Travel Audiobooks | LoveReading

The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic: A "Walk" in Austin

Kinky Friedman, the original Texas Jewboy, takes us on a rollicking, rock-and-rolling tour of his favorite city: Austin. Maybe you want to know which restaurant President Bush rates as his favorite Austin burger joint. Or maybe you want a glimpse of Willie Nelson’s home life (hint: Willie plays a lot of golf). Perhaps you want to get the best view of the Mexican free-tail bats as they make their nightly flights to and from the Congress Avenue Bridge. Or maybe you’re itching to learn the history of a city that birthed Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and countless other music legends. It’s all here in The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic, the slightly insane, amazingly practical, and totally kick-ass guide to the coolest city in Texas by none other than Kinky Friedman. This ain’t no ordinary travel guide, neither. “Like most other busy cities these days, Austin is not very effectively traversed by foot,” Kinky explains. “You must understand that ‘a walk in Austin’ is primarily a spiritual sort of thing.” As might be expected from this politically incorrect country-singer-turned-bestselling-mystery-author, the Kinkster’s tour includes a bunch of stuff you won’t ?nd in a Frommer’s guide, from descriptions of Austin’s notable trees and directions to skinny-dipping sites to lists of haunted places and quizzes and puzzles. So put on your cowboy hat and your brontosaurus-foreskin boots and head down south with the only book you need to get to the big heart of this great city. From the Hardcover edition.

Kinky Friedman (Author), Kinky Friedman, Stephen Hoye (Narrator)

Audiobook

Promises to Keep

The painful memories from her life back in Toronto will never be distant enough, but Katherine Price finds peace under the autumn sky in the South of France . . . and a deepening, dizzying love with Philippe. Together, they savor the delicacies and splendor of life, toasting to a future filled with happiness and hope—a life far away from the heartache they both knew so well. But during a trip to the medieval village of Entrevaux, a strange note turns into a dangerous car chase. Philippe reveals he has a troubling secret—and the couple’s new life together threatens to crumble before it can begin. Now that Katherine has everything she’s ever wanted, is she about to lose it all? Promises to Keep is the heartfelt second addition to award-winning author Patricia Sands’s Love in Provence trilogy—and a stirring reminder that it’s never too late to be joyfully surprised by love, life, or even yourself.

Patricia Sands (Author), Janet Metzger (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New

Pulitzer Prize-Winning AuthorIn recognition of her long and lauded career as a master essayist, a landmark collection including her most beloved pieces and some rarely seen work, rigorously curated by the author herself "A writer who never seems tired, who has never plodded her way through a page or sentence, Dillard can only be enjoyed by a wide-awake reader," warns Geoff Dyer in his introduction to this stellar collection. Carefully culled from her past work, The Abundance is quintessential Annie Dillard, delivered in her fierce and undeniably singular voice, filled with fascinating detail and metaphysical fact. The pieces within will exhilarate both admiring fans and a new generation of readers, having been "re-framed and re-hung," with fresh editing and reordering by the author, to situate these now seminal works within her larger canon. The Abundance reminds us that Dillard's brand of "novelized nonfiction" pioneered the form long before it came to be widely appreciated. Intense, vivid, and fearless, her work endows the true and seemingly ordinary aspects of life-a commuter chases snowball-throwing children through neighborhood streets, a teenager memorizes Rimbaud's poetry-with beauty and irony, inviting readers onto sweeping landscapes, to join her in exploring the complexities of time and death, with a sense of humor: on one page, an eagle falls from the sky with a weasel attached to its throat; on another, a man walks into a bar.Reminding us of the indelible contributions of this formative figure in contemporary nonfiction, The Abundance exquisitely showcases Annie Dillard's enigmatic, enduring genius, as Dillard herself wishes it to be marked.

Annie Dillard (Author), Susan Ericksen (Narrator)

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I Promise You This

Suddenly single after twenty-two years of marriage, the calm of Katherine Price’s midlife was turned upside down. Seeking to find her true self, she took a chance on starting over. A year later, she is certain of this: she’s in love with Philippe and adores his idyllic French homeland, where he wants her to live with him. But all that feels like a fantasy far removed from Toronto, where she’s helping her friend Molly, hospitalized after a life-threatening accident. Staying in her childhood home full of memories, Katherine wonders: Is she really ready to leave everything behind for an unknown life abroad? And if all her happiness lies with Philippe, will it last? Can she trust in love again? Searching her heart, Katherine finds the pull of the familiar is stronger than she thought. An unexpected meeting with her ex—the first since his cruel departure, and a stunning declaration of love from an old flame spur her introspection. With sunlit backdrops and plot twists as breathtaking as the beaches of Antibes, author Patricia Sands brings her trilogy about second chances to a provocative and satisfying close that proves a new life just might be possible—if you’re willing to let your heart lead you home.

