Cafe Life Sydney
Tamata Thiessen
Interlink Books
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566568265, $20.00, www.interlinkbooks.com

There's more to it than a good cup of coffee. "Cafe Life Sydney: A Guide to the Neighborhood Cafes of Australia's Harbour City" is a blend of travel guide and photography from Tamata Thiessen as she offers a tour of the best coffee houses in Sydney and what they offer besides a pick me up. With full color photos and a history of each establishment, "Cafe Life Sydney" is an excellent pick for any soon to be Australia traveler.

Tourist Trains Guidebook, third edition
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164308, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

The third updated edition of Tourist Trains Guidebook is for any seeking to travel on one of nearly five hundred trains across the U.S. and Canada. Reviews of 195 leading museums and tourist trains and listings of nearly three hundred more train sites are packed into a title that includes a discount card offering savings at over seventy train attractions, making this a 'must' for any rail buff planning a train trip.

A Travel Guide to the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake
Ralph E. Eshelman
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu www.amazon.com
9780801898365 $65.00 hc
9780801898372 $24.95 pbk

A Travel Guide to the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake is designed expressly to help plan historic tours along the waters and shores of the Chesapeake Bay, where Americans battled the British in the War of 1812 to protect the freedom and independence earned in the Revolution. Recommended trips by car, bike, foot, or boat are organized geographically, and presented with black-and-white photographs and maps. Packed with invaluable information concerning the addresses, phone numbers, websites, parking availability, hours of operation and entrance fees for a wide variety of sites, A Travel Guide to the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake lives up to its title and is very highly recommended for the history-minded Chesapeake vacationer.

Road Biking Ohio
Celeste Baumgartner
Falcon Guides
c/o Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 489, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762739639, $16.95, www.falcon.com

A good bike route is accommodating yet presents quite the scenery. "Road Biking: Ohio" is a detailed guide highlighting the best paths throughout the state to present bike enthusiasts with trips that will challenge them as well as let them soak in the nature around them. Outlining the hazards that each of the paths offer, detours, lodging, and much more, "Road Biking: Ohio" is a must for anyone with a love of biking who lives in or will be in Ohio.

Chicago City Guide
Karla Zimmerman
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741794120, $18.99, www.amazon.com

The Second city has plenty to see and enjoy for the traveler looking to call it home or just passing through. "Chicago City Guide" is a tourism guide from Lonely Planet, explaining the many sights and sounds that await any who want to see what Chi-Town has to offer. From beer tasting to its legendary pizza, everything from artistic sights and sounds, pop culture curiosities, sports, lodging, and much more. "Chicago City Guide" is an excellent tourism guide, something to keep on hand as you travel through Chicago.

Taking Root in Provence
Anne-Marie Simons
Distinction Press
354 Hastings Rd, Waitsfield, VT 05673
9780980217575, $15.95, www.distinctionpress.com

France is a romantic destination for many, but it's not all it's cracked up to be at first sight. "Taking Root in Provence" is a discussion of not only visiting Provence, France, but also calling it home sweet home. Author Anne-Marie Simons has seen a good deal of it, and presents her ideas for those who want to try this endeavor. Touching on everything from food, culture, and more, her information will help readers decide if France truly is the best place for them. "Taking Root in Provence" is an excellent addition to any travel collection with a focus on France.

Museum Companion to Los Angeles
Borislav Stanic
Museon Publishing
PO Box 17095, Beverly Hills, CA 90209-2095
9781889224039, $24.95

The art and relics of history can prove to quite intriguing to the history buff. "Museum Companion to Los Angeles" is a guide to the museums and similar attractions throughout Los Angeles, as Borislav Stanic shows what these facilities have to offer in full color, showing where to find them with ease and more. Organized well for ease of use, "Museum Companion to Los Angeles" is a must for any history buff who will soon find themselves in the Los Angeles area.

Italy Dish by Dish
Monica Sartoni Cesari
The Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St., 3rd Floor, New York NY 10014-3994
9781892145901, $24.95, www.littlebookroom.com

Italy Dish by Dish provides a pocket-sized, comprehensive translator to unique Italian specialties and dishes not to be found elsewhere, and is a take-along tote recommendation to any food fan heading over to Italy. Chapters include sections listing regional cheese and wines, a recipe from the area, and insights into unique names used to identify local food variations. From meat to wine, this is a top pick!

