Guest Post #9–Sabrina from Germany Shares Her Book Read ‘Round the World Experience

Lost on Planet China = Purple Pin

Journeying from Dresden, Germany to Alice Springs, NT, Australia

Distance Travelling = 8,768 mi / 14,110 km

Total Distance Traveled to Date = 29,917 mi / 354,111 km

Guest Post #9

Sabrina from Germany

Lost on Planet China is on the last third of its journey around the world. I can’t believe that its traveled 350,000+ km! That just seems crazy!

Sabrina from Thinking About Loud in Germany has sent her package to Amanda from Desert Book Chick in Australia so it’s time to post Sabrina’s guest post. Sabrina posts some amazing book reviews and also had a short series of posts about her green thumb that were really fun to read. She also occasionally posts recipes on her blog. Make sure you head over to visit Thinking About Loud after you read her guest post!

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What did you get in the package you were sent?

I got very many, very amazing things from Julie. First of all I got a surprise, because Julie sent me a book via the Book Depository which arrived before her own package. The day I found it in the mail my first thoughts were. “But I did not order it!” When I found out who and why sent me this I was very pleased. I got Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore. Julie told me in her letter that it was set in Ringgold, GA, which is the town she lives in. I already heard good things about this book and I’m looking forward to reading it soon.

Julie also sent me some yummy moon pies, which are a very Southern snack invented in Chattanooga, TN, which is a railroad town and that is why she sent me the Chattanooga Choo-Choo tag, to give me an idea of Southern America. I also got a reusable shopping bag and a bookmark with a quote from Lincoln. Both items are in constant use now.

What were the questions you were asked?

1. Who would you consider to be your favorite German authors?

To be honest, I have not read very many contemporary German authors lately which actually is a shame. But book blogging and Shelfari both provide very many great book suggestions of American or English authors, which I enjoy to read. Still I have a few recommendations. First of all I love Leonie Swann. Her book Glennkill has been translated into English and can now be found under the title Three Bags Full. Other than that I’d like to recommend Blindness of the Heart by Julia Franck.

2. I’m a HUGE fan of German food. What is your favorite German meal?

This is a tough one. I love food and to narrow it down to one meal is nearly impossible. ;-) But as it is very typical for Saxony, the state I come from, I would go with Saxon potato soup. Typically all the ingredients like potatoes, carrots, leek and celery are cooked together. When this is done the vegetables are mashed/pureed and some wieners or other sausages are added. The mashed soup and sausages are served with bread. Delicious, especially when it is cold outside.  

What was your experience shopping for the next person on the list? Did you fret about what to get? Were you uncertain as to what you thought would be an interesting gift from your country?

I was pretty sure that I wanted to send Amanda things that had either got to do with Germany or books or better both. On the other hand of course I was very unsure about what Amanda would like. So I strolled around town eyes open for bookish German things, in the end picking what I thought to be pretty, useful or representative.


Write a one to two sentence review of the book -- just for fun. I want to see if you can do it!

Next to being entertaining the book was very informative as I learned about China’s people, history, economy and environment. If you ever wondered why Mao had let the Chinese kill sparrows during Cultural Revolution or what happened to the Baiji, the Yangtze River dolphin or which color the air pollution in different Chinese cities has, you should read this book.

I loved participating in this event. I enjoy reading the posts of all the other participants and especially which treats they received from the person who sent them the book. I think it is a great idea to get to know fellow book bloggers. 

Guest Post #8–Julie from the USA shares her Book Read ‘Round the World Experience

Lost on Planet China = Purple Pin

Journeying from Ringgold, GA, USA to Dresden, Germany

Distance Travelling = 4,733 mi / 7617 km

Total Distance Traveled to Date = 21,133 mi / 34,010 km

Guest Post #8

Julie from the USA

Julie from Book Hooked Blog in Georgia, USA sent her package onto Sabrina from Thinking About Loud in Dresden, Germany so it is time to share Julie’s guest post about her experience in Book Read ‘Round the World. Julie has some of the funniest pictures of her love of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series and also has some super cute and HUGE Great Dane puppies that she features on her blog now and then. She also features bookish crafts from time to time. Make sure you check out her awesome blog after you finish reading her guest post.

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What did you get in the package you were sent?

Judith (Leeswammes’ Blog) sent me the most amazing package of items from the Netherlands! She sent a reusable shopping bag, cocktail sticks with her country’s flag, a booklet of bookmarks, a map, beautiful napkins, and decals that I can use in my crafting, and a copy of Girl with a Pearl Earring, which is set in the Netherlands.

What were the questions you were asked?

1. What is the thing that makes you most proud of Georgia?

• How we’re known for being friendly. It could apply to most of the Deep South, but I love that people talk to strangers, leave their doors unlocked, and wave at their neighbors.

2. It seems that houses near you don’t have gardens. Is that quite standard? Do you have a fence to demarcate your plot?

• In my neighborhood, not many people have large gardens.  We live fairly close to town, so most people just do a few small flower beds in front of their houses.  My parents also live in GA, but further out in the country.  A lot of their neighbors have vegetable gardens.  I don’t know anyone who has a large flower garden though.  We don’t have a fence to mark our property line.  We want to put one up, but just to contain the dogs; we won’t fence in the entire yard.  Only one of our neighbors has a fence, and they’ve only got a small one for their dogs and children.

