Chapter 22 - How To Win At Travel

Just before COVID shut the world down for awhile, I ordered some book themed tee-shirts figuring when summer came I would wear them in the bookstore or, at the very least, walking the dog. Dave was working overseas in Jordan and except for a small vacation planned with the family, we had no additional travel plans. Well, as luck would have it, Dave got stuck in Jordan, our family vacation, while still on, didn't include him but did include a lot of time outdoors, and one of the tee-shirts was almost prophetic in its message.

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."

So, no bookstore and no dog 5 years later and we've been blessed to be able to travel a good bit. I still find it interesting and relaxing to travel via book and it seems I've been doing that a lot lately. Here are some books I've read and places I've been.

Daughters of Shandong by Eva J. Chung -This book took me to China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan during the Communist revolution. Hai was the daughter of rich landowners and when the People's Army was on the move, her grandfather, grandmother, and father left her mother and three siblings to face the communists alone. It is a tale of resilience, perseverance and motherly love through the hardships of war. The descriptions of life in China and other places are vividly detailed in the novel. Even better it was inspired by a true story.

The Fifteen: Murder, Retribution, and the Forgotten Story of Nazi POWs in America by William Geroux - I realize that not everyone is a nonfiction fan but I read about this book and the story intrigued me. By 1944 America housed almost 400,000 German POWs in camps around the United States. Many of the prisoners knew that the end was near and spent time working and cooperating with the US. Hard core Nazi's took the opportunity to kill those who did too much to help America. This book took me to Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Louisiana and back over to Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman - A retired detective, his body guarding daughter-in-law, a rich and slightly crazy author, and murders - who could ask for more? This humorous thriller by Osman (of The Thursday Murder Club fame) is a great cat and mouse chase through multiple places. It starts out in a small English town, then moves to a private island off the coast of South Carolina, goes to Dubai and Dublin before heading back to England. Not only is it a great travel escape but the storyline is very good also!

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler - I have always enjoyed Anne Tyler and her latest is about a divorced couple supporting their daughter on her wedding day. The book takes place in Baltimore, a place I used to call home (although I am now convinced that the DC/Baltimore corridor is the 10th level of hell). When asked why she writes about Baltimore, Anne Tyler, now a native, said laziness. If she wrote about New York she'd have to find out about New York. Here is the interview if you want to see her - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxENN7oUu70.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - Emily Henry always provides some great summer read and her latest is no slouch. This novel takes place in California, a coastal town near Savannah, and Savannah itself - three of my favorite places. The story is about two writers competing to write the memoir of a well-known yet reclusive celebrity.

Have you read any books recently which just take you away? Please share.