Readers who are eager to know new parts of the world—in real life or in their imaginations—can turn to first-person accounts for a deeper sense of place. The books in this selection of forthcoming memoirs delve into the physical, emotional, and intellectual components of travel.
The Black Penguin by Andrew Evans (Univ. of Wisconsin, Apr.) follows the Ohio-born, devoutly raised, gay young man—now a seasoned travel writer—who, after being shunned by church and family, leaves all expectations behind to hitchhike 12,000 miles to Antarctica.
How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriage, by Jo Piazza (Crown, Apr.) follows the footsteps of the newlywed travel editor navigating a complicated post-honeymoon year as well as a range of far-flung destinations.
Mountain Lines: A Journey Through the French Alps by Jonathan Arlan (Skyhorse, Feb.) chronicles the 400-mile solo trek that 30-year-old Arlan made in 2015, beginning in Lake Geneva and winding up in Nice.
The Range Bucket List: The Golf Adventure of a Lifetime by James Dodson (Simon & Schuster, June) cracks open the teenage diary of the acclaimed sportswriter (Final Rounds, American Triumvirate), revealing a prescient list of travel goals. Reflecting on his life, Dodson rounds out the list, including encounters with some of golf’s major landmarks and biggest stars.
Schadenfreude: Me, the Germans, and 20 Years of Attempted Transformations, Unfortunate Miscommunications, and Humiliating Situations That Only They Have Words For by Rebecca Schulman (Flatiron, Feb.) reflects on a first love that transforms one teenage Jewish intellectual into a Kafka-quoting, factory-loft-squatting Germanophile.
The Yellow Envelope: One Gift, Three Rules, and a Life-Changing Journey Around the World by Kim Dinan (Sourcebooks, Apr.) concerns the round-the-world trip of a young couple who received an unexpected $1,000 from friends—along with careful instructions on how to give the money away while abroad.