What was your experience shopping for the next person on the list.  Did you fret about what to get? Were you uncertain as to what you thought would be an interesting gift from your country?

I wanted to make sure I got something for Sabrina that represents not just the USA, but also the American South. I’m ridiculously proud of being Southern, so I wanted to make sure that my package gave Sabrina a good idea of what it means to live in the American South. I had a blast deciding what to send!

Write a one to two sentence review of the book -- just for fun. I want to see if you can do it!

I loved the book.  When I was growing up my parents were missionaries and my dad spent quite a bit of time travelling to China.  I loved reading in the book about Xi’an and other places he visited, but I also enjoyed learning some of the history of China that I didn’t know.  It really highlighted to me how much I need to learn about the country, particularly the Cultural Revolution.

Thanks to Julie from Book Hooked Blog for participating in Book Read ‘Round the World! You can read Julie’s full review of Lost on Planet China on her blog. Make sure you check back soon for Sabrina from Thinking About Loud’s guest post (Secret: She has already sent the book onto Amanda from Desert Book Chick in Australia so her post should be up sooner rather than later).

Guest Post #7–Judith from The Netherlands shares her Book Read ‘Round the World Experience

Lost on Planet China = Purple Pin

Journeying from Utrecht, The Netherlands to Ringgold, Georgia, USA

Distance Traveling = 4370 mi. / 7033 km.

Distance Traveled to Date = 16400 mi. / 26393 km.

Guest Post #7

Judith from The Netherlands

Judith from Leeswammes’ Blog in The Netherlands has sent her package off to Julie from Book Hooked Blog in Georgia, USA but since there are no spoilers in Judith’s guest post, it’s time to share her Book Read ‘Round the World experience. Judith has a regular feature called Book Bloggers Abroad that she has been running for a good portion of 2010. She is also hosting the Book Bloggers Abroad 2011 Challenge in which people will choose from a list of favorite books her featured guests mentioned in their posts. Julie from Book Hooked Blog has some AMAZING things on her blog. Besides being a Hunger Games fangirl, she is rather crafty and has two gorgeous Great Dane puppies that I love to read about. Please check out both these ladies’ blogs when you finish here. They are great bloggers and I love reading their blogs!

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I’m Judith from Leeswammes. My blog is mainly about books but sometimes I post a recipe too. I read a lot of different types of books  but especially contemporary fiction, literary fiction, mystery, chick-lit, and anything else I get my hands on.

About the package:

The package arrived on an evening when I’d been to a book reading at a book shop, and I’d forced myself not to buy anything. A good thing too because when I came home, Carina’s package was waiting for me.

When I opened the package, I found a neat pile of books and cards. When I unfolded and opened all this I found:

• A nice smiley card with a personal message (and 3 questions, which I will answer below)
• A very old book called Twenty Five Ghost Stories by W. Bob Holland. This looks as if it’s from the 1930s or so. Very current, with Halloween just behind us.

• The book: Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost. The book looks in perfect state after having been read by Carin, Carly, and Carina and having travelled from the USA to the UK to Canada to The Netherlands. I tried to be careful to keep it nice. By the way, I was the first one to read this book whose name doesn’t start with “Ca”!
• A bookmark with the text “Books Leave a Mark”.
• A doorhanger with the text, “Shhhh…..I am reading for the MS Read-a-Thon!” and on the other side “Shhhh….. Je lis pour le Marathon de Lecture SP!”

• A small children’s book: Pigs by R. Munsch who, Carina writes in her card, is one of the most famous and most prolific kids authors in Canada.
• A Ride Guide. This is a public transit map of Toronto.
• A book about Toronto, with lots and lots of pictures.

---After these two presents I just have to go to Toronto, it looks so nice!

• A newspaper article about Word on the Street and a booklet about this event: a national book and magazine festival. I’m sure I’m going to be jealous after reading this!
• A really nice poster saying “Freedom to Read Week”.

I was overwhelmed!


The Questions
The questions Carina asked were well thought-out, I thought.

What books would a Dutch child typically read (what books would be in the “collective knowledge” of most adults who grew up in The Netherlands)?

There are two series that are very popular. The first one is Nijntje (Miffy) which is also known around the world. This is for the smallest children. For the slightly older ones there is Jip and Janneke. In addition, when I was young, me and many other youngsters read a lot of Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author of Pippi Longstocking.
                        


Are there as many multilingual Dutch as they tell us over here?

Yes, a lot of people know several languages but not necessarily very well. Everyone in The Netherlands will get 4 years (or more) of secondary schooling in which English is required as a subject. Most also learn some French and German (I had 6 years of French and English and 4 years of German at school).

Also, we have a lot of English and American shows with Dutch subtitles. So, we are exposed to the original language and bound to pick up some words here  and there.

So even people who are not highly educated are likely to speak basic English. And if you get to the more touristic places, yes, then everyone will know their English and German.


What do most Dutch really think about pot smoking in Amsterdam?

Hmm, I don’t know what most Dutch think, but pot smoking isn’t something we all do. Some people seem to be into it a lot, especially 20-somethings with nothing better to do all day. Also, it’s very popular with tourists, as you can imagine.

