Road trip tip: Best audio books for a drive

by Jamie Rhein on

Saturday’s road trip tip–how to stay awake while driving, listed listening to audio books as one technique.

The last audio book I listened to on a road trip (from New York City to Columbus, Ohio along I-80) was David Sedaris’s Live at Carnegie Hall. It isn’t an audio book per se, but a taped performance of Sedaris reading some of his essays. I was awake and laughing–hard.

This weekend, as I was leafing through a magazine (Better Homes and Gardens?) at a friend’s house in Wooster, Ohio, I came across a sidebar-type article on the 7 best audio books for the road. One of them is a fabulous choice because of its lovely language alone.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best novels written, in my opinion. The language is lush. Harper Lee , the author is the narrator.

Another author narrated suggesion was E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. This choice reminded me of another option that would appeal to children, but also resonates with adults. White is the narrator as well.

Here’s another one of my choices. The Velveteen Rabbit narrated by Meryl Streep is wonderful, particularly since George Winston’s piano accompaniment is woven in with Streep’s voice.

For another mix of music and narration for children, what about Peter and the Wolf? Here’s a version where David Bowie is the narrator. This one is a great way to brush up on your instrument knowledge.

Six great beach reads for travelers

by Katie Hammel on

There’s a special joy that comes with losing yourself in a good book while relaxing on a beach. The warm sun on your skin, the sand between your toes, and the sound of waves gently breaking on the shore create the perfect environment for shrugging off your cares and transporting yourself to a new world. Here are a few of my favorite travel books – perfect picks for an easy summer read no matter what your style.


If you’re looking for a trashy novel. . .
Summer beach reading should be light, fun, and maybe a little tawdry. Thomas Kohnstamm’s Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? fits the bill perfectly. The subtitle, A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics and Professional Hedonism, describes the plot quite well. The book tells the story of Kohnstamm’s first guidebook-writing assignment for Lonely Planet. He gives up his apartment, job, and girlfriend to travel to and write about northern Brazil and soon realizes he’s in far over his head. What follows is a hilarious and controversial account of his adventures, how he learns the ropes of guidebook writing, and just how guidebooks are created.

If you’re looking for a travel-writing how-to. . .
Rolf Potts’ Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Recollections from One Decade as a Post-Modern Travel Writer is perfect for the aspiring travel writer, or anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a travel story. The book includes some of Potts’ published work (well-written, insightful, and entertaining stories on their own), followed by interesting end notes about how each story came about, from what really happened and what didn’t make it into the final copy to the long road from experience to published article.

If you’re looking for an inspiring story. . .
If you dream of one day taking charge of your life and pursuing your passions, Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story is for you. The story traces the creation of the Lonely Planet empire, from Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s decision to take an overland journey from Europe to Australia to the publishing of their first guidebook and the subsequent failures and triumphs of the company. Even if your goals don’t involve building one of the top travel book publishing companies in the world, the story of chasing your dreams and finding success will inspire you.

If you’re looking for a good laugh. . .
Bill Bryson’s I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away is a quick beach read that will keep you laughing all afternoon. Based on the hilarious writer’s newspaper column, the short stories point out the idiosyncrasies and oddities of life in America. From dealing with the Post Office to the difficulties of preparing a tax return, the book perfectly captures small town life in America and pokes fun at some of the country’s stranger traditions. The chapters are all quite short, perfect if you’ve got kids to mind and can’t commit to lengthier reading periods.

If you’re looking for a collection of short stories. . .
The Best American Travel Writing series has been combining great travel stories and narratives from websites, magazines, and newspapers, and putting them in one place for nearly a decade. The 2008 edition was edited by Anthony Bourdain and covers everything from restaurants in Kabul to weddings in St. Petersburg. With a dozen or so unique tales from different voices in each book, the collection will satisfy your need for short story variety and entertain you with engrossing travel narratives.

