Category Archives: North America

Travel Ideas for Book Lovers: The Library Hotel

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in North America, Travel Ideas for Book Lovers

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Any fan of books will be a fan of The Library Hotel.  Located on Madison Avenue and 41st Street in New York City, The Library Hotel is just that—a hotel with a library theme (and it’s located within walking distance of The New York Public Library, of course).

Just like any library, this hotel is based on the Dewey Decimal System.  Each of the ten guest floors is associated with one of the ten categories in the system: Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts, and Religion.  And the six rooms on each floor are further broken by topic, so on the twelfth floor (Religion), the following rooms are available:

  • 1200.006 Ancient Religion (Mythology)
  • 1200.005 Native American Religion
  • 1200.004 Germanic Religion
  • 1200.003 New Age
  • 1200.002 African Religion
  • 1200.001 Eastern Religion

And within each room, guests will find unique decorations and, of course, a collection of books that belong in that subject.

The hotel offers even more book-related amenities:

  • The Reading Room—open 24 hours, it’s a place for guests to relax with a book of their choice and complimentary breakfast in the morning and prosecco, wine, and snacks in the evening
  • The Writer’s Den and Poetry Garden—a rooftop terrace with views of New York City that offers a fireplace and a green house, in the evening it becomes…
  • Bookmarks Lounge—a trendy cocktail lounge serving literary-themed cocktails, such as the Hemingway made with rum, champagne, and mint
  • DVD Rental Library—for the movie lovers, the hotel also offers a rental library that includes the American Film Institute’s Top 100 films

The Library Hotel is not a hotel for the budget traveler, but it is a hotel for literary traveler—make reservations soon!

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in Australia, Comedy, Movie Review, North America, Romance

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Australia is a beautiful country that’s been captured many times on film…and if you’re looking for an epic award-winning movie with sweeping visuals and a dramatic story that capture the country—this is definitely not what you’re looking for.  But, if you’re looking for a fun enjoyable romantic comedy with a glimpse into life in the Outback and a humorous look at life in New York City, then you’ll enjoy this “classic” (for those of that grew up in the 80’s) to be just what you’re looking for.In “Crocodile” Dundee, an American reporter travels to Australia in search of a crocodile hunter who supposedly had his leg bitten off and then walked over a hundred miles back to civilization.  When she arrives, she finds Mick Dundee—a macho Australian raised in the Outback by Aborigines who has never been to a city (but he does still have his leg with scarring from a crocodile’s “love bite”).  He shows the reporter his home complete with animals, hikes, and Aborigines.  The two return to New York City and Mick finds himself lost in the big city—what follows are the expected humorous “fish out of water” scenes that include Mick discovering indoor plumbing and prostitutes.

Of course, as a romantic comedy, there’s also the obligatory love triangle between Mick, the reporter, and the reporter’s boyfriend in New York.  And, of course, the movie ends with a heart-warming scene.

“Crocodile” Dundee  is a light-hearted movie with beautiful scenes from Australia, a funny look at life in New York City, and likeable characters.  (And one crocodile…who unfortunately looks fake compared to today’s special effects!)

And if this isn’t enough for you, there are two more movies that follow Mick: “Crocodile” Dundee II and “Crocodile” Dundee in Los Angeles 

Title: “Crocodile” Dundee
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount
Actors: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, David Gulpilil
Director: Peter Faiman
Release Date: September 26, 1986
10-digit ASIN number: B000XVRD0G

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

16 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Biography/Memoir, Book Club, Book Review, Fitness, North America, Self-Discovery, Solo

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Oprah’s Book Club ran for 15 years, covered 70 books, and it’s estimated that it helped sell more than 55 million books.  The club ended in 2011 when Oprah ended her show, but a new version was recently launched: Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.  In this version, readers interact with each other, Oprah, and the author in a variety of formats including social media, discussion forums, and webisodes.  It culminates with a TV show on the OWN Network.

The first book for this new book club?  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, a memoir that follows the writer’s journey as she hiked over eleven hundred miles through California, Oregon, and Washington.  So, of course, we had to check it out.

The Pacific Crest Trail covers 2,663 miles from Mexico to Canada and with high elevations (up to 13,000 above sea level in the Sierra Madres), hazardous weather (snow in the mountains and draught-like heat in the desert), and the commitment it takes to undertake such a challenge, very few “thru-hikers” (hikers who take on a long distance in a single trip) actually make it through the “PCT.”

After watching her mother unexpectedly die and her family seemingly fall apart, 22-year-old Cheryl finds herself lost and empty.  She first turns to sex and then to heroin to attempt to fill the hole in her heart—which doesn’t bode well for her marriage.

So, at 26, divorced, scared, and not quite sure what to do with herself, Cheryl finds herself on the PCT, putting one foot in front of the front of the other, testing herself, taking in the beauty, and learning a lot along the way.

Throughout her journey, Cheryl sees beautiful sights, meets interesting people, eats a lot of canned goods, and discovers her own inner strength.  She describes her struggles along the trail from carrying a heavy pack and wearing boots that are too small to confronting her loneliness and accepting what life has handed her and the choices she’s made.

