posted by admin on Feb 27
Editorial Reviews
Susan Hanf was dumped by her boyfriend, clobbered by the flu, and fired from her job all in one week. When the phrase, “When life hands you lemons …” passed through her mind, she skipped right over making lemonade and planted a whole lemon orchard.
Susan sold her house, kissed her cat goodbye, and visited sixteen countries and the magnificent isles of Hawaii all in one year. Her unexpected and amazing journeys include floating amongst jellyfish and sharks in Palau, swimming with wild dolphins in New Zealand, and meditating with monks in South Korea.
My Lemon Orchard chronicles Susan’s personal growth as she strolls the streets of the world. Along the way, she shares international travel lessons, laugh-out-loud humor, and advice on how to handle “interesting” locals.
Come away with Susan on her journey to Vienna for Christmas, to Ireland for a kiss on the Blarney Stone, and to Turkey to snorkel with exotic sea creatures. You will adore her honesty and courage as she blazes her trail across the world. Who knows? Perhaps you too will be inspired to plant your own orchard!
About the Author
Susan Hanf is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at Willamette University. She is currently writing a book about what it’s like to attend graduate school after the age of forty. Susan lives and writes in Portland, Oregon.
Order My Lemon Orchard: Chronicles of an amazing year of journeys: Susan Hanf form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 26
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Gr. 9-12. In this follow-up to Lionheart (2002), about his solo sail around the world as a teenager, Martin offers an account of a subsequent and more ill-fated voyage undertaken in a general quest for cool adventures. Setting out from Melbourne with a crew of four in a two-masted yacht, he gets a few glimpses of traditional culture in Australia and Indonesia, eats goat brains, parties heartily, and weathers various natural and human hazards. Everything unravels, however, after 10 months. His people skills aren’t up to keeping the crew together, and by the time he reaches Thailand, his dreams of finding a tropical paradise have gone sour. Part travelogue, but more teen confessional, this isn’t as compelling a picture of Southeast Asia as Greg Sheridan’s adult book Cities of the Hot Zone (2004), but its combination of vision, casually borne hardship, self-absorption, and frequent emotional rows with fellow travelers is bound to strike a chord among fans of outdoorsy reality shows. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
“A vivid account of what happened . . . Jesse shares his raw emotions.” —Latitudes & Attitudes
Order Kijana: The Real Story: Jesse Martin form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 26
Editorial Reviews
In 1956, 22-year-old Frank Huffman embarks on a journey that will take him from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to the exotic Orient, and eventually around the world. In this fascinating tale of adventure, Huffman shares his experiences and emotions during two years as a French interpreter for a community development team on the Plain of Jars in Laos, Indochina.
At the end of his tour in Laos, he buys a motorcycle and sets out for Europe, with only a National Geographic map of Asia and the optimism of youth as his guide. He takes us along for the ride as he
- climbs the fabled Angkor Wat in Cambodia,
- cycles up the road to Mandalay in Burma,
- floats up the Chindwin River on a river boat,
- is chased by a motorcycle-hating cow near the Taj Mahal,
- participates in a mutiny on a ramshackle bus in the Pakistani desert,
- thumbs his way across Iran to Turkey, and
- carouses through Europe in a Simca with pilfered sleeping bags and C-rations.
Throughout this marathon, Huffman offers keen insights on the culture and society of Laos and the some 25 countries he passes through, and also provides trenchant commentary on subsequent events in those countries. Huffman’s self-deprecatory humor and his undisputed mastery of the English language make Monks and Motorcycles a delightful read.
About the Author
As a Professor of Linguistics and Asian Studies at Yale and Cornell (1967–85) and a U.S. Foreign Service Officer (1985–99), Franklin E. Huffman has lived and traveled in some 80 countries of the world. He and his wife Sanda, a professional interpreter, live in Washington, D.C.
Order Monks and Motorcycles: From Laos to London by the Seat of my Pants 1956-1958: Franklin E Huffman form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 25
Editorial Reviews
Pushed into action by Jane Pauley’s voice and a television image of a pack of cigarettes being handed through a hole in the Berlin Wall, author Jim Lukach set off for Eastern Europe. Lost Inside the Happy Noise is a collection of essays that capture the heady days of post-revolution in a small city in western Slovakia, days measured out in half-liter beer glasses and startling self-discovery. Holding a mirror to the past–wild boar hunting safaris, a Slovak television appearance, autograph sessions after teaching a successful English class–Lukach reflects on how something as simple as dancing the polka can reach far into the future and questions whether life could ever feel so full again.
In Lost Inside the Happy Noise, Lukach evokes with the realism of a dream the atmosphere of a time that passed too quickly by, days outside the norm spent tramping through Slovakia or watching his train leave seven times without boarding. But most of all, it is about the small moments teaching English and discoveries made in the most surprising places.
About the Author
Jim Lukach is a writer from Milltown, New Jersey. His work has appeared in New Jersey Monthly Magazine and The New York Times. When he isn’t writing and living in the past, he plays hockey with Team Scion.
www.jimlukach.com
Order Lost Inside the Happy Noise: Jim Lukach form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 25
Editorial Reviews
After leaving his job at the University of Swindon, Michael Sadler returns to France intent on wooing Lou Charpin, his belle française. Unsure of his credentials he decides to woo her family at the same time. He plays Scrabble with the feisty, chain-smoking grandmother; attempts to explain King Lear to an adolescent more intent on sowing birdseed in his window boxes; and survives a family Christmas that quickly becomes reminiscent of a Greek tragedy. The final challenge lies in luring Lou away from her more-than-friendly acquaintance, the plutocratic optician who is unappreciative of rivalry from the barbaric north. In the end, will the Lothario from London win the girl despite it all?
