Book picks similar to
Our Italian Journey: Living our dream in Italy for one year by Ilene Modica
memoir
italy
reviewed
reviewed-books
The Endangered Species Road Trip: A Summer's Worth of Dingy Motels, Poison Oak, Ravenous Insects, and the Rarest
Cameron MacDonald - 2013
In California, the family camps in the brutally hot Mojave, where MacDonald hopes to see a rare desert tortoise. And in Churchill, Manitoba, he seeks out the dwindling polar bears—and meets them at a closer proximity than he had imagined.Along the way, MacDonald offers fascinating details about the natural history of the endangered species he seeks, as well as threats like overpopulation, commercial fishing, and climate change that are driving them towards extinction.
THIS is Africa
Mat Dry - 2012
THIS is Africa is a compilation of stories that defines the maxim "Truth is sometimes stranger, and more wondrous than fiction." From a place known for its continent-wide diversity, notorious for its dramatic turbulence, and beloved for its animals and untamed wildness, Mat Dry, brings his incredible true tales of living and working in Africa as a Safari Guide.
Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette: On the Road in the Real Rural France
John Dummer - 2009
If the truth be known, I secretly couldn’t resist the novelty of passing time with a bloke called Serge Bastarde. When ex-blues drummer John Dummer decamps to France to start up as an antiques dealer and live the simple life, he doesn’t count on meeting Serge Bastarde. The lovable (if improbably named) rogue and brocanteur offers to teach John the tricks of the trade in return for his help in a series of breathtakingly unscrupulous schemes. As the pair trawl through antiques markets and old farmhouses looking for hidden treasure, they get into more than their fair share of scrapes: whether they’re conning hearty lunches from unsuspecting old peasants, secretly manufacturing priceless collectibles or losing a Stradivarius to gypsies. Filled with eccentric characters, high jinks and unlikely adventures, this is a hilarious romp through the real rural France.
Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival
Leslie Johansen Nack - 2015
The abuse begins at age nine and doesn't end until she begins to fight back, finally, at age fourteen. Her father, a larger-than-life Norwegian, assumed full custody of Leslie and her two sisters and moved the family from their 63-acre rustic ranch in Northern California to a 45-foot sailboat in Southern California. The family spent two years living aboard their boat preparing for the trip of their father's dreams: a trip around the world. On February 5, 1975, the family set sail for French Polynesia. Intense and inspiring, Fourteen is a coming-of-age adventure story about a young girl who comes into her own power, fights back against abuse, becomes an accomplished sailor, and falls in love with the ocean and the natural world. The outer voyage is a mirror of her inner journey, and her goal is to find the strength to endure in a dangerous world, and within a difficult family.
Balilicious - The Bali Diaries
Becky Wicks - 2012
Now she turns her attention to Bali as she hilariously navigates life as an adopted Balinese local.A lot can happen when you set out to 'find yourself'. Sometimes, you can even lose the plot.From visiting ancient healers with cellphone addictions to leaving a shaking ashram intent on extracting her soul, Becky Wicks soon discovered that six months travelling round Bali wasn't all going to be about finding inner peace and harmony. In fact, the perils of possessed teens, eating raw, yogic headstands, diving shipwrecks and dicing with black magic and demons all took their toll on the Island of the Gods.And that was before the vaginal steaming.Becky Wicks lifts the sarong on real life in Bali in a blur of locals, tourists, expats and other other eating, praying lovers who arrive... you know... not really knowing who they are.
Under a Croatian Sun
Anthony Stancomb - 2014
A story about cultural difference and acceptance. For fans of Driving Over Lemons, Under a Tuscan Sun and A Year in Provence, this is a funny, heart-warming holiday read for people of all ages.’ Mature Times ‘A charming true story of a couple who move from London to a rustic Croatian island.’ Choice magazine ‘A good read.’ Tariq Ali A London art dealer and his wife, tired of the stress and turmoil of metropolitan life, discover the idyllic island of Vis. Impulsively they sell their home and business, say farewell to their adult children and move to the island, but being the first foreigners to live on the island, the close-knit community is highly suspicious of them. The book charts their attempts to gain acceptance and the many rebuffs that they suffer. Their efforts often land them in very awkward (and sometimes hilarious) situations, but they persist and find themselves caught up in the bitter rivalries, love affairs and family dramas of the village. Through this they learn a lot about the islanders’ attitude to marriage, morality, health and death, and the effect that communism has had on everyone’s lives.