Patricia Sands (Author), Janet Metzger (Narrator)

Audiobook

The New York Times: Footsteps: From Ferrante's Naples to Hammett's San Francisco, Literary Pilgrimag

Before Nick Carraway was drawn into Daisy and Gatsby's sparkling, champagne-fueled world in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald vacationed in the French Riviera, where a small green lighthouse winked at ships on the horizon. Before the nameless lovers began their illicit affair in The Lover, Marguerite Duras embarked upon her own scandalous relationship amidst the urban streets of Saigon. And before readers were terrified by a tentacled dragon-man called Cthulhu, H.P. Lovecraft was enthralled by the Industrial Trust tower-the twenty-six-story skyscraper that makes up the skyline of Providence, Rhode Island. Based on the popular New York Times travel column, Footsteps is an anthology of literary pilgrimages, exploring the geographic muses behind some of history's greatest writers. From the "dangerous, dirty and seductive" streets of Naples, the setting for Elena Ferrante's famous Neapolitan novels, to the "stone arches, creaky oaken doors, and riverside paths" of Oxford, the backdrop for Alice's adventures in Wonderland, Footsteps takes a fresh approach to literary tourism, appealing to readers and travel enthusiasts alike.

New York Times (Author), David Colacci, Susan Ericksen (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Encantadas

The Encantadas (or Enchanted Isles), is a series of ten descriptive sketches, and a reminiscence from Melville's sailor days revealing the ecologically pristine Galapagos Islands as both enchanting and horrifying. Containing some of Melville's most memorable prose, The Encantadas were a critical success at a time when Melville's fortunes were down. After publication, the New York Dispatch cited the chapters as universally considered among the most interesting papers of that popular Magazine, and each successive chapter was read with avidity by thousands. The reviewer called the sketches a sort of mixture of 'Mardi' and 'Robinson Crusoe'--though far more interesting than the first named work.

Herman Melville (Author), Mark Owen (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, Roma. Italia (Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome. Italy)

The audioguide tells the story, describes architecture and reports interesting facts about the largest Roman church dedicated to the Mother of God and founded between 432 and 440 by order of Pope Sixtus III. This building also has a third name, dating back to the 7th century, which is that of "basilica of Santa Maria ad praesepem" because it holds the relic of the manger, traditionally considered the place where Jesus was born: manger tables, along with stones from the stall, some hay and bushes, transported from Bethlehem to Rome, are all relics kept in a precious glass teak, beneath the main altar. Once inside the basilica, we are faced with a magnificent spectacle of splendor and wealth. The wooden coffered ceiling was made by Giuliano da Sangallo, as a gift to Pope Alexander VI, part of the monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. It was gilded with the first gold imported from Peru. In front of the Sistine Chapel is the tomb of Bernini. In the Borghese Chapel there are the funerary monuments of the popes Paolo V and Clement VIII. At the center of the chapel stands the icon of the "Salus Populi Romani" brought from Byzantium. It is attributed to San Luca's hand. In this chapel there is a sacristy, to which the Capitular Room is adjacent. Below the chapel are the tombs of the Borghese family, including that of Paolina Bonaparte. Adjacent to the Pauline Chapel we find the Sforza Chapel, probably of Michelangelo's design. You can examine the 3D model of the church and observe its interior through the MuByz App. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art.

Caterina Amato (Author), Clarissa Stefan (Narrator)

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Parish church of Saint Mary in Lison. Portogruaro. Italy

The first mention of the name Lison is found in a document from 996 in which the Emperor Ottone III granted to Bishop Bennone of Concordia ownership of this territory. Lison is a small fraction of the town of Portogruaro, in the province of Venice. The church was built in 1564 by the head of the Venetian merchants Dolzoni, who possessed vast lands, in these places. It was consecrated on June 24, 1565. The interior of the church contains invaluable historical artifacts: 3 marble arches with Greek epigraphs. The artistic essence of this work is down to the high-level masters from the Byzantine capital. The arches were made in Constantinople, between the 5th and the 6th centuries. They did not arrive in Venice immediately after they were made, but after the plundering by the crusaders (including the Venetians) in Constantinople in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade. Also worthy of note are the capitals crowning two columns, placed at the right end of two arcs. These Corinthian capitals have the shape of a chalice and a crown with four acanthus leaves. Their form allows us to fix the date of their creation between the middle of the fifth and the beginning of the sixth century. The audio guide was made by experts in the field of history and art. It provides detailed information, from history and architecture and concludes with interesting and curious cases.

Alessio Tremiti (Author), Ekaterina Kabasheva (Narrator)

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Between Cliffs and Airports: Causality in life or a life full of coincidences...

