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Finding Myself in Borneo
Sojourns in Sabah
Neill McKee
2019 Honorable Mention
305 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah by Neill McKee is a travel memoir that informs and entertains readers and brings them into contact with exciting places, characters, and communities in Asia. The last day of work at his father's factory was on July 4, 1968, and standing behind the rear wall where he could see the valley and creek flowing past, Neill McKee offers readers the first glimpse into his exciting mind and adventurous spirit: "Despite this toxic playground, I recall an ideal childhood, a loving family, and—as I grew older—increasing freedom to explore farther and farther from home. I believe my love of travel and discovery started here." In this memoir, the author shares his adventures from 1968-1970 while teaching secondary school as a CUSO volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo). The author shares his unique experiences of encounters with Asian cultures, the excitement of learning a new language, the thrill of falling in love, and the adventures through colorful and beautiful landscapes.
Told in an atmospheric style of writing, the memoir explores the inner world of the protagonist and how contact with other places and people, new friendships and challenges allowed him to see himself better. It is a tender, highly observant memoir of the author’s sojourn in Sabah, a memoir that captures both the landscapes of his soul and the beauty of the world that surrounded him. Neill McKee weaves strong themes into the narrative, including friendship, education, personal growth, adventure, love, and family. At times wry and at times filled with humor, Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah is a memoir that is told in an honest voice and will inspire readers to think about how they relate to the world they inhabit. It’s simply brilliant.
Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah by Neill McKee is a travel memoir that informs and entertains readers and brings them into contact with exciting places, characters, and communities in Asia. The last day of work at his father's factory was on July 4, 1968, and standing behind the rear wall where he could see the valley and creek flowing past, Neill McKee offers readers the first glimpse into his exciting mind and adventurous spirit: "Despite this toxic playground, I recall an ideal childhood, a loving family, and—as I grew older—increasing freedom to explore farther and farther from home. I believe my love of travel and discovery started here." In this memoir, the author shares his adventures from 1968-1970 while teaching secondary school as a CUSO volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo). The author shares his unique experiences of encounters with Asian cultures, the excitement of learning a new language, the thrill of falling in love, and the adventures through colorful and beautiful landscapes.
Told in an atmospheric style of writing, the memoir explores the inner world of the protagonist and how contact with other places and people, new friendships and challenges allowed him to see himself better. It is a tender, highly observant memoir of the author’s sojourn in Sabah, a memoir that captures both the landscapes of his soul and the beauty of the world that surrounded him. Neill McKee weaves strong themes into the narrative, including friendship, education, personal growth, adventure, love, and family. At times wry and at times filled with humor, Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah is a memoir that is told in an honest voice and will inspire readers to think about how they relate to the world they inhabit. It’s simply brilliant.
Recommend this book:
An American Family in Italy
Living La Dolce Vita without Permission
Paul Spadoni
2019 Bronze Medal
190 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
An American Family in Italy: Living La Dolce Vita without Permission by Paul R. Spadoni is an absorbing and charming story of a family that moves to Italy for a year after leaving a comfortable life back home. The book is about the family’s struggle to live, work, and study in a foreign land, and - most challenging - learn and speak a foreign language. The memoir captures the challenges faced by the family during their stay in Italy, and also trying to embrace a new culture and lifestyle. The memoir is a good blend of the family’s life there and it also showcases the traditions, essence, culture, food, and beauty of Italy through the eyes of the author and his family.
I found the memoir compelling because it is not easy to leave everything behind, especially a good job and a comfortable life, and move to a foreign land and start anew when you have your wife and two teen daughters traveling with you. The book encourages travel and exploring new lands, and will definitely appeal to all readers who love traveling, especially those who have traveled and lived in Italy, or are planning to visit Italy. What makes you want to visit or move to Italy? Wearing a cheap fedora and impersonating an Italian cousin in Venice was what made the author decide to move to Italy. The author’s stories of life there, along with their struggles, make Italy and Italian life sound so interesting, challenging, and exciting, and will motivate many readers to make their Italian dreams come true.
An American Family in Italy: Living La Dolce Vita without Permission by Paul R. Spadoni is an absorbing and charming story of a family that moves to Italy for a year after leaving a comfortable life back home. The book is about the family’s struggle to live, work, and study in a foreign land, and - most challenging - learn and speak a foreign language. The memoir captures the challenges faced by the family during their stay in Italy, and also trying to embrace a new culture and lifestyle. The memoir is a good blend of the family’s life there and it also showcases the traditions, essence, culture, food, and beauty of Italy through the eyes of the author and his family.
