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message 1: by Caity (new)

Caity (adivineeternity) | 16 comments Mod
Introduce yourselves!

I'm Caity, the creator of this group, and I started it for several reasons. First of all, while there are a few travel-related groups on GR, they don't seem too active, and from what I have seen none do a monthly read. I would love to get a monthly read going in this group so we can read about places all over the world. Second, I know I could have brought this up in one of the more active travel groups, but I didn't want to step on the toes of the mods in any of those groups. This just seemed a little easier to me. Finally, I love to travel and read! If I can't travel for one reason or another, it is great to know that I can at least venture to another country via a good book.


message 2: by Courtney (new)

Courtney (cbrandtwright) Great idea! I worked as a tour director when I was living in the States and have been trying to get into travel writing.

Let me think about some good books to recommend.

I'm Courtney BTW, and I live in Dubai.


message 3: by Smiley (last edited Aug 10, 2010 05:47PM) (new)

Smiley  (reader2009) | 1 comments It's my honor to join your group, Caity. I just returned from our five-day trip with a group tour of South Korea (August 5-9). Indeed, Korea is definitely an interesting country worth studying and pondering why her people can make it economically, educationally and ecologically. For instance, according to our lady guide, the Han River was once filthy due to all kinds of houses built on the river banks and in the water. They made a bold ground-breaking decision by enacting the law as well as the efficient measures in finding cooperation from those mentioned residents to move away from both river banks all along the river length. Then, they've since developed both banks as the parks, the slots to grow vegetables, trees, flowers, etc. Therefore, The Han is one of the cleanest rivers in the world. It's amazing and thus the Korean people deserve repsect from some nations, I mean those reluctant to do it or never think to make it.


message 4: by Shandy (new)

Shandy | 2 comments Hi there,

Good idea to start a group on travel & books - my 2 favourtite things. I have recently finished a year of travelling around the world. Originally from South Africa and now living in London, imigrating to Australia in a few months. I love reading anything to do with travel and especially books about the country I find myself in.


message 5: by Caity (new)

Caity (adivineeternity) | 16 comments Mod
Awesome! It's great to hear about everybody's travels! Oh, and welcome to the group, lol.

Feel free to post threads, and don't be afraid to shoot me a message if there is a folder or thread you'd like to see started. I'll be starting a few myself eventually.


message 6: by Chrissie (last edited Aug 10, 2010 06:59AM) (new)

Chrissie I adore travel books. I just finishe A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople: From the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube. I saw your message at the Comfort Reads Group and joined up here! Me, I am born in the US but have lived most of my life in Sweden. Now I am living in Belgium and spend lots of time in Brittany, France too! Living in Europe, one cannot help but be interested in all the different cultures around you.

P.S. If you are interested in the book I have also written a review just a couple of seconds ago.


message 7: by Alasse (new)

Alasse Such a great idea! I really like travelling, though since I'm still young and depending on my parents, there's still a lot of places in my "to travel" list =P I have backpacked through Europe and I lived for a few months in Morocco, but that's about it for now. I'm planning on doing Route 66 in some 18 months, we'll see how that turns out - I'm really excited about it!!

As for travel books, I love them as a concept, though I rarely find stuff I actually enjoy reading. There's Bill Bryson of course (LOVE him), but most travel books I've ran across just sound like a travel guide in disguise. So who knows, this group might just be the best thing that's happened to me!


Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB  | 1 comments thanks Caity- what a wonderful new Group!!
happy to be a member!
Rick
Founder- James Mason Classic British Book Club


message 9: by Mandapanda (new)

Mandapanda Hi,
I'm Mandy a Nurse/Midwife from Brisbane, Australia. I've travelled all my life both as a tourist and with work. I prefer going to countries where I don't speak the language as something unexpected always crops up! I spent most of the 90's working for the international red cross in various countries in africa and the early 2000's living in Europe. I also do a lot of rural and remote work in my own country. Now that I'm getting older and sleeping on the floor in a tent is not so appealing I am enjoying more armchair travel! This group sounds perfect to me for that reason. Looking forward to discussing lots of travel books with you.


message 10: by Marvin (new)

Marvin (mpvernon) I'm glad to join this group. I've traveled a lot but no longer for various boring reasons. Travel books gives me that exciting feeling back again. I tend to go mostly for travel adventure and books about out of the way places. Looking forward to the monthly reads.


message 11: by Heather (new)

