Armchair Travels - May 6, 2014

After spending a semester abroad in Europe I gained a love of travel that was only trumped by my love of travelogues.  I had discovered that I could experience many of the adventures of travel without even having to actually experience them.  And while that may sound extremely lame…it has oddly worked for me.  Below is my review of a short, but incredibly interesting travelogue through the middle east, which is definitely one area I will probably only ever explore from the comfort of my old recliner.

Currently Reading:

• The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers who Reinvented American Literature by Ben Tarnoff
• Goldfinch by Donna Tartt      
• We Were Liars by e. lockhart (received through the publisher)
• Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (received through the publisher)
• The Most Dangerous Book by Kevin Birmingham (received through the publisher)
• Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles (received through NetGalley)

On Deck:

• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• The Angry Years: The Rise and Fall of the Angry Young Men by Colin Wilson (received through NetGalley)
• The Hollow Ground by Natalie Harnett (received through NetGalley)

Recent Reviews:

From Souk to Souk: Travels through the Middle East by Robin Ratchford (received through NetGalley)

4 stars

Robin Ratchford used to look through his collection of stamps and dream about the places that he writes about in this book.  Each chapter represents his visit to a different Middle Eastern city and the locales include Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Kabul, Dubai and more.  The descriptions of the places and the people were beautifully written and always interesting.  I did think it could have been longer but it is a wonderful and honest introduction to the area and was easily read in a short time span.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.