World Passport 2022

 

It's time for a fresh year of exploring the world through books.  This year I am taking a new approach.  I have broken up the globe into 12 different regions, and I will look for books that are set in those areas in the corresponding month.  Follow my travels here: World Passport

Review: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, that was interesting. Not overly fun, but a decent read. Someone who loves Laura? Check. Someone who has read the books a hundred times? Check. Someone who wants to uncover the history behind the books? Check. Sounds like me. She even churns butter.

I would be interested in taking the same trip, but now I don't necessarily feel I need to. Thanks, Wendy! If you love the Little House books, you will probably find this a decent read. 3 stars.



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Review: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America Along the Appalachian Trail

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America Along the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Follow Bryson and his friend down the A.T. Watch them hike, out of shape and unprepared. Listen to them bicker and moan about hunger. And learn a little bit about the history of the trail and environmental issues as you traverse the US.

Mostly interesting, I found some parts to be boring, a few exceedingly so, but still a good read. If Bryson's goal was to get my old butt to want to get back on the trail and connect with nature, then mission accomplished. Three stars.

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Review: Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. Macleod

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Quaint, interesting anecdotes about a family who moves to the remote Hebrides of Scotland. Mary J, the country nurse, sees the islanders through good times and bad. Some stories are funny, some are quite sad, and some will make you shake your head.

An interesting look into the culture of rural Scotland and the life of a woman devoted to helping others.



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A Call of Love

101. a Call of Love by Barbara Cartland

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Another stinker by Barbara Cartland. I--must enjoy--the torture because--I--keep reading them! Her stuttering heroines make my brain bleed. I read them because they remind me of growing up. My mom had all of them and they were my first romance novels, and I still love historical romances because of these books. My 12-year-old self devoured them. However, this storyline was a stinker. Dumb girl, sexist men, and a ridiculous kidnapping plot. D- for this one.



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The Hills of Tuscany: A New Life in an Old Land

The Hills of Tuscany: A New Life in an Old Land by Ferenc Máté

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ah, Tuscany! I love you so. I have armchair traveled there many times, and will visit in person someday.

I loved reading about how one couple relocated to a small village in Tuscany and learned to live among the locals. I read with jealousy how they simplified their lives and settled into the slower routine. I would love to be able to do something similar someday. Whenever I read about Tuscany, something pulls at my soul. Having no Italian blood in my heritage, I find it odd, so it must be my soul was there in a previous iteration of life. Hunting truffles, gathering the grape harvest, sharing food and drink with friends. Tending my garden and reading books. This sounds like the perfect life. Obviously the author has a different financial and family situation than I do, so I will patiently save up for a trip while he jet-sets around the globe. Jealous. Good for you, sir, good for you.



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13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope #1)

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Fun, if unrealistic, adventure. Non-existent parents and teens running around the globe. What's not to like? Ginny's aunt sends her on a globetrotting quest across Europe. A coming of age book that will make people like my daughter want to run off and have adventures. Hell, it makes me want to run away to Europe too.

It's a cute book--I didn't hate it. If I find the next one cheap or free I will read it too.



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Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I first read this book when I was growing up, and it was part of what sparked a life-long wanderlust in me. Imagine dashing around the world, speeding through countries on all modes of transport: trains, boats, elephants, and even a sled. Meeting people from different cultures, seeing others' traditions, and all the while taking on daring feats of heroism. That's what this book is for me. I listened to it on audiobook this time around, and Jim Dale is the very best choice for any English setting. If you didn't fall in love with his narration from the Harry Potter books, you are missing out. He adds an extra layer of special to this book.

In case you haven't read it, eccentric English millionaire Phileas Fogg takes a bet with his fellow chaps at London's Reform Club that he (or really anyone with the time and means) can travel around the world in 80 days.
Oh, you silly Reform Club members with nothing better to do than play Whist and make exorbitant bets with each other. Your life must be very different from mine. Fogg wagers 20,000 pounds that he will return by 8:45pm on Saturday, December 21, 1872. Fogg runs home, grabs his newly hired manservant Passeportout, and rushes off on his quest. Unbeknownst to them, a bank robber matching Fogg's description has robbed the Bank of England, and Detective Fix thinks he has his man in Fogg. He follows them on the trip around the world, deceiving both Passeportout and Fogg and causing delays along the way while he awaits his arrest warrant on British soil.

While racing across India, Passeportout and Fogg save a widowed princess names Mrs. Aouda from a ritual sacrifice and she joins them on the rest of their journey. Spoiler alert! They fall in love as they travel, and are married by the end. This part is the best, and part of my deep, abiding love for this book. Yes, I'm a sap. Obstacles abound, and both manmade and natural delays happen to take them off of their timetable. You will be on the edge of your seat as the party moves across the globe on a race against the clock. It's so good! I especially love the final chapter--such a satisfying ending.

Two things to keep in mind: This book was first published in 1873, and a lot has changed in nearly 150 years. Verne's portrayal of other cultures was quite normal for the time period. As with any classic literature, you need to set aside how society functions now while reading. It's an interesting glimpse into how things have changed, and a great reminder that travel is one of the best ways to expand your mind and thinking. The more you are exposed to people and new cultures, the more you realize how very similar we are at our cores, and learn to celebrate our differences. Travel, explore, learn. Expand your horizons and your perspective. Also, never, ever watch this movie. It is terrible, and a travesty to one of my favorite books.