I found the memoir compelling because it is not easy to leave everything behind, especially a good job and a comfortable life, and move to a foreign land and start anew when you have your wife and two teen daughters traveling with you. The book encourages travel and exploring new lands, and will definitely appeal to all readers who love traveling, especially those who have traveled and lived in Italy, or are planning to visit Italy. What makes you want to visit or move to Italy? Wearing a cheap fedora and impersonating an Italian cousin in Venice was what made the author decide to move to Italy. The author’s stories of life there, along with their struggles, make Italy and Italian life sound so interesting, challenging, and exciting, and will motivate many readers to make their Italian dreams come true.
Recommend this book:
Amsterdam Exposed
An American's Journey Into The Red Light District
David Wienir
2019 Silver Medal
268 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District by David Wienir takes readers into the heart of the red light district to witness powerful encounters and meet the women who work there.
Entering his third year of law school at Berkeley and about to start a career in international law, the author couldn't be happier when the school agrees to give him a full semester of credit to study in Amsterdam. While this is to give him a break from Berkeley, it ushers him into a world he never expected and this memoir documents, with vivid images and rare poignancy, the author's adventures in this town, especially his experiences in the Red-light District. The reader follow the protagonist in a somewhat coming-of-age odyssey, discovering prostitution in some of the depressed streets of Amsterdam, and learning to cope in a foreign land. Published twenty years after the events related in the book, this memoir is a beautiful light on one of the oldest professions in the world — prostitution.
David Wienir is a good writer and his prose is tight and crisp. He leaves readers in no doubt that he is a professional writer. From the start of the narrative, we are introduced to the protagonist and to the setting — which comes across the narrative as a character on its own right. And yes, Amsterdam can be read from that perspective. Told in the first person narrative, it is gripping, somewhat hypnotic, with deft exploration of character and a plot structure that makes for an easy read. I enjoyed the beauty of language, the adventure elements of the story, and the social commentaries that offer insights into what Amsterdam felt like twenty years ago. Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District is enriched by the author’s gift for humor and his ability to evoke powerful images and capture the complex and deep emotional layers of the characters. It is a great read, indeed.
Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District by David Wienir takes readers into the heart of the red light district to witness powerful encounters and meet the women who work there.
Entering his third year of law school at Berkeley and about to start a career in international law, the author couldn't be happier when the school agrees to give him a full semester of credit to study in Amsterdam. While this is to give him a break from Berkeley, it ushers him into a world he never expected and this memoir documents, with vivid images and rare poignancy, the author's adventures in this town, especially his experiences in the Red-light District. The reader follow the protagonist in a somewhat coming-of-age odyssey, discovering prostitution in some of the depressed streets of Amsterdam, and learning to cope in a foreign land. Published twenty years after the events related in the book, this memoir is a beautiful light on one of the oldest professions in the world — prostitution.
David Wienir is a good writer and his prose is tight and crisp. He leaves readers in no doubt that he is a professional writer. From the start of the narrative, we are introduced to the protagonist and to the setting — which comes across the narrative as a character on its own right. And yes, Amsterdam can be read from that perspective. Told in the first person narrative, it is gripping, somewhat hypnotic, with deft exploration of character and a plot structure that makes for an easy read. I enjoyed the beauty of language, the adventure elements of the story, and the social commentaries that offer insights into what Amsterdam felt like twenty years ago. Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District is enriched by the author’s gift for humor and his ability to evoke powerful images and capture the complex and deep emotional layers of the characters. It is a great read, indeed.
Recommend this book:
The Buddha Sat Right Here
A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal
Dena Moes
2019 Gold Medal
272 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Cindy Bowles for Readers' Favorite
What do you get when you mix together a nurse midwife that delivers successful homebirths, a hippie herbalist-acupuncture clinician-Buddhist husband, a teenager rising to the heights of school popularity, and an artistic dyslexic preteen? You get the Adam & Dena Moes Family on a backpacking adventure of a lifetime throughout India, learning what is most important in life! The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal is the true story of an 8-month trek around India, where Dena, Adam, Bella and young Sophia Moes climb to their highest Himalayan peaks of exhilaration and the lowest Kullu valleys of family pain while experiencing the colorful culture and existence in the varied people of India, their crowded communities, sacred cows, and the Buddhist way of life. Dena, Bella, and Sophia finally witness firsthand the powerful draw that Buddhist teachers and teachings bring to their husband and father, Adam, and begin to understand and even accept the wisdom and peace that it carries into their own hectic, modern lives.