Hiking Grand Canyon National Park
Ron Adkison
Falcon Press
c/o Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762760602, $18.95, www.falcon.com

Hiking Grand Canyon National Park is the perfect take-along tote for any who would hike the trails of the park. It covers a range of trail opportunities, from easy day hikes for novices and children to extended backpack trips for wilderness campers. With its specific directions, survey of 'best' day and overnight hikes for all abilities, difficulty ratings and more, this packs in details on all kinds of outdoors opportunities and is a top pick for any sports and outdoors collection or travel library.

Frommer's Belize
Eliot Greenspan
Wiley
222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923
9780470887707, $19.99, www.frommers.com

Latin America has much to captivate the imagination, but what makes Belize special? "Frommer's Belize" is another entry in a tourist guide for those who want to see what Belize has to offer would be travelers who want to experience the unique brand of culture, tourism, and more that Belize has. Packed cover to cover with useful information on activities, lodging, and food, "Frommer's Belize" is a fine travel guide, not to be missed for those considering Belize for their next trip.

Homeopathic Guide for Travelers, revised edition
Ravi Roy and Carola Lage-Roy
North Atlantic Books
Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
9781556439360 $16.95 www.northatlanticbooks.com

Homeopathic Guide for Travelers: Remedies for Health and Safety offers a revised edition of an original that sold over 70,000 copies in German, and offers a guide for health on the road from short jaunts to long treks or business travel. All issues a vacationer might encounter along the way, from altitude sickness to jetlag and infectious diseases, are covered with a homeopathic perspective added.

Stairway Walks in San Francisco
Adah Bakalinsky with Marian Gregoile
Wilderness Press
2204 First Avenue South #102, Birmingham, Al 35233
9780899976372 $17.95 www.wildernesspress.com

Hundreds of stairways traverse San Francisco's 42 hills, exploring scenic vistas and linking neighborhoods, and this covers them all, offering detailed maps of neighborhoods, discussing directions and sights to be seen, and outlining the hidden cul-de-sacs of the City. San Francisco residents who want to know their own city better will find this a winner, as well!

Prodigal Daughter
Myrna Kostash
University of Alberta Press
King House 2, Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2E1
9780888645340 $34.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER: A JOURNEY TO BYZANTIUM provides a fine historic narrative of one woman's journey through the Balkans as she searches for the real Demetrius. Questioning her inherited religion, she embarks upon a personal and spiritual journey that begins in Canada and takes her to the Balkans. History, memoir and travelogue blend in a vivid personal journey of discovery.

Route 66
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760338858, $30.00, www.voyageurpress.com

As America grew, Route 66 evolved from a pile of asphalt into a legend all its own. "Greetings from Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Back Through Time Along America's Main Street" is a photography and history book detailing the many attractions and sections of the heyday of Route 66, the highway that allowed Americans to travel from the east and west on their own power in their own cars, something that only decades for, was a multiple month affair and was quite dangerous. But the danger was gone, replaced by a road that made the journey just as fun as the destination. "Greetings from Route 66" is a fascinating and fun read, presented in full color and is enthusiastically recommended.

1000 Sacred Places
Christoph Engels
H. F. Ullman
info@ullman-publishing.com
60 Cycle Meida, 38 High Ave #1, Nyack, NY 10960
9783833154805, $29.95, www.ullman-publishing.com

The places held Sacred to the world are usually held sacred for good reason. "1000 Sacred Places: The World's Most Extraordinary Spiritual Sites" is a guide to the most awe-inspiring religious sites around the world. Many of these sites, even to a non-believer, are sites with a certain historical and artistic majesty, worth seeing in one's lifetime. From cathedrals to massive sculptures to relics of the distant past, "1000 Sacred Places" is in full color with plenty of insight and information, making it a very highly recommended travel guide.

The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast
Elinor DeWire
Paradise Cay Publications
Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837861, $19.95, www.paracay.com

The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast offers an outstanding guide to over sixty lighthouses from San Diego to the San Juan Islands. More than just a traveler's guide to the lighthouses, however, this packs in stories of history, courage, and lighthouse lore to add maritime history and local color to each profile. Fans of lighthouses or West Coast travel alike will find this a compelling guide!

Garden Guide: New York City, second edition
Nancy Berner and Susan Lowry
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393733075, $22.95, www.wwnorton.com

The revised edition of Garden Guide: New York City is a 'must' for gardeners planning a visit to the Big Apple. It identifies unexpected small gardens nestled throughout New York City - even those on rooftops, hidden behind facades, and just beyond a gate or inside a museum. This revised second edition features over twenty new gardens and pairs their histories with stories, maps and complete visitor information, making for a compact take-along tote for any gardening enthusiast.

Trans-Canada Rail Guide, fifth edition
Melissa Graham
Trailblazer
The Old Manse, Tower Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 7SU, UK
9781905864331, $22.95, www.trailblazer-guides.com

Trans-Canada Rail Guide offers an updated fifth edition of a Canadian rail classic, packing in rail routes, maps and city guides for all stops east to west on the route. The route has been completely re-travelled and all information in the prior editions checked and updated, with extensive changes to this edition including new facts about the country, updated city guides, and new route guides adapted to match VIA Rail's new scheduling and timetables. No Canadian or trail travel collection should be without this!

A Moveable Feast
Don George, Editor
Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland, CA 94607
9781742202297, $14.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

A MOVEABLE FEAST; LIFE-CHANGING FOOD ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD packs in a blend of world culinary assessment and travelogue perfect for any culinary or travel library. Its authors provide food experiences from their world travels and range from Anthony Bourdain to Jan Morris. Jaw-dropping moments, pilgrimages, fun and horrifying tales, and more make this an exceptional literary presentation that will delight a wide audience!

A Year of Adventures
Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland CA 94607
9781741799767, $19.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

A YEAR OF ADVENTURES provides an excellent planning tool to activity-oriented independent vacations around the world. From snow biking in France or volcano boarding in Nicaragua to diving with hammerhead sharks in Costa Rica, this offers an organization by month of the year to pinpoint optimum world travel opportunities perfect for the adventure-oriented traveler. Descriptions come packed with color photos and detail.

Driftless Area
Dean Klinkenberg
The Mississippi Valley Traveler
PO Box 15146, St. Louis, MO 63110-5416
9780615410531, $19.95

All along the greatest river of America, there is plenty to see and embrace. "Driftless Area Travel Guide" is a guide outlining all the sights and happenings that happen along this region, called Driftless because it long avoided the glacial drift during the Ice Age. With communities and town throughout, author Dean Klinkenberg equips readers with the knowledge they need to make the most of their visit. "Driftless Area Travel Guide" is a must for any Mississippi traveler.

Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Carolyn McCarthy, et.al.'s CENTRAL AMERICA ON A SHOESTRING: BIG TRIPS ON SMALL BUDGETS (9781741791471, $25.99) packs in detailed itineraries to help independent, budget-minded travelers get started on a Central American journey. >From highlights of top recommendations by fellow travelers to a 'green' index of ecofriendly alternatives, this holds small black and white maps, extensive details on where to stay and what to experience, and choices for off-the-beaten-path journeying perfect for young travelers in particular. Carolyn McCarthy's PANAMA (9781741791349, $21.99) packs in tailored itineraries for a Panama trip to combine with keys to the entire country's urban and rural attractions. Independent travelers receive a take-along tote packed with advice on everything from recommended accommodations and restaurants to off-the-beaten-path options. Greg Benchwick's CANCUN, COZUMEL & THE YUCATAN (9781741794144, $21.99) offers outdoor adventure-oriented surveys of the entire region and provides top itineraries along with coverages of local history and color. A bonus chapter on neighboring Tabasco and Chiapas accompanies keys to the best of the Yucatan Peninsula in a handy take-along tote 'must' for any destination-bound visitor. Also top picks are Lucas Vidgen and Daniel C. Schechter's GUATEMALA (9781741791495, $21.99), covering the country's towns, villages and unique culture, and Matthew D. Firestone, Carolina A. Miranda and Cesar G. Soirano's COSTA RICA (9781741799748, $21.99) which provides an in-depth survey of the popular travel destination packed with maps, photos and local color!

India
Sarina Singh, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741791518, $29.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Lonely Planet's extensive INDIA, though quite thick at over 1,200 pages of small-print detail, is a 'must' take-along tote for any independent traveler to the country who wishes details on everything from India's festivals and local attractions to elephant safaris, camel treks, yoga and more. Chapters organized by region offer quick access to local attractions and review everything from accommodations to food. Very highly recommended for independent travelers and libraries catering to them!

Atlas of Remote Islands
Judith Schalansky
Penguin Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780143118206, $28.00, www.penguin.com

Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will is a fine pick for armchair travel and geography collections alike. It blends history and science to create a story around each island: imagined realities for survival, possible rare animals and inhabitants, and more. The inclusion of color maps throughout enhances this unique presentation, recommended for any general lending library.

Discover Egypt
Anthony Sattin, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781742201108, $24.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

The sheer history of Egypt often attracts many travelers. The collaborative work of Anthony Sattin, Michael Benanav, Matthew D. Firestone, and Thomas Hall, "Discover Egypt: Experience in the Best of Egypt" is a travel guide for those who want to fully experience everything that Egypt has to offer. From the aforementioned history, it also focuses on the modern culture that lies around the country. Presented in full color with plenty of information and charts to emphasize the places to visit, "Discover Egypt" is a choice pick for anyone planning an Egyptian trip for the armchair traveler.

Eat Smart in France
Ronnie Hess
Ginkgo Press
PO Box 5346, Madison, WI 53705
9780977680122, $14.95, www.eatsmartguides.com

French food, while delicious, isn't renown for being entirely inviting for outsiders. "Eat Smart in France: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods, & Embark on a Tasting Adventure" is a guide for enjoying France for its food and wine, by embracing its culture and understanding its menus and dialect in the name of good food. A focused travel guide that executes its focus excellently, "Eat Smart in France" is not to be missed by the food loving traveler looking towards Paris.

Book Lust to Go
Nancy Pearl
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main St., Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104
9781570616501, $16.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

BOOK LUST TO GO: RECOMMENDED READING FOR TRAVELERS, VAGABONDS, AND DREAMERS covers over 120 destinations and provides the perfect reading list to accompany each place. Both fiction and nonfiction are included in the reading lists, with titles providing insight into both history and culture. It's a 'must' for any travel collection catering to either armchair readers or destination-bound travelers!

Long Way Home
Bill Barich
Walker & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780802717542, $26.00, www.walkerbooks.com

Long Way Home: On the Trail of Steinbeck's America comes from an author who used Steinbeck as his inspiration to take a mid-life coast-to-coast trip to discover America. He blogged about his trek for the New York Times - and here provides an account that traces his journeys and discoveries through small-town America.

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Lonely Planet is best-known for its take-along tote guides to independent world travel, so it's eye-opening to see one of their books - THE TRAVEL BOOK (9781741792119, $50.00) packaged in a weighty, oversized hardcover edition packing in color photos and armchair traveler information. Libraries and any collection strong in leisure travel reading will find this a treasure trove packed with A-Z profiles of nearly every country in the world, all written by travelers who have visited that country. From best books to read and music to listen to for advance study before visiting to getting the most from a visit, this is an extensive world travel survey no traveler should be without! A fine take-along tote is Charles Rawlings-Way's NEW ZEALAND (9781741794731, $26.99), offering full coverage of the costs, culture, and activities possible throughout New Zealand. Over 150 maps and entries covering everything from festivals and history to travel within the country make this a take-along 'must' recommended for independent travelers and collections catering to them. Also recommended is Sara Benson, et.al.'s USA'S BEST TRIPS: 99 THEMED ITINERARIES ACROSS AMERICA (9781741797350, $24.99). It offers itineraries key to planning the perfect trip across the country, packing in maps, driving times, directions, themes, and ideas from regional experts. Family-friendly and pet-friendly considerations are also included, making this a top pick for any general lending library.

Argentina
Jill Gibian, editor
Whereabouts Press
2600 Tenth Street, Suitr 260, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781883513191, $14.95, www.whereaboutspress.com

Argentina has gained a unique place in South America with a history unlike its neighbors. "Argentina: A Traveler's Literary Companion" looks at the place of Argentina in World Literature, offering a tour of the country through literature and its modern and most famous writers. Providing a story from one of Argentina's best writers throughout its history, "Argentina: A Traveler's Literature Companion" is an ideal way to know the culture of this Latin state.

Berlin for Free
Verlag an Der Spree
Berlinca Publishing
255 West 43rd, St., Suite 1012, New York, N Y 10036
9781935902409, $9.95

Berlin is one of the most famous cities in the world, and one can absorb its culture without spending a dime. "Berlin for Free: A Guide book to Movies, Music, Museums, and More for the Frugal Traveler" is a guide for touring Berlin for cheap who wants to see the many aspects that one doesn't always see with paid tours and the like. Focusing on the culture and the people, "Berlin for Free" is for anyone who wants to see what it means to be a Berliner first hand.

Over the Top & Back Again
Brandon Wilson
Pilgrim's Tales
PO Box 854, Volcano, HI 96785
9780977053629, $14.95 PilgrimsTales.com

The Swiss Alps are likely one of the most traveled mountain ranges in history, but it doesn't mean they don't offer an adventure all their own. "Over the Top & Back Again: Hiking X the Alps" chronicles Brandon Wilson's own time in the Swiss Alps, he dragged his wife into a truly unique adventure on this mountains, and he provides readers with a story of a most unusual life style. "Over the Top & Back Again" is an exciting read, sure to please and inspire readers to their own mountaineering adventure.

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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