I hate the smell. When I walked to work in Amsterdam I had to pass several “coffee shops” where they sell the stuff, and I really hated the smell. I can’t imagine any of my friends (in their 30s and 40s) smoking pot, but who knows? It’s not something that is happening in my circle of friends and family. I only notice the coffee shops in Amsterdam and other cities, but otherwise, it has nothing to do with me.

[I don’t think I got any information on Canada, so no “snippets of information”]


Shopping for Julie in Georgia, USA

I found it quite hard to find local things for Julie. I myself can’t stand very touristic things that you can find in many shops that only tourists ever visit. So I only bought from shops that I normally frequent.

A few items I got really early on, even before I got the book because I was keeping an eye open for something nice all the time. I was quite worried not being able to find enough nice goodies to go in the package.

When it was almost time to put the package together I combined this with shopping for the Great Grocery Bag Exchange. Combining the two made shopping a lot easier. Although I bought one item exactly the same for both packages, I was more inspired to buy local goodies this way.

A problem I had was that it was very hard to find anything in English that was still local. I didn’t succeed there  and included only items without text and one item in Dutch.

I also could not find a book in English by a Dutch author (which I had planned to include) so at the very last minute I found a novel on my shelves that takes place in the Netherlands but is written in English. I hope Julie will like it.


One Sentence Review of Lost on Planet China:
Initially a very lost traveler in China eventually becomes an expert China traveler compared to newbies.

Thanks for the great gifts, Carina. It was great to get your package. Thanks to Carin for organizing. A great idea and I loved reading the book. (Click HERE for Judith’s review of Lost on Planet China.)

Guest Post #6 – Carina from Canada shares her Book Read ‘Round the World Experience

Lost on Planet China = Purple Pin

Journeying from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Utrecht, The Netherlands

Distance Traveling = 3733 mi. / 6007 km.

Distanced Traveled to Date = 12030 mi. / 19360 km.

Guest Post #6

Carina from Canada

Judith at Leeswammes’ Blog is still awaiting her package from Carina at Reading Through Life, but since there are no spoilers in Carina’s guest post, it’s time to share her experience! Carina has a regular feature on Reading Through Life called Reading Roots in which she interviews bloggers about their early reading influences and experiences. She also just recently finished a month of Ramadan reading where she featured books by and/or about Muslim Culture and Religion. Judith also has a wonderful blog that features her weekly Book Bloggers Abroad posts where she interviews book bloggers from around the world. Make sure you stop by both of these blogs because they are fantastic!

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Hello! My name is Carina, and I blog over at Reading Through Life. I’m a 20-something Canadian book blogger and high school teacher, living and working in downtown Toronto.
I’ve been blogging for just under a year now (my “blogoversary” is at the end of December), and I’m having a great time meeting people and being exposed to books that I likely would never have known about. I blog about a lot of different things, but I generally keep to the topics of books, reading, and literacy – which includes everything from book reviews (most of what I do), read-a-thons, read-a-longs, challenges, theme months and events (such as Ramadan Reading), and discussions about various topics, including literacy education and reading engagement.


From Carly in the UK:
One day, I got a package in the mail. It was actually kinda funny, because it had SO MUCH packing tape holding it together. See?

    

I have to say, I was bowled over by the great things that Carly sent me! There was just so much of it, I wasn’t expecting that. (It also made for a really hard act for me to follow!) Here’s what I saw as soon as I opened up the package:


As you can see, there’s two different books: the one for the event (Lost on Planet China), and another (Girl, Interrupted). Here’s the funny thing – Carly knew nothing about me going into this, and somehow managed to buy me the book of one of my absolute favourite films of all time! Also, I’ve never read it before. I haven’t gotten to it yet, but I’m seriously looking forward to it. Such an awesome choice, Carly!



Inside the bags you see pictured above, there was even more awesome stuff. Let’s start with the contents of the bookstore bag – Jane Austen things! I have, strangely enough, never read anything by Jane Austen, even though I have a specialist degree in English literature. (Strange, no?) Even with that, though, I absolutely adore women writers, and I loved the things that Carly sent – a postcard of “Jane Austen in Bath” (a pseudo-map with pictures, quotes, facts, and places related to Jane Austen), and a mini-book of “Jane Austen in her own words”. They’ve encouraged me even more to finally get around to reading some of her work!



Next, I will show you the contents of the Bath bag (and no, it didn’t contain bubbles and Epsom salts). Instead, it was full of awesome tourist-y things! From left to right, top to bottom, here’s a list of the contents in the picture:



1.    a Souvenir Picture Guide to Bath, World Heritage City
2.    what seems to be a leather bookmark (?) from Bath, with a crest and two small etchings of Pulteney Bridge and Royal Crescent
3.    a Pictorial Map & Guide to the City of Bath
4.    a postcard of Bath Abbey (West Front)
5.    a postcard of the Roman Bath
6.    a postcard of The Royal Crescent
Finally, here’s the letter that Carly sent to me. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the paper and envelope are this really cute light blue!





Here are the questions she asked me, and the answers!

1. Have you seen a bear? A WILD bear? Please tell me you have or my vision of Canada will be crushed forever.


I’m really, really sorry, but I’m going to have to crush your vision. I have never once seen a bear outside of the zoo (though my boyfriend has seen a bear in a conservation area in British Columbia, though that’s not much “wilder” than bears in a zoo). HOWEVER – I have seen a deer and a moose up close, right by the road on my way north to go camping! Is that good enough?