Heather (quidcogitas) Hi, folks. I'm Heather. I don't actually do much in the way of traveling except for the occasional road trip, and I've never been out of the lower 48, so I'm kinda boring that way. BUT, that doesn't stop me from reading a thing or two now and again that might fall under the umbrella of "travel books." And even when they're not technically travel books, I definitely read a lot of books about events in places I've never been. I'm mainly here because I like excuses to broaden my reading horizons, and I like a friendly, active book group.


message 12: by [deleted user] (new)

Hello! Another Heather here! I love to read & love to travel also! I'm originally from Las Vegas and so far my travels have taken me to Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, South Korea, Ireland, Germany, and France. I'm living in Germany for now and hoping to visit Belgium this weekend and in the near future-Italy and Spain.


message 13: by Chaynyth (new)

Chaynyth (yknots) Hello everyone,

I lived in the Netherlands for a few years as a preteen and traveled around Europe some during that time. I haven't traveled anywhere "exciting" in the last few years, but I've done a bunch of road trips around the lower 48.

I love to read, and like reading travel books among all the other genres I turn to.

I'm in college now, and hoping to squeeze in some extra reading while waiting around for classes. I'll probably be doing study abroad in a year or so, but I'm still unsure where I'll go for that.

Looking forward to starting a monthly read with you all!
~Jane


message 14: by Guy (new)

Guy | 3 comments Hi everyone,

Great idea for a group! I really love travel literature, and books about the myriad of places in the world in general (about 3/4 of all books I read, I think). I'm Belgian, but I have travelled extensively (world trip 1990-1993), and I have lived abroad during some periods in my life (Albania 1994, New Zealand 2009-2010). Looking forward to discovering great travel books in this group!

Cheers, Guy


message 15: by Dan (new)

Dan Smith | 4 comments Hi, I'm Dan. I've travelled fairly extensively - spent many of my formative years growing up in Africa, the Far East and in South America. I've also spent time in Spain and what used to be the Soviet Union. I'm an author, and my books draw on my experiences abroad.


message 16: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl (cherylllr) Welcome all! I'm not the host here (I do host a similar group if you look at my profile :), but I'm glad nonetheless to see new faces. Sounds like you all have lots to contribute!


message 17: by Arda (new)

Arda (arda_nl) Hi, I just joined this group. I live in the Netherlands and I love travel literature! I think it's a great way to travel when you don't have time to actually travel... I really enjoy reading about people who travel or just books that just have a specific country as a background (nicely featured in the books of course ;) )

That is one of the reasons I joined in challenge in another group; reading my way around the world in 80 books reading books set in countries adjacent to each other or directly accessible over bodies of water. Like a 'real' trip around the world.

Besides this challenge and the other books I read I would like to participate in upcoming group reads of this group!!! :)


message 18: by Lucy (new)

Lucy | 1 comments Hi i just joined the group,

I'm a student from London (but studying in the midlands).

I love reading (when i get a chance too and when it is not text books) and love traveling!.

Last summer i went around south east Asia for 2 months and in January i'm moving to study in Oz for a year! (eeek!)

I'm also planning on traveling whilst on my year abroad in Asia and Australasia so if anyone has any suggested routes let me know!.

I am willing to give any book a chance and am well up for the monthly read!

:) Lucy


message 19: by David Welch (new)

David Welch | 1 comments Hello, as a new member of this group I’d like to introduce myself and announce my book.

I love traveling and my goal in life is to live nomadically – going from city to city, country to country, being self-employed and working from a laptop by day and exploring the world by night. I have been to many countries in Eastern Europe, Japan, Mexico, and Canada.

Currently, I live in Chicago where I have settled for the last 5 years. This city is the topic of my first ebook, New in Town Chicago.

New in Town Chicago is an eBook designed to help people moving to Chicago adapt to life in the Windy City. It takes the fres new resident, step by step, through the process of starting a new life - from finding a place to live in the Chicago neighborhoods, to settling in, to getting around on the Chicago CTA, to finding places to go, things to do, and people to meet. I think it’s also a great book if you’re thinking of traveling to Chicago for a few weeks and want to get acclimated with the city in a short amount of time.

The book is different from other books about moving to Chicago because it has less technical information and more advice on building a new life here. Most people who live in Chicago came from small Midwestern towns and the Windy City can be a lonely place during your first few months here. The purpose of this book is to help people through that by showing them how to get settled in comfortably and how to meet people and find interesting things to do – like getting into the Chicago theater scene and visiting the many Chicago street fests.

