Book picks similar to
The Maine Reader by Charles Shain


1748-playroom
fiction
maine
non-fiction

Half-Safe: A Story of Love, Obsession, and History's Most Insane Around-the-world Adventure


Ben Carlin - 1991
    The vehicle in question was an amphibious jeep developed by the U.S. Army, which Carlin christened Half-Safe, after a deodorant slogan. It was a mechanical mongrel that was supposed to move with equal ease across land and water but in practice wasn't much good for either one. Undaunted, Carlin and his wife Elinore set off across the Atlantic Ocean with dreams of fame and fortune, and of carving a small notch in history. What happened next is one of the most bizarre, remarkable, and forgotten adventure stories of the 20th century. In Half-Safe, author James Nestor endeavors to uncover Ben Carlin's fate and finds a gripping story of love, danger, and extraordinary perseverance that spans three oceans and five continents. Half-Safe takes us from the eye of an Atlantic Ocean hurricane to the sweltering Sahara to the impenetrable jungles of Southeast Asia—and into the mind of a man who could overcome everything but his own demons.

Fatal Descent: Andreas Lubitz and the Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 (Kindle Single)


Jeff Wise - 2015
    All 144 passengers and six crew members were killed. In the ensuing days, a picture of the flight’s harrowing final moments began to emerge. Shortly after reaching cruise altitude, a 27-year-old first officer named Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit, took control of the plane and deliberately caused its descent. In Fatal Descent, journalist and aviation expert Jeff Wise travels to Lubitz’s hometown in Germany and pieces together a definitive and haunting portrait of the killer and the system he betrayed, revealing in heart-pounding detail how a lifelong super-achiever like Lubitz could have committed such an unthinkable act, what actually happened inside the cockpit, and whether current airline regulations leave us vulnerable to similar attacks in the future.Jeff Wise is a science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. He is the author of the bestselling Kindle Single The Plane That Wasn’t There, about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. A licensed pilot of gliders and light airplanes, he also has stick time in powered paragliders, trikes, World War II fighter planes, Soviet jet fighters, gyroplanes, and zeppelins, as well as submarines, tanks, hovercraft, dog sleds, and swamp buggies. A contributing editor at Travel + Leisure magazine, he has written for New York, the New York Times, Time, Businessweek, Esquire, Details, and many others. His Popular Mechanics story on the fate of Air France 447 was named one of the Top 10 Longreads of 2011. His last book was Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger. A native of Massachusetts, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Harvard and now lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.Cover design by Kerry Ellis.

Resistance


Christopher Nicole - 2003
     In May 1940, Captain James Barron who is serving as an intelligence officer with the BEF in Flanders, attends the wedding of a prosperous French wine merchant’s daughter in the city of Chartres. As he is greeted with an abundance of wealth and lavish hospitality, he finds comfort in the beauty of the three de Gruchy daughters. It is looking out to be a decadent weekend until he awakes to find out that the German army has crossed the frontier... As wars ensues, the Gruchy family is torn apart but James manages to make an escape to England via Dunkirk. His role soon moves into the newly formed Special Operations Executive, leaving him in charge of several agents in France, members of the De Gruchy family being amongst them. James’ job is made all the more difficult when he realises he has fallen hopelessly in love with one of the daughters. Resistance manages to evoke the terror and betrayal taking place in the 1940s, perfect for fans of an enticing war drama that leaves you wanting more. Praise for Christopher Nicole: “Fast-paced, entertaining, appealing!” – Library Journal Christopher Nicole’s novels have been read by millions all over the world. From Severn House, his McGann family chronicles concluded with Raging Sea, Searing Sky and The Passion and The Glory, whilst more recent publications have included The Triumph, Dragon’s Blood and The Command.

Onboard Hindi - Learn a language before you land


Eton Institute - 2014
    Learn the Alphabet and pronunciation as well as useful phrases in 8 categories, such as greetings, travel and directions, making friends to business and emergencies. Download, read and enjoy your vacation like never before.

Killing the Rising Sun Bill Oreilly | Bloody Tropical-Island Battlefields Of Peleliu And Iwo Jima | How America Vanquished World War II Japan


Accron Publishing - 2016
    Killing the Rising Sun takes readers to the bloody tropical-island battlefields of Peleliu and Iwo Jima and to the embattled Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur has made a triumphant return and is plotting a full-scale invasion of Japan.

Living the Dream: in the Algarve, Portugal


Alyson Sheldrake - 2020
    Follow them as they battle with the Portuguese language, set up their own businesses, adopt a rescue dog and navigate the 'expat' world.Part guidebook, mostly memoir; this book is for anyone who has ever wondered what moving abroad is really like; and is essential reading for anyone considering moving to Portugal.

Birnbaum's 2016 Walt Disney World: The Official Guide


Birnbaum Guides - 2015
    This updated edition of Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Resort takes readers through Disney's biggest resort with ease and flair and includes the most accurate, current information on prices and attractions. What's new in 2016:• The brand-new Frozen attraction, scheduled to burst onto the Epcot scene in 2016,whisks guests on a chilly trip to meet Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. • Our coverage of Disney's Hollywood Studios includes the inside scoop on plans for new Star Wars-themed additions and other shows and attractions.• Experience new shows and attractions, including the Magic Kingdom's popular new parades:Festival of Fantasy and Move It! Shake it! Dance and Play It!• Fastpass+is Walt Disney World's advance reservation system for theme park shows and attractions. We offer tips and strategies for making the most of this free service.• Downtown Disney has morphed into Disney Springs, a bustling waterside enclave teeming with new dining, shopping, and recreational activities. • Our newly-expanded dining chapter details each and every restaurant, and includes menu updates, a "best of wow restaurant roundup", and specialized indexes.• The 2016 Guide has more photos than ever, including brand-new photo hunts for each of the World's four theme parks. Can you find them all?• Baffled by WDW's magic band? Don't be! We give the scoop on maximizing the potential of the band.• A wave of new entertainment has hit World Showcase: we'll tell you where to see new acts featuring lumberjacks, Celtic folk musicians, and flag wavers.• Disney's Polynesian Village resort has been renewed and revitalized, thanks Disney Vacation Club. • Checkout our bonus chapter featuring "Land and Sea vacation" planning advice, perfect for pairing a Disney Cruise with a visit to Walt Disney World.

