Book Review - Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval

If you don't know, Wes Anderson is a filmmaker with a distinctive style and eye for places. The author, Wally Koval, mentions in his introduction that this book started as a bucket list of places that Wes Anderson has featured or has been shown through photographs in the similar style. But it expanded as other adventurers suggested places from all over the world.

As you flip through this huge book, you will start seeing similar pastel colors and imagery and you will feel inspired as well. Next time you pass a baby blue building or a pastel pink tower, you may add it to this list.

The chapters are divided by location - United States and Canada, Latin America, Central and Western Europe, United Kingdom and Northern Europe, Southern and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South, Central and Eastern Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica.

There are several lighthouses and towers featured in this book - Old Barney on Long Beach Island in New Jersey; Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in Ushuaia in Argentina; Lighthouse in Klein Curacao in Curacao; Pierhead Light in Milwaukee; The Island Lighthouse on Fire Island in New York, and more.

A few everyday items in odd places made the book - A bright yellow telephone in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Gustavaus, Alaska; a Viewfinder at Newport Beach in California; a Subway Pay Phone (against a bright red wall) in Toronto, Ontario; a Viewfinder on Reykjavik in Iceland.

Flip through the book and you will see lots of colorful, ornate buildings such as Yenidze in Dresden, Germany; New Palace in Potedam also in Germany; Hotel Moskva in Belgrde, Serbia, and more.

Overall, a fun book full of interesting photographs. This book was published in October 2020 so be sure to check ahead before deciding to visit any of the locations mentioned in the book. Also, try to find this book at your local library.

Title: Accidentally Wes Anderson
Author: Wally Koval
ISBN: 978-0316492737
Pages: 368

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Book Review - Subpar Planet by Amber Share

This is a fun, entertaining book that features some of the most famous landmarks and tourist destinations around the world and what a one-star reviewer said about them.

The author describes each location in great detail with some insight, oftentimes questioning what the reviewer might have experienced. One example: Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada which someone said was "Not Really the Best Place". Amber then discusses the appeal of the park and what a typical tourist might actually experience such as the blue and green lakes filled by glaciel melt, wildflowers in the Sunshine Meadows, and more. Another example: Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The reviewer said "Not as Spectacular as I Had Thought". Ouch. Amber gives the background of this masterpiece with the Emperor Shah Jahan who commissioned it in the 17th century for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died after having 14 children.

The chapters are broken out by continent or region - Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Each chapter has a colorful map of locations.

On pages 40 and 41 are a great "Which Waterfall is 'Best'" discussion comparing some of the most famous waterfalls in the world.

Pages 114 and 115 illustrate "The Big Five", the animals most people want to see when they head to Africa for a safari.

There's a funny chapter called "How to Have an Absolutely Terrible Time Traveling" at the end. This chapter offers some useful advice on not overloading your trip or your expectations.

This is not an actual travel guide but reading through the author's descriptive research, it's hard not to add many of these sites to your bucket list of places to visit. Definitely look for it in your local library for a quick, easy read.

Title: Subpar Planet: The World's Most Celebrated Landmarks and Their Most Disappointed Visitors
Author: Amber Share
ISBN: 978-0593473177
Pages: 254

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Book Review - The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive by John Graham-Cumming

For those who are curious about inventions or gaining a better understanding on scientific concepts, you will enjoy the suggested locations in this hefty book.

The book is divided out into countries in alphabetical order. Under the United States, the chapter is further divided out into states. The last chapter, "Miscellaneous" has two discussion items of interest - Magicicada Brood X (a cicada bug periodically emerging along the Eastern United States coast) and the Magnetic North Pole.

Some highlights: Parkes Radio Telescope in Parkes, Australia.

Mendel Museum of Genetics in Brno, Czech Republic

Institut Pasteur in Paris, France

The Escher Museum in The Hague, Netherlands

Greenwich in London, England

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine

Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona, US

National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Maryland, US

Keep in mind that this book was published in 2009, so double-check operating hours and fees before heading out.

Overall, this is good book to add must-see locations to your itinerary or to get an overall lesson on scientific notions. Try to find it at your local library.