Rainbow Diner: a memoir
Astrid Arlen - 2019
Mother saved black widow spiders and the homeless. Brother Benny was Astrid’s immutable compass. He kept a straight face, his eyes glazed. All Benny wanted was to stay in one place.With all hell breaking loose, will Astrid and her beloved little brother navigate the ’70s and ’80s and survive childhood?
White Hat Security Series - Boxed Set: Hacker Exposed; Royal Hacker; Misunderstood Hacker
Linzi Baxter - 2018
When Alex contacts Bridget, it isn't to catch up. He needs her help! Bridget carries a lot of guilt over what happened to Alex Ross and his family. She had been good friends with the Ross boys until her greedy father lost part of the Ross family's savings in a pyramid scheme. He went to jail, and Bridget and her family changed their name sand went into hiding. Bridget imagines that Alex and his brothers feel just as betrayed as she does by her father's criminal acts. When she meets Alex again as a young hacker and the owner of White Hat Security, he has something more important to talk about than her father's transgressions. A million dollars has been stolen from his company, and Alex needs Bridget's help to track down the culprit. Alex has certainly grown up since they last met. The man looks like a Greek god, and Bridget can't help but be attracted to him. As she digs deeper into the theft from Ross Enterprises, Bridget doesn't need any more distractions. This is a more dangerous job than either Bridget or Alex expected. The thief is willing to go to incredible lengths to evade the police, and the two amateur sleuths find themselves caught in the crossfire. Royal Hacker Secrets aren't meant to be kept... Patty and her twin, Jessica, seem like typical modern women, both successful and self-confident. When Patty suspects her brother-in-law is cheating on her sister, she uses her secret hacking skills to track him to a BSDM club. After Patty confronts her brother-in-law at the club, the owner, Sam, seduces her. Several months later, Patty's life is turned upside down when someone dangerous begins stalking her. But there's an even bigger secret--Patty and her sister are the daughters of the King of Shialia, and Patty is next in line for the throne. Fortunately, Sam is there to protect her, body and soul. And he's going to have to work overtime, because everyone around him has their sights set on Patty. She's worth a lot of money, but Sam is the only one who knows she's priceless. And just when everything seems to work out, fate has a way of turning the tables. Misunderstood Hacker A life that should have been a dream... Jessica Beckett is trying to put her life back together. Again. She should be used to danger and drama, it came with the royal territory. She might be a Princess, but she's no 'princess'. No, she's tough because she had to be. After living through a kidnapping and cheating husband, Jess is ready for a fresh start. Unfortunately, there are new attempts on her life. And there's only one man she can trust with protecting her body... but can she trust him with her heart? Became a living nightmare. Brock McKenzie is a security specialist. But protecting Jessica is becoming more personal every day--and night--he spends with her. He knows mixing business and pleasure won't end well, but Jessica is more than business. She's pure pleasure, the kind of woman who brings out his Dom personality. But she's got trust issues from a life filled with traitors to the Crown and her royal family. Brock knows Jessica is the woman for him. If he can keep her alive from those determined to kill her. Can he find her before it's too late?
Warrior Academy: A Hiro's Journey - Episode 1
G.L. Rathweg - 2017
Now in a world forever changed, a place where magic is real, and monsters have come to life. A place where magic and science blend with pop culture
Born for Life: A Midwife's Story
Julie Watson - 2015
Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life, led to depression, loneliness and despair. This true story tells of Julie’s struggle to triumph over adversity and follows her journey to fulfill her dream and become the midwife she was born to be.
