Travel through the past with An Adventurous Woman Abroad.

"In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, travelling within North American borders or beyond to exotic locations was difficult at best and disastrous at worst. Mary SchÄffer, born into a Pennsylvania-based Quaker family in 1861, not only conquered international travel but also excelled as an explorer, surveyor and photographer in the backcountry of Canada's Rocky Mountains and the isolated communities of Japan and Formosa (now Taiwan). This book features over 200 of Mary SchÄffer's colourful, hand-painted lantern slides from the archives of the Whyte Musem of the Canadian Rockies. These unique works of art detail some of the indigenous people and breathtaking landscapes of the Rocky Mountains, along with tribal communities of Japan and Formosa." (By Syndetics)

And take a new look at the sinking of the Titanic just in time for the 100th anniversary of her sinking (April 2012).

How to Survive the Titanic or The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay

"A brilliantly original and gripping new look at the sinking of the Titanic through the prism of the life and lost honor of J. Bruce Ismay, the ship's owner, in a unique work of history that raises provocative moral questions about cowardice and heroism, memory and identity, survival and guilt. (By Syndetics)

And to explore in the present day, why not check out Travel + Leisure magazine's most recent 100 Greatest Trips?

"An invaluable and inspiring compendium of the year's most distinctive destinations. Whether your dream is to escape to a thatched-roof safari camp in the heart of a South African game reserve; explore emerging wine regions in Macedonia; live out your own Roman holiday in an Italian bon vivant's penthouse; or find the best spot to enjoy a kleine Mokka in Vienna, 100 Greatest Trips points the way to the places you'll want to go next." (By Syndetics)

And for some armchair travel:

Chasing the Devil: A Journey Through Sub-Saharan Africa in the Footsteps of Graham Greene

"Butcher used Graham Greene's little-known 1935 travel book, Journey Without Maps, as his guide on the 350-mile trek from Freetown, on the coast of Sierra Leone, to the coast of Liberia. Greene's route took Butcher through the remote backcountry of both countries and brought him into contact with the people living there. Butcher weaves reflections on Greene's writing through his own reflections on the ways that each region has changed in the intervening decades. He compares the shabby and seedy Freetown, in spite of its well-maintained buildings, in Greene's Heart of the Matter, to what he sees as the city's current systemic post-war corruption, flat-lining economy, and beachfront swarmed by prostitutes. Through his captivating storytelling, Butcher leads readers along through the dangers and the exhilarations of this trip, and we learn with him the value of taking time to savor the true smell and taste of a place." (By Sndetics)

One Island One Ocean: Around the Americas Aboard Ocean Watch

This beautiful book, full of numerous colour photographs, documents the epic journey of the Ocean Watch as it completes the first circumnavigation of North and South America. "On May 31, 2009, a committed team of sailors, scientists, teachers, and conservationists joined forces on a voyage that was vast in scope and ambition but launched under the simplest of ideas: The continents of North and South America are a single island, surrounded by a shared ocean, and with a common set of challenges, communities, issues, and solutions." (By Syndetics)

Food Lovers' Europe: A Celebration of Local Specialties, Recipes & Traditions by Cara Frost-Sharratt

The Food Lovers’ Guide to Europe is the definitive guide to the Old World’s tastiest destinations. Blending practical travel information with hand-picked selections of the finest culinary treats Europe has to offer, London-based food and travel writer Cara Frost-Sharratt outlines the cuisines of more than forty destinations within twenty-five European countries—from classic ones such as Paris, Rome, London, and Brussels to newer places on the culinary map, including Vilnius, Tallinn, and Bratislava—before focusing in on their most exciting gourmet hotspots. A must-have handbook to Europe’s gastronomic delights, it includes recipes throughout.

Food Lovers' Guide to Montreal: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events by Patricia Harris

The ultimate guide to Montreal's food scene provides the inside scoop on the best places to find, enjoy, and celebrate local culinary offerings. Written for residents and visitors alike to find producers and purveyors of tasty local specialties, as well as a rich array of other, indispensable food-related information including: food festivals and culinary events; specialty food shops; farmers’ markets and farm stands; trendy restaurants and time-tested iconic landmarks; and recipes using local ingredients and traditions.