Title: The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive
Author: John Graham-Cumming
ISBN: 978-0596523206
Pages: 542

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Book Review - Moon Paris Walks: See the City Like a Local

If you're planning a trip to Paris, France, this is a really useful book to take with you. It's small enough to fit into your backpack or sling bag (or you can rip out the pages you need and take them with you).

The book contains 6 suggested walking itineraries. Each itinerary comes with an introduction to the walk, an overview of the neighborhoods, a "short on time" section that emphasizes the main sights to see, a full-color map with points of interest labeled (which are also color-coded), and the walk description (with the labels included). Followed by more details sections for "sights and attractions", "food and drink", "shopping" and "more to explore" which also correspond to the color-coded labels.

The introduction of the book includes lots of useful information - good to know practical info, museums, French food culture, useful shopping tips, public holidays, transportation and biking, Top 10 sights and museums, Top 10 restaurants, Top 10 On Sundays, and Top 10 Nightlife.

Walk 1 = Batignolles and Montmartre

Walk 2 = Quartier des Martyrs, Grands Boulevards, Louvre, and Madeleine

Walk 3 = Les Halles and Le Marais

Walk 4 = Les Iles, Latin Quarter, and Saint-Germain-des-Pres

Walk 5 = Eiffel Tower, Invalides and Champs-Elysees

Walk 6 = Belleville, Canal Saint-Martin and Menilmontant

The very last chapter offers more things to do "With More Time".

In summary, this is a keeper to take with you on your French trip.

Title: Moon Paris Walks: See the City Like a Local
Author: Moon Travel Guides
ISBN: 979-8886470222
Pages: 152

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Book Review - Lonely Planet - The Best Place To Be Today by Sarah Baxter

If you are looking for inspiration for your travel plans - I highly recommend this book. You will find an event or location to visit on each day of the year for a total of 365 suggestions.

Some of the activities highlighted for a specific date actually take place over a range of dates, such as "Admire red-crowned cranes" in Hokkaido, Japan for January 20th can be enjoyed from January through February.

Or an event might take place over a weekend such as January 29th's "Hay Festival" in Colombia which starts the last weekend of January. In 2026 it fell on January 29th. Next year it will take place January 28th.

Events that must be celebrated on a single day include St. Valentine, Italy's "Valentine's Day" on Feburary 14th of every year. It's actually a celebration of Saint Valentine who is enshrined in the Basilica di San Valentino.

There are a few activities which I would lean toward "unrealistic" such as June 2nd's "Climb the 100 Mountains" in Japan unless you are really enjoy scaling mountains. The 100 refer to the 100 Famous mountain peaks in the country including Mt. Fuji.

Another less likely activity includes July 6th's "Swim the English Channel" ranging from June through September. Not only do they challenge you to swim the English Channel but without a wetsuit (the water is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit).

This book is a keeper and makes a great conversational piece on any coffee table.

Title: The Best Place to be Today: 365 Things to do and the Perfect Day to do Them
Author: Sarah Baxter
ISBN: 978-1743601655
Pages: 272

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Book Review - The Essential Guide to Driving in Europe by Julian Parish

If you have any plans to ever drive in Europe, I highly recommend reading this book. It's a small guide - easy to tuck into your backpack or purse.

The book starts with a "The first time" chapter for those who have never driven in a foreign country. Page 11 contains a really nifty checklist of what to bring with you (such as an evidence of driving record).

Skip over to page 14 or the "What to Take" chapter which contains more useful information on what you need to legally drive in Europe. Some of them should be provided by the car owner or the rental company but make sure you know how to obtain it in an emergency or police situation.

Be sure to read through the "Insurance and Breakdown Cover" chapter to understand the basic coverages and whether you might want to get extra coverage.

"Crossing the Chanel" chapter, a really short chapter, provides a useful overview for those who need to utilize crossings (such as the Western Channel between France and Spain or the Channel between France and the UK.

The next chapter explains the process of fueling your vehicle (if it requires petrol or diesel). There are QR codes which take you to websites that explain in more detail the different types of energy.

"The other side of the road" is a good explanation of driving on the left side of the road (like in the UK and Ireland).

