Book

Oct

It’s a Weird, Weird World:New Travel Book

pen4hire on October 21st, 2009

Do you have a ten-year-old boy on your Christmas list? You might consider the book, Weird World, as a holiday gift.

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Books, Travel 7 Comments »

Oct

Book/Movie About Geisha Helps Understand Japan

pen4hire on October 16th, 2009

Destination: Japan
Book: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I have never been to Japan. The country has always mystified me. The elaborate rituals, the complex rules for gardens and for tea ceremonies. And mostly the tradition of Geishas.

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Books, Japan, Novel 9 Comments »

Sep

Book Introduces South Africa

pen4hire on September 14th, 2009

Guest author David Lee learns about South Africa from a book by journalist Steven Otter, who lives the township life.

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Africa, Books, Destinations, South Africa 9 Comments »

Aug

A Book Takes Movie Walks in Paris

pen4hire on August 17th, 2009

Destination: Paris
Book: Paris Movie Walks: Ten Guided Tours Through The City of Lights! Camera! Action!, by Michael Schurmann
I was going to say “You don’t have to be a movie fan to enjoy this book.” But who among us is NOT a movie fan? And who has seen a movie set in Paris and NOT [...]

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Books, Destinations, Guide Books, Movies, Paris 12 Comments »

Jul

A Book with Insider’s View of Greek Politics

pen4hire on July 29th, 2009

Destination: Greece
Book: A Crowded Heart by Nicholas Papandreou
Anyone who is tuned in to Greek politics in the past fifty years, has heard the name Papandreou. Son Nicholas, who started as an economist, left the “family business” to become a writer and share his short stories and poetry with the world. His novel, A Crowded Heart [...]

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Books, Destinations, Greece, Italy, Novel 1 Comment »

Jul

Read These Books about Spain; Do Not Follow

pen4hire on July 21st, 2009

Destination: Spain
Book: Driving Over Lemons, An Optimist in Spain(1998) and Almond Blossom Appreciation(2009) by Chris Stewart
Although I loved Spanish Andalucia when we drove from Madrid to the Costa del Sol, up to Granada, down to Seville and the white villages of Malaga, Driving Over Lemons has been sitting on a shelf in my travel library [...]

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Books, Destinations, Spain 2 Comments »

Jul

Cool Off with A Winter Book (Finland)

pen4hire on July 16th, 2009

Destination: Finland
Book: A Winter Book by Tove Jansson
Finnish Winter Retreat
Guest Author Michele Simeone

If you’re tired of hearing about summer, how does a good dose of Finnish winter sound?
It was during my second year in Finland that my friend surprised me with a copy of A Winter Book .

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Books, Destinations, Finland, Greece, Italy 2 Comments »

Jul

A Book about a Bizarre Quest in Italy

pen4hire on July 8th, 2009

Destination: Italy
Book: An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley
I love launch days for new books. Particularly when they are written by friends. An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley, launches officially tomorrow, July 9. I’ve known David as an on-line friend for some time through the Travel Writer’s hangout known as travelwriters.com, so I was very [...]

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Books, Italy 2 Comments »

Jun