2. If a friend was visiting Ontario and asked you advice on where to stay, what restaurant to eat in and what bar to drink in – where would you recommend?


It would depend a lot on where exactly they were staying and how much money they had to spend. For the sake of argument, I’m going to assume that they’re coming to Toronto and have unlimited supplies of cash. (Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?) Actually, that only really applies for the hotel, the other two recommendations are pretty inexpensive.
a)    stay in the Royal York. I’ve never been inside their rooms, but the building is absolutely gorgeous and so is the food that I’ve eaten (once!) in the dining room. They also have afternoon tea on weekends, which I haven’t had the pleasure of trying yet, but I imagine that it’s divine.
b)    eat at Fran’s. There are two different locations (both downtown), and they’ve been a local pillar for 70 years. It’s traditional pub food and all-day breakfast with a mix of other things, open 24 hours, and an extremely popular hangout for students, the after-hours bar crowd, and pretty much anyone else. Have the apple pie.
c)    drink at C’est What? It’s downtown, and they have a ridiculously awesome menu full of local craft beer (35 different ones on tap alone!), international whiskies, and a variety of Ontario wines.


3. What are your thoughts on Justin Bieber? Do you have Bieber fever?


My thoughts can be summed up in one word: ick. I simply cannot wrap my head around the thousands of people who scream and chase after this young boy – especially the adults! He’s a child, people! I have no objections to his music, though I usually try to avoid most pop and thought he was a girl the first time I heard him sing.


4. What’s your favourite attraction in Ontario and why?


I would probably say that Niagara Falls is my favourite “attraction”. It’s gorgeous, and there’s tons of stuff to see and do, no matter when you go! There’s even a bike train from Toronto during the summer months, which I’ve taken, that allows you to spend a day or whole weekend riding around the area checking out all of the beautiful scenery and everything else.


Sent to Judith in the Netherlands:
I spent a good couple weeks compiling things to send to Judith ... but you’ll have to wait and see what she got! I didn’t take any pictures before mailing off the package, but I can tell you that it includes a lot of local flair and a bit of a sneaky item that has to do with her location in a very roundabout way.
Thanks so much to Carin for organizing this event! It’s been so much fun.

Guest Post #5 – Courtney from South Carolina, USA tells us about her Book Read ‘Round the World Experience

The Enchanted April = Red Pin

Journeyed from Cayce, SC, USA to Logan City, QLD, Australia

Distance Traveled = 9334 mi / 15986 km

Total Distance Traveled to Date = 17229 mi / 28691 km

Guest Post #5

Courtney from the USA

Lynda at My Reading List has received her package from Courtney so now it’s time to post Courtney’s guest post about her Book Read ‘Round the World experience! After you read this post, make sure you go check out Courtney’s blog, Stiletto Storytime. Courtney is currently participating the A to Z Challenge and just recently posted her “Z” book. Lynda also has a wonderful blog with an eclectic mix of reviews and her thoughts about reading. Make sure you head to her blog, My Reading List to check out her reviews. She reads everything from David Mitchell to Stephen King!

*If you haven’t already entered the Book Read ‘Round the World Giveaway. It’s international and includes a signed copy of The Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman and two pairs of origami earrings made by my cousin. The giveaway closes in just a few days, October 1, so make sure that you enter! 

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Hello, this is Courtney. I am an American book blogger from South Carolina, which is located on the southeastern coast of the United States.  I am a former librarian turned stay at home Mom, book reviewer and freelance writer.  For almost four years now I have been blogging about books at Stiletto Storytime. It’s seen me through my early librarian years and into motherhood and the many steps in between. I review just about everything from picture books to adult fiction. Special topics that often come up at Stiletto Storytime include libraries, classical literature and Jane Austen.  However I really think that there is something for everyone at Stiletto Storytime. My goal is simple…to match people to a book they will enjoy and therefore promote reading no matter the age.

From Iris in the Netherlands

   I have been so blessed to be a part of Book Read Round’ the World. I was lucky enough to be receiving a package from Iris at Iris on Books whom I had some knowledge of in the blogging and the Twitter world. I was so excited to get my box. I have been to the Netherlands unfortunately it was only a two hour layover in Amsterdam on my way to India so I was unable to leave the airport. When the package came my husband and I both eagerly opened it to find such well thought out gifts.  Iris read my blog and knew I have a one year old son who loved to “read” so she focused many of her gifts on children’s literature from the Netherlands which was perfect not only for my son but for me as a children’s librarian as well. Miffy will be well loved for a long time to come! Iris also sent a postcard telling me about her country and some droppies…. which my mother-in-law loved. (Sorry I must admit I hate licorice but I did try them!).  Thanks again Iris!

For Lynda in Australia

After opening Iris’ wonderful gifts I began to think what could I send to Lynda in Australia? After some research I learned Lynda enjoys just about everything! She loves to cook and that seemed perfect. The South is famous for our cooking and while I could not send her any delicacies such as shrimp and grits or chicken bog, I did send some family recipes. Lynda now has Southern family recipes for Chicken Bog and Boiled Peanuts as well as information on their origin and traditions.  I also included some playing cards from our recent visit to Hilton Head, which is a lovely island right off the coast. I wrote Lynda a postcard about South Carolina and our symbol of the palmetto tree.  Other items I included were a Palmetto koozie, drink coaster and University of South Carolina key chain. I live in Columbia, South Carolina home of the University and state capital. I also got my undergraduate degree in English Literature and a Masters in Library and Information Science there.  As I looked at my assembled package I realized it looks like I am lush but ah well…it was interesting to try and find things that were shippable and not too heavy for postage! I hope Lynda will enjoy them.
 