The tiny chapter "Traffice offences in Europe" gives a quick "beward" type message on being aware of avoiding traffic tickets.

This is followed by three very short chapters - "Disabled travellers", "Travelling with children" and "Travelling with pets"

A more useful chapter is "Driving in cities". There are some good tips here. For better planning, I'd do a quick search in youtube or the web for specific cities you plan to visit to see any gotchas or must-knows.

There is a nice section on winter driving. Earlier in the book there was a brief mention on weather and road conditions.

If anything, be sure to read the "What to do: accidents and car crime" so that you are prepared and ready in an emergency situation as well as the following chapter, "What to do: breakdowns". Being prepared is smart.

The rest of the book is divided into regions then further divided into specific countries. Look for the locations you plan to visit. Each location contains roads, rules, tolls, speed limits, and other useful information.

In summary, try to find this book in your local library to get a good overview on preparing for your trip. Keep in mind, even though this is labeled as a New Edition, it was published in 2016. So be sure to verify all the information ahead of your trip.

Title: The Essential Guide to Driving in Europe
Author: Julian Parish
ISBN: 978-1787113039
Pages: 144

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Book Review - You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes by Chris Hadfield

If you are a fan of satellite what-is-this type photographs, you will love this book. Astronaut Chris Hadfield put together this book based on photographs he had taken from space. Chris has a good sense of humor and the book is well written. I really enjoyed the introduction he wrote.

The book is divided out by location - Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America, and South America. The end of the book has a handy photo location map.

Many of the photos are thought-provoking such as the border between Mexico and the US or different times of day in Manhattan (9:23am vs 3:45am). Some photos feature interesting landscapes or natural damage (such as the San Andres Fault). You will see punctuation marks. Photos that look like constellations in the sky. Different views of ice or snow in cold climates.

Overall this is a great book to leave on the coffee table for all to enjoy.

Title: You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes: Photographs from the International Space Station
Author: Chris Hadfield
ISBN: 978-0316379649
Pages: 208

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Book Review - Atlas of Adventures - by Rachel Williams

I found this colorful, interesting book while wandering the Junior Non-Fiction section of my local library. There are full-color maps for every continent including Antarctica. Each one is full of adventures and animals which are then followed by deep dives into a selected few experiences (with nice zoom-maps in the corner). Plus you can read lots of interesting trivia tidbits. There's even a few look-and-find game you can try at the end.

The first section focuses on Europe. Learn about the Northern Lights in Findland, the London Eye, Scotland's Highland Games, Paris' The Louvre, Spain's Feria Del Caballo (Horse Parade), the gondolas in Venice, Skiing in the Bavarian Alps, and Moscow's Metro.

North America's section highlights the wonderful wilfdlife of Alaska, hot air ballooning in Canada, New York's famous Central Park, Arizona's Grand Canyon, riding a Steamboat on the Mississippi River, and following the migration of the Monarch Butterflies.

Central and South America features the fun Rio Carnival in Brazil, exploring the Amazon Rain Forest, or the cowboy culture of Argentina's Northern Patagonia.

Asia and the Middle East section includes the fun little Macaques monkey of Japan, Hong Kong's lantern festival, Thailand's Chiang Mai elephants, India's Holi Festival, Korea's Cherry Blossom festival (which I was surpised to learn about since we always just assumed Japan was the only one), and Israel's Dead Sea.

Africa features Egypt's Pyramids of Giza, joining a camel caravan across the Sahara Desert, playing soccer in Senegal, or taking a canoe safari down the Zambezi River.

The Australia and Oceania section leads to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, learning about the Waitangi in New Zealand, or surfing in Hawaii.

And finally some interesting things about penguins in Antarctica .

Overall this is a fun little book to read some neat tidbits on different animals and cultures. Look for it at your local library (even through the digital books or through inter-library loans).

Title: Atlas of Adventures: Travel Edition: A collection of NATURAL WONDERS, EXCITING EXPERIENCES and FUN FESTIVITIES from the four corners of the globe
Author: Rachel Williams
Illustrator: Lucy Letherland
ISBN: 978-0711255708
Pages: 96

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Book Review - Lonely Planet - The Big Trip

When I first found this book I was just looking for some overseas tips like obtaining visas, exchanging currencies, transportation, etc. Even though the subtitle suggestions gap years and long term travel plans, this book is so packed full of tips and ideas that anyone who travels will find it useful.

