Ah, Karimov is on the way to the airport. No one is allowed along the route." They actually close down a swath of the city for the man to go to the airport. The official motto of Uzbekistan translates to "Everything we do is for mankind," but many Uzbeks tweak the language and say that, rather "Everything we do is for a man (and we all know which man)."

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is more to see in Uzbekistan than postcolonial adaptation and an oppressive government. I ate some of the best food I have ever had, and people were unfailingly polite. We visited the city of Khiva, parts of which are five thousand years old.

Khiva

I don't mean to sound as though I'm passing judgement on any travel plans that don't live up to my arbitrary standards regarding what is interesting, informed or informative. Every trip I have described was taken for fun rather than any academic or business purpose, and as you may have noticed, each one did, in fact, involve sight-seeing. I do want to see St. Petersburg and the Hermitage the next time I take a trip, and I'm sure that a candlelit dinner in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower could be a deeply meaningful experience. If I'm advocating for anything, it would be a conscious, applied sense of curiosity about any country you plan to visit, which will provide you with any number of meaningful moments above and beyond anything you may have planned in advance.

Around the World with Travel Guides

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 06:06:04 -0400

In Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day, Doug Mack takes a decades old travel guide and puts it to the modern-day test. Arthur Frommer's 1963 edition of Europe on 5 Dollars a Day (we still have several of these in our collections available for your perusal) was the book that got regular Americans, including Mack's mother, excited about crossing the Atlantic for the first time. Mack decides to use it without consulting any other guides to get a better sense of how much has changed, both in terms of recommended places to go and the price points (spoiler alert: nothing costs $5 anymore), as well as the overall cultural assumptions of Americans going abroad.

The travel guide can be a lens through which we see and experience other cultures and histories. Throughout Wrong Turns, Mack is conflicted about what he thinks he might be missing as a result of sticking exclusively to an outdated book. He also becomes overwhelmed by kitsch and tourist bait. He yearns to experience the great sights and tributes to history, but somehow without the cheapening effect of witnessing it all as just another tourist, snapping the same photos as everyone else. Towards the end of his grand tour, he seeks out suggestions online on forums and from his social media circle. But this strategy isn't quite met with success, either. In the end he finds the value in being a little lost, and not always being comfortable, as some of the most eye-opening and rewarding parts of travel.

If you are planning a trip, or want to go somewhere new but aren't sure where, you have to start with a guide book. I'm not just saying that as a librarian! There are so many different publishers of guide books, and they all have their own style and tone. Take out a few and decide which one best matches your personality, budget and sense of wanderlust.

Better yet, download them to your e-reader of choice. Chances are you will want to take your favorite guide with you. Since books can weigh down your luggage (and you wouldn't want to leave a library book in a hotel room halfway around the world) e-books are convenient and easy to carry. You can also highlight and make notes of what you want to do. Kindles and other e-ink readers are great for reading, but a tablet device will be better for viewing photographs and maps.

Whatever you do, get the current year edition if possible when looking at listings and reviews, or else double-check online before you make plans.

Berlitz / e-books
Insight Guides / e-Books
Known for its language courses and learning tools, Berlitz also offers guides and pocket guides to many countries.

Blue Guides
For the scholarly traveler who wants to know more about the art and architecture of a place than the standard guides provide, with basic travel information kept to a minimum. The first guide was London and its Environs, published in 1918 and available online through HathiTrust.

Cadogan Guides
Provides slightly more depth and historical background than standard guides.

DK Eyewitness Travel / e-books available through GVRL
Highly visual guides with extensive color photos and illustrations, these guides are well suited to kids and young adults.

Fodor's / e-Books
Random House's line of travel guides, written by locals and covering travel thematically as well as geographically.

Frommer's Guides / e-books
The grandfather of budget travel, as detailed above. In the essay "Eating and Sleeping With Arthur Frommer," available through New York Times (1851-2009) and her collection Wallflower at the Orgy, Nora Ephron wrote a critical profile of the man, who is still blogging about travel on his website 50 years later.

