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sunbreak's review against another edition
3.0
Man, this is a great idea for a book! But, OMG, the organization of it drove me nutso.
goodem9199's review against another edition
5.0
For those of us who crave a glimpse at the private lives of writers, this is better than the tabloids!
audryt's review against another edition
5.0
Used this on trips to England and NYC. Loved it as a reference, but also as a book I could open at random and read fascinating tidbits from.
kdurham2's review
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A very fun reference book that I enjoyed reading bits and pieces at a time. From the birthplaces and childhood homes of authors to bridges and buildings that were significant in the best of books, I loved exploring this book. This book made me want to make a trip that centers around seeing a few of these fun spots. My husband the non reader may even enjoy a few of the more historical and less completely book related adventures.
A very fun reference book that I enjoyed reading bits and pieces at a time. From the birthplaces and childhood homes of authors to bridges and buildings that were significant in the best of books, I loved exploring this book. This book made me want to make a trip that centers around seeing a few of these fun spots. My husband the non reader may even enjoy a few of the more historical and less completely book related adventures.
compass_rose's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book I've wanted to write for years. I have always sought out literary sites when I travel (fictional ones are my favorites). I keep a running list (which I couldn't find when writing this review) of such sites.
So, naturally I was very excited to see that someone else has created a collection like this. The book is clearly only a piece of the pie. You realize instantly that there are so many places NOT included. And you realize that no one book could cover them all. But the authors have presented a range of interesting sites, including authors' and characters' homes & haunts, libraries of note, hotels with book themes, book/author festivals, book-to-film locations, etc. Most are in the US and Great Britain, though France, Ireland, and Prague are also mentioned. Some of the obvious sites, like 221B Baker Street, are joined by less-obvious (to me) places like Tarrytown (Sleepy Hollow). I was happy that some local favorites were represented -- like Robert Frost Farm in Derry and Frost Place in Franconia. Lots of sites for the predictables--Austen, Hemingway and Wilde.
Though I am not faulting the book for this, it did not include some fun places I have visited, like 84 Charing Cross Rd. in London, Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes reportedly met his demise), or Sarah Orne Jewett's home in South Berwick, Maine. And it was pretty scant on children's literature sites (nothing Harry Potter related) [I think there is a book out there already on children's book sites--I need to look for that:].
All in all, I enjoyed looking through this and hope to add it to my collection of thematic travel guides.
So, naturally I was very excited to see that someone else has created a collection like this. The book is clearly only a piece of the pie. You realize instantly that there are so many places NOT included. And you realize that no one book could cover them all. But the authors have presented a range of interesting sites, including authors' and characters' homes & haunts, libraries of note, hotels with book themes, book/author festivals, book-to-film locations, etc. Most are in the US and Great Britain, though France, Ireland, and Prague are also mentioned. Some of the obvious sites, like 221B Baker Street, are joined by less-obvious (to me) places like Tarrytown (Sleepy Hollow). I was happy that some local favorites were represented -- like Robert Frost Farm in Derry and Frost Place in Franconia. Lots of sites for the predictables--Austen, Hemingway and Wilde.
Though I am not faulting the book for this, it did not include some fun places I have visited, like 84 Charing Cross Rd. in London, Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes reportedly met his demise), or Sarah Orne Jewett's home in South Berwick, Maine. And it was pretty scant on children's literature sites (nothing Harry Potter related) [I think there is a book out there already on children's book sites--I need to look for that:].
All in all, I enjoyed looking through this and hope to add it to my collection of thematic travel guides.
madelyn91's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it will fill your bookish heart with wanderlust! I will it was illustrated or had pictures of the destinations but maybe in a future addition, they will add that. I'd highly recommend it to any bookworm or traveler!
nicolesnook's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed reading about the different literary destinations around the world, and now I have a list of places I want to visit. I also learned a lot of interesting trivia about great authors. My issue with the book was it's organization. The themes to chapters weren't consistent. Some were based on region, others specific authors or genres. Very early in the book there was a chapter called "more playful destinations" which seemed like it should be at the end for places that didn't fit in other places. I also found the layout distracting. I liked all the extra pieces of trivia and stories added, but the way they were placed in the middle of pages, it wasn't always clear where to read next. While I enjoyed the book, I found the issues with organization and layout detracted from it.