The first exploring I did was discovering new worlds through books and movies. As an adult, much of my travel is inspired by places I first knew about in stories. Before I travel to a new country or state, I search out books or stories about the area, often historical fiction or stories about people. […]
Books I Love
As a pretty shy kid who was reading at age 4, books were my first way to experience the lives of others, other places and times. To me, books are absolutely an adventure! When I visit a place, I usually read a corresponding book of historical fiction or set in the place. Here are some of my favorites! If you are planning on buying the book and buy it through the Amazon link your purchase will help pay for the costs of running the site. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do.
Enjoying Springtime in Boston
An ideal way to get yourself into a spring mood, especially when the weather isn’t cooperating, is to use the first sunny day you get to visit Boston, Massachusetts while it is dressed up for spring. Boston is always a perfect city for history and walking, but when the tulips, hydrangea and cherry blooms add […]
One Week In and Around Paris
While headed to Scandinavia this spring I had the chance to stop in Paris for one week! I can’t believe I hadn’t yet visited this iconic city. And spring in Paris is as romantic and beautiful as they say. We did most of our exploring of Paris in three days and spent the rest of […]
A Book to Inspire Travel to Connecticut and Thoughts About US Race Relations
What Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is about: Small, Great Things is the story of a court case that happens between a white supremacist family and Ruth Jefferson, a African-American labor and delivery nurse. As is her style, the story is told from the viewpoint of most of the main characters. It explores US […]
Literary Inspiration for Travel to Sweden
Books Set in Sweden that I Loved A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman This book is the story of Ove and his relationships. His history is told through flashbacks and the story moves deftly through the present and the past. Why I loved it: This book is a perfect lesson on the adage that […]
A Book That Will Inspire Travel to Rhode Island and her Islands
What The Storied Life of AJ Fikry is About: The story is about a curmudgeonly man and his love of stories. Through the novel you see how love transforms and stories complete and complement our lives. The characters are rich and quirky and the writing lovely to read and although I am never intimidated by […]
The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillippa Gregory
As historical fiction is one of my favorite literary genres, I have never been disappointed by a Phillippa Gregory book. She is a master of making English history come alive and knowing that she has a PhD in history is reassuring that the history portion of the lesson is accurate. I chose this book to […]
Books That Inspire Travel, Part 2: Travel Bloggers’ Favorite Books
Being interested in history, when I travel I bring along a book that can really immerse me in events that occurred where I am visiting. Last spring I went to Charleston, South Carolina and my book was The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. The story explores the lives of and relationship between a […]
Books That Inspire Travel, Part 1: Travel Bloggers Favorite Books
Books are the first adventures many of us experienced and have the power to inspire us to explore the world. Like travel, they are a way of getting out of our own experiences and being a part of the world. Here is a collection of books which inspired wanderlust in travel bloggers. Wild Shanti at […]
Books to Inspire Travel to Europe
By far my favorite books I read in 2016 were The Century Trilogy by Ken Follet. What The Century Trilogy is about: The trilogy is three 1,000 page books that you won’t want to end. They are historical fiction books that follow families in the US, Russia, Germany, France and England. The first book, Fall of […]