Travel Memoir

Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.

Though Frances Mayes is known for her travels, she has always sought a sense of home wherever she goes. In this poetic testament to the power of place in our lives, Mayes reflects on the idea of home, from the earliest imprint of four walls to the startling discoveries of feeling the strange ease of homes abroad, friends’ homes, and even momentary homes that spark desires for other lives. From her travels across Italy to the American South, France, and Mexico, Mayes examines the connective tissue among them through the homes she’s inhabited.

Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top ­safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry ­elephants, and the world's most unpredictable animals: herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!

"I had never planned to become a savanna baboon when I grew up; instead, I had always assumed I would become a mountain gorilla," writes Robert Sapolsky in this witty and riveting chronicle of a scientist's coming-of-age in remote Africa. An exhilarating account of Sapolsky's twenty-one-year study of a troop of rambunctious baboons in Kenya, A Primate's Memoir interweaves serious scientific observations with wry commentary about the challenges and pleasures of living in the wilds of the Serengeti-for man and beast alike.

When American writer Stephanie Saldana finds herself in an empty house at the beginning of Nablus Road, the dividing line between East and West Jerusalem, she is a new wife trying to navigate a fragile terrain, both within her marriage and throughout the country in which she has chosen to live. Pregnant with her first child, Stephanie struggles to protect her family, their faith, and herself from the cracks of Middle Eastern conflict that threaten to shatter the world around her.

Ten Yoga Students. One yoga instructor. Too many venomous snakes to count. In this humorous and spirited account, Jen relates her experience at a yoga retreat in Costa Rica along with nine other students brave enough to enter the wilds of the Costa Rican Osa Peninsula rainforest. Drunk with heady Costa Rican coffee, decadently pure Costa Rican chocolate and somewhere around eight thousand backbends, life is never dull. You’ll find yourself amazed, amused, salivating and begging, “When can visit the rainforest?” You’ll even chime in, “I’ll perform headstands if I have to!”

Writer for the New York Times and GQ, Mark Adams is also the acclaimed author of Mr. America. In this fascinating travelogue, Adams follows in the controversial footsteps of Hiram Bingham III, who’s been both lionized and vilified for his discovery of the famed Lost City in 1911—but which reputation is justified?

In this exuberantly praised book - a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner - David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction.

Bestselling Author Ivanka Di Felice serves up a fresh batch of adventures in her cherished Tuscany. With a sprinkle of wit and a lot of affection, she introduces us to a vibrant array of characters, including her spirited elderly father who adds his own unique flavor to the mix. From amusing encounters with locals to humorous mishaps in everyday life, Di Felice's tales whisk us away to the very essence of Italian charm. Come along on the escapades as we venture inside Tuscan villas, lend a hand in olive-picking, and luxuriate in the revitalizing waters of thermal baths. Journey through the ...

Annette Joseph's years in Italy revealed this truth: Italy, in all its multifaceted, glorious history and culture has to be experienced in full. Over almost three decades, Italy has fed, entertained, confused, excited, lured, promised, lied, satisfied, occasionally disappointed, and utterly enchanted her. She's left, but can't stay away - she'll always return. Always. Just like a beloved partner....

Following in the tradition of Ghost Rider and Traveling Music, Rush drummer Neil Peart relates nearly four years of band tours, road trips, and personal discoveries in this introspective travelogue. From the ups and downs of a professional artist to the birth of a child, this revealing narrative recounts 22 adventures from rock's foremost drummer, biker enthusiast, husband, and father.

Francis Parkman's journal - written more than 150 years ago, in 1846 - provides an eye-witness account of one of the grandest adventures in American history. At age 23, the Harvard-educated Bostonian traveled the Rocky Mountains, living among the Dakota Sioux. In his journal, he captured the color, spirit, and perspective of his era, as well as the exuberant confidence that was the mark of his time. Frank Muller's dramatic reading brings this captivating record to life.

When Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold plan: He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune.

In the first of three essays included in this audiobook, Bill Bryson decides to move his wife and kids back to his homeland, the United States, after nearly two decades in Britain. But not before taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. The result is a hilarious social commentary.

In "Completion," Sheila R. Burns-Owens shares her remarkable journey from educator to world traveler, chronicling her adventures across all 50 states of America with her life partner, Willie C. Owens. Sheila's memoir, from traversing the Historic Route 66 to strategizing her visits, offers an intimate look at her life's triumphs and challenges. Born in New York, she reflects on her upbringing in Harlem and the Bronx, her weight loss journey, and her dedication to improving her mental and physical well-being through mindfulness and healthier living. As the founder of #Her2ndStitch, Sheila is...

Pedaling a bicycle around the world was a lifelong dream, but everyone told him it could not be done. Dismissing the skeptics, disinterested sponsors, and a woefully inadequate bank account, Scott Zamek resolved to try. Some 25,000 miles and six million pedal revolutions later, Zamek had encountered Bengal tigers, angry mobs, prison and sandstorms, fed on yak, dog meat, and gobs of cow intestines. He had been taken prisoner by the Syrian Secret Police, left for dead in the Sahara Desert, and beset by hypothermia and heatstroke, using up two bicycles, 1,000 tire patches, and countless ...

In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo—the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world—shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

What do howler monkeys, bats, torrential rain and yoga have in common? In this humorous and sometimes soggy account, Jen tells what it’s like to participate in a hot yoga retreat in the Costa Rica rainforest. In between backbends, intense forward stretches and shooing venomous snakes out of her bungalow, life in the rainforest is never dull. It’s just too bad that the yoga retreat must come to an end because Jen has decided she could spend a lifetime chanting and meditating with the howler monkeys. Come find out what it’s like to enter nirvana on Jen’s awesome Namaste Getaway.

"I dreamed I was an old woman, but not too old, living in Ireland. I went for morning walks, sipped tea with the locals in the afternoons, and sat before a cheerful fire on cool evenings..."Find inspiration and laughter in this American’s journey to and through the Emerald Isle. See the sights, meet the characters, and experience some of the adventures and often funny discoveries and adjustments that come with being “that American woman” living in Ireland. In 2013, Ms. Fadely, one-eighth Irish but one hundred percent American, moved from California to the country she fell in love with...

★ IT WAS THE BET OF A LIFETIME! ★ Overcome with patriotic fervour, New Zealander Justin Brown bets an Australian mate that the All Blacks will thrash the Wallabies in an up-coming rugby match. They don't. Forced to pay his debt, Justin has to busk his way around England until he earns enough money for his airfare home. THE DEAL If Justin's favourite team loses he must door-door-busk his way around the United Kingdom. If Justin's supposed best mate's favourite team loses he must streak at the Wimbledon Grand Final. THE OUTCOME Justin's teams loses. He is forced to go to the other side of...