If you’re looking for intellectual stimulation. . .
If you’re the type who loves reading about research and studies, Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World is right up your alley. Weiner set off to explore what makes us happy, and how economic conditions, culture, and traditions in various countries make people happy (or not). Along the way he visits countries like Iceland, India, Bhutan, Moldova and Thailand to see just how happy or unhappy the people are, and why. Along with being a fascinating and educational read, it also happens to be pretty darn funny too.

Florida hotel offers free electronic books

by Sean McLachlan on

Miami’s new EPIC Hotel is offering something different to guests who want to curl up with a good book–a free ebook on a Sony Ereader.

The hotel’s EPIC Page Turner program will loan free ebooks to their Club level guests and those using the pool deck, and a Sony Reader (pictured here) to read it on. There’s also an EPIC Virtual Nightstand through the rooms’ desktop computers, although this shows only excerpts, not whole books.

The titles include current bestsellers and new releases. EPIC will be hosting a series of readings and social events with authors during the hotel’s daily wine hour.

“Ebook”, for those still stuck in the late 20th century, stands for electronic book, a book that exists as a computer file that can be read on a special reader or regular computer. Ebooks have been around for about 25 years now and are beginning to get noticed. Ereaders are becoming more user friendly and ebook sales have risen steadily for several years now, although they still comprise less than one percent of total book sales in the U.S:

The EPIC program apparently has no connection with EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, the world’s largest association of electronically published authors. EPIC sponsors the annual EPPIE awards, considered the most prestigious awards offered to electronically published books. I emailed the president of EPIC a week ago asking about the similarity in the name, but didn’t receive a response.

This program sounds like an innovative way to get people to read ebooks, as well as free up space in their luggage, but it has one major flaw–you can’t take the book home with you.

Giveaway: Win a copy of David Farley’s An Irreverent Curiosity

by Mike Barish on

Last week, Gadling interviewed travel writer David Farley. Now, we’re excited to give away a copy of his hilarious, quirky and fantastic new book, An Irreverent Curiosity. Chronicling his tales in the tiny Italian village of Calcata in search of the lost foreskin of Jesus, An Irreverent Curiosity is a great read.

Back in 2006, David Farley uprooted his life in New York and moved to Italy with his wife and dog to solve a mystery: What happened to Jesus’ foreskin? The townspeople didn’t trust him. The Vatican rebuffed him. And the odd cast of characters kept him amused, befuddled and intoxicated. It all makes for a fantastic tale and now a copy of the book can be yours. For FREE!

Leave a short comment sharing what missing relic, artifact or curiosity you’d love to find. The Holy Grail? Noah’s Ark? The secret to Miley Cyrus’ popularity? You name it, and the winner will be randomly selected.

  • The comment must be left before Friday, July 17 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • The winner will receive a signed copy of the hardcover book An Irreverent Curiosity (valued at $25).
  • Click here for complete Official Rules.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.

    • The ultimate vacation home: a lighthouse

    by Sean McLachlan on

    Thinking of curing those recession blues by investing in a vacation home? Why go for the traditional beach-side bungalow or alpine chalet when you could get something a little more original?

    Perhaps 76 acres of undeveloped beach and a famous lighthouse in the southwest of England would be just the thing?

    Upton Towans beach in Gwithian, Cornwall, is up for sale. It was here that a young Virginia Woolf used to vacation with her family, and the broad beach and beautiful view of the offshore lighthouse are said to have inspired her 1927 novel To the Lighthouse.

    The 86-foot tall Godrevy Lighthouse, pictured here, was built in 1858 after the SS Nile crashed into the nearby rocks and sank with all hands. It’s one of the most attractive lighthouses on the English coast and draws in thousands of tourists a year, who also stroll along the beach and surf in the rough waters.

    Bidding for the land, which will benefit Hall for Cornwall theater, is expected to start at £50,000 ($81,000). The sale comes with a couple of conditions: the land must remain open for public use and it cannot be “developed” (i.e. ruined). That means visitors will still be able to enjoy this rugged stretch of Cornish coast and its literary associations.

    So if you are looking for some real estate and you don’t want to wreck it, this may be the thing for you. You’ll have to get used to sleeping in a lighthouse, though.

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