In a delightfully descriptive memoir of their family’s experiences, this book gives a vivid insight into the beauty and complexity of India, Buddhist philosophy, and family relationships. It is highly educational in history, ideologies, culture, and even in the resolving of issues and conflict…all within a witty, yet heartwarming tale woven by author Dena Moes. The reader is easily pulled into their adventurous saga while visualizing the eventful struggles and restful realities of their journey. If you have ever thought of traveling to the east, especially to India, this hopeful, marvelous memoir, The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal by Dena Moes, brings the “possibilities” to life for you and is highly recommended!
What do you get when you mix together a nurse midwife that delivers successful homebirths, a hippie herbalist-acupuncture clinician-Buddhist husband, a teenager rising to the heights of school popularity, and an artistic dyslexic preteen? You get the Adam & Dena Moes Family on a backpacking adventure of a lifetime throughout India, learning what is most important in life! The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal is the true story of an 8-month trek around India, where Dena, Adam, Bella and young Sophia Moes climb to their highest Himalayan peaks of exhilaration and the lowest Kullu valleys of family pain while experiencing the colorful culture and existence in the varied people of India, their crowded communities, sacred cows, and the Buddhist way of life. Dena, Bella, and Sophia finally witness firsthand the powerful draw that Buddhist teachers and teachings bring to their husband and father, Adam, and begin to understand and even accept the wisdom and peace that it carries into their own hectic, modern lives.
In a delightfully descriptive memoir of their family’s experiences, this book gives a vivid insight into the beauty and complexity of India, Buddhist philosophy, and family relationships. It is highly educational in history, ideologies, culture, and even in the resolving of issues and conflict…all within a witty, yet heartwarming tale woven by author Dena Moes. The reader is easily pulled into their adventurous saga while visualizing the eventful struggles and restful realities of their journey. If you have ever thought of traveling to the east, especially to India, this hopeful, marvelous memoir, The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal by Dena Moes, brings the “possibilities” to life for you and is highly recommended!
Recommend this book:
A Random Buzzard In Kathmandu
Suzanne Link
2018 Honorable Mention
346 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite
A Random Buzzard In Kathmandu by Suzanne Link is a memoir written by Suzanne about her journey battling with cancer and her subsequent travel to the Himalayas. The narrative begins with her initial diagnosis of breast cancer and the chemotherapy and radiation she went through with its side effects such as nausea, hair loss, etc. Her health improves and around the same time she hears of a trip to the Himalayas comprised of cancer survivors, and it sounds like a great way to rejuvenate and get a new perspective. What follows is Suzanne’s journey through Nepal on a trekking expedition that includes summiting mountains and experiencing the majesty and sublimity of the Himalayas, descriptions of the group that she travels with, and the friendships she forms both with her teammates as well as Sherpas, the acclimatization and health challenges, and the lessons she learns from all of this.
I enjoyed reading A Random Buzzard In Kathmandu and, having been to the Himalayas myself, although not in the same areas as Suzanne, I could certainly relate to the travel experience of high altitude, etc. This story is two-fold and runs in parallel: Suzanne’s fight with cancer and her travel experience with her group in the Himalayas. It is exciting to get right into the middle of the Himalayan range, so to speak, and to glimpse mighty peaks such as Everest. The local travel in Kathmandu and villages along the route is also interesting. I very much enjoyed reading this memoir.
A Random Buzzard In Kathmandu by Suzanne Link is a memoir written by Suzanne about her journey battling with cancer and her subsequent travel to the Himalayas. The narrative begins with her initial diagnosis of breast cancer and the chemotherapy and radiation she went through with its side effects such as nausea, hair loss, etc. Her health improves and around the same time she hears of a trip to the Himalayas comprised of cancer survivors, and it sounds like a great way to rejuvenate and get a new perspective. What follows is Suzanne’s journey through Nepal on a trekking expedition that includes summiting mountains and experiencing the majesty and sublimity of the Himalayas, descriptions of the group that she travels with, and the friendships she forms both with her teammates as well as Sherpas, the acclimatization and health challenges, and the lessons she learns from all of this.
I enjoyed reading A Random Buzzard In Kathmandu and, having been to the Himalayas myself, although not in the same areas as Suzanne, I could certainly relate to the travel experience of high altitude, etc. This story is two-fold and runs in parallel: Suzanne’s fight with cancer and her travel experience with her group in the Himalayas. It is exciting to get right into the middle of the Himalayan range, so to speak, and to glimpse mighty peaks such as Everest. The local travel in Kathmandu and villages along the route is also interesting. I very much enjoyed reading this memoir.