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Physical Education Week

Physical Education

This week we each read an arts book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Baseball - fiction or non-fiction book about baseball or a baseball player
General Sports - fiction or non-fiction book about any sport other than baseball
Olympics - fiction or non-fiction book about the Olympics, an Olympian, or any Olympic sport
Sports History - fiction or non-fiction historical book involving any sport

Books Selected:

Zach (Sports History - Mountain Climbing)

Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine by Jochen Hemmleb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The story of the expedition to find Mallory and Irvine who lost their lives attempting to first summit Everest in 1924.  This book is full of cool facts and pictures, and has a lot of climbing history.

There is also a picture of Mallory's frozen body, so NSFW.  It was pretty chill to see a corpse.  Get it, chill?  hahaha




Michelle (Sports History - Mountain Climbing)

The Mountain: My Time on Everest by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are Ed Viesturs's mom, look away now. You may not want to read this...

I love reading travel and adventure memoirs. Reading about places that I may never get to visit, dangers I may never get to experience, and people I may never get to meet makes me feel a little more well-rounded. I have armchair traveled to Everest several times and thought I would enjoy this book, so I bought it without reading anything about it.

Ed Viesturs comes across as strangely unlikeable and a bit of an ass. He was featured in the Everest IMAX documentary and he didn't seem that way in the movie, so I have to attribute it to the weird combination of using a co-writer whose voice differed so greatly from the voice in Viestur's climbing diaries. The entire book reads as one huge humblebrag. He sprinkles stories of climbing history, his attempts on Everest and other 8000s, and adventures of other climbers he has known and worked with throughout the book. His diary entries made me think, "I'll bet this guy is insufferable at parties. He thinks he's amazing." I get it; you are brave and have successfully reached the summit several times--no small feat. I would never, ever attempt such insanity, as I hate to be cold and am a bit afraid of heights. He seemed critical of some of his peers and a bit smug about the decisions he would have made in those situations, as if his superior judgment is why he is alive today while so many others have perished. But Ed, mountain climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. If you have not had an unfortunate accident, I believe it is a matter of luck, not skill. Mother Nature can and will take you out at anytime, so count your blessings.

I did enjoy all of the stories about various summit attempts on Everest, and would still recommend to people who love adventure and climbing. But Viesturs's writing definitely annoyed me. I have a copy of another one of his books, "No Shortcuts to the Top," and I will give it a try. Hopefully it is less of a humblebrag and more of a collection of entertaining climbing vignettes. One more chance, Ed, one more chance. Don't let me down!


Maddie (General Sports - Mountain Climbing)

Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

The Mountain: My Time on Everest

The Mountain: My Time on Everest by Ed Viesturs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are Ed Viesturs's mom, look away now. You may not want to read this...

I love reading travel and adventure memoirs. Reading about places that I may never get to visit, dangers I may never get to experience, and people I may never get to meet makes me feel a little more well-rounded. I have armchair traveled to Everest several times and thought I would enjoy this book, so I bought it without reading anything about it.

Ed Viesturs comes across as strangely unlikeable and a bit of an ass. He was featured in the Everest IMAX documentary and he didn't seem that way in the movie, so I have to attribute it to the weird combination of using a co-writer whose voice differed so greatly from the voice in Viestur's climbing diaries. The entire book reads as one huge humblebrag. He sprinkles stories of climbing history, his attempts on Everest and other 8000s, and adventures of other climbers he has known and worked with throughout the book. His diary entries made me think, "I'll bet this guy is insufferable at parties. He thinks he's amazing." I get it; you are brave and have successfully reached the summit several times--no small feat. I would never, ever attempt such insanity, as I hate to be cold and am a bit afraid of heights. He seemed critical of some of his peers and a bit smug about the decisions he would have made in those situations, as if his superior judgment is why he is alive today while so many others have perished. But Ed, mountain climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. If you have not had an unfortunate accident, I believe it is a matter of luck, not skill. Mother Nature can and will take you out at anytime, so count your blessings.

I did enjoy all of the stories about various summit attempts on Everest, and would still recommend to people who love adventure and climbing. But Viesturs's writing definitely annoyed me. I have a copy of another one of his books, "No Shortcuts to the Top," and I will give it a try. Hopefully it is less of a humblebrag and more of a collection of entertaining climbing vignettes. One more chance, Ed, one more chance. Don't let me down!


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A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure.

A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure by Marlena DeBlasi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ah, Tuscany! High on my bucket list, and this book just whetted my appetite further. I can imagine living in this old farmhouse in the ancient village, creating traditions and eating good food. Delightful.

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Paris in Love: A Memoir

Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My latest armchair traveler read, Paris in Love, will take you through snippets of Eloise James's (pen name of historical romance novelist and professor Mary Bly) year-long sabbatical in Paris with her family. Originally her Facebook and Twitter posts, she weaves together the daily happenings and Parisian experiences with her musings on life, family, and her journey after breast cancer. A bit slow and disjointed at times, this allows you to step back and be a part of her life during her year of self-reflection and change. An enjoyable read.

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