The Coconut Latitudes: Secrets, Storms, and Survival in the Caribbean
Rita M. Gardner - 2014
Leaving a successful career in the U.S., a father makes the fateful decision to settle his wife and two young daughters on an isolated beach in the Dominican Republic. He plants ten thousand coconut seedlings and declares they are the luckiest people alive.In reality, the family is in the path of hurricanes and in the grip of a brutal dictator. Against a backdrop of shimmering palms and kaleidoscope sunsets, a crisis causes the already fragile family to implode. "The Coconut Latitudes" is a haunting, lyrical memoir of surviving a reality far from the envisioned Eden, the terrible cost of keeping secrets, and the transformative power of truth and love.
Coins in the Fountain: A Midlife Escape to Rome
Judith Works - 2011
but after graduating from law school at age forty-seven, she still faced the question: "What now?" Casual conversations about far-off travels with husband Glenn became a reality with the offer of a dream job at the United Nations in Rome, Italy.Coins in the Fountain brings life the challenges of acclimating to the beautiful and chaotic ancient city of Rome. Judith shares her struggles to learn the arcane rules and folkways of the UN while Glenn begins his valiant effort to cook Italian-style, as they both endeavor to embrace la dole vita. With an extraordinary count and countess for friends, dogs in the doctor's office, snakes and unexploded bombs on the golf course, along with a sinking sailboat rocking on the ocean, the unexpected was always just around the corner.Through wit, wry humor, and descriptions of enticing food and travel adventures, Judith takes you on a journey into the heart of what it is truly like to live in the Eternal City.According to Roman lore, if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the famous Trevi Fountain, the gods will grant you a return trip. When it was time for them to leave, Judith made that hopeful toss and her wish was granted.
Love & Justice: A Compelling True Story Of Triumph Over Tragedy
Diana Morgan-Hill - 2015
At the age of 29, Diana Hill fell under a London train. In 7 seconds the tall, glamorous businesswoman went from busy woman of the world with everything to live for to double-leg amputee, her life in ruins. Then it got worse. A few days after her accident, as she lay in hospital, traumatised and heavily sedated, she learnt via a newspaper article that the railway’s Transport Police were to interview “The Fall Girl”, as the Press had labelled her, with a view to prosecution. She had boarded a moving train, they said, and trespassed onto their railway line. Her fight for justice took 5 years and was, she declares with no hesitation, a more harrowing experience than having both of her legs ‘stolen’ from her. As any young, single woman would be, Diana was shocked to the core by the sudden, catastrophic change in her body image. What man would ever love her now? The issues surrounding sexuality and disability are explored here with stark honesty as she recalls her complicated love life, the High Court dramas, and the rawness of her pain amidst a turmoil of emotion, all told with tremendous humour, charm and heart. For Diana loves to tell stories. Especially true ones. A brutally honest, heartwarming memoir that shocks and delights in equal measure – when you're not crying for her you're laughing with her: "A computer is a thing that can be disabled, not a person." Diana Morgan-Hill
The Kerracher Man (Non-Fiction)
Eric MacLeod - 2008
Biography
Above and Beyond: Secrets of a Private Flight Attendant
Saskia Swann - 2021
After a chance meeting, she landed a job as cabin crew - but this time on a private jet.Suddenly, she found herself transported into the glittering world of oligarchs and billionaires where the hostesses wear Prada, seven-course meals are served on fine china, the bodyguards carry guns, and the mile-high shenanigans not only take place in luxury cabins, but in the cockpit itself.Saskia soon realised that the job wasn’t quite what it seemed though: her billionaire boss expected far more from his hostesses than just cocktails and nibbles…In this gripping exposé, Saskia Swann pulls back the first-class curtain on the lifestyles of the mega-rich and famous.Saskia Swann worked for six years for one of the world's leading airlines before becoming a corporate flight attendant on private jets. She lives outside London.Nicola Stow has been a journalist for more than 20 years working for leading newspapers and magazines. She is also the co-author of Cabin Fever: The Sizzling Secrets of a Virgin Air Hostess by Mandy Smith.