Recommend this book:
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/the-affordable-flight-guide&media=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41K99gKdMoS._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=Jen Ruiz's passionate love of travel on the cheap and her air travel experiences incorporated into The Affordable Flight Guide have many rewards for the travel oriented reader. Who knew the best way to search for flights was to use the "private window" on your browser to avoid all the nefarious trackers built into the search systems? A simple tip, ...){kind=link}
The Affordable Flight Guide
How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets and See the World on a Budget
Jen Ruiz
2018 Honorable Mention
86 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Cecil Brewer for Readers' Favorite
Jen Ruiz's passionate love of travel on the cheap and her air travel experiences incorporated into The Affordable Flight Guide have many rewards for the travel oriented reader. Who knew the best way to search for flights was to use the "private window" on your browser to avoid all the nefarious trackers built into the search systems? A simple tip, but very useful, and one of many. Her details like this one in each section are eye-opening and always practical. Travel tips, like downloading language files into a translation app, and other short quick suggestions confirm her expert knowledge. Ruiz advocates traveling as light as possible and avoiding checked bags. Her tip on what kind of carry-on to avoid buying explains the problems you can have at the gate.
When I was a "road-warrior" in a different time, I never bothered to look for the best price, or best connections. The Affordable Flight Guide: How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets and See the World on a Budget has impacted my planning viewpoint about booking habits and traveling on my own dime. Using budget airlines to get from point A to B and even on to C was a revelation to me. Ruiz chronicles her flight experiences on several budget airlines and made a compelling case for considering them. Her critiques of them are helpful if you are considering using any of the ones she includes. Besides her advice and tips on air travel, she includes payment methods and choices to consider. I think her writing style documenting, commenting, and explaining her air travel experiences is nicely done. I enjoyed the conversational style of Jen Ruiz's prose; it makes this book easy to read.
Jen Ruiz's passionate love of travel on the cheap and her air travel experiences incorporated into The Affordable Flight Guide have many rewards for the travel oriented reader. Who knew the best way to search for flights was to use the "private window" on your browser to avoid all the nefarious trackers built into the search systems? A simple tip, but very useful, and one of many. Her details like this one in each section are eye-opening and always practical. Travel tips, like downloading language files into a translation app, and other short quick suggestions confirm her expert knowledge. Ruiz advocates traveling as light as possible and avoiding checked bags. Her tip on what kind of carry-on to avoid buying explains the problems you can have at the gate.
When I was a "road-warrior" in a different time, I never bothered to look for the best price, or best connections. The Affordable Flight Guide: How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets and See the World on a Budget has impacted my planning viewpoint about booking habits and traveling on my own dime. Using budget airlines to get from point A to B and even on to C was a revelation to me. Ruiz chronicles her flight experiences on several budget airlines and made a compelling case for considering them. Her critiques of them are helpful if you are considering using any of the ones she includes. Besides her advice and tips on air travel, she includes payment methods and choices to consider. I think her writing style documenting, commenting, and explaining her air travel experiences is nicely done. I enjoyed the conversational style of Jen Ruiz's prose; it makes this book easy to read.
Recommend this book:
Your Crocodile Has Arrived
More True Stories from a Curious Traveler
Laurie McAndish King
2018 Bronze Medal
294 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Author Laurie McAndish King weaves adventure, humor, and wisdom in her engaging collection of travel stories titled Your Crocodile Has Arrived: More True Stories from a Curious Traveler. The book chronicles her exciting and fascinating travel trips including details of religious relics, gypsies and immigrants, and almost-forgotten histories. The author’s fascination for remarkable destinations, enthralling experiences, magical places, wonders of nature, and the people who work hard to preserve them fill the pages of this book. The world is a kaleidoscope and King's adventures while traveling to new destinations will encourage many readers to put on their traveling shoes, pack their bags, and explore foreign lands.
I like the author’s approach to the topic. Instead of speaking about places in the usual way, she makes it unique with her unconventional manner of perceiving her surroundings and lacing her stories with humor and wit while relating her experiences. The food, the pictures, the animals, places, and her adventures will grab the attention of readers and make them want to travel, explore, and discover places they have never been to before. The book is honest and brave and whether it is a chocolate massage, eating sheep offal in Scotland, or sky walking in New Zealand, the author's adventures in this book will make readers long to wander. It is a good book for all those who like to travel and read about new places, and learn about the sights and experiences there that make each place worth visiting. The discussion questions at the end of the book are interactive and they will help readers relive their favorite travel moments.
