Speaking Volumes

Last week my boyfriend and I semi-impulsively bought round trip plane tickets to Amsterdam for this spring. We usually buy the tickets first and plan later, so right now we don’t have a definite itinerary, but I’m thinking we’ll go Amsterdam – Paris – Brussels - back to Amsterdam to fly home. I already bought some of my favorite guidebooks:

     
 
Lonely Planet Amsterdam Encounter and Lonely Planet Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, and Ghent Encounter – wow what a mouthful! I used the LP Tokyo Encounter on my trip to Japan and I loved it. They have excellent maps and are so small they can fit into your purse!


  

I have trusted the Let’s Go! Guidebooks for MANY trips and they haven’t steered me wrong yet. I bought the 2011 Let’s Go! Paris for its off-the-beaten-path recommendations and cheap and reliable lodging suggestions.

Now I am looking for some good book recommendations to read either leading up to, or while on, my trip. One obvious choice for Amsterdam is The Diary of Anne Frank; believe it or not I’ve never read it. I’m also planning on reading Annexed, by Sharon Doger, a new young adult novel written from the viewpoint of Peter van Pels, who was nearly 16 when he and his parents joined the Franks hiding in their Amsterdam attic. It has had excellent reviews, and I am looking forward to reading it.

  

Here’s where I need your help, I know there has to be a ton of great Paris related reads – any suggestions? What about Belgium?
 
We do own Book Lust To Go: Recommended reading for travelers, vagabonds, and dreamers, by Nancy Pearl, which will give me some guidance, but some other vagabond (I won’t name any names), has it checked out right now!

 
 
OH - movies too! I’d love some good travel related movie recommendations while you’re at it!