Questions I was asked

1. What is the thing you are most proud about when it comes to where you live?

I am very proud to be a southerner born and bred.  I have traveled all over the world but there is just something about the South and its people and heritage. We are as friendly as they come, polite and we appreciate the simple things in life. Good food, a glass of sweet tea, family and friends…that’s what we love. I’m also very proud to be an American and to enjoy my freedom and to always remember those who gave their lives to make that possible.

2. Which sites would you show your blogging friends if they were to visit and why?

Well, we would have to go to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. My two favorite southern cities that are alive with the South of today and the traditions and history of the past. We could also head to the beach…I suggest Hilton Head, Isle of Palms or Folly Beach. And of course we would have to eat at some of my favorite Southern restaurants…that’s what we do when we like you in the South…..we feed you!

Guest Post #4 – Book Read ‘Round the World: Iris from The Netherlands shares her Book Hobo Experience

The Enchanted April = Red Pin

Journeyed from Groningen, The Netherlands to Cayce, South Carolina, USA

Distance Traveled = 4287 mi / 6899 km

Total Distance Traveled to Date = 12182 mi / 19604 km

Guest Post #4

Iris from The Netherlands

Courtney at Stiletto Storytime has received her package from Iris so now I am free to post Iris’ guest post! After you read this post, go check out Iris’ blog, Iris on Books. She has made the 2010 BBAW shortlist for Best Eclectic Blog and Best New Book Blog. Courtney also has an amazing blog that features what her “Little Man” is reading and she has recently been published in Wink Magazine!

**Also, make sure that you sign up for the Book Read 'Round the World Giveaway. It is international and includes The Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman and two pairs of origami earrings made by my wonderful cousin. It is open until October 1. My review of The Lunatic Express will be posted tomorrow!

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Hello, this is Iris from Iris on Books. I am a Dutch book blogger who focuses mainly on literature (contemporary and classic), YA and non-fiction about religion and history. I find it hard to put up any adequate description of my blog, but I always love to make new blogging friends so feel free to leave me a note!

I am currently blogging from Sweden, and I was lucky enough to receive my package from Sandie Lee just in time to read the book and assemble my own gifts for Stiletto Storytime.


It was quite a thrill unpacking the package when it was delivered at my home address. Sandie Lee put in all kinds of small souvenirs from Canada and wrote down information on her country and the area she lives in on different postcards. It was really nice. I especially enjoyed the moose keychain!

Shopping!

And that is when the hardest thing about the Book Read 'Round the World Event started: I had to think of gifts for Courtney. I had a hard time thinking of nice but small gifts (postage in my country in crazy, I ended up spending 20 euros on postage alone). I didn't want to buy her typical touristy things, I'm sorry if that was what you were hoping for Courtney. The thing is, when you're from the Netherlands, you get fairly tired of being known as the country of the "wooden shoes, tulips, cheese, windmills, drugs and Amsterdam". So all of these things were a no go for me. Instead, I decided to focus on small things I enjoy about my country. That all became a little easier when I noticed Courtney has a son. It gave me the perfect opportunity to include Miffy by Dick Bruna. Miffy is I am sure a well known children's figure worldwide, but originated in the Netherlands. I actually told myself I could read because of these books when I was just 3. Because I knew the stories by heart I pretended to read them while turning the pages in time with the story. I hope Courtney's son enjoys the story as much as I did when I was little, I am of course not sure if it works as well in English as it works in Dutch.

Apart from the Miffy book, I bought Courtney a "Jip and Janneke" shopping bag, to stick with the theme of bags that seems to be going on during this event. I felt most uncertain about this gift. It is childish, I know and in the end I think I bought it more because of my own fond memories of these illustrations.. I used to collect these items and Jip and Janneke is a very well known children's story in the Netherlands as well. Ask anyone, and they will show you their ragged copy of the book. Or at least that is my experience. I also included some "dropjes" which is translated in English as liquorice, but I have always been told that it is only available in this variety in the Netherlands. However, shopping in Sweden showed me that the people who told me this might have been wrong.


And last I included a postcard that says "Lieve groetjes uit Groningen" (Kind regards from Groningen). Groningen is the city where I have lived these past 5 years, during my time at university. It is the biggest city in the North of the Netherlands, but not very well known. It is surrounded by grass and farms and so the sheep sees fitting.


All in all, I really enjoyed this event, it was nice getting to feel more in touch with bloggers from around the globe and I'm eagerly awaiting the other posts in the series. I do hope the event will be organised a second time. I did wish I could've included even more gifts and I'm sorry that I could not do so.

Questions

Before I forget, Sandie Lee asked me two questions about the seasons and wildlife in the Netherlands. Below are the answers to the questions Sandie Lee asked me:

“Here in Ontario Canada, we have 4 definite seasons; Winter/lots of snow. Spring/rain. Autumn/rain-snow mix. Summer/hot and humid. What is the climate like in your area? Do you experience definite seasonal changes as well?”

