Speaking Volumes

Keeping you up-to-date on what's happening at your library. We invite you to join in the conversation!

JANUARY 12, 2009

Be My Guest!

Have you ever gotten a crazy idea, one that makes you laugh with glee, that gets better and sillier the more you play with it? Last week, my husband, Paul, was reading The Hartford Courant travel section. An article about the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas Cruise Ship caught his eye. This ultra-luxury liner, due to hit the seas sometime this year, has a passenger capacity of 5,400. Can you imagine? That's the size of a small town. That's the approximate population of Columbia. Now comes the crazy idea.

Wouldn't it be great if I could charter the Oasis and invite the whole town of Columbia to come along. Every man, woman, and child. Be my guest! Though pure fantasy the scenario gave me pleasure and lots of vivid pictures in my mind.

I may not truly be able to take all of Columbia's residents on a cruise but I can invite you to visit the library for a bit of armchair travel. We've got some great books to take you away without ever leaving home.

Start your journey with this bibliography of reading suggestions from other lands:
The Traveler's reading guide : ready-made reading lists for the armchair traveler / Maggy Simony, editor. 025.54 TRAVELER'S PBK

The 100 best worldwide vacations ot enrich your life Pam Grout 910.20 PBK 2008
Vacations that can change your life : adventures, retreats, and workshops for the mind, body, and spirit / Ellen Lederman. 910.202 GROUT PBK 2008

Two funny books about traveling:
Cruise confidential : a hit below the waterline / Brian David Bruns. 910.45 BRUNS PBK 2008
Dear American Airlines / Jonathan Miles. F MILES

A few travel narratives:
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Elizabeth Gilbert PBK 910.4 GILBERT
A year in the world : journeys of a passionate traveller / Frances Mayes. 914.04 MAYES
In a sunburned country / by Bill Bryson. 919.404 BRYSON
Summer of my Greek Taverna 914.95 STONE PBK
Granny D Walking Across America in My 90^th Year Doris Haddock 917.304929 HADDOCK
River of Doubt Candice Millard 918.11 MILLARD PBK

A nice series with great stories of other lands and cultures:
Traveler's Literary Companion
Japan 915.204 GUEST PBK
Italy 914.5 ITALY PBK
South-east Asia 915.904 SOUTH-EAST PBK
Australia 919.404CHAMBERS PBK
Alaska 917.980451 ALASKA PBK
South & Central America 918.04 WILSON PBK
Eastern & Central Europe 914.704 EASTERN PBK

Lots more travel books in our stacks 910-919

Add a comment (3 comments)

posted by ckubala

-------------------------------------------------------

Comments

Megan Q. said, on Jan. 12 at 10:05AM
I guess we both have travel on our minds! Just the other day as I was out in the stacks the book, Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World, by Rita Golden Gelman caught my eye and I took it home. I have yet to start it, but I think once I do it will give me a little adventure inspiration!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Librarian from Virginia said, on Jan. 14 at 9:05AM
Very nice blog. Just in case you want to fix it, you have spelt our with two os.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ckubala said, on Jan. 14 at 9:39AM
Thank you for the compliment...blush.... and also for the heads up on the spelling error. Where is spell check when you need it? Perfectionist, I'm not, but you'll notice I changed the error.