Through unpredictable waves we are taken to the laboratory of outstanding faith, planned with playful zigzagging or violent changes, all within the goals of his imagination which he was never willing to give up on. This collection of personal milestones is captivating because of how well the narration is weaved, with moments of hilarious occasional suspense. It also opens, more than doors or windows, a parallel dimension that shows us how to never become discouraged when we have set a goal for ourselves. The author does not aspire to create literature, but indirectly invites us to reflect upon where we are today in our lives. He also intends to share a road built on stubborn paths, always knowing he would bring them down to earth. These are twenty-three stories told during a chronological ride that never deteriorates when it comes to surprises, rejoicing or triumphs, to the point of grazing unusual metaphysic sensations. These stories keep us on the edge of our seats and encompass a period between 1987 and 2008, with a vivacious and descriptive pulse in timing, people and landscapes to which we are invited. Having Max Mills as your flying guide, you are literally transported within those life capsules, feeling a delicious uncertainty. Enrique Courtin

Maximiliano Mills, Maximilliano Mills (Author), Maximilliano Mills, Nate Sprague (Narrator)

Audiobook

Don't Take My Advice - I Need It: Learning to trust my own guidance

A brutal tractor crash forces small town Kev into a new world, both physically and spiritually. Angry and resistant to change, the bitter bushman finds himself on a journey of inner growth that takes him from Australia's searing outback to the icy mountains of Norway's fjordland. Facing his demons of doubt in a strangely familiar land, Kev learns to 'listen with all his senses' as he strives to fulfil his heart's desire: to find his soulmate.

Kevin Pampling (Author), Kevin Pampling (Narrator)

Audiobook

Amsterdam

An endlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Amsterdam and the ideas that make it unique, by the author of the acclaimed Island at the Center of the World Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hash bars; art lovers know it for Rembrandt's glorious portraits. But the deeper history of Amsterdam, what makes it one of the most fascinating places on earth, is bound up in its unique geography-the constant battle of its citizens to keep the sea at bay and the democratic philosophy that this enduring struggle fostered. Amsterdam is the font of liberalism, in both its senses. Tolerance for free thinking and free love make it a place where, in the words of one of its mayors, 'craziness is a value.' But the city also fostered the deeper meaning of liberalism, one that profoundly influenced America: political and economic freedom. Amsterdam was home not only to religious dissidents and radical thinkers but to the world's first great global corporation. In this effortlessly erudite account, Russell Shorto traces the idiosyncratic evolution of Amsterdam, showing how such disparate elements as herring anatomy, naked Anabaptists parading through the streets, and an intimate gathering in a sixteenth-century wine-tasting room had a profound effect on Dutch-and world-history. Weaving in his own experiences of his adopted home, Shorto provides an ever-surprising, intellectually engaging story of Amsterdam from the building of its first canals in the 1300s, through its brutal struggle for independence, its golden age as a vast empire, to its complex present in which its cherished ideals of liberalism are under siege.

Russell Shorto (Author), Russell Shorto (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Pirates of Somalia

Somalia, on the tip of the Horn of Africa, has been inhabited as far back as 9,000 BC. Its history is as rich as the country is old. Caught up in a decades-long civil war, Somalia, along with Iraq and Afghanistan, has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Getting there from North America is a forty-five-hour, five-flight voyage through Frankfurt, Dubai, Djibouti, Bossaso (on the Gulf of Aden), and, finally, Galkayo. Somalia is a place where a government has been built out of anarchy.For centuries, stories of pirates have captured imaginations around the world. The recent bands of daring, ragtag pirates off the coast of Somalia, hijacking multimillion-dollar tankers owned by international shipping conglomerates, have brought the scourge of piracy into the modern era.The capture of the American-crewed cargo ship Maersk Alabama in April 2009, the first United States ship to be hijacked in almost two centuries, catapulted the Somali pirates onto prime-time news. Then, with the horrific killing by Somali pirates of four Americans, two of whom had built their dream yacht and were sailing around the world (And now on to: Angkor Wat! And Burma! they had written to friends), the United States Navy, Special Operation Forces, FBI, Justice Department, and the world's military forces were put on notice: the Somali seas were now the most perilous in the world.Jay Bahadur, a journalist who dared to make his way into the remote pirate havens of Africa's easternmost country and spend months infiltrating their lives, gives us the first close-up look at the hidden world of the pirates of war-ravaged Somalia.Bahadur's riveting narrative exposé the first ever looks at who these men are, how they live, the forces that created piracy in Somalia, how the pirates spend the ransom money, how they deal with their hostages. Bahadur makes sense of the complex and fraught regional politics, the history of Somalia and the self-governing region of Puntland (an autonomous region in northeast Somalia), and the various catastrophic occurrences that have shaped their pirate destinies. The book looks at how the unrecognized mini-state of Puntland is dealing with the rise and increasing sophistication of piracy and how, through legal and military action, other nations, international shippers, the United Nations, and various international bodies are attempting to cope with the present danger and growing pirate crisis.A revelation of a world at the epicenter of political and natural disaster.From the Hardcover edition.

Jay Bahadur (Author), Sunil Malhotra (Narrator)

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