Author Laurie McAndish King weaves adventure, humor, and wisdom in her engaging collection of travel stories titled Your Crocodile Has Arrived: More True Stories from a Curious Traveler. The book chronicles her exciting and fascinating travel trips including details of religious relics, gypsies and immigrants, and almost-forgotten histories. The author’s fascination for remarkable destinations, enthralling experiences, magical places, wonders of nature, and the people who work hard to preserve them fill the pages of this book. The world is a kaleidoscope and King's adventures while traveling to new destinations will encourage many readers to put on their traveling shoes, pack their bags, and explore foreign lands.
I like the author’s approach to the topic. Instead of speaking about places in the usual way, she makes it unique with her unconventional manner of perceiving her surroundings and lacing her stories with humor and wit while relating her experiences. The food, the pictures, the animals, places, and her adventures will grab the attention of readers and make them want to travel, explore, and discover places they have never been to before. The book is honest and brave and whether it is a chocolate massage, eating sheep offal in Scotland, or sky walking in New Zealand, the author's adventures in this book will make readers long to wander. It is a good book for all those who like to travel and read about new places, and learn about the sights and experiences there that make each place worth visiting. The discussion questions at the end of the book are interactive and they will help readers relive their favorite travel moments.
Recommend this book:
My Love Affair With Italy
Memoir of a single woman's travels to Italy spanning 45 years from a teenager to retirement
Debbie Mancuso
2018 Silver Medal
332 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
My Love Affair With Italy by Debbie Mancuso is an engaging memoir that takes readers along with the author on her travels in Italy. She speaks about her passion for Italy where she has stayed in farm houses, monasteries, a 1000-year-old converted wine cellar in a medieval village, riding academies, a converted barn, Roman apartments, and converted vineyards. The book reinforces her love for Italy, its art, glorious history, warm and inviting waters, beautiful weather, and amazing food. So what are you waiting for? Let us join the author on her journey through Italy and discover the land through our own eyes, ears, and spirit.
This book will strike a chord with anyone who loves traveling and who is keen to travel to Italy or learn more about the country and its culture. The book encapsulates that period of her life spanning 45 years, from when she was a teenager till retirement, and her beautiful romance with the country. Her descriptions of the places in Italy and her travel experiences will make readers add Italy to their bucket list. Her passion for traveling and exploring and Italy is evident in her writing and I love the storytelling streak in her. Italy is a beautiful country and the author captures the landscapes, culture, custom, food, and lifestyle of the people there, captivating readers. The book is honest and straightforward and Debbie Mancuso makes us realize that there is no age limit on traveling and exploring other countries and new lands.
My Love Affair With Italy by Debbie Mancuso is an engaging memoir that takes readers along with the author on her travels in Italy. She speaks about her passion for Italy where she has stayed in farm houses, monasteries, a 1000-year-old converted wine cellar in a medieval village, riding academies, a converted barn, Roman apartments, and converted vineyards. The book reinforces her love for Italy, its art, glorious history, warm and inviting waters, beautiful weather, and amazing food. So what are you waiting for? Let us join the author on her journey through Italy and discover the land through our own eyes, ears, and spirit.
This book will strike a chord with anyone who loves traveling and who is keen to travel to Italy or learn more about the country and its culture. The book encapsulates that period of her life spanning 45 years, from when she was a teenager till retirement, and her beautiful romance with the country. Her descriptions of the places in Italy and her travel experiences will make readers add Italy to their bucket list. Her passion for traveling and exploring and Italy is evident in her writing and I love the storytelling streak in her. Italy is a beautiful country and the author captures the landscapes, culture, custom, food, and lifestyle of the people there, captivating readers. The book is honest and straightforward and Debbie Mancuso makes us realize that there is no age limit on traveling and exploring other countries and new lands.
Recommend this book:
African Memories
Travels to the Interior of Africa
Ndeye Labadens
2018 Gold Medal
117 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
African Memories: Travels to the Interior of Africa by Ndeye Labadens is an exciting journey where readers are taken into the heart of Africa. The author captures the beauty, sights, and sounds of Africa in a way that readers will want to pack their bags and discover all the places there - whether it is Senegal, the author’s home country, or Ghana, The Gambia, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Benin, Cabo Verde, Mali, or the other places covered. The beauty of each country is displayed through stunning pictures that will make readers see the diversity of each place.
