Paging Your Way Across the World

by Raidene "The Travelin' Rat" on March 3, 2010

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There are  many marvelous travel memoirs out there. Some, written by lyricists like Frances Mayes beautifully portray far flung locations while others by authors such as Bill Bryson and Peter Mayle humorously describe situations that travellers will never forget.

But, there is another type of travel book exemplied by the following two books that offers valuable advice and insight.  Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 extraordinary places to eat around the globe with an introduction by Keith Bellows is published by the National Geographic Society. Unknown, far away and also familiar places are captured in this coffee table style book that has breathtaking and  magnificent photos.  There are top ten lists for the best wine trips in the world, food festivals, cheese tours of France, famous literary watering holes, outstanding markets, extreme restaurants and more. This is a great book to browse and armchair travel your way through delicious and sometime distasteful(lutefish, anyone?) culinary traditions around the world.

Off the Tourist Trail:1,000 unexpected travel alternatives is published by Dorling Kindersley and is the perfect gift book for your friend or family member who has been everywhere. You know, the person who thinks he has seen it all. This book takes the most popular and overvisited destinations around the world and offers some less known and often less expensive, but equally fascinating alternatives. Rather than visiting the overcrowded Colosseum in Rome you might try the Anifiteatro di Merida in western Spain. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival or nightly jazz jams in St. Lucia could make you forget Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival. St. Peter’s Basilica is deservedly famous, but no more spectacular than the Suleymaniye Mosque in Turkey. Like the National Geographic book, this volume has postcard quality pictures. Even if you are not planning a trip in the future, you owe it to yourself to order these books and take the trip of a lifetime from the comfort of your favorite chair.

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When She Flew-A Book Club Suggestion

by Raidene "The Travelin' Rat" on January 28, 2010

When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge is a small book that carries a big punch. It’s perfect for book clubs that are looking for something different to read-something all the other books clubs haven’t read before. A side note to this story is that it is loosely based on a true event that took place in the Pacific Northwest  in the early 90s after a Vietnam War veteran was found living in the woods with his daughter.

 When birdwatchers report an unaccompanied girl running through the Oregon woods, members of the local police department are dispatched to track the girl down. They find that 13 year old Lindy and her father, Ray, a veteran of the First Iraqi War and PTSD victim have taken up residence in the forest.

Ray and Lindy’s lives begin to unravel after their lean-to shelter is discovered and it becomes evident that Lindy has not been attending school. But, it is clear that Ray and his daughter share a great bond and he has done much to educate her, taking her into ‘town’ weekly to the library and enhancing her education with encyclopedias and good literature.  He also teaches her survival skills and a great appreciation for the woods and the flora and fauna that live along side them.

 Officer Jess Villareal, estranged from her own daughter and grandson,  is assigned to bring the father and daughter back to civilization. Weighing her options, she defies her orders causing a multitude of problems for Lindy, Ray and herself.   Lindy’s loyalty, protectiveness and love for her father may remind readers of the wonderful young  Dicey in the Children and Young Adult fiction series that began with the book Homecoming. Lindy displays the same strength and maturity that Dicey possessed. The other characters are genuine, likeable  but realistically flawed. Questions about parental and legal rights, unexpected consequences, mental illness and poverty make this a great book with much to discuss.

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Novelist Richard Mason’s early success-not a flash in the pan

January 4, 2010

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, novelist Richard Mason comes from a long line of anti-apartheid and civil rights activists. I knew little of this until I began doing research in order to write a blog post about his first novel published in 1999. What I found is that his personal life is just as interesting and amazing as his literary [...]

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You Are What You Eat

October 3, 2009

Food additives. Chemicals. Antibiotics. Growth Hormones. Pesticides. Artificial Colors. Artificial Flavorings. And, that’s just what many Americans eat for breakfast! With record numbers of people suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol, it’s time we change the way we eat and get back to basics. The ramifications of continuing on this perilous path are already [...]

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Need a Stephanie, Ranger or Morelli Fix?

August 25, 2009

So, you’ve laughed your way through all of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series? You’ve read her rereleased romances and chuckled through the two Alex Barnaby books? Now what, you ask?
There are other authors like Jennifer Crusie who also write zany mysteries, but, let’s face it, there is only one Janet Evanovich, one Stephanie, one Morelli and [...]

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Literary African American Writers

August 18, 2009

Below are African American books and all of them are available through the libraries of the CLEVNET Consortium — many are owned by the Cleveland Hts-University Hts. Public Library System. You can click on the title if you’d like to order the book through the CLEVNET webcatalog.

Angelou, Maya
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Baldwin, James
If [...]

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Every Book Is Not For Everyone

August 14, 2009

Haven’t we all picked up books recommended by friends, family members, neighbors, or book reviewers?  Often, they are wonderful reads, but occasionally they are books that we just can’t stand, can’t finish or find to be mediocre at best.
I was reminded of this recently when one of my coworkers posted a comment on the book lovers’ site www.goodreads.com.  She read [...]

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Five Stars for Still Alice by Lisa Genova

August 6, 2009

There are four things you need to know about Still Alice by Lisa  Genova before you read the rest of this blog:
1. You will not want to read this book.
2. You will not be able to put this book down.
3. This book will stay with you long after you read the final page.
4. You will tell all your friends, family [...]

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First Time Novelists — 2008

July 18, 2009

The following list represents just a small number of the many talented first time novelists who had their books published in 2008. Why read a book by an unknown author, you may ask? There are so many reasons but here are a couple you may consider. You never know when you’ll find a gem that [...]

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Eminently Unfair-Eminent Domain in CT.

July 3, 2009

Quiet and unassuming Susette Kelo believed in the American dream of home ownership. When her dream was achieved and she had restored her New London, CT. little pink house overlooking the Long Island Sound, she never imagined she would become involved in a struggle to hold on to her home-a struggle that would last for almost 10 [...]

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