We do experience definite seasonal changes and like in Canada there are 4 seasons. I think the difference between the seasons might be less extreme though. Winter is cold compared to the United States for example, but we do not have snow regularly. There are years and years in which it only snows for a few days and then there are years like last year when it snows for 2 months. In winter we mostly hope for frost so we get to skate on what we call “natural ice”: lakes and small rivers that are frozen and we get to skate on. It has been years since we have had the opportunity to skate for weeks and have big events like the eleven city race, sadly.Spring is a mixture of sunshine and rain, while summer is usually sunny, but we have years in which it rains a lot (The Netherlands is similar to England in that it rains a lot over here). In summer the temperature usually ranges from 18-25 degrees Celcius. Autumn can be defined by two words: rain and wind.

“I’m a huge wildlife enthusiast – What different types of wildlife and birds do you have?”

This is a very hard question to answer. Why? Because the only thing that comes to mind when I think of wildlife in the Netherlands is that it is nothing special, at all. We do not have large animals and I do not know if there are any animals that are specific to our country. I think it is important to realize that there are living over 16 million people in a very small territory in this country. There are woods and large stretches of grass, but most of these areas are only 5 minutes away from a city. I think that what Holland is best known for are the many areas close to water and that is certainly true. I am not an expert on it though and I couldn’t tell you if any animals of interest live there. I do like the nature in my country and the way it looks, but I think for foreigners the most special thing is that a) it is incredibly flat, we have no real mountains, except a few very small ones in the south of the Netherlands b) there is water in the cities, which means that there are boats in most cities.


**Be sure to check back for a link to Iris' review of The Enchanted April. I will link it in this guest post when she posts in on her blog and it will also be linked in the Mr. MckLinky in my right hand sidebar. 

Let the Right One In – John Ajvide Lindqvist

I have been seeing some buzz around Twitter about Let the Right One In. One of the great things about Austin is that we get a lot of indie and foreign films in the movie theaters here. Last year, my husband Kevin went to a midnight showing of the Swedish film, Let the Right One In. He thought it was fantastic so I went out and bought him the book. It sat on the shelves for year until I told him he should read it when I saw my Twitter friends talking about the new American film. So, being the wonderful guy he is, he picked it up and read it. You know what is even better? He sat down and wrote a review of the book when I asked him to do a guest review for me! Here it is!
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Book: Let the Right One In
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
480 pages
Kevin’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Let the Right One In is the story of Oskar, a 12-year-old boy, and Eli, the girl who might be something else entirely. Oskar is bullied at school and lashes out against the world in private. His life is drastically changed when he meets Eli, the new girl in his Apartment complex. Eli talks differently, seems oblivious to the cold of the Swedish winter, and doesn't come out during the day. The two form an unlikely friendship considering that Eli ought to see Oskar as food. Unfortunately for Eli, it's not easy for a vampire child to function in society on her own. When her adult companion is caught trying to gather blood for her, Eli must risk exposing herself as the townspeople become more and more suspicious of what might be in their midst, and Oskar might be the only one who can help.

Let the Right One In is a horror story unlike any other I've ever read. It's an atmospheric read that tends to be creepy rather than scary most of the time, but still managed to have certain scenes I found scarier than most anything I can remember. The Vampires are mostly traditional although they are some pretty cool twists to them, that I wouldn't dream of spoiling.

While many of the principle characters in Let the Right One In are children, it has very adult themes, focusing on love, sex, pedophilia, alcoholism, divorce, bullying and the pains of growing up. It's definitely not a happy book. All of the characters are flawed in some way, even the ones who'd generally be considered the protagonists. I think this provides an emotional depth that is uncommon in this genre.

I read this book after seeing the original Swedish movie and I think they complement each other very well. The movie is much more straightforward and cuts out a lot of the subplots (including the scariest part of the whole book!) but is excellent in its own right. I imagine that people who read the book before seeing the movie could be disappointed, but coming to them in the order I did made a lot of sense. I was even a little disappointed at first because for the first 100 pages or so the book seemed to be almost identical to the movie, but then it began to expand and flesh out the characters and circumstances a lot more.

I highly recommend the book and the movie to anyone who likes their horror to have a little depth to it. Definitely don't wait for the US remake which they'll surely screw up.

Guest Post! Sarah from Bookworm Blues

A few months ago I met Sarah on Shelfari. After inviting her to join the Fantasy/Science Fiction Book of the Month group, I found out that she is a fellow blogger and a fantastic one at that. Sarah reviews Fantasy and to a lesser degree, Science Fiction on her blog, Bookworm Blues. I asked her to write up a guest post and she agreed, so here it is! I love it and think she is very inspirational.


Make sure you check out her awesome blog. Her reviews are fantastic and she reads some of the best Fantasy books out there!
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My husband came home from work one day, his eyes swept over our living room which had, throughout the course of the day, turned into my battleground. I had three piles of books and was dividing my stash into them to best organize my growing bookshelf. I had a gnawed on pen hanging out of my mouth (complete with ink-stained fingers), my hair was sticking up in every direction possible (a halo of horrible). My pajamas had become my conquering armor and a war was being waged; a war of organization. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked me.

“Organizing,” I mumbled, without looking up from my treasures. He looked over my books and whistled.

“Quite a collection,” he replied.

