travel books


Iberia Mystery Master

The name ‘Iberia’ came up a number of times in the planning of our New Orleans road trip and always made me wonder if it was the New Iberia I’ve come to know and love through the writings of James Lee Burke.  Sure enough, when we walked into the small town visitor’s center, there was a poster inviting aspiring novelists to a workshop. New Iberia, it seems, is a mystery lovers’ mecca.  That’s how good Burke is.  If you love books with such a strong sense of place that you feel you’ve lived there, give Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series a try.  The Neon Rain kicks it […]


Eastern European media list

Reading ahead ups my enjoyment of a trip no end.  Big cities, and architecture never did much for me, but after reading Chicago’s history and triumph in building skyscrapers on mud, I couldn’t wait to see them. Before our cruise I searched for something to read about Eastern Europe and came up short.  Maybe I can save someone else from a similar fate by sharing this list of books and movies our guides mentioned is noteworthy. Our cruise director introduced  Sissi–Forever My Love by telling us that she grew up watching it every year around Christmas.  It has the feel of a sixties-era Disney production–cutesy music, hokey characters, cheesy humor; but I was so glad to […]