Ian McEwan's Atonement, &, Saturday: a supplement to The work of Ian McEwan, a psychodynamic approach


Bernie C. Byrnes - 2006
    

How Greek Is Your Love? (Bronte in Greece #2)


Marjory McGinn - 2020
    Expat Bronte McKnight is in the early days of her love affair with charismatic doctor Leonidas Papachristou. But as Bronte tries to live and love like a Greek, the economic crisis spawns an unlikely predator in the village. While she begins to question her sunny existence in Greece, an old love from Leonidas’s past also makes a troubling appearance. Now working as a freelance journalist, when Bronte is offered an interview with a famous novelist, and part-time expat, it seems serendipitous. But the encounter becomes a puzzle that takes her deep into the wild Mani region of the southern Peloponnese, for which she enlists the help of her maverick father Angus, and the newest love of her life, Zeffy, the heroic rescue dog. The challenges Bronte faces bring dramatic as well as humorous outcomes as she tries to find a foothold in her Greek paradise. But can she succeed?

Don't Eat the Puffin: Tales From a Travel Writer's Life


Jules Brown - 2018
    Get paid to travel and write about it.Only no one told Jules that it would mean eating oily seabirds, repeatedly falling off a husky sled, getting stranded on a Mediterranean island, and crash-landing in Iran.The exotic destinations come thick and fast – Hong Kong, Hawaii, Huddersfield – as Jules navigates what it means to be a travel writer in a world with endless surprises up its sleeve.Add in a cast of larger-than-life characters – Elvis, Captain Cook, his own travel-mad Dad – and an eye for the ridiculous, and this journey with Jules is one you won’t want to miss.

Gone with the Wine: Living the Dream in France's Loire Valley


Rosanne Knorr - 2003
    Along with her husband and pate-loving dog, Folly, they gain insights on the history, people, and daily life. Joyful reading for voyagers and armchair travelers alike!

On the Open Road: Three Lives. Five Cities. One Startup.


Stuti Changle - 2017
    Kabir wonders what life would be to build on his own. Sandy drops out of college to work on the next big startup idea. Ramy inspires millions of his generation on his travel blog - On the Open Road. On the Open Road - Three Lives. Five Cities. One Startup, revolves around the lives of these restless and dreamy 20-somethings as they battle their inner demons and the societal taboos to live life on their terms. It is an emotional journey of following one’s heart. The journey entails undying friendship, love and loss, happiness and depression, fear and conquest, dreaming and achieving. Will they be able to embark on the hard yet empowering journey to startup a company? Or succumb to the hardships on their road to freedom?

The One True Ocean


Sarah Beth Martin - 2003
    There is one that is blue-a clean, bright Disney World blue, which simply is the mirror of a clear sky above. But look at the ocean on a cloudy day, she would say, and here lies the green ocean-the true ocean, full of algae and kelp and slimy creatures, evil lurking in the shadows.The One True Ocean is an atmospheric novel driven by suspense and tension when a twenty-something artist returns to her abandoned childhood home and begins to dig into her past. In a search for answers to her aunt's suicide and her father's identity, Jenna discovers that her seaside house holds dark secrets that will unravel her family history and shatter the truth she has come to believe.In this eloquent debut novel, Sarah Beth Martin mixes dark psychology and real emotion with breathless storytelling to explore the deep connections between past and present, love and loss, the dead and the living.

Hermione Granger's Unofficial Life Lessons and Words of Wisdom: What Would Hermione (from the Harry Potter Series) Say?


Euphemia Pinkerton Noble - 2018
     Hermione is, without a doubt, the brightest witch of her age, which is why she is looked up to by so many people. In this AHAbook, she shares with us tips and tricks to studying and how one can greatly increase their efficiency in education. As a Gryffindor, Hermione talks about bravery and courage and teaches us why we are bigger than our fears and greater than any obstacle. She speaks about the beauty of friendship and the value of family. Hermione tells us about how one’s journey through life can possibly go and how to best handle things that come our way. She definitely believes that dreams can come true if you just believe in yourself. Hermione Granger's Unofficial Life Lessons and Words of Wisdom is part of the AHAthat/THiNKaha series of books. AHAthat helps experts and thought leaders share their genius. The bite-sized morsels of wisdom within these physical and online books are easy to consume and share.

Stories from a Theme Park Insider


Robert Niles - 2011
    What time is the 3:00 parade? Why does a child need to be 40 inches tall to ride a roller coaster? What happens when the president of France gets lost inside Pirates of the Caribbean? A former employee, or "cast member", at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom answers these and other questions while sharing humorous stories about working inside the world's most popular theme park."Stories from a Theme Park Insider" takes you inside the park's famous tunnels and backstage for a look at how theme parks really work, and the funny moments and embarrassments that can happen when your work is someone else's vacation.