Staying close to home this summer? Care to imagine you were elsewhere? It's time to start planning for the future, I say! Check out this series of posts from Joanna Goddard's A Cup of Joe blog, for some jaw-dropping, gorgeous photos of unique places to vacation.
In the meantime, we've got a great selection of armchair travel books to grab. Take a look at the selections from our Novel Destinations list:
American Shaolin : flying kicks, buddhist monks, and the legend of iron crotch : an odyssey in the new China by Matthew Polly Bill Bryson meets Bruce Lee in this raucously funny story of one scrawny American's quest to become a kung fu master at China's legendary Shaolin Temple.
An embarrassment of mangoes : a Caribbean interlude by Ann VanderhoofUnder the Tuscan sun on a sailboat in the Caribbean, Vanderhoff and her husband abandon their esteemed careers in mid-life to navigate the Caribbean on a sailboat, discovering local culture in each tiny port, and collecting original sumptuous recipes along the way.
Getting stoned with savages : a trip through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu by J. Maarten Troost When he found himself holding down a job--one that might possibly lead to a career—Troost knew it was time for him and his wife, Sylvia, to repack their bags and set off for parts unknown. Getting Stoned with Savages tells the hilarious story of Troost's time on Vanuatu--a rugged cluster of islands where the natives gorge themselves on kava and are still known to "eat the man."
The lost girls : three friends, four continents, one unconventional detour around the world / Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner. Three twenty-something friends at a crossroads make a pact to quit their high-pressure New York media jobs; leave their friends, boyfriends, and everything familiar behind; and embark on a yearlong backpacking adventure around the world.
Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman--and never went home again. Lunch in Paris is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs--one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine.
Notes from a small island by Bill Bryson A combination travel guide and loving crack at the mannered manners of Britain written by journalist and long-time resident Bryson whose whirlwind trip around the island before his return to America yielded a number of witty essays on life, love, and beer.
Radio Shangri-La: what I learned in the happiest kingdom on Earth by Lisa Napoli When an accomplished L.A.-based journalist decides to travel to Bhutan, "the happiest on earth" because of a mid-life crisis (and, possibly, a man), she finds a focus greater than herself. Reflecting on daily life in this exotic locale, Napoli’s adventures form the basis of a delightful summer read.
Travelers’ Tales: Check out this series of anthologies that celebrate not only travel but also simply giving into the sense of adventure. Check the catalog for individual titles.
A woman's path : women's best spiritual travel writing edited by Lucy McCauley, Amy C. Carlson, and Jennifer Leo. From New Mexico to Niger, India to Chechnya, the stories in this collection take an uncommon look at common themes -- letting go, opening up, finding inner peace. Some of the world's top writers explore the great and subtle ways travel awakens us. While many of these stories occur on the road, others lead the reader on an inward journey, equally ambitious, equally rewarding.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances MayesIn this memoir of her buying, renovating, and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy, and the generous spirit she brought with her. (2003 film stars Diane Lane.)
Undress me in the temple of heaven by Susan Jane GilmanAn entertaining coming-of-age memoir of two idealistic college grads, who find them-selves completely out of their element as they embark on a globe-trotting adventure beginning in China.
“Madeleine’s love troubles had begun at a time when the French theory she was reading deconstructed the very notion of love.” What happens when the constructs of love and tradition are blown apart? When the hyper-realization that what you once thought you knew about love no longer exists? 
Our Youth Services department is always a busy place, but come visit with us in the summer and you’ll find a different Youth Services than the one you’ll find during the school year.