Friday Fives #3 – 5 Places we want to visit because the book told us to

Posted January 15, 2021 by elzaread in Friday Fives / 25 Comments

Greetings! It’s the first Friday after school has opened for my Mommy and I really do hope she is going to make this snappy. I’ve missed her terribly this week and she needs to come and snuggle on the couch now.
It’s good to have some sense of normality again, but the one thing my Mommy says she still misses dreadfully, is travelling. Not that they’ve travelled all that much before the whole world closed, it’s just the idea that you can travel to far off exotic destinations. So todays Friday Fives will be:

 

 Five places my Mommy wants to travel to, because of a book. 

As always, we link up with  Connect Five hosted by the BookDateConnect Five is really very easy, just pick 5 books that are connected in some or other way. Theme, cover, genre, author – you name it.

My Mommy has never been to Britain, but it’s one of her greatest wishes to go visit the Queen’s Country. Of course a trip to Guernsey will have to form part of the itinerary. The inspiration of course comes from:
“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
 

 

Choosing which destination from the Seven Sisters Series to spotlight today, was no easy task. I firmly believe that some or other really clever travel agent, should plan a Seven Sisters Tour. That will be fabulous. Fabulously expensive too, but luckily there are enough books out there on how to rob a bank or “play the cards” at a Casino. We’ll find a way to go. My Mommy decided to go with Rio de Janeiro because she’s been dreaming of visiting long before this series came out. Rio de Janeiro is strongly featured in:
Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings.
Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela—passionate and longing to see the world—convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski’s studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.
In this sweeping, epic tale of love and loss—the first in a unique, spellbinding series of seven novels—Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talent like never before.
 

 

One of the last books we’ve finished in 2020, was Arrivals and Arrests. The first in a fun series called Isle of Man Ghostly. It is of course set on the beautiful Isle of Man. But I want to go with for this trip and play with the little kitty. Mommy can talk to the ghost if she wants to.
Fenella Woods has only met a few people during the twenty-four hours she’s been in Douglas, the capital city of the Isle of Man. She’s shocked when she discovers one of them dead in an alley behind her apartment building.
Struggling to adapt to her new life in a foreign country seems easy compared to coping with finding herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
Nearly fifty and newly single, Fenella meets a handsome police inspector, a dashing new neighbor, and a sophisticated businessman, all of whom have her questioning her determination to remain unattached.
Having a ghost for a roommate and a kitten as an uninvited houseguest has her questioning her decision to start a new life on the small island in the Irish Sea after all.
 
 

 

We’ve never even heard of New Caledonia until my Mommy read Miss Benson’s Beetle. Daddy throwned about this destinations and he says it’s in the middle of nowhere. Mommy says she thinks it’s perfect. I think I better go with on this trip too. One never knows how much of nuisance those little gold buggers can be. I will be able to ward them off.
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist–the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.
 

 

 

This will be re-visit and although I know they will most probably worship me in this strange country, I think I’ll rather stay at home. Mommy visited Egypt over 20 years ago and says she would love to go again. But this time with Daddy firmly holding her hand. We chose The Book of Two Ways for our inspiration, but Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie also comes to mind.
Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband, but a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.
Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, where she helps ease the transition between life and death for patients in hospice.
But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she once studied for, but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.
After the crash landing, the airline ensures the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways–the first known map of the afterlife.
As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried beside them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well-lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices…or do our choices make us? And who would you be, if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?
 
Anyone wants to be our travel companions?
Okay, I’ll give my Mommy five more minutes to quickly do a Book Blogger Hop, just because it’s a fun question!

 

 

 

 

Book Blogger Hop

 

The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted by Ramblings of a coffee addicted writer and he guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name. 

 

Today’s question: Do you think that readers make better employees as opposed to non-readers? Why or why not?
 
That’s a good question! The answers however, will be highly debatable. I guess that’s the whole idea. 
 
I guess you can’t appoint someone just because they are a reader. You might fire them far easier though, because they sit and read instead of working. 
I think for certain professions, it will be more beneficial to all parties, if you are a reader. Teachers for instance. I think most politicians might also be a bit better at their jobs by reading books and not necessarily writing them. Lawyers might benefit from reading a tad more. Accountants – maybe no. Mommy’s accountant is reader and whenever she needs to go and see him, they just talk books and forget about the actual questions. And travel agents of course. They are so much better at their jobs if they travel to those far off and exotic places. Even if it’s only through the pages of a book.
What do you think? Do you think readers are better employees? Would you like your travel agent to be well-read?
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!
Lots of Love,

 

 

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25 responses to “Friday Fives #3 – 5 Places we want to visit because the book told us to

  1. If we can't travel in actuality these days at least our books can take us there. I would love to visit Britain and see all those historic places. The Isle of Man would be another place as well. Not so keen on Egypt – too hot!!

