It's pretty easy to find online travel information, and there are a number of books that offer tips for travelers. Armchair travelers, however, and readers hoping for nuanced stories about exotic destinations, look forward to this annual travel-writing compilation, and its twentieth-anniversary edition does not disappoint. After starting with three selections set in global hot spots (Guantanamo, Kashmir, and Myanmar), there are articles about the only remaining finishing school in Switzerland and bachelorette parties in Nashville. The stories swing emotionally back and forth, some wry, some heartbreaking. Selections originally appeared in publications ranging from The New Yorker to BuzzFeed to Airbnb Magazine, and writing styles run from casual accounts to poignant memoirs to in-depth reporting. There are bittersweet tales about trying to go back home juxtaposed against harrowing descriptions of navigating authoritarian regimes. Unique individuals, happenstance encounters, barely avoided catastrophes, and unexpected acts of kindness abound, resulting in one satisfying read after another. Whether consumed cover to cover or savored piece by piece, this newest collection is a worthy addition to travel literature. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.
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