BARTLEBY'S
book suggestions for staying home, staying safe, and seeing the world!
"Reading is a discount ticket to anywhere."
--Mary Schmich

HI EVERYONE! How are you all holding up? Vermont, like so many other places, is now under a "stay at home" order, a directive to stay home and stay safe. As we all settle in to do just that, let's remind ourselves that the imagination is borderless, and there are whole worlds waiting to be discovered between the covers of a good book. With that in mind, Bartleby's has compiled a list of our favorite armchair travel books, top picks in both fiction and nonficton that are evocative of place, some reassuringly familiar, and some thrillingly new. So dive in and let us "book" (teehee) your next destination.
Where will you be going next?
COASTAL NEW ENGLAND and BEYOND
Hodgman's musings take us from Massachusetts to Maine, always in his trademark hilarious voice. He has uniquely unaffected overtones of poignant sincerity that makes the book a fabulous ride the whole way through.
STAFF FAVORITE!!

Bartleby's is YOUR Vermont Bookstore, now and always.
Though we are closed for browsing right now, we have a bookseller on site everyday from 11am to 3pm. So give us a call at 802-464-5425 or send an email. We can still help you find just the right book, game, or puzzle. We're offering curb-side pick-up while we're open, free delivery in the US, or home drop-off within a 15 minute drive. And remember, you can shop with us any time at myvermontbookstore.com
NIGERIA
A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future.
ITALY
Auntie Poldi retires to Sicily, intending to while away the rest of her days with good wine, a view of the sea, and few visitors. But Sicily isn’t quite the tranquil island she thought it would be. 
HAWAI'I
This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
GREAT BRITAIN
A delightful jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation of Great Britain, which has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie’s Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey.
AUSTRALIA
The extraordinarily courageous author is driven by a love of Australia's landscape, an empathy for its indigenous people, and a willingness to cast away the trappings of her former identity. 
ASIA
Theroux recounts his grand continental tour on Asia's fabled trains: Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Frontier Mail, the Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Mandalay Express, & Trans-Siberian Express 
EAST AFRICA
If the first responsibility of a memoirist is to lead a life worth writing about, Markham succeeded beyond all measure. She spent most of her life in East Africa as an adventurer, a racehorse trainer, an aviatrix, and a wildly accomplished writer.
THE AMAZON
In this masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Percy Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle, unraveling the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century.
GLOBAL ADVENTURE
A scintillating satire of the American abroad, a rumination on time and the human heart, a bittersweet romance of chances lost from a writer at the peak of his talents raising the curtain on our shared human comedy.
INDIA
Seventeen-year-old Lakshmi escapes to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist--and confidante--to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own...
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park. As Ava sets out on a mission through the magical swamps to save them all, we are drawn into a lush novel that takes us to the shimmering edge of reality.
MEXICO
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico blends poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The story of up a master chef using cooking to express herself and sharing recipes with readers along the way.
THE OPEN ROAD
Forced to confront her limitations, Brooks-Dalton learns focus, patience, and how to navigate life on the road. As she builds confidence, both on her bike and off, she undertakes an ambitious ride that leaves her strengthened, revitalized, and prepared for whatever comes next.
CUBA
  Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who fled during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate.  
FRANCE
Julia’s unforgettable story (struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe) unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success, brilliantly capturing one of our most endearing personalities.
Coronavirus is impacting independent bookstores near and far, but you can make a difference with a Libro.fm membership. When you start a membership with code SHOPBOOKSTORESNOW, you’ll get two audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99), and 100% of your payment will go to Bartleby's Books.
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