Pages 8-17 feature full-color photographs of some exciting and bucket-list experiences.

Part One focuses on "Travel Smarts" such as the things I was originally looking for - passports, visas, money and costs, health and safety, packing, getting to these destinations, getting around, and what to do when you return home.

Part Two offers interesting ideas on travelling solo, with partners or family, with kids, etc. And then transportation tips and accommodation tips. Then, if you do plan to stay in a location for more than a brief vacation, finding jobs or ways of making money. Or, more unconventionally, finding volunteer work to learn more about the culture and people of the places you are visiting. Followed by some educational opportunities.

Part Three is the fun part - where to go? Get suggestions for a whole round-the-world adventure or focus on one of the continents. Or, even if you don't plan to leave your location, find new things to explore in your home country. Each location section consists of getting there and around, points of interest, festivals, health and safety, websites and books for research, prices, itinerary maps, and so much more.

Part Four at the end of the book has directory listings of websites that were mentioned throughout the book in a convenient pull-out section.

This book was published in 2019 so be sure to verify information before setting out. But, overall, definitely a keeper guide to add to the collection.

Title: The Big Trip (Lonely Planet)
Author: Lonley Planet Authors
ISBN: 978-1788681292
Pages: 352

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Book Review - DK Eyewitness Travel - Family Guide Paris

I'm hoping to be able to take my family to Disneyland Paris at some point especially after the updates they made to the park, so I grabbed this Paris guide to see what other fun activities we could do and foods to try. DK Eyewitness Travel books are so colorful, and I love the detailed maps and floorplans. The "Lowdowns" sections are really helpful and give you the websites you can access for further research.

Keep in mind that this book was published in 2018 so always be sure to verify information like operating hours and costs ahead of time since Covid negatively impacted many businesses.

There's a great section on Disneyland with lots of information.

This book is broken out by areas which makes it easy to focus your day in a location. Lots of suggestions on dining, etiquette (especially helpful to know when dining in a restaurant as opposed to a cafe), shopping, and ways to entertain your children.

Title: DK Eyewitness Family Guide Paris (Travel Guide)
Author: DK Eyewitness
ISBN: 978-1465468185
Pages: 288

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Book Review - Bradt Travel Guide - 52 European Wildlife Weekends - A Year of Short Breaks for Nature Lovers

When I saw this book at my local library, the cute bear on the cover grabbed my attention. This is a really neat book that highlights some of the wildlife (birds, animals as well as interesting flowers) in easy-to-reach European cities. Listed by month when the wildlife is at its peak viewing period. Realistically, I probably wouldn't fly for 10 plus hours to get to a city for only a weekend visit but I would definitely add these tidbits to future trip itineraries.

Another great feature of this guide are the ratings for Accessibility (how easy it is to reach the location) and the Child-Friendliness rating (out of 5).

One thing this book could improve upon is to provide maps and an overall European map to show how far or close these locations are from each other. Might make it easier to plan a multi-stop trip without having to use the internet to check.

Title: 52 European Wildlife Weekends: A Year of Short Breaks for Nature Lovers (Bradt Travel Guide)
Author: James Lowen
ISBN: 978-1784770839
Pages: 246

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Book Review - Lonely Planet Epic Drives of the World

If you ever wander around the travel section of your local library or the bookstore there is a small section on road trips and awe-inspiring drives. That's how I came upon this big book of drives around the world.

For those of us who enjoy road trips and admiring views from the window of a vehicle, this is a great guide. The book covers six continents with bucket list routes such as Crossing the Kalahari (in Botswana - which is also on my bucket list for safaris), The Pacific Coast Highway, India's road from Srinagar to Manali, the Black Forest High Road of Germany, and more. Beautiful photography. Well written and clear. The only negative is that it was published in 2017 so some of the data might need updates (always check ahead before starting your journey to be sure areas are still accessible).

Title: Lonely Planet Epic Drives of the World
Author: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 978-1786578648
Pages: 328

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