Her tone is honest and real, yet optimistic and hopeful.  Anyone that has taken on long challenges on their own will identify with her experiences…and anyone that’s interested in the Pacific Crest Trail will gain some valuable insight into what to expect:

Miles weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The PCT had taught me what a mile was. I was humble before each and every one.

Oprah’s interview with Cheryl will air this coming Sunday, 22 July on OWN’s Super Soul Sunday at 11 a.m. (EST).

A reading guide for Wild is available for book clubs.

Title: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Publisher: Knopf
Year Published: 2012
ISBN number: 0307592731, 978-0307592736
Formats available: Hardcover, Kindle, Nook, Audio

***Photo by B. Clay Shannon, from The Pacific Crest Trail Association

Travel Idea for Book Lovers: Hemingway Days, 17-22 July, 2012

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Classics, North America, Travel Ideas for Book Lovers

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Press Release from the The Monroe County Tourist Development Council:

Fans of good writing can explore a roster of literary and theatrical events during Hemingway Days 2012, set for Tuesday through Sunday, July 17-22. The festival celebrates the literary accomplishments and exuberant Key West lifestyle of legendary writer Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the island throughout the 1930s.
The literary schedule honors the 75th anniversary of the publication of Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not, a novel set largely in Key West. The schedule includes readings and presentations by Key West writers, a one-man theatrical performance and the announcement of the winners of the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition.

Lorian Hemingway, critically acclaimed author of Walking Into The River, WALK ON WATER: A Memoir and A World Turned Over : A Killer Tornado and the Lives It Changed Forever, also is a granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. She has directed the short story competition, which supports the talents of emerging writers, since its 1981 inception.

The winners of the internationally recognized literary contest are to be announced at 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Casa Antigua, 314 Simonton St. Renowned as Ernest Hemingway’s first Key West residence, the property is now a showplace with a soaring central atrium garden.

The free-admission awards reception is to include a reading of the winning story, a discussion of Casa Antigua’s history by owner Tom Oosterhoudt and tours of the architecturally unique property.

Fittingly for the To Have and Have Not anniversary, Key West writers are to star at an evening of readings set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, hosted by Wyland Galleries of Key West at 623 Duval St.

Scheduled participants include Michael Haskins, best known for his Key West crime thriller series featuring “Mad Mick” Murphy; David Sloan, author of The Key West Bucket List and co-author of Quit Your Job And Move To Key West among others; writer/editor Wendy Tucker, who penned many Key West stories during her long tenure as a journalist, and author/editor/poet George Murphy, presenting a selection from To Have and Have Not.

The evening also includes a reception where attendees can meet selected Wyland Galleries artists and view their creations. Admission is free.

In addition, Hemingway Days attendees can enjoy the United States premiere of a one-man dramatic production written and performed by Brian Gordon Sinclair. Sinclair has done extensive research into Hemingway’s life and will conclude his six-play “Hemingway On Stage” cycle at the 2012 festival.

Titled “In Deadly Ernest,” the gripping play deals with the drama and heartbreak of Hemingway’s later life and final days. Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at the Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St.

Sinclair plans a second performance at 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 20, to honor the late Jean Klausing of Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a longtime guiding force behind Hemingway Days.

Event information: www.shortstorycompetition, www.hemingwaydays.net, www.kwahs.com
Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY
Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • YouTube.com/FloridaKeysTV

**Photo by Andy Newman/ Florida Keys News Bureau

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

07 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by in Adventure, Asia, Classics, Europe, Movie Review, North America, Young Adult

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One of the images that most think of when thinking of Around the World in 80 Days is traveling in a hot air balloon…in reality, though, that scene never appears in Jules Verne’s novel.  It does, however, appear in the Academy Award winning movie produced in 1956 by Michael Todd.

Watching this movie is not only a fun trip around the world with scenes ranging from a bull fight in Spain to elephants in India, a Japanese acrobatic show to the wild West of the United States, but it is also a fun visit to movie-making of yesteryear.  Without computer imaging, green screens, or fast-paced fight scenes, the movie relies on old-fashioned costumes, sets, and extras to bring the travels to life.  According to the International Movie Database, the film used 140 sets in six Hollywood studios (plus sets in London, Hong Kong, and Japan), almost 75,000 costumes, 8,500 animals, and almost 70,000 extras.

It is also the film that brought the idea of “cameo” appearances to the movies—famous stars (including Ronald Colman who came out of retirement for his “role”) appeared in small roles delighting audiences…a practice that continuously used today.

Starring David Nevin in his favorite role as Phileas Fogg and the popular Mexican star Cantinflas in his first English-speaking role as Passepartout (a Frenchman in the book, but rewritten for the comedian), Around the World in 80 Days is an exploration of the world, adventure, and transportation in the late 1800’s as filmed in the 1950’s—full of stereotypes and scenery.

As is true of most books-turned-into-movies, there are quite a few differences between the novel and the film (learn about the novel: Around the World in 80 Days), but it’s still an adventure around the world with beautiful landscapes, funny moments, and lots of stars.  And although by today’s standards, the movie can seem slow and silly, the role that this movie played in the future of film cannot be denied.

There are many other versions of this adventure story, too:

Title: Around the World in 80 Days
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Actors: David Niven, Cantinfals, Robert Newton
Directors: Michael Anderson
Release Date: October 17, 1956
10-digit ASIN number: B0001US8F8

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