My husband is not a reader. He’s a gamer. I could see the question he’s asked me a hundred times before forming in his eyes. “What exactly does reading do for you?” He wanted to ask. He’s never been able to wrap his mind around my love of books. In fact, not many people can. I’m not just a hobby reader. Sometimes I feel like words are my blood and imagination is what nourishes my spirit. I couldn’t envision a world without books, a world where all devices are those that plug into walls and require batteries.

I grapple with his question. I’ve never been able to answer it. What does reading do for me? What is it that those of us who find solace in words get out of our love of books? Is it just the ability books give us to escape for a time or is it more?

More. It’s so much more.

Several years ago, after I had finished a book that particularly moved me, I had a fit of passion. I slammed my book shut, stared at my husband and said, “I’m doing a book drive.”

“Excuse me?” He replied, pausing his game to study me. “A book drive?”

“Do you realize,” I said, leaning forward, fixing my passion filled gaze on him, “that kids in Africa don’t have books to read? They go to school and learn what a bear is without ever seeing a picture of one. Ridiculous! How can you understand the world if you don’t have a book!?”


So, my darling husband sat back and watched me make flyers to hang all over campus about my Books for Africa drive. I don’t think he was expecting anything to happen with this wild passion that had suddenly sprouted wings within me. A month (and roughly 2,000 books) later, my living room had become taken over with donations from professors, students, neighborhood kids, churches and anyone else I could dream of. It took us about a week to sort and pack all the books and even longer to get enough donated money to ship them all to schools in Africa. It was well worth it.

Reading is so much more than a hobby for me. It’s a way for me to touch the world around me, to savor its flavors, to live someone else’s life and dream someone else’s dreams. Reading is a way to touch and become the divine. It soars me to new heights, challenges my preconceived beliefs and forces me to explore the comfortable and uncomfortable, the dark underbelly of humanity as well as humanity’s delivering angels. How could I not spread this gift of wings to others?

There is something within each of us aching to believe; a yearning that only reading, imagining and exploring can fulfill. For the (insert number of pages here) of a book we stop being ourselves, held fast by our own flaws and beliefs and daily struggles. We become someone else; something else. Books give us liberty to be what we aren’t. We can be the conquering hero or the dark villain. We can understand the improbable and believe the unbelievable. We take the wings the author has carefully crafted and use them to soar, become and explore.

Photo from Ya-Waris Foundation

Somewhere in Africa a child might be seeing his first picture of a bear, or using his first math book to calculate sums, or encountering magic for the first time. Children all over the world might be choosing books over movies. They could be experiencing the amazing power of their imagination while exploring the world through the eyes of a stranger. They might be learning about Mother Teresa or reading about Middle Earth. Regardless of their subject matter, for those precious moments they have learned to suspend judgment, put the world on hold and live fully and completely within themselves, a mindfulness that only books can lend us.
See what I mean about books nourishing the soul?

I read because somewhere inside me is a child aching to believe, explore, understand and become.



I was so interested in this story that I asked Sarah to tell me more her volunteering experience and what books have inspired her to volunteer her time to help people. This is what she wrote to me:




A few years ago I was informed that a friend of mine was impacted by Hurricane Katrina. For five weeks I talked to this family on the phone trying to learn all I could about the situation on the Gulf Coast, trying to help them whatever way I could.  For five weeks I basically sat there, watching the news and listening to first hand observations. Then, I had enough of sitting. I bought a plane ticket and moved to the Gulf Coast for seven months of service work that changed my life.

I flew from Utah, part of the industrialized United States, to an area that had been reduced to the status of a third world country. I could literally smell the death as soon as I got off the plane. I saw people living in impossible conditions that I never dreamed were possible in the United States. I saw humanity reduced to its bitter dregs and I saw through first hand experience, how the effort of one person can change the lives of others.

I flew back to Utah so I could get my degree. My time in Mississippi changed me. I read all I could (books like Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and Three Cups of Tea as well as books detailing economic situations in third-world countries and tons of others in that vein). I learned that education can change the world. The impoverished countries, the countries with dictatorships or oppressive governments, the countries that suffer the most strife are also the most uneducated countries in the world. Imagine how much the world would change if people were taught with more than one book! I had this revelation and started my Books for Africa drive where I donated over 2,000 books from universities, schools and neighborhoods to schools in Africa. I sponsored a child in Malawi.

I read a book called Girl Soldier and actually had the honor of meeting the author when she gave a public speech. Through her, I learned about an organization who helps the people in Uganda who had been impacted by their civil war. I contacted them and eventually became the USA coordinator for their organization. During this time I also became the secretary for an anti-genocide network.

I've heard "be the change you wish to see in the world" (which Mahatma Gandhi made famous), and I truly believe the only way the world will ever change is if those of us who believe it needs to change, changes it and that's what I strive to do.

Guest Post #3 - Book Read 'Round the World: Carly from England shares her Book Hobo experience

Lost on Planet China = Purple Pin

Journeyed from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England to Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Distance Traveled = 3471 mi / 5586 km

Total Distance Traveled to Date = 8297 mi / 13353 km

Guest Post #3

Carly from England

Carina at Reading Through Life has received her package from Carly so I can now post Carly's guest post! After you finish reading, make sure you check out Carly's awesome blog, Writing from the Tub (I just love her blog name) and Carina's blog, Reading Through Life. 