About the Author
Michael Sadler is a professor at the British Institute in Paris and the author of the Englishman series.
Order An Englishman Amoureux: Love in Deepest France (Englishman series): Michael Sadler form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 25
Editorial Reviews
Warm, engaging, and funny, this armchair travel guide follows two 30-something singles, Rachael and Julie, on a rowdy road trip in pursuit of happiness in a world dominated by couples. From bike excursions to impress a cute tour guide to adventures in a ginseng Korean bathhouse, this rollicking read offers a great view of life through the eyes of best friends enjoying laughter, scenery, and a little love along the way.
About the Author
Rachael Weiss is a freelance writer and actor. Julie Adams is a tour guide and world traveler.
Order Are We There Yet?: Rach and Jules Take to the Open Road: Rachael Weiss, Julie Adams form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 23
Editorial Reviews
Review
“…an adventurer who struggles to balance life’s demands while experiencing as much of the world as possible…” — Michael Wilson, friend, 15 February 2006
“…an adventurer who struggles to balance life’s demands while experiencing as much of the world as possible…” –Michael Wilson, friend, 15 February 2006
Catamount’s Quest is an autobiography about the life and times of Douglas Stream. Filled with travel/adventures stories from Europe and the United States, this fascinating book will inspire readers of all ages to experience more of their world. There is also a spiritual element interwoven into the story… how God has enabled me to overcome various shortcomings.
Order Catamount’s Quest … A Passion for Adventure: Douglas K. Stream form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 23
Editorial Reviews
Living on the Edge is filled with many exciting true life stories which are unbelievable but true. The adventures of a man who has lived life on the edge and takes you through his many adventures of danger and intrigue, passion and love, tragedy and humor. Once you start reading, you will not want to put this book down. Story after story, written for easy and enjoyable reading in the author’s own words.
From the Author
Allow me to Introduce myself……I am Peter Boseley, author of “Living On The Edge”. It all started in Southern England, August 2nd 1929, when I was born. All the story material is based on my life experiences and as God is my witness every word is true. Only the names are changed to protect myself. My life is unbelievable but true.
It has taken 393 pages to write all the exciting and adventrous experiences I have encountered before the age of 40. The book ends with a clif-hanger involving a tragic death of a loved one. The second book, which I am in the process of writing, covers my adventures throughout the Bahamas, West Indies, Costa Rica, Bay Island, Houduras, Mexico, the United States, including Hawaii, and Europe. It also takes in 6 years of my life in Northern Idaho, where I lived alone in the wilderness as a mountainman. Shortly after that, I lived with the natives of Fiji, in a remote village. It is my intention, in the near future to visit Papus New Guinnea to journey into the interior and heart of the country. During an experience while searching for artifacts in Costa Rica, I was told of a primative tribe of indians, scarcely seen by modern man. I also intend to go back there one day.
Order Living on the Edge: Peter W Boseley form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 22
Editorial Reviews
“Gene’s new book, To The Four Corners, gives inspiration to all those who love to travel. No matter which one of the four corners of the world you choose to visit, his stories will enhance your journey. His own personal accounts of each of his adventures make the tales interesting and exciting. We recommend it to our clients as a ‘must-read’ and suggest it to shorten an otherwise long plane ride.”
—Austin Travel of New York
“Gene’s latest book, like his first, deals with his favorite subject, travel. In it he takes us to many exciting places he visited the last decade or two. This time he tells us of his trips while imagining his worldwide travel heroes are alongside. His four historic companions are Alexander The Great in the Middle East, Julius Caesar going to Western Europe, Marco Polo to the Far East, and finally Christopher Columbus to the Americas.
“He shares his tales with you in a fun and enjoyable manner. When Gene is asked what is his favorite place to visit, the rest of the evening is a wonderful travelogue. His friends enjoy listening to the many places they too would love to see. This is the best criteria of a good storyteller.”
—Marie Griffing, Author and former Editor, Cosmopolitan Magazine
About the Author
Ever since he was a young man, Eugene Weisberger traveled extensively for General Instrument, the company with which he spent his long professional career. As he tells it, sometime while going around the world, “I became addicted to the excitement of seeing new places and people.” Gene has traveled to over fifty countries and six continents.
Order To The Four Corners: Exciting and Personal Around-the-World Travel Stories Entwined with Dramatic Historical Episodes: Eugene Weisberger form Amazon.
posted by admin on Feb 21
Editorial Reviews
1889. Prentice Mulford was a humorist of California literature. His philosophy and humor intrigued many readers in his articles of European travels published in the ‘Golden Eye,’ ‘Overland,’ and the San Francisco Daily Press. This story is an amusing account of his experiences in California. The illustrator attended the Yale School of Fine Arts and is unsurpassed in his works on the West.
Order Prentice Mulford’s Story: Frederic Remington, Prentice Mulford form Amazon.