Friday, September 3, 2010

Book Abroad!

On September the 18th-a Saturday here in Australia-I will be leaving the country for the second time in my 14 years. 
I will be visiting Europe. More specifically, this route: 
-9 Days in London + day trip to Windsor 
-4 Days in Amsterdam
-10 days in Paris + day trips to Mont Saint-Michel and Disneyland 
-7 days in Rome 
-6 days in Venice. 
So, in the lead up to my much anticipated holiday, I have decided to read books based/set in the countries and cities that I will be visiting later this month. 
The "Books Abroad" list I have made is as follows. 


1) The Diary of A Young Girl, by Anne Frank  
Surprisingly, this book is talking an awful long time to get through. I am about half way finished, and have been reading this for almost twenty days now. Mind you, in that time I have been able to finish two other books. 
I am reading this because My second stop is Amsterdam, and whilst there I will visit The Anne Frank House, and the Secret Annexe, where this non-fiction book actually took place.  


2) Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown 
This best seller is the prequel to The Da Vinci Code, (which I read back in 2006) and is a thriller/mystery set within Rome-more specifically Vatican City. 
I will be visiting these places fourth on my holiday, and look forward to seeing the real Cathedrals and sites where this book was set. 
I must admit, it was the Tom Hanks movie that first brought this book to my attention, and if the film is anything to go by, the book should be remarkable.  


3) The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo  
This is one of the two books on the list that I do not already own, so I will have to find it ASAP, because I do not intend to take a library book over-seas.  Obviously set in Paris, especially Notre Dame, I would adore having read this by the time I actually get to the magnificent Cathedral, but once again-I doubt I will have the time 


4) The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux  
 The other book that I do not own at this time. Set in Paris, at l'Opera Garnier which I will also be visiting, It would be amazing to see inside this Opera House right after completing the famous novel about a Phantom who haunts there.    



5) The best of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan-Doyle 
Obviously, set in London which happens to be the first place I am visiting on my trip. I doubt there will be much scenery mentioned in these short stories, but I am certain this will be a brilliant way to keep me amused on the long plane ride (where no doubt I will have a short attention span, so short-stories must be ideal)


6) The Red Necklace, by Sally Gardner 
This book, set in Paris, originally came to my attention when I saw its sequel The Silver Blade in the local bookshop. 
I must admit, I know very little about the plot of this one, and am curious to how much scenery and how many sites in Paris get a mention. Regardless, I am excited for reading this.


This list is in order of priority. Naturally I would love to read them all, however I strongly doubt I will be able to complete such a task. On the brighter side, I have over forty hours on planes (excluding trains and being stuck in airports) so hopefully I will be able to knock off a few pages then. 
So tell me, do you agree with my list? 
What books would you have on yours? 

6 comments:

  1. Hey Jess! Awesome blog - it looks amazing! :)
    Hope you enjoy PHANTOM. I really didn't like the book so much, but I think that's because I'd seen the musical first, and the musical ROCKS :P
    Have fun in Europe, and take lots of pictures!

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  2. Hello! Found you through Amelia's blog, and I'm a new follower. I look forward to your upcoming posts. :]

    I've been meaning to read The Hunchback of Notre Dame for a long while, but have always been unsuccessful at getting fully into it. I hope you enjoy it! Also, I think if I had to add another to the list, it would be The Three Musketeers.

    Have a great time in Europe!

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  3. Sounds like an AMAZING trip. I hope you have a great time and enjoy those books! Welcome to the blogging world.

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  4. Great list of books, and your trip sounds bloody awesome! Be careful in Amsterdam...I got robbed on the metro.

    I'm a new follower, and I found you on Amelia's blog! :)

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  5. What a fantastic trip you are going on! Hope you have a great time.

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  6. Hey, I found you through Amelia's blog, and I'm a new follower. I am an Aussie too. I live in Sydney. Have a great trip and I am looking forward to reading your posts.

    Rachel
    And the plot thickens...

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