Carly is currently hosting a giveaway on her blog that closes September 1 at midnight, London time. Carina is currently doing a month long series of posts for Ramadan that have been really interesting reading. I'm loving them.

**Also, make sure that you sign up for the Book Read 'Round the World Giveaway. It is international and includes Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman and two pairs of origami earrings made by my wonderful cousin. It is open until October 1.

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Hi everybody! It's Carly here from Writing From the Tub. I received my Book Read 'Round the World package from Carin (in Texas) and my gifts were awesome!

I received:

-A signed copy of Varian Johnson's 'My Life as a Rhombus' - *bigsqueal*

- A gorgeous coaster of the cafe where Carin's book club meets - I thought this was a lovely gift. Not only is it handy to place my cold beverages upon, it's also really personal which is a really nice touch.

-A pod grocery bag -- which starts off teeny tiny and folds out into a shopping bag. SO useful, I've used this so many times already to cart books around the library etc. It was produced by a business local to Carin as well, yay.

- A copy of The Onion -- a famous satirical newspaper. I'd actually heard of The Onion before, which I thought was a bit exciting. It really is hilarious and I loved reading it. I know some people tried to start a similar magazine in Bath a year or so ago but it kind of flopped.

- I loved the giant postcards, Carin! I've never been to Texas, even though I'd love to visit one day so it was really nice to receive the package from somewhere I'm not too familiar with. And I must try out cowboy cookies soon!

My Shopping

So, even though I'm technically living in a hamlet called Staverton - I decided to use Bath as my town, as it's the closest town to us and, if I focused on Staverton, I would literally have nothing to say. Oh, and we have no shops, so shopping would be a little difficult.

Instead, I headed down the road to Bath, which will always be fond in my heart, as I lived there for three years while at university and will always, always live close by. It's such a wonderful city, famous the world over for its beautiful Georgian architecture. Sometimes I forget what a great place Bath is, as I've been there for so long I kind of take it for granted. 

All year round, but particularly in summer, Bath is a huge tourist city. Between the months of June and September it literally takes about half and hour to walk through the main streets. Millions of tourists flock to Bath every year and it seems like every single one of them wants to take a picture of EVERYTHING. I may moan about them, but I do love our tourists; they're so enthusiastic about the city it's hard not to like them.

Being such a magnet for tourists, Bath has a lot of gift shops so I found it relatively easy to pick up some presents for Carina--I just hope she likes them! I'm slightly nervous after Carin's awesome package that mine might be a bit lame in comparison.

Answers to Carin's Questions

1. What is the main industry in your city?

The main industries in Bath are publishing (yay) and tourism. We're home to the Future Publishing group, who are huge and have buildings all over the city. They're the sixth largest publishers in the UK and publish over 150 magazines--fun facts J.

As I said before, the other main industry is tourism. Bath receives nearly five million tourists a year and is consistently voted the most beautiful city in Britain, which it is, for sure.

2. Are there any strange facts people would be surprised to learn about Bath?

• Did you know...Bath is the only town in the city where people can bathe in naturally heated spring waters (in the Thermae Bath Spa, if you're interested).
• Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Bath is often mentioned in literature and its recorded earliest mention was in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
• Any Buffy fans may be interested to learn that Anthony Head (who played Giles) lives in Bath and many people say you're not a true resident of the town until you've seen him. I've lost count of the numbers of times I've walked past him in the street or sat by him in a restaurant--the man is everywhere, seriously. Also, when I was in prep school my choir competed against his daughter's choir every year. I'm pretty sure her school always beat us.

3. What would you like people to know about the area you live that would make them want to plan a vacation to Bath?

Well, I think I've done quite a good job of plugging Bath but, if not, I have a few more things to mention! Firstly, Bath has an amazing selection of bookshops. We have a massive Oxfam bookshop which is great--a huge range of books sold at greatly reduced prices (most of them go for about £1) and all the profits go to charity, yay.

We've also got a two storey Waterstones that hosts a lot of author events. There's usually something going on there most nights so it's a great place for readers and writers to meet up. 

Last, but not least, we have two fantastic independent bookshops--Mr B's and Toppings. Both of these win frequent bookshop awards and a visit to Bath is not complete without visiting one (or both!).

Mr B's is tucked into a beautiful alley behind Milson Street, the main shopping street in Bath. The books are stacked on bookshelves so high I always, always need somebody to help me get my selections down. Mr B's is really more of a living room than a bookshop with antique chairs dotted around the place for you to relax with a favourite book and frequent offers of coffee or juice. It's great. Oh, also, there's a shop dog called Vlashka, awesome.

Then we have Toppings, which is definitely the place to go for author events in Bath. Upcoming guest speakers include Stephen Fry, Levi Roots, Michael Caine, Rose Tremaine, and Carol Anne Duffy--exciting. Probably more exciting if you're a Brit like me but STILL--exciting!

One sentence review

This was tough! I'm so used to rambling on and on in reviews that trying to get my point across in a single sentence proved rather challenging!

'A humorous, entertaining read about a Western man's search to find and experience the 'real' China.'


(Read Carly's full review of Lost on Planet China)

I just want to thank Carin for organizing such a great event. I really enjoyed my part in the Book Read 'Round the World and I can't wait to read everybody else's posts and reviews of their stops. My package is on the way to Carina now so I hope it reaches her safe and sound soon!