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French Milk

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Lucy Knisley

October 14, 2008
French Milk is ADORABLE! We get to see Paris through the eyes of Lucy Knisley, a smart, funny, self-revealing, and thoroughly likable young artist. As Lucy and her mother explore Paris together, Lucy draws, photographs, and describes what she sees and feels. This is not a gaspy love letter to Paris, but a very intimate portrait of a young woman trying to find her way in the world. I lived in Paris for one summer as a young student (20 years ago!) and it was so interesting to compare Lucy's observations with my own. I particularly enjoyed her list of "Strange things about our apartment," her descriptions of the food they ordered, and her honest reactions to frustrating travel experiences. Thanks, Lucy for a terrific book--I hope you'll write ... Read More:

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PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! (PassPorter)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx, Allison Cerel Marx

December 02, 2008
I ordered the PassPorter's Walt Disney World, as well as a few other titles without much thought for a planned trip in February. This one book is pretty much all you need. It has tools to help you easily and simply plan your entire trip. The hotels are reviewed each one on a couple of pages, complete with photos, pros and cons... There is a section for each resort with details on all the rides, shows... A fold out map that has all the attractions listed on the back so you can check the ones you want to see. It even has little pockets in the back to store your confirmations, all the stuff Disney sends you... Buy this and you will not regret it or even need any of the other guides. They also have guides for other places too. I am sold on this product.

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Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond (Oahu Revisited)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Andrew Doughty

February 15, 2007
Get it while you can. THe locals don't want you to know what 's in this book. GREAT opportunities await! We passed the crowded waterfalls and found private ones that we had all to ourselves! THANK YOU!

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The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Erik Torkells, the readers of Budget Travel

March 01, 2007
some tips are interesting, but some I've heard before. The book had a difficult time keeping my interest since the entries are so short and unrelated in terms of organization.

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Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Tim Butcher

October 01, 2008
The author's premise is intriguing. A lone white man will journey through the horrific darkness of the modern Congo, tracing the steps of Henry Stanley's legendary trek recorded in 1876.

Mr. Butcher's account however falls flat with a resounding thud.

The descriptions of his journey are wooden, unedifying, and whiny. "I got bitten this morning by a mosquito!" "I became hungry after noon having gone without breakfast!"

The author bails out half-way through his mission and finishes the last 1,000 mile leg of his quest to the Atlantic virtually non-stop by freighter and helicopter, (hint: first 300 pages describe about 1,000 miles: last 20 pages describe the next 1,000 miles).

It seems that the author became ... Read More:

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Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary (Rick Steves)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Rick Steves

December 01, 2008
This Italian phrase book offers far more than it promises, is easy to use, and quickly seems to offer precise solutions to the problem of the moment, whatever it may be. My wife and I made extensive use of it.

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Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas (P.S.)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: John Baxter

September 23, 2008
I was trying to find a book here on Amazon about French Christmas cooking when I stumbled upon this book. In fact, I thought there were some recipes in the book, but there is only a vague explanation of a couple dishes. However, that took nothing away from my enjoyment of this wonderful book!

The author's writing was very approachable, and allows the reader to run through the book. The story, however, was amazing and inspirational. It is filled with personal anecdotes from his life as he tells the journey of putting together a Christmas dinner for a traditional French family who knows their way around the kitchen. These short narratives might seem like filler to some, but I thought they were what gave the novel life, from his friend's experience of a Napoleon era ... Read More:

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The Places In Between

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Rory Stewart

May 08, 2006
What Mr. Stewart did was brave, and interesting in theory, but the narrative that emerges is unavoidably monotonous, as the areas he walked through are pretty much the armpit of the world. Blah blah snow blah grudgingly given sleep space in the mosque blah left the next day blah Kalashnikovs blah they threw rocks at my dog again. I was hoping for a much more eventful story as I love travel writing and have been wanting to know more about that part of the world... and it turns out, not surprisingly, that it's primitive and poor and cold and isolated and just not real interesting. And this is not to denigrate Mr. Stewart: on the contrary he should be admired for telling it like it is.

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Garlic and Sapphires

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Ruth Reichl

March 02, 2006
Ruth Reichl is excellent at writing about food. She really captures tastes in poetic language.

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Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Rolf Potts

December 24, 2002
The author comes across as someone who's definitely "lived what he writes". The "art of traveling", and making the most of it by not carrying the "tourist" attitude with you, is good advice for living, not just those on the road.