  2. I haven't been to Guernsey (I'd love to), but I went to Jersey and Sark, close enough ! As a librarian, I'd love to read more – we don't have time to read as much as we'd like and I think some people expect us to have read every book available on the shelves ^^

    • You are close enough to go, just go and take some great photos for us! I don't get to read at school and I should try to read more of the books at school. I should actually just make a conscious decision to take one or two every month.

      I have that problem at Book Club! Everyone expects that I have read all the books in the register. I have read quite a large percentage, but not all of them!

      Hope you are well, take care of yourself.

  3. I miss travelling too… Or I miss having the OPTION to travel I think is more accurate. I really hope that before too long we have the option again.
    Guernsey is on my list of places I'd like to see too but it's less of a hassle getting there for me, I think, since I'm in the south of England anyway. 🙂

    • Hi Nicci, very well put yes. We miss the option of travelling.

      Oh please go to Guernsey and take lots and lots of pictures that you can share with us.

      Hope you are enjoying a good weekend, thanks for visiting!

  4. I love travelling too – although I've not visited any of these places so far. And of course Covid has rather put a stop to our gallivanting. Hopefully soon.
    Lynn 😀

  5. What a great topic for Connect 5! I might have to borrow this one in the future. There are so many places I would love to travel thanks to the books I read. I would love to visit any of the places you have visited.

    I don't know that a reader would be any better an employee than a non-reader. I know quite a few very hard workers who aren't big readers. As you suggested, it might depend on the job though.

    I hope you have a great weekend!

    • You are very welcome to use this topic whenever you want!

      I agree completely with you. I know people who are really good workers in various fields and they haven't read a book in years.

      Hope you are also having a good weekend!

  6. The Isle of Man and The Channel Islands haven't really popped up as places I would love to visit, probably because I live in England and places close to home tend to be ignored. That said I'm sure my husband would love to go and watch the TT races on the IoM! If you do ever get to visit the UK forget London. You need to visit York, North Wales, The Lake District and Devon/Cornwall. They are all so beautiful and will give you a much more honest picture of Britain.

    • Hi there Louise! Thanks for the travel tips! I definitely want to go The Lake Di
      strict and Cornwall. Will add Wales and York to my list! But I also want to go to London!! Will have to spend at least one day there.

  7. Oooh, yes, to all of these places! Especially Guernsey, Egypt and New Caledonia. Though, have you also seen the movie on Guernsey? The book made it seem lovely, but the movie's imagery somehow made the place seem bleak and disappointed me.
    ~ Lex (lexlingua.co)

    • Hi Lex! I did see the movie on Guernsey. Hmmmmm… remember it was only a year or two after the war and I think was rather bleak then. I think it's lovely now!

      I do hope we will be able to start travelling again somewhere this year.

      Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are enjoying a good weekend.

  8. This time last year I was about to leave for Paris. We spent three weeks there. What a great trip! Just got under the wire with that trip.

    I am traveling this month through March through books set in Japan. I am loving the experience.

    And I have to laugh…yes, I agree, most politicians would do better if they read more books than they write!

    • Hi Debs! I haven't been to Paris, but would love love love to go. I remember all your lovely posts on Paris last year.

      I have been to Japan though and I hope you enjoy your travels through Japan on paper. Sure you are going to love it.

  9. Omigosh I totally agree… I used to go on vacations all the time! And now it's been well over a year since my last one which is just so sad 🙁 Also, great destination spots!! Egypt in particular has been on my list for a long time! Fingers crossed we get there one day lol!

    • Hi Penelope! I really, really do hope that we can get travelling soon. We have a lovely country and we did go on a short holiday last year when the local borders opened up. I guess we'll do the same in a couple of months. Will most probably only get to travel abroad next year again!

    • Hi Sherry! Rio de Janeiro has been on my bucket list for years. I guess I just need to start making a plan here. My husband really wants to go to South America, so we might still get to it one day when the world opens up again.

  10. I miss travel too! So much! And I love your destination choices ❤️ I think this Book Blogger Hop question is a fascinating one. I don’t know. You can pretty much bank on that employee being well researched as to the company and their job, but if they read instead of work, that would be bad. Happy Friday! Enjoy your snuggle time ?

    • Hi Tessa! I think we should all slowly but surely start to check out holiday specials. One of these days the world will open up again and then we can go to all those dreamed about places. Oh wait, we don't have any money left….

      I have a staff of 6 and it's only me and one other lady who are serious readers. The others will read, but only now and then. They are all great at their jobs though!