Rough Guides has put out "Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel" with sections on "Feats of a Lifetime," like rafting the Upper Zambezi River in Africa and diving Australia's Great Barrier Reef; "Family-Friendly Adventures" like wildlife-watching in Costa Rica and rock climbing in California's Joshua Tree National Park; "Photo Ops," such as those found walking across England from coast to coast; "Energy and Endurance," with undertakings like hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim; and "Mental Toughness," which includes an expedition to the North Pole.

From Lonely Planet comes "Best in Travel 2009: 850 Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences For the Year Ahead." The guidebook publisher's top 10 countries for the new year are Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Georgia, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Peru, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, while its top 10 cities are Antwerp, Belgium; Beirut, Lebanon; Chicago; Glasgow, Scotland; Lisbon, Portugal; Mexico City; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Shanghai; Warsaw, Poland; and Zurich, Switzerland. The quirky book also offers fun lists such as "Top 10 Places to Steal a Kiss," including Hershey, Pa., and Kissimmee, Fla.; top 10 places to see weird plants, like the squirting cucumber in Greece; and best places to have a mid-life crisis, from Dubai to Vegas to Route 66.