Traveling is an education by itself and it exposes the traveler to life, people, and different cultures and surroundings with a different perspective. The author captures the nuances, the ambiance, and every small detail with enthusiasm, and gives readers the opportunity to experience the adventures of traveling to Africa. The vivid descriptions and detailed narration bring the places alive for readers and the pictures help them connect well with the author’s words.
It’s a must-read for all those who love traveling to new destinations, seeking adventures and excitement. The book will make readers dream; the roads, the culture, food, people, and society are enticing and will give readers a sense of adventure and excitement that comes with traveling and exploring new places. The author makes Africa a dream destination through her photographs and narration!
African Memories: Travels to the Interior of Africa by Ndeye Labadens is an exciting journey where readers are taken into the heart of Africa. The author captures the beauty, sights, and sounds of Africa in a way that readers will want to pack their bags and discover all the places there - whether it is Senegal, the author’s home country, or Ghana, The Gambia, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Benin, Cabo Verde, Mali, or the other places covered. The beauty of each country is displayed through stunning pictures that will make readers see the diversity of each place.
Traveling is an education by itself and it exposes the traveler to life, people, and different cultures and surroundings with a different perspective. The author captures the nuances, the ambiance, and every small detail with enthusiasm, and gives readers the opportunity to experience the adventures of traveling to Africa. The vivid descriptions and detailed narration bring the places alive for readers and the pictures help them connect well with the author’s words.
It’s a must-read for all those who love traveling to new destinations, seeking adventures and excitement. The book will make readers dream; the roads, the culture, food, people, and society are enticing and will give readers a sense of adventure and excitement that comes with traveling and exploring new places. The author makes Africa a dream destination through her photographs and narration!
Recommend this book:
Living in Italy: The Real Deal
Hilarious Expat Adventures
Stef Smulders
2017 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - Travel
Reviewed by Josephine Strano D'Urso for Readers' Favorite
Stef Smulders' Living in Italy: The Real Deal is a thoroughly entertaining read and a unique introduction to ‘the Italian way’! While attending a university course, Stef and husband, Nico, decide almost on a whim to buy a property in the wine region of Pavia and set up a B&B. Once they find what they are looking for, Stef drops out of university to oversee the remodeling of the house. He and Nico tie up a few loose ends in Holland and, together with their dog Saar, move into their new home while the restructuring work is going on. The book is a comical, often downright hilarious account of the setbacks and unforeseen obstacles Stef and Nico encounter while they navigate through the endless red tape of the stressful Italian bureaucracy and become acquainted with the Italian lifestyle.
Living in Italy: The Real Deal is by no means a travel guide, but for those who plan to relocate there, it provides an interesting insight into Italy’s public services’ notorious sluggishness and disorganization, as well as the Italian way of life. Being Italian-born, I found it to reflect the true essence of the Italian people without falling into the usual stereotypes. I also appreciated Stef Smulders' good-natured, tongue-in-cheek account of his experiences and interactions with the different characters in his book, all endearing even though sometimes maddening. Stef writes in a style all his own that keeps you riveted and thoroughly entertained. I could easily see this book as the first of a series dedicated to Italian living, written with a good dose of the same humor.
Stef Smulders' Living in Italy: The Real Deal is a thoroughly entertaining read and a unique introduction to ‘the Italian way’! While attending a university course, Stef and husband, Nico, decide almost on a whim to buy a property in the wine region of Pavia and set up a B&B. Once they find what they are looking for, Stef drops out of university to oversee the remodeling of the house. He and Nico tie up a few loose ends in Holland and, together with their dog Saar, move into their new home while the restructuring work is going on. The book is a comical, often downright hilarious account of the setbacks and unforeseen obstacles Stef and Nico encounter while they navigate through the endless red tape of the stressful Italian bureaucracy and become acquainted with the Italian lifestyle.
Living in Italy: The Real Deal is by no means a travel guide, but for those who plan to relocate there, it provides an interesting insight into Italy’s public services’ notorious sluggishness and disorganization, as well as the Italian way of life. Being Italian-born, I found it to reflect the true essence of the Italian people without falling into the usual stereotypes. I also appreciated Stef Smulders' good-natured, tongue-in-cheek account of his experiences and interactions with the different characters in his book, all endearing even though sometimes maddening. Stef writes in a style all his own that keeps you riveted and thoroughly entertained. I could easily see this book as the first of a series dedicated to Italian living, written with a good dose of the same humor.
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