The PDF version is sold on my blog – New in Town Chicago. The blog contains additional and updated information about moving to Chicago and great tips and advice for new residents as well as people who already live in Chicago. I would love it if anyone could provide any feedback on my blog or participate in the article discussions.

If any reader would like to write to write a review for my book, I would be happy to send you a free copy. Or if there are any authors on here who would like to do a review exchange, we can read and review each other’s eBooks.

I hope to visit and write more books about moving to other cities in the US and even in other countries.

Thanks! I hope to get to know everyone on this board and contribute to this wonderful community of travel readers and writers.


message 20: by Rhonda (new)

Rhonda | 2 comments Hi there, I just joined the group and am excited to see what it may bring. I haven't done much traveling...yet! I plan to go to either Turkey or Spain/Morocco next year. I'd love to read some books that are set in these regions just to learn cultrue/history. I am just finishing the book Birds without Wings, set at the end of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.
Anyway, happy to be here!
Rhonda~


message 21: by [deleted user] (new)

I just joined the group and look forward to all the posts and book suggestions on travel. Europe is my favorite destination but I am interested in everywhere and anywhere.


message 22: by [deleted user] (new)

I have two travel books published. One, a travel tip book, is being updated as I take more research trips. The other is a story of my adventures through thirty-three countries by train to beat a Guinness World Record.
We sure have a traveling group here!


message 23: by Tamela (last edited Nov 06, 2011 01:11PM) (new)

Tamela Rich | 1 comments I've traveled 32 American states and 3 Canadian provinces on my motorcycle since June 2010. Travel, writing, reading and knitting are the breaths of my life.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone here, even if just in the virtual sense. As Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”


message 24: by [deleted user] (new)

Philipp,if your proofreaders are only correcting typos, grammar and checking for repeating text, fine. Do you have proofreaders or an editor that knows the territory well? Otherwise, he or she will not be able to do your book justice. One idea is to send your manuscript to an author who writes about the area you have chosen. You may not get a respose, but it's worth a try. Where in Switzerland do you live? It is one of my favorite countries to travel in. I speak quite a bit of German so Switzerland is easy traveling for me. Have you thought about writing a travel book on Switzerland?


message 25: by [deleted user] (new)

You don't have to have much of the history in a travel book. You could write about all the towns and areas you know. I haven't trtaveled to your town, but have been in Basel lots of times. I taken many trips to Switzerland in all regions. Your country is one, if not the most beautiful country. I enjoy the all areas, but tne Berneroberland and the Tirol are favorites of mine.
It's difficult for new authors to be accepted by any traditional publisher, but give them a try. Ask for their submission guidelines before sending a letter about your book. Check the Writer's Market book to make sure the publisher is right for your genre. Most publishers and editors dislike manuscripts "over-the transom," meaning sending without being asked to do so.


message 26: by [deleted user] (new)

David wrote: "Hello, as a new member of this group I’d like to introduce myself and announce my book.

I love traveling and my goal in life is to live nomadically – going from city to city, country to country, b..."


I love your plan to live "Nomadic." It sounds like an ideal life. It is possible, so keep on planning.


message 27: by Tye Tavaras (new)

Tye Tavaras | 1 comments Hey folks!

I am new to the group and a fan of travel writing. Looking for new suggestions. I spent 2.5 years living in Cairo and had a chance to travel a bit. Im not back stateside and experiencing some intense wanderlust currently. Hoping to leave again next year.


message 28: by Girija (new)

Girija (goodreadscomgirija) | 1 comments I love travel books and love to travel. I have visited most of the major "tourist spots' in the US, visited Europe and lived in India.
I am new to this group and would like to know how this operates. Do we have a monthly read?
Please feel free to suggest travel books that you found interesting.
Thanks.


message 29: by Samantha (new)

Samantha (samanthaestelle) | 1 comments Hi, I'm Samantha. I've re-joined Goodreads, couldn't find my original account from many years ago so I have had to start a new one. I love travel and reading about other people's travel. I look forward to being an active member of this group.

Samantha - Living in Melbourne, Australia.


message 30: by [deleted user] (new)

Welcome Tye. I too have the "wanderlust" jinx. Or, is it a gene we are born with?


message 31: by [deleted user] (new)

Welcome, Samantha. Traveling is something that is tops on m y list, but... I'm a little short of travel funds at the moment. maybe I'll just read another book by another traveler! Have you written one?


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