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Books to read.
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Tucson, Spring 2020 ~ Read
Against the backdrop of national politics, the realization that the US-Mexico border is so close never escapes you when traveling to Tucson. The work part of my tript included a visit to Fort Huachuca, where locals talked about border proximity, and various enhancements, weaponry and mechanisms of border protection. A quick border patrol inspection stop on the highway back to Tucson provided a real life example of the ever present vigilance. In Tucson, a less militaristic contrast emerged, with lawn signs and graffiti appealing to the humanitarian disaster the dangerous illegal border crossings create in this region, with water jugs being the most prominent symbol of lifeline and hope. The…
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New York City, Holidays 2019 ~ Read
There are thousands of worthy books about New York City, I am sure. I have been lucky to read some of the best ones, I think. The three books below truly incorporate NYC’s architecture within their storylines, and with all of them set in the first half of the 20th century, they give the reader an indelible flavor of the city’s unmistakable skyline’s emergent years. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is set in the early 20th century and tells a story of a young architect ready to revolutionize New York with an unapologetically radical take on shape, form and purpose. Visiting the Rockefeller Center had particularly made me think of…
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SE Utah, Spring 2021 ~ Read
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St. Petersburg, Fall 2019 ~ Read
This novel by Feodor Dostoevsky is often cited as one of the “supreme achievements in the world literature” for its intricate portrayal of the mental state of its protagonist before and after he commits a grisly and unnecessary murder. St. Petersburg emerges in this story as intricately connected to the main character’s troubles and anguish, depicting poverty, crowded squares and streets, noise and smells, against the backdrop of a hot summer day in a city carved from granite and washed by the Baltic Sea. This is not a love letter to Saint Petersburg, but you will still want to visit the narrow streets and busy corners near Sennaya Square, look…
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Istanbul, Fall 2019 ~ Read
The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak was recommended by my Fodor’s travel guide to Istanbul, so I figured I’d read it to see if it’s a good preview for the city that survived millennia, different faiths, earthquakes and fires. It is an entertaining read, detailing adventures of a young Indian boy, who ends up in Istanbul by accident, and grows into a figure of influence at the Sultan’s court. The reader gets some insight into the processes surrounding construction some of Turkey’s most celebrated mosques, while catching a glimpse into imagined lives of 14th century residents of Istanbul, as well as courtiers, merchants and various transplants from all over the…
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New Mexico, Winter 2019 ~ Read
Written in a genre of magical realism, this book vividly illustrates both the New Mexico environment and way of life. With women at the center of both magic and storytelling, Bless, Me Ultima, is the ultimate story to infuse you with New Mexico magic, stories, smells and sounds. The story takes you through the seasons, introduces you to the tradition of curanderas, and describes the land, traditions and relationships through the eyes of a young boy. (When we stopped at a book store in Taos, and asked for recommendations on books to read about the area, this was the very first recommendation by the shopkeeper!) Paintings by New Mexico Native…
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Tuscany, Fall 2018 ~ Read
The Italian Party by Christina Lynch is a great easy read ahead of traveling to Sienna. It describes both the city and its environment beautifully, details the famous Palio, Sienna’s horse race in late August, pokes fun at the CIA, and satisfies your run-of-the-mill craving for a textbook romance in Italian coutnryside. Wink, wink. I would say this book accomplishes quite well the task of giving its reader a sense of place. From the book jacket: Newly married, Scottie and Michael are seduced by Tuscany’s famous beauty. But the secrets they are keeping from each other force them beneath the splendid surface to a more complex view of Italy, America,…
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Florence, Fall 2018 ~ Read
I highly recommend reading Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King before arriving in Florence. This national bestseller about the design and construction of Florence’s main jewel, cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, immerses the reader in 14th-15th century life in the city, its citizens, customs, and its brilliant, courageous, irreverent artists, architects and statesmen. My favorite passages in the book included a scene where cathedral construction workers sat high atop the scaffolding in the summer winds drinking wine for lunch; descriptions of the processes involved with casting of the bronze doors of the Baptistry; and scenes of daily life of the citizens of the Florentine Republic.
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Maui, Spring 2018 ~ Read
Molokai by Alan Brennert would not be exactly considered a “beach read”, as it deals with a really difficult and graphic page in Hawaii’s history. In the late 1800s, early 1900s, the small island of Molokai, right off the coast of Maui, served as the location for a leprosy colony, and this book describes with beauty and compassion some of its inhabitants, as well as priests and nuns that supported the operations of the institution. I chose this book as one of prerequisites for my Maui trip because it helps a mindful traveler to appreciate the effects of American colonialism. Its inhumane policies largely affected the local population, and it…
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Egypt, Fall 1998 ~ Read
Would you like more fantastic recommendations for your reading before you travel to Egypt? Check out this great list. And remember your independent local and regional booksellers when shopping for these great reads!