Written and updated by Harvard students, and geared toward the youthful and low-budget traveler (when hostels and dance clubs are your priorities). Guides also feature a "Beyond Tourism" chapter that lists volunteer, study, and work opportunities abroad.

Lonely Planet / e-books
The largest travel guide publisher. Covers most countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, clearly and comprehensively with low and mid-price recommendations.

Michelin Green Guides
Tourist guides with history, customs, art and culture of a place, along with highly respected recommendations and star ratings. Like the Red Guides, there is a three-star system for recommending sights: "worth a trip" to "worth a detour," and "interesting."

Michelin Red Guides
Covers restaurants and hotels; bestows their famous stars to the very best. Begun in France as a guide for motorists, sponsored by the tire company.

Moon Handbooks
Geared toward the outdoorsy independent traveler, Moon started with guides to Asia and now provides ample coverage of the Americas and much of the globe.

National Geographic Traveler
Travel guides full of the gorgeous photography you would expect from NatGeo. Why even bother with the plane ticket? Most guides include suggested walking/driving tours.

Not For Tourists
While designed for residents and workers in a particular city, these guides can still be useful to tourists. Includes recommended businesses, restaurants and sights in addition to the essentials like grocery stores, parking lots, banks, and pharmacies.

Rick Steves / e-books
An American everyman and fixture on PBS stations (you can also see him on Hulu and YouTube), Rick Steves takes a easygoing and pragmatic approach to traveling Europe. His books are constantly being revised and sights re-rated (zero to three pyramids, with three being "can't miss.") Rick Steves also publishes a book on general travel skills called Europe Through the Back Door. See also Travel as a Political Act, Steves's non-guide book about why he thinks Americans should travel.

Rough Guides / e-books available through GVRL
A British series, with a slightly different perspective than American guides. Initially geared towards backpackers, now covers all budgets. Greater context on historical sights. (Rough Guide also publishes guides to culture and technology that display in these search results.)

Time Out
Another British series (New Yorkers might be familiar with Time Out New York though) with an emphasis on entertainment, youth culture, and the best places to eat and drink.

Wallpaper* City Guide
Recommendations from the magazine of the same name, which is focused on design, fashion, and entertainment.

On the Web

Wikivoyage
Part of the Wikimedia Foundation family, a worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit.

Travel.State.Gov
After they send you your passport, be sure to check back here for foreign entry requirements, travel warnings and more from the U.S. Department of State. The Special Circumstances sections of some Country Specific Information documents contain information about attitudes, harassment, or arrests relating to LGBT travelers. Travel.State.Gov content is also available through the free Smart Traveler App for iOS and Android.

Mango Languages
If you are going to a place where you don't speak the language, make sure to take a few lessons on Mango before you set sail (or be a procrastinator like me and take a last minute German lesson on your iPhone over breakfast, err... Frühstück.)

Where are you going, and what guide is taking you there?

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Getting Close to Nature

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Cooling Off by the Water

Biking

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German History

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Additional Film Suggestions

Music Selections

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Chinese

Danish

Dutch

Finnish

French

German

Hebrew

Italian

Swedish

British

New Zealand

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Spain

Portugal, Azores, Madeira

Greece

Italy

Sweden

Iceland

France

Great Britain

Ireland

India

Peru

Jamaica

Puerto Rico

Cuba

Mexico

Brazil

Morocco

Lebanon

Turkey

Senegal

Korea

Japan

Thailand

Vietnam

China

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John Steinbeck’s Dust Bowl America

Edith Wharton’s New York City

Eloise’s Plaza Hotel

Catherine the Great’s Moscow

Oliver Twist’s London

Dracula’s Transylvania

Sir Walter Scott’s Edinburgh

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Jules Verne’s flying machines

Paris, je t'aime! A Love Letter to Paris

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