Food Lovers' Guide to Seattle: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events by Karen Brown

The ultimate guide to Seattle's food scene provides the inside scoop on the best places to find, enjoy, and celebrate local culinary offerings. Written for residents and visitors alike to find producers and purveyors of tasty local specialties, as well as a rich array of other, indispensable food-related information including: food festivals and culinary events; specialty food shops; farmers’ markets and farm stands; trendy restaurants and time-tested iconic landmarks; and recipes using local ingredients and traditions.

West Coast Road Eats: The Best Road Food from Los Angeles to the Canadian Border by Anna Roth

As "locavore" becomes part of our everyday vocabulary and food critics continue to give West Coast cuisine accolades for its freshness and sustainability, West Coast Road Eats shows how why we eat-and where we eat it-matters more than ever. Part guidebook, part travelogue, and part history lesson, West Coast Road Food is a love letter to the seafood shacks, farm stands, taquerias, ice cream parlors, burger joints, wineries, and more that make up our unique edible ecosystem. Covering more than 1,500 miles from the Canadian border to San Diego, West Coast Road Eats offers a plethora of unique restaurants that dot the freeways and scenic byways of the West Coast. With suggested itineraries, overviews of major cities, and sidebars covering everything from captivating food-factory tours to instructions on how to pick the best produce at a farm stand, this book focuses the relationship between food and a sense of place with the enduring image of the American West as a backdrop.

To find more great eats from around the world, search our catalogue with the words "restaurants guidebooks".

If you enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love, you will want to read this book by Luca Spaghetti. See Rome through the eyes of the Italian who showed Liz Gilbert around and who became one of her closest friends.

"Spaghetti (his real name) met Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, during her momentous journey through Rome in 2003 and sparked a friendship that deeply inspires this personable memoir about being a Roman. Spaghetti grew up in that city, lived on Via Gregorio VII, and shares some of the peculiar loves and mannerisms of the dyed-in-the-wool Roman..." (Publishers' Weekly Review)

Elizabeth Gilbert says "Luca Spaghetti is not only one of my favorite people in the world, but also a natural-born storyteller...I'm delighted to share my friend through this marvelous book, which I cannot recommend highly enough."

Where do you start? Iconic buildings, awesome canyons, weird monuments, vast animal migrations, spooky dungeons and romantic vistas are just some of the man-made marvels and natural wonders in 1000 Ultimate Sights. Make your own list, hit the road, and start exploring the world’s most breathtaking sights. (Syndetics)

"A lyrical homage to India's holiest, moodiest, foulest river. . . Trojanow is the perfect mix of insider and outsider. . . . This is a treasure of a book, a must-have for anyone spending time on the Ganges and wanting to get to know her better."—Financial Times

"Funny, shocking, and always interesting."—The Spectator

Along the Ganges was voted one of the greatest travel books of all time byCondé Nast Traveler by a jury including Gore Vidal and Paul Theroux.

Grant takes readers on an unforgettable journey from Zanzibar into the heart of Africa, traveling with present-day explorers, hunters, degenerates, gangsters, and local reporters, while documenting life, landscape, and the history of white exploration in East Africa. (Syndetics)

We have some wonderful new travel books!

Dream Destinations of the World presents the most beautiful regions and destinations on earth in an innovative, contemporary format. (Syndetics)

Discover how to have a great family vacation in London! From Big Ben to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, all the major attractions are covered, but the emphasis in this book is on family value: which hotels are kid-friendly, which restaurants are best for families, where are the bargains and discounts for kids, what museums will hold their interest. Includes recommended itineraries, fun sidebars, day trips to surrounding sights like Windsor Castle and Oxford, and tips on saving money, from hotels to dining to sights! (Syndetics)

For more great ideas on visiting London with kids, see the blog, Early Boarding and Other Benefits of Travelling with Kids - Jolly Old England.

Everyone who lives in Bangkok, whether they were born there or have chosen it as their home, has a different view of the city—no two people live in the same place, even if they live on the same block. In this book are images of five different cities through the eyes of five different residents—showing the Bangkok that they have found and hurried to preserve with a camera before it becomes lost. (Syndetics)

Which explorer found the lost site of Jesus' first miracle? Who was first to the top of the highest mountain in Peru? Who was the first Westerner to visit the Ottoman harem in Constantinople? Who held the world record as the only person to fly from Britain to Australia for 44 years? You' ll find the answers to these questions and more in Mick Conefrey' s charming new book. (